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IP Paris admission at a glance
Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) lists one undergraduate programme for school-leavers: the Bachelor of Science delivered by École Polytechnique, a three-year degree taught exclusively in English. Every other entry point on its pages (the engineering cycles, the Master and the PhD Track) starts after prior higher-education study.
IP Paris is a public institution that brings together six French engineering schools: École Polytechnique, École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC), ENSTA, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. ENPC is the most recent member: it joined in 2024. Some older IP Paris pages still say five schools, from before ENPC joined.
IP Paris reports 11,200 students, of whom 400 are in the Bachelor, and 43% international students. Its research figures name 45 research laboratories and 5,100 publications per year.
The Bachelor is the only route here for a school-leaver. The IP Paris admissions pages describe the Bachelor of Science as a three-year degree delivered by École Polytechnique. IP Paris's pages do not publish the Bachelor's application rounds, deadlines, fees or score thresholds; those sit with École Polytechnique, which runs the programme.
The Bachelor combines two subjects in a double specialization: Mathematics and Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science and Mathematics and Economics.
IP Paris names the 2027 cycle only for engineering and for its graduate programmes. For École Polytechnique's engineering exam through its International University Stream, the deadline for 2027 admission was 13 September 2026, and that date has passed.
The IP Paris pages state that the engineering programmes are offered by the member schools of IP Paris, so each school sets its own admission steps. A fact from one school does not apply to the whole institute.
| Entry point | Who it is for | Where the procedure sits |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science | Holders of a high school leaving certificate or equivalent; taught in English | Run by École Polytechnique, which publishes the procedure on its own website |
| Engineering programmes | Students with prior higher-education study; run by the member schools | Per school and per route (see the engineering routes chapter) |
| Engineering without a partnership | Students at a university outside France with at least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance | The member school concerned |
| PhD Track | Graduate entry after a Bachelor | IP Paris online application platform |
IP Paris rankings: QS, THE and Shanghai
IP Paris reports 41st worldwide and 2nd in France in the QS World University Rankings 2026, the edition it announced in August 2025. For 2026 it also reports subject positions, for example 29th worldwide in Physical Sciences in the Times Higher Education subject lists and 30th worldwide in Statistics in the Shanghai subject ranking. These are IP Paris's own statements, not positions taken from the ranking publishers.
The overall QS position is a statement about the institute as a whole. IP Paris brings together six member schools, with ENPC having joined in 2024. A ranking says little about how one three-year programme is taught, and the Bachelor is the only undergraduate programme IP Paris lists.
Subject rankings
| Ranking | Subject | Position reported |
|---|---|---|
| QS by subject 2026 | Statistics & Operational Research | 35th worldwide (1st in France) |
| QS by subject 2026 | Physics & Astronomy | 45th worldwide (4th in France) |
| THE by subject 2026 | Physical Sciences | 29th worldwide (2nd in France) |
| THE by subject 2026 | Computer Science | 43rd worldwide (2nd in France) |
| THE by subject 2026 | Engineering | 81st worldwide (1st in France) |
| Shanghai GRAS 2026 | Statistics | 30th worldwide (1st in France) |
| Shanghai GRAS 2026 | Atmospheric Science | 38th worldwide |
| Shanghai GRAS 2026 | Physics | 45th worldwide |
| Shanghai GRAS 2026 | Mathematics | 76-100 worldwide |
The subject lists IP Paris reports concentrate on physics, statistics, mathematics, computer science and engineering. They describe the institute as a whole and not a particular Bachelor course; if your interest is one of these fields, they show where IP Paris reports positions for 2026.
Six schools, one institute: how IP Paris works
Institut Polytechnique de Paris is a public higher education and research institution that brings together six French engineering schools, not a single school: École Polytechnique, ENPC, ENSTA, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. The Bachelor of Science and the engineering diplomas are delivered by individual schools, while the Master of Science and the PhD Track are IP Paris degrees.
The six member schools are École Polytechnique, École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC), ENSTA, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. ENPC is the most recent member: in 2024 it joined IP Paris, which IP Paris says completed the scope the Institute had defined from the start. ENSTA Paris has also merged with ENSTA Brest.
IP Paris in figures
| Figure | Reported | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 11,200 | 2,300 in Master programmes, 7,000 in engineering programmes and 400 in the Bachelor |
| International students | 43% | Share of the student body |
| Research laboratories | 45 | Research key figures page |
| Faculty | 2,250 faculty members | Key figures page. The About page instead speaks of 1,000 faculty members in ten disciplinary departments |
| PhD students | 1,500 | Research key figures page |
| Active chairs | 78 on the English page | The French page gives 77 |
Two figures differ between IP Paris pages. The faculty count is 2,250 on the key figures page and 1,000 on the About page, and the number of active chairs is 78 on the English page and 77 on the French one. IP Paris does not explain the gap, so quote the figure together with the page it comes from.
