École Normale Supérieure de Lyon
École normale supérieure de Lyon
A small, highly selective grande école that pays its concours-admitted students to train as researchers and teachers.
- Students
- 2,400
- Tuition
- €250
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1880
- QS World Ranking
- #235
- 2027 edition
About ENS de Lyon
The École normale supérieure de Lyon is one of France's four écoles normales supérieures, elite institutions that train future researchers, university teachers and senior civil servants. It descends from the écoles normales supérieures of Fontenay-aux-Roses (1880) and Saint-Cloud (1882); the sciences school moved to Lyon in 1987 and the arts and sciences schools merged into today's ENS de Lyon in 2010. Its two campuses, Monod for the sciences and Descartes for the humanities, sit in the Gerland district of Lyon's 7th arrondissement, beside an 8-hectare garden designed by Gilles Clément.
ENS de Lyon is tiny by university standards: about 2,400 students, 500 doctoral students and 700 faculty and researchers, from 70 nationalities, across 12 teaching departments and 30 research units. It does not run an ordinary first-year bachelor's. Most students enter after two years of classes préparatoires (CPGE) by passing a national competitive exam, the concours, or join on application after the second or third year of a bachelor's degree. They then follow the ENS de Lyon diploma, a three- or four-year research-oriented programme that includes a master's degree.
Students admitted through the concours become normaliens élèves, trainee civil servants paid a monthly salary in return for a commitment to work for the French state. The school suits students who love a discipline deeply, want to do research or teach at the highest level, and are ready for a demanding workload in French.
L'enseignement par la recherche, pour la recherche
“Education through research, for research” — university motto
Why students choose ENS de Lyon
EU/EEA students admitted through the concours are paid about 1,500 euros a month for four years as trainee civil servants (normaliens élèves).
Very small cohorts across 12 departments, from mathematics and physics to philosophy and economics, with close links to 30 research units.
An alumni list that includes 2023 physics Nobel laureate Anne L'Huillier (ENS Fontenay-aux-Roses) and 2018 Fields Medallist Alessio Figalli.
International master's students can apply for Ampère merit scholarships of 1,000 euros a month for 12 months.
Admissions
2027 concours session and 2027-28 applications
Selectivity
ENS de Lyon does not publish an overall admission rate; it describes itself as highly selective. There are two parallel routes into the ENS diploma: the concours (competitive exam), usually taken after two years of classes préparatoires, or a second concours after 120 ECTS of university science study; and selection on application (sur dossier) after the second or third year of a bachelor's. Non-EU students who studied abroad could not apply to the diploma on record for 2025-26 and 2026-27. Master's programmes admit on application.
Typical entry requirements
| Concours (first competitive exam) | Baccalauréat or equivalent, usually followed by two years of CPGE: science tracks M-MP, M-MPI, I-MP, I-MPI, PC and BCPST; arts tracks in Letters and arts, Modern languages, Human sciences, and Economic and social sciences |
|---|---|
| Second concours (sciences) | 120 ECTS completed at a university, IUT or INSA in science, medicine or engineering |
| ENS diploma on application (EU/EEA, or non-EU with a French degree) | Enrolled in or holding L2 (for first year) or L3 (for second year, linked to an M1 application), assessed by the admission commission |
| Master's (M1/M2) on application | L3 / bachelor's (180 ECTS) for M1, or M1 (240 ECTS) for M2, or equivalent level abroad |
| CPES Sciences et société (with Lycée du Parc) | Baccalauréat; first-year applications through Parcoursup, based on school record and motivation |
Deadlines
- Concours registration (SCEI), 2027 session Non-bindingMid-January 2027 (date to be confirmed)
For the 2026 session, registration ran from 8 December 2025 (10:00) to 12 January 2026 (17:00) for both the sciences and the arts concours.
- Parcoursup (CPES Sciences et société, first year) Non-bindingMid-March 2027 (official 2027 calendar not yet published)
In the 2026 Parcoursup calendar, wishes could be entered from 19 January to 12 March 2026, files confirmed by 1 April 2026, and admission offers began on 2 June 2026.
- CPES Sciences et société, entry into year 2 or 3 (CADENS) Non-bindingEarly June 2027 (date to be confirmed)
For 2026-27 the window was 5 May to 9 June 2026, with up to 8 places per track.
ENS de Lyon had not yet published 2027 concours or CADENS dates when we checked; the dates above are the 2026 session dates for reference. The master's call for 2026-27 is closed, and non-EU information for 2027-28 diploma applications is due to be updated in November.
How to apply
For the concours, register on the SCEI portal (scei-concours.fr) during the December-January window, then sit the written and oral exams. Applications on record for the ENS diploma and for master's programmes go through ENS de Lyon's CADENS platform and are decided by the admission commission. The first year of the CPES Sciences et société bachelor's, run with the Lycée du Parc, is applied for through Parcoursup.
What admissions looks for
- Excellent results in the demanding written and oral exams of the concours, usually prepared in classes préparatoires.
- For applications on record, a strong academic file at L2 or L3 level and a coherent research-oriented project.
- The capacity for an intensive workload: ENS de Lyon stresses that its training is demanding and requires sustained attendance.
- For the CPES, school results and motivation, with particular openness to students from diverse social backgrounds and grant holders.
Tips for applying to ENS de Lyon
- 1 Aiming for the concours from abroad? Plan on two years of French classes préparatoires first; the exams are in French and you may sit them at most three times.
- 2 Non-EU nationals admitted through the concours receive the status of normalien élève à titre étranger, and the best candidate in each exam series gets a 1,000 euro monthly grant for three years.
- 3 If you are already at university, the second concours (after 120 ECTS in science) and the application on record are realistic alternative routes.
