#76 in the world · QS 2027

Université Paris-Saclay

A science-heavy university south of Paris that groups faculties, IUTs and four grandes écoles, and ranks 13th in the world in ARWU.

Orsay / Gif-sur-Yvette, Île-de-France, France Public research university Founded 2020 Official website

See my chances at Paris-Saclay Admissions office

Photo: Christophe Peus / Université Paris-Saclay · CC BY 4.0

Students: 50,000
International: 21%; of students
Tuition: €178; From · 2026-27
Founded: 2020

About Paris-Saclay

Université Paris-Saclay was created in January 2020, replacing the University of Paris-Sud (Paris XI, founded 1971) and bringing it together with several grandes écoles and national research organisations. Its main campus stretches from the Orsay valley up to the Plateau de Saclay, across Orsay, Gif-sur-Yvette and Palaiseau, about 20 km southwest of central Paris.

It is unusual in structure. Inside the university are five faculties (Law-Economics-Management, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, Sports Sciences), three IUTs (Cachan, Orsay, Sceaux), the engineering school Polytech Paris-Saclay and four grandes écoles: CentraleSupélec, AgroParisTech, ENS Paris-Saclay and Institut d'Optique. Research partners include CEA, CNRS, IHES, INRAE, Inria, Inserm and ONERA. The university reports about 50,000 students, 21% of them international, 220 laboratories and 13% of all French research.

Its reputation rests on science and mathematics: the university counts 9 Nobel laureates and 12 Fields Medallists among its alumni and members, including two 2025 Nobel laureates and 2026 Fields Medallist Hong Wang. Undergraduate teaching is in French, with standard licences, selective double-degree licences, a multidisciplinary CPES and technology degrees (BUT) at the IUTs. It suits students who want lab access and a research-heavy environment and don't need a city-centre campus.

Why students choose Paris-Saclay

ARWU 2026 ranks it 13th in the world and first in continental Europe, driven by physics and mathematics.

Licences Double-Diplôme let you take two full degrees at once, with pairings such as law and computer science or chemistry and life sciences.

The grandes écoles CentraleSupélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech and Institut d'Optique are part of the university, alongside the IHES and CEA research partners.

Bachelor's tuition is 178 euros in 2026-27, and in 2026-27 non-EU students received a partial exemption that brought their fees down to the national rate (the 2027-28 policy is not yet published).

Admissions

Entry to first-year bachelor's (L1, BUT, DEUST) in September 2027

Selectivity

There is no single university-wide admit rate. Each programme selects separately through Parcoursup or the DAP / Études en France procedure, and demand varies widely between programmes. Parcoursup shows an access rate for each programme. The L1 routes described here cover the university's licences, BUT and DEUST; the grandes écoles' own programmes are not part of this process.

Testing No SAT/ACT or entrance exam for standard bachelor's programmes. Non-EU applicants going through the DAP normally take the TCF French test unless exempt.

Grades Programmes review secondary-school results in the Parcoursup or DAP file; no published grade cut-offs.

Typical entry requirements

French baccalauréat or European Baccalaureate (any nationality)	Apply on Parcoursup; required route for all L1, BUT and DEUST programmes
EU/EEA/Swiss secondary diploma	Apply on Parcoursup, same procedure as French students
Other foreign secondary diploma (non-EU nationals)	Études en France in Campus France countries; elsewhere a DAP white file through the French embassy (green file if already living in France)
English language	Undergraduate programmes are taught in French; the university lists English-taught programmes only at master's level. French proficiency is checked through the DAP (TCF) for non-EU applicants.

Deadlines

Parcoursup: registration and choices Non-binding Passed

12 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 Passed

1 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 months

15 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 confirm by 31 May 2027 (Campus France). The university's own page describes the window more loosely as November to January, so check with your embassy or Campus France office.

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

French/European bac holders and EU/EEA applicants: Parcoursup (up to 10 choices, file per programme). Non-EU applicants with other diplomas: Études en France in Campus France countries, or a DAP white file via the French embassy elsewhere, with the TCF French test unless exempt. Entry to L2/L3 is through eCandidat.

What admissions looks for

A secondary diploma giving access to higher education (French or European bac, EU diploma or recognised foreign equivalent).
An application to the right route: Parcoursup is mandatory for all bac holders and EU/EEA applicants.
For non-EU applicants, adequate French shown through the DAP's TCF test or an exemption.

Tips for applying to Paris-Saclay

1 Pick carefully between a standard licence, a Licence Double-Diplôme, the CPES and a BUT at an IUT; they are separate Parcoursup choices with very different workloads.
2 Non-EU applicants in Campus France countries must use Études en France, which also handles your visa steps.
3 Apply for CROUS housing early: allocation runs in rounds for grant holders, and the campus is spread over several sites.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in EUR

EU/EEA students, bachelor's (licence) Tuition €178

Non-EU students, bachelor's (2026-27): 178 euros after the university's partial exemption (board deliberation CA-2026-013); national differentiated fee 2,902 euros without it. The 2027-28 policy is not yet published. Tuition €178 – €2,902

Financial aid

Tuition is set nationally. For 2026-27 the board (deliberation CA-2026-013, 3 February 2026) granted non-EU students a partial exemption from differentiated fees so they pay the national rate; a national decree of 19 May 2026 caps institution-granted exemptions at 30% of non-EU students in 2026-27 and 25% in 2027-28, so check the university's policy for 2027-28. French state grants on social criteria are handled by CROUS, and the university runs fee waivers for individual circumstances.

