Sorbonne University
Sorbonne Université
A public research university in Paris's Latin Quarter joining humanities, science and medicine under one roof since the 2018 merger.
- Students
- 53,000
- International
- 22%
- of students
- Tuition
- €178
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1257
About Sorbonne
Sorbonne University in its current form was created in 2018 by merging Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV), the old humanities university, with Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI), the science and medicine university, but it traces its name to the College of Sorbonne founded in 1257. The result is one of the few French universities where literature, languages, history and art history sit alongside physics, biology, mathematics and a full medical faculty.
It is organised into three faculties: Arts and Humanities, Health, and Science and Engineering, plus the engineering school Polytech Sorbonne, the communication school CELSA, the teacher-training institute INSPÉ and a campus in Abu Dhabi. The university reports more than 53,000 students, about 11,500 of them international, and 3,900 doctoral candidates. Science is centred on the Pierre and Marie Curie campus at Jussieu, the humanities on the historic Sorbonne building and nearby sites, and medicine on the Pitié-Salpêtrière and Saint-Antoine hospital sites.
Teaching at bachelor's level is in French, and the licence is a three-year degree that starts broad and specialises. Students who do well here are independent: classes are large in first year, much of the work is self-directed, and the reward is access to research labs, three marine stations and institutes such as the Institut Henri Poincaré and the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris early in your studies.
Créateurs de futurs depuis 1257
“Creators of futures since 1257” — university motto
Why students choose Sorbonne
Science and Engineering students work in a faculty of 72 research laboratories, with field teaching at marine stations in Roscoff, Banyuls-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer.
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities offers 93 bachelor's and vocational programmes, including 36 double majors, from classics to musicology to geography.
Medicine is taught with AP-HP Sorbonne University hospitals, including Pitié-Salpêtrière, and is entered through the PASS or L.AS first-year pathways.
Bachelor's tuition is the French national rate (178 euros in 2026-27), and for 2026-27 the university exempted every eligible non-EU applicant from the higher differentiated fee; the policy for 2027-28 entrants has not yet been voted.
Admissions
Entry to first-year bachelor's (Licence 1) in September 2027
Selectivity
There is no single university-wide admit rate. Each bachelor's programme is a separate choice on Parcoursup (or via the DAP / Études en France procedure for non-EU applicants with foreign diplomas) and selectivity differs strongly between programmes; Parcoursup shows a programme-level access rate on each programme page.
Typical entry requirements
| French baccalauréat or European Baccalaureate | Apply on Parcoursup; programme-by-programme review of the application file |
|---|---|
| International Baccalaureate or EU secondary diploma | Accepted as a secondary diploma giving access; EU/EEA/Swiss nationals apply on Parcoursup |
| Other foreign secondary diploma (non-EU nationals) | Demande d'admission préalable (DAP), via Études en France in Campus France countries or the white file through the French embassy elsewhere |
| French language | Minimum B2 (CEFR) for bachelor's enrolment |
| English language | Bachelor's teaching is in French and the university states it does not currently offer bachelor's programmes in English. The requirement is French at B2 or higher, not English. |
Deadlines
- Parcoursup: registration and choices Non-binding Passed12 March 2026 (last year's 2026 cycle; 2027 date not yet published)
Last year's dates: choices from 19 January to 12 March 2026. Expect similar mid-January to mid-March dates in 2027.
- Parcoursup: confirm choices and complete file Non-binding Passed1 April 2026 (last year's 2026 cycle; 2027 date not yet published)
Last year offers came from 2 June 2026 and the main phase ended 11 July 2026.
- DAP / Études en France (non-EU, foreign diploma) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~2 months15 December 2026
For September 2027 entry the DAP opens on 1 October 2026 and closes on 15 December 2026; universities reply before 30 April 2027 and you must answer by 31 May 2027 (Campus France). Book the TCF French test early so results arrive before selection.
The Parcoursup dates shown are last year's (2026 cycle, entry September 2026), not 2027 deadlines. The ministry had not published the Parcoursup 2027 calendar as of 28 September 2026 (parcoursup.gouv.fr still shows the 2026 calendar). Campus France indicates the 2027 cycle will follow the usual pattern: registration and choices January to March 2027, confirmation in April 2027, offers from June 2027. The DAP dates (1 October to 15 December 2026) are the published dates for September 2027 entry.
How to apply
EU/EEA applicants and anyone with a French or European bac: Parcoursup (up to 10 choices, file per programme). Non-EU applicants with other diplomas: DAP, done online through Études en France in Campus France countries (up to three universities), or a paper white file at the French embassy; plus a TCF French test unless exempt.
What admissions looks for
- A secondary diploma that gives access to higher education (French bac, European or International Baccalaureate, or a recognised foreign equivalent).
- French at B2 level or higher, because bachelor's courses are taught in French.
- A coherent choice of programme: each licence reviews its own applicant files through Parcoursup or the DAP.
Tips for applying to Sorbonne
- 1 Check which route applies to you: French or European bac holders use Parcoursup even if non-EU; non-EU holders of other diplomas use the DAP / Études en France.
- 2 If you need the TCF, book it early; last year's national DAP notice asked candidates to sit it by mid-February so results reached universities before selection.
- 3 Look at the double majors in Arts and Humanities (36 options) and the bi-disciplinary tracks in science if you want two subjects.
- 4 For medicine, apply to the Faculty of Health's PASS or L.AS pathways on Parcoursup; there is no direct medicine application.