- 4 International students with a bachelor's degree should look at ENS de Lyon master's programmes and the Ampère scholarship (1,000 euros a month).
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Students admitted through the concours are paid: EU/EEA normaliens élèves receive about 1,500 euros a month for four years and commit to working for the French state for ten years, including study time. International master's students can apply for Ampère merit scholarships (1,000 euros a month for 12 months) or Graduate+ scholarships, and the Cécile DeWitt-Morette grants support women admitted on record in mathematics and computer science.
- About 1,500 euros a month for 4 years
- Normalien élève salary (EU/EEA)
- 1,000 euros a month for 3 years (best candidate in each exam series)
- Grant for top non-EU concours candidates
- 1,000 euros a month for 12 months
- Ampère merit scholarship (master's)
Academics
ENS de Lyon Diploma (Diplôme de l'ENS de Lyon)
The common three- or four-year normalien programme, equivalent to a master's degree and built around research training.
Mathematics
Entry through the M-MP and M-MPI concours tracks; Fields Medallist Alessio Figalli studied at ENS de Lyon.
Computer Science
Entry through the I-MP and I-MPI concours tracks, with master's routes including machine learning and foundations of computer science.
Physics
Entry through the PC concours; master's students can join the Graduate+ PACE programme in physics, astrophysics, chemistry and Earth sciences.
CPES Sciences et société (Bachelor)
A three-year first-cycle programme run with the Lycée du Parc, open through Parcoursup and aimed at a socially diverse intake.
Philosophy and Social Sciences
Taught on the Descartes campus, with arts concours tracks in Human sciences and in Economic and social sciences.
Research
- 30 research units span the sciences and humanities, and the school maintains extensive research links with the CNRS and the University of Lyon.
- ENS de Lyon hosts the French Institute of Education (IFÉ), the national research and innovation platform on educational issues.
- The Bibliothèque Diderot de Lyon holds about 1.2 million documents and electronic resources.
- ENS de Lyon ranks 7th in the world in THE's list of best small universities, according to the school.
Schools & faculties
- Arts and Literature Department
- Biology Department
- Chemistry Department
- Computer Science Department
- Earth Sciences Department
- Economics Department
- Education and Digital Humanities Department
- Foreign Languages, Literatures and Civilizations Department
- Mathematics Department
- Philosophy Department
- Physics Department
- Social Sciences Department
Student life
Life at ENS de Lyon is small-scale and campus-based: students live in the Bonnamour residence on the Descartes campus or the Debourg residence on the Monod campus, and share an 8-hectare garden designed by landscape architect Gilles Clément. About twenty student associations cover culture, the arts, sport and civic action, the sports association runs activities, and the school hosts frequent conferences, concerts and exhibitions. The Omega student guide lists clubs and events. Lyon itself has around 130,000 students, including 15,000 international students.
- About twenty cultural, artistic, sports and civic student associations.
- An 8-hectare campus garden designed by Gilles Clément.
- Two on-campus residences: Bonnamour (Descartes) and Debourg (Monod).
- 'Bienvenue en France' label with three stars from Campus France.
Housing. ENS de Lyon has two student residences on campus (Bonnamour and Debourg) allocated according to published rules; others use Crous, private residences or flat-shares, and students of any nationality may request CAF housing aid, although non-EU students lose APL eligibility from July 2026 except exchange and government-scholarship students.
Location
Lyon is France's second-largest student city and a major hub for science, gastronomy and culture; a return TGV ticket to Paris costs around 60 euros according to ENS de Lyon. ENS de Lyon is in Gerland, in the 7th arrondissement near the Pont Pasteur on the left bank of the Rhône. A 10-ticket metro and tram carnet costs about 17 euros, and ENS de Lyon estimates food at around 350 euros a month.
Nearest airport: Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS)
Notable alumni
- AL Anne L'HuillierPhysicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 for attosecond light pulses; studied at ENS Fontenay-aux-Roses, a predecessor school
- AF Alessio FigalliMathematician, Fields Medal 2018; studied at ENS de Lyon
- ÉG Étienne GhysMathematician and popular science communicator; alumnus of ENS Saint-Cloud
- CB Catherine BréchignacPhysicist and former president of the CNRS
- MP Mazarine PingeotWriter and philosophy professor; studied at ENS Fontenay-Saint-Cloud
- JV Jakob von WeizsäckerGerman economist and politician; studied at ENS Lyon
- AD Anne-Marie DescôtesDiplomat, former French Ambassador to Germany; alumna of ENS Fontenay-aux-Roses
Frequently asked questions
How do you get into ENS de Lyon?
Mainly through a competitive exam, the concours, usually after two years of classes préparatoires, or through a second concours after 120 ECTS at university. EU/EEA students (and non-EU students with a French degree) can also apply on record after L2 or L3, and master's programmes admit on application.
Are ENS de Lyon students paid?
Yes, if admitted through the concours. EU/EEA normaliens élèves receive about 1,500 euros a month for four years in exchange for a ten-year commitment to the French state; the best non-EU candidate in each exam series receives a 1,000 euro monthly grant for three years.
Can I apply to ENS de Lyon through Parcoursup?
Only for the CPES Sciences et société, a three-year bachelor's run with the Lycée du Parc. The main ENS diploma is not on Parcoursup; it is entered through the concours or on application.
Can international students study at ENS de Lyon?
Yes. They can sit the concours as foreign normaliens, join master's programmes on application with scholarships such as the Ampère grant, or come on exchange. Non-EU applications on record to the ENS diploma were closed for 2025-26 and 2026-27.
How much does ENS de Lyon cost?
ENS de Lyon estimates about 250 euros a year for a master's registration, plus the CVEC student contribution of about 105 euros.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to ENS de Lyon in the QS World University Rankings 2027.