255 euros
Master's tuition 2026-27: 398 euros
Doctorate tuition 2026-27: Up to three instalments at no extra cost
Payment

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters

Mathematics

12 Fields Medallists among alumni and members, including Hong Wang in 2026, with the IHES as a research partner.

Physics

Nobel physicists Alain Aspect and Michel Devoret studied here; the university is 13th in ARWU 2026.

Licence Double-Diplôme

Two degrees in parallel, e.g. law and computer science or chemistry and life sciences.

CPES

A multidisciplinary first-cycle programme listed among the university's six undergraduate tracks.

BUT at the IUTs

Three-year technology bachelor's degrees at Cachan, Orsay and Sceaux with a strong practical component.

Research

220 laboratories and 350 experimental platforms, accounting for about 13% of French research by the university's count.
Two 2025 Nobel laureates among alumni and members (Philippe Aghion in economics, Michel Devoret in physics).
Research partners on campus include CEA, CNRS, IHES, INRAE, Inria, Inserm and ONERA.
About 50 start-ups created each year, 6 incubators and more than 500 industrial partnerships.

Schools & faculties

Faculty of Law, Economics and Management
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Pharmacy
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Sports Sciences
IUT de Cachan
IUT d'Orsay
IUT de Sceaux
Polytech Paris-Saclay
CentraleSupélec
AgroParisTech
ENS Paris-Saclay

Student life

Life is spread across several campuses: the wooded Orsay valley, the new buildings of the Plateau de Saclay, and sites in Cachan, Sceaux and Le Kremlin-Bicêtre. Most students live in CROUS residences near their site (about 18 across five campuses) or rent through partner platforms such as Studapart and Lokaviz. The plateau is a place of labs and grandes écoles rather than cafés, so social life centres on student associations, sport and trips into Paris by RER B. An international buddy programme pairs newcomers with current students.

About 18 CROUS residences across the Cachan, Orsay valley, Orsay plateau, Sceaux and Kremlin-Bicêtre campuses
International buddy programme for incoming students
Member of the EUGLOH European university alliance, which it coordinates

Housing. Housing is not guaranteed; CROUS rooms are allocated on income and distance criteria in several rounds, with partner platforms and associations as alternatives.

Location

The university sits in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, around Orsay, Gif-sur-Yvette and Palaiseau. The valley is green and quiet; the Plateau de Saclay is a large, still-growing research cluster with major labs and engineering schools. Central Paris is reachable by RER B, so you can live cheaply near campus and still go into the city on weekends.

Nearest airport: Paris Orly (ORY)

Notable alumni

PA
Philippe Aghion

Economist, Nobel Prize in Economics 2025 (bachelor's in mathematics, ENS Paris-Saclay, then ENS Cachan)
MD
Michel Devoret

Physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 2025 (DEA and PhD at Paris-Sud)
AA
Alain Aspect

Physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 for quantum entanglement experiments
NB
Ngô Bảo Châu

Mathematician, Fields Medal 2010 (PhD, Paris-Sud)
LL
Laurent Lafforgue

Mathematician, Fields Medal 2002 (PhD, Paris-Sud)
JY
Jean-Christophe Yoccoz

Mathematician, Fields Medal 1994 (PhD, Paris-Sud)
PD
Pierre Deligne

Mathematician, Fields Medal 1978 (PhD, Paris-Sud)

Frequently asked questions

Is Université Paris-Saclay the best university in France?

In ARWU 2026 it is 13th worldwide and first in France. In QS 2027 it is 76th, behind PSL, Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Sorbonne University.

Can I study a bachelor's at Paris-Saclay in English?

Undergraduate programmes are taught in French; the university lists English-taught programmes at master's level.

How much are tuition fees at Paris-Saclay for international students?

For 2026-27 the bachelor's fee is 178 euros, and non-EU students received a partial exemption from the 2,902-euro differentiated fee that brought them down to this national rate. The policy for 2027-28 entrants has not yet been published.

How do international students apply to Paris-Saclay?

Anyone with a French or European bac and all EU/EEA applicants use Parcoursup. Non-EU students with other diplomas use Études en France or a DAP white file through the French embassy, between 1 October and 15 December 2026 for 2027 entry.

Is CentraleSupélec part of Université Paris-Saclay?

Yes. CentraleSupélec, AgroParisTech, ENS Paris-Saclay and Institut d'Optique are listed by the university as its four grandes écoles.

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.