- 5 If you are a newly arrived non-EU student, watch for the university's 2027-28 exemption decision: for 2026-27 Sorbonne exempted every eligible applicant from differentiated fees, but the national cap on such exemptions falls from 30% to 25% of non-EU students in 2027-28.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Tuition is set nationally and is low; the Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC, 105 euros in 2026-27) is paid on top. On 7 July 2026 Sorbonne's governing board voted to exempt newly arrived non-EU students who apply and meet its criteria from differentiated fees for 2026-27, possible because they were under the national 30% cap; for 2027-28 the cap falls to 25% and the university has not yet set its policy. French state grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) are handled by CROUS and bring an automatic exemption.
- 255 euros
- Master's tuition 2026-27
- 630 euros
- Engineering programmes (Polytech Sorbonne) 2026-27
- All eligible non-EU applicants (national cap 30% in 2026-27, 25% in 2027-28)
- Differentiated-fee exemption 2026-27
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Physics and mathematics
The science faculty hosts the Institut Henri Poincaré and the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris, and Paris VI alumni include Nobel physicists Serge Haroche and Gérard Mourou.
Marine and ocean sciences
Three marine stations (Roscoff, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Villefranche-sur-Mer); the university calls itself the top French university in ocean sciences.
Medicine (PASS / L.AS)
A faculty of about 22,700 students linked to the Pitié-Salpêtrière and Saint-Antoine hospital sites.
Humanities double majors
36 internal or external double majors among 93 bachelor's and vocational programmes in Arts and Humanities.
Actuarial science and statistics (ISUP)
The Institut de statistique de Sorbonne Université is the science faculty's dedicated school of actuarial science and statistics.
Research
- 135 research units and 23 doctoral schools; 78 ERC grants, the most of any French university by its own count.
- Institut Henri Poincaré (mathematics) and Institut d'astrophysique de Paris sit within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
- Around 300 start-ups and more than 1,200 patents have come out of its research, per the university's figures.
- Member of the 4EU+ European university alliance.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Health
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Polytech Sorbonne
- CELSA (School of Information and Communication Sciences)
- INSPÉ de Paris (teacher training)
- Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
The university reports employment rates above 90%. Its science faculty survey (2014 master's graduates, 30 months after) found 93% in work or doctoral study; the arts faculty survey (2013 master's graduates) found 90%. These surveys are dated.
Student life
There is no residential campus in the American sense: students live across Paris and commute to their faculty's site, whether that is the Pierre and Marie Curie campus at Jussieu, the historic Sorbonne building, or the hospital sites. Housing comes through CROUS residences, the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris and partner providers, and the university advises starting the search early because demand in Paris is high. Student life is organised around associations, faculty libraries and the city itself; free French classes of 2 to 6 hours a week are open to enrolled bachelor's students.
- Science classes on the Pierre and Marie Curie campus at Jussieu, the largest campus
- Humanities teaching in the historic Sorbonne building in the Latin Quarter
- Free French language classes for enrolled bachelor's and master's students
- International Welcome Desk for visas, housing and arrival procedures
Housing. Housing is not guaranteed; options are CROUS residences, the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris and partner accommodation, or the private market.
Location
The main sites are on the Left Bank of central Paris: the Sorbonne building and Jussieu campus in the Latin Quarter near the Seine, the Panthéon and the Jardin des Plantes, and the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital nearby. You get the libraries, museums and cinemas of Paris on your doorstep, and one of Europe's densest metro networks. The trade-off is cost: rents are among the highest in France, and finding a room takes time.
Nearest airport: Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG); Paris Orly (ORY)
Notable alumni
- MC Marie CuriePhysicist and chemist, Nobel Prizes in 1903 and 1911, first woman professor at the Sorbonne
- JS Jean-Paul SartreExistentialist philosopher and writer
- SB Simone de BeauvoirPhilosopher and author of The Second Sex
- EC Emmanuelle CharpentierCo-developer of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020
- YL Yann LeCunAI researcher, pioneer of convolutional neural networks (PhD, Paris VI)
- SH Serge HarocheNobel Prize in Physics 2012 for work in quantum optics
- TH Taha HusseinEgyptian writer and intellectual
- CV Cédric VillaniFields Medal mathematician, former director of the Institut Henri Poincaré
Frequently asked questions
Can I study a bachelor's at Sorbonne University in English?
No. The university states that it does not currently offer bachelor's programmes in English; first-year teaching is in French and requires at least B2 French.
How much does Sorbonne University cost for international students?
Bachelor's tuition is 178 euros in 2026-27. Non-EU students would normally owe the national differentiated fee (2,902 euros in 2026-27), but Sorbonne exempted all eligible newly arrived non-EU students who applied for 2026-27; its policy for 2027-28 entrants has not yet been announced.
How do I apply to Sorbonne University as an international student?
EU/EEA students and anyone with a French or European bac apply on Parcoursup. Non-EU students with other diplomas file a DAP, through Études en France where available, between 1 October and 15 December 2026 for 2027 entry, and usually sit the TCF French test.
What is Sorbonne University's acceptance rate?
There is no single rate. Each licence programme selects separately, and Parcoursup publishes an access rate for each programme.
Is Sorbonne University the same as Panthéon-Sorbonne or Sorbonne Nouvelle?
No. Sorbonne University (formed in 2018 from Paris IV and Paris VI) is a separate institution from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Sorbonne Nouvelle, even though they share the historic name.
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.
- Sorbonne University: Facts and figures (updated 26 Sept 2025)
- Sorbonne University: About us
- Sorbonne University: Enrolment procedures and tuition fees 2026/27
- Sorbonne University: Governing board approves exemption policy for 2026-27
- Sorbonne University: Withdrawal from THE rankings
- Sorbonne University Welcome Desk: Admission to the first year
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