Who delivers which degree
For a school-leaver, the structure has one practical consequence. The Bachelor of Science is delivered by École Polytechnique, so the application is handled by École Polytechnique and not by a central IP Paris office. The French Diplôme d'Ingénieur and the Master of Science and Technology are degrees of the founding member schools.
The IP Paris Master of Science and the PhD Track are IP Paris's own degrees. The engineering programmes are offered by the member schools, and each school sets its own admission steps. A rule published by one school does not apply to the whole institute.
Campuses and location
IP Paris has the Palaiseau campus and the Évry campus. The Palaiseau campus is 20km south of Paris, close to Massy-Palaiseau, on a 200-hectare site. Télécom SudParis is based on the Évry campus.
The Palaiseau campus sits on the Plateau de Saclay, a scientific and business hub that IP Paris says is one of the eight most powerful innovation clusters in the world. IP Paris refers to it as the "French Silicon Valley".
IP Paris acceptance rate and selectivity
IP Paris does not publish an acceptance rate or an applicant count for the Bachelor of Science. It reports 400 Bachelor students in total and calls the programme highly selective; the Bachelor is run by École Polytechnique, not by a central IP Paris office.
IP Paris describes its students as admitted through an extremely selective recruitment process, and describes the admissions of the French Ingénieur Program as highly selective. None of these statements comes with a ratio of offers to applications, so there is no official percentage to quote for any IP Paris programme.
International recruitment
IP Paris reports that 43% of its students are international. It does not publish a recruitment target or an intake figure for international students.
How IP Paris selects students
IP Paris selects by route, and there is no single IP Paris admission process. For a school-leaver the route is the Bachelor of Science, which the Bachelor page describes as aimed at students with very high potential, passionate about science, who hold a high school leaving certificate or equivalent.
IP Paris's pages state who each route is for and which documents it asks for. The selection steps for the Bachelor of Science are run by École Polytechnique and published on its own website, so IP Paris's pages do not publish the ranking, interview or test stages for that route.
| Route | Who it is for | What IP Paris states |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science (École Polytechnique) | School-leavers, international and French | Students with very high potential who hold a high school leaving certificate or equivalent; designed for a passion for mathematics and science |
| International University Stream (engineering cycle, École Polytechnique) | Students in higher education at a university abroad without French nationality | A concours for the École Polytechnique engineering cycle, open to students at a university abroad who do not hold French nationality |
| Engineering admission without partnership | Students at a university outside France | At least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance |
| Master and PhD Track | Applicants with a first degree | Selection rests on enrollment at a highly ranked university and outstanding academic performance |
Bachelor of Science
IP Paris describes the Bachelor of Science of École Polytechnique as an undergraduate programme designed for students with a passion for mathematics and science. IP Paris's pages do not publish a minimum grade, a score or a list of selection stages for it. The first thing to check on École Polytechnique's own admissions pages is the current application round for your year of entry.
Engineering routes
Engineering entry is for students who already have higher education behind them. In the non-partnership route, which covers ENSTA, ENPC, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis, applicants must have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance at a university outside France.
The engineering admission page lists documents on the knowledge expected: recommended knowledge in maths and in physics, and a probability and statistics programme. IP Paris's pages do not describe the current exam format.
Master and PhD Track
On the Master and PhD Track admissions page, the general selection principles are enrollment at a highly ranked university, judged on national rankings or the international QS rankings, and outstanding academic performance, judged by the standards of the home country and institution. These are graduate rules; they do not apply to the Bachelor.
IP Paris SAT, ACT and admissions exams
IP Paris's pages do not name the SAT, the ACT or any other written test for the Bachelor of Science. They state only that the Bachelor is aimed at students with very high potential who hold a high school leaving certificate or equivalent; whether the SAT or ACT counts is decided by École Polytechnique, which runs the Bachelor.
Check the current requirement on École Polytechnique's Bachelor admissions pages before you pay for a test. IP Paris does not publish a SAT or ACT policy, a minimum score or an exam format for the Bachelor, so any statement that the tests are required or optional has to come from École Polytechnique and not from IP Paris.
Entrance exams for the engineering routes
The exams that IP Paris's pages do describe belong to the engineering routes, which are entry after prior higher-education study and not first-year entry from secondary school.
| Exam | Who it is for | Where it leads |
|---|---|---|
| Filière Universitaire Internationale (FUI) | Foreign students pursuing higher education in international universities | The École Polytechnique engineering cycle |
| CCMP (Mines-Ponts common exam) | French-speaking students from scientific preparatory programmes | Used by ENSAE