Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Six French engineering grandes écoles, led by École polytechnique, sharing one campus and doctoral school in Palaiseau.
- Students
- 11,200
- International
- 43%
- of students
- Tuition
- €19,600
- 2027-28
- Founded
- 2019
About IP Paris
Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) was created in 2019 by grouping six of France's engineering grandes écoles into one public institution: École polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, École des Ponts, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. The schools are far older than the institute, from ENSTA's roots in 1741 to École polytechnique's founding in 1794, and each keeps its own identity and engineering diploma while sharing master's programmes, a doctoral school and research.
It is a graduate-heavy institution. Of about 11,200 students, around 7,000 are in the grandes écoles' engineering programmes, 2,300 in master's programmes and 1,500 in PhDs, with only about 400 in bachelor's programmes. Some 43% of students are international. Research runs through 45 laboratories with partners including CNRS, CEA, Inria, Inserm and ONERA, producing around 5,100 publications a year; QS places IP Paris 24th in the world for mathematics and 29th for engineering and technology.
For school-leavers, the direct way in is École polytechnique's English-taught Bachelor of Science, with double majors in mathematics and computer science, mathematics and economics, or mathematics and physics. The better-known route into the Ingénieur polytechnicien programme is the competitive entrance exam taken after two years of French preparatory classes, with separate tracks for international university students. IP Paris suits mathematically strong students who want a small, demanding, science-first environment.
Why students choose IP Paris
The École polytechnique Bachelor of Science is taught entirely in English and pairs mathematics with computer science, economics or physics.
Bachelor students get guaranteed on-campus housing in individual rooms with private bathrooms, at €606 per month for the 2026 intake.
QS ranks IP Paris 24th in the world for mathematics and 1st in France for engineering and technology in its 2026 subject rankings.
The Ingénieur polytechnicien competition set aside 140 places for international candidates in 2025, through a university track and a preparatory-class track.
Admissions
Entry in September 2027
Selectivity
IP Paris has no single undergraduate admit rate. The École polytechnique Bachelor does not publish applicant numbers. For the Ingénieur polytechnicien entrance exam in 2025, 5,999 French candidates registered for 431 places (885 were declared eligible for orals), and a further 140 places were reserved for international candidates.
Typical entry requirements
| Bachelor of Science (any secondary diploma: IB, A-levels, AP, French baccalauréat, etc.) | Advanced mathematics and at least one advanced science course, with strong results across all subjects; high potential in mathematics expected. No minimum grades published. |
|---|---|
| Ingénieur polytechnicien, French preparatory-class (CPGE) track | Two years of scientific preparatory classes; written exams in April and orals in June-July. French candidates must be 17 to 23. |
| Ingénieur polytechnicien, international university track (FUI) | Enrolled in a first-cycle scientific university programme abroad, under 25 on 1 January, no prior higher education in France; shortlisting on file then remote orals in October-November. |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 90 Bachelor of Science: IELTS 6.5 with at least 6 in each skill, or Cambridge CAE/CPE 176 (169 per skill); results under two years old. Exemptions for native speakers or two years of schooling fully in English. Students below B2 French take French classes, as B2 French is a graduation requirement. |
Deadlines
- Bachelor Round 1 Non-binding Next deadline · In 14 days20 October 2026
Opens 17 September 2026; interviews early December; decisions January 2027.
- Bachelor Round 2 Non-binding In ~3 months6 January 2027
Interviews February-March 2027; decisions March 2027.
- Bachelor Round 3 Non-binding In ~4 months8 February 2027
Closes at 2 pm CET; interviews March-April 2027; decisions April 2027.
- Bachelor via Parcoursup Non-bindingPer the Parcoursup 2027 calendar
For applicants using the French national platform. The Parcoursup 2027 calendar was not yet published at the end of September 2026; Campus France indicates choices January to March 2027.
Bachelor rounds are the published dates for the 2027 intake. Ingénieur polytechnicien concours dates for 2027 were not accessible; in 2025 the CPGE written exams were in April with orals in June-July, and the international university-track orals were held remotely in October-November.
How to apply
Bachelor of Science: online application on École polytechnique's portal (or Parcoursup) with transcripts, personal statement, CV, ID, photo, two referees and a €105 fee; shortlisted applicants have a roughly 50-minute remote interview in English. Ingénieur polytechnicien: national entrance exam after preparatory classes, or the international university-track competition.
What admissions looks for
- A holistic review of academic record plus extracurricular achievements.
- High potential in mathematics, shown through advanced mathematics coursework.
- At least one advanced science course and strong grades across all subjects.
- English proficiency and the ability to discuss your interests in a remote interview.
Tips for applying to IP Paris
- 1 Apply in Round 1 (deadline 20 October 2026) if your file is ready: it gives the earliest decision, in January 2027.
- 2 Take the most advanced mathematics available to you (for example IB Mathematics HL or A-level Further Mathematics), since maths is the core of every double major.
- 3 Prepare for a roughly 50-minute interview in English that may probe your mathematical reasoning.
- 4 Science olympiad medallists should flag results from the past two years: École polytechnique offers a full scholarship for international olympiad medallists.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in EUR
École polytechnique and its Foundation award need-based tuition waivers and zero-interest loans; French and assimilated students can receive CROUS scholarships with tuition exemption. Merit awards include the Excellence Scholarship and Women in Science Scholarship (€4,800 a year for three years) and a full scholarship for international olympiad medallists.
- €4,800 per year for 3 years
- Excellence / Women in Science Scholarship
- Up to €87,900 (non-EU) or €78,750 (EU) over the programme
- Olympiad medallist full scholarship
- Two non-refundable €1,500 deposits, deducted from first-year fees
- Enrolment deposits
Academics
Bachelor of Science: Mathematics and Computer Science
Three-year English-taught double major ending with a research internship bachelor thesis.
Bachelor of Science: Mathematics and Economics
Pairs rigorous mathematics with economics, with a semester abroad option and a BS/MS track.
Bachelor of Science: Mathematics and Physics
Double major built on the school's physics strength; QS 2026 ranks IP Paris 45th for physics.
Ingénieur polytechnicien programme
Four-year flagship engineering programme of École polytechnique, entered through a national competitive exam.
Research
- 45 research laboratories producing about 5,100 publications a year.
- Research partnerships with CNRS, CEA, Inria, Inserm and ONERA.
- 7 interdisciplinary centres and 78 active education and research chairs, with focus areas including AI and data science, energy transition and cybersecurity.
Schools & faculties
- École polytechnique
- ENSTA Paris
- École des Ponts ParisTech
- ENSAE Paris
- Télécom Paris
- Télécom SudParis
Student life
Most IP Paris students live and study on the Palaiseau campus on the Saclay plateau south-west of Paris, where École polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis are neighbours. Bachelor students are guaranteed a single room on campus, so the first-year cohort lives together. The workload is heavy enough that the school says a part-time student job is not realistic. École polytechnique keeps its military-school traditions, including the bicorne hat and a colour guard that marches in the Bastille Day parade.
- Guaranteed on-campus housing for every incoming Bachelor student
- École polytechnique students in uniform at the 14 July parade
- 43% international student body
- French classes for non-French speakers, with B2 French required to graduate from the Bachelor
Housing. Bachelor students get an individual on-campus room of about 15 square metres with private bathroom for €606 per month (2026 intake), utilities, internet and insurance included.
Location
Palaiseau is a suburban town in Essonne, south-west of central Paris, on the Paris-Saclay research cluster. The campus is green and spread out, with the lake at the heart of École polytechnique. Central Paris is reachable by RER train, so students combine a quiet study base with weekends in the city.
Nearest airport: Paris-Orly (ORY)
Notable alumni
- HP Henri PoincaréMathematician and physicist (École polytechnique)
- HB Henri BecquerelPhysicist, discovered radioactivity, Nobel Prize in Physics 1903 (École polytechnique)
- SC Sadi CarnotPhysicist whose work on heat engines laid the foundations of thermodynamics (École polytechnique)
- BM Benoît MandelbrotMathematician, father of fractal geometry (École polytechnique)
- JT Jean TiroleEconomist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 2014 (École polytechnique)
- MA Maurice AllaisEconomist, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 1988 (École polytechnique)
- AC André CitroënIndustrialist, founder of Citroën (École polytechnique)
- FF Ferdinand FochMarshal of France and Allied commander in World War I (École polytechnique)
Frequently asked questions
Can I study at École polytechnique in English as an undergraduate?
Yes. The Bachelor of Science is taught entirely in English, with double majors in mathematics and computer science, economics or physics. You need TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.5 unless exempt.
When are the École polytechnique Bachelor deadlines for 2027?
Round 1 closes 20 October 2026, Round 2 on 6 January 2027 and Round 3 on 8 February 2027; applicants can also use Parcoursup.
How much does the École polytechnique Bachelor cost?
For the 2027 intake tuition is €15,900 a year for EU/EEA students and €19,600 for non-EU students, and the school estimates living costs at about €12,000 a year.
Is there an interview?
Yes. Shortlisted Bachelor applicants have a remote interview of about 50 minutes in English.
How do you get into the Ingénieur polytechnicien programme?
Most French students sit the competitive entrance exam after two years of scientific preparatory classes; in 2025 there were 431 places for French candidates and 140 for international candidates, who can also enter through a university track with remote orals.
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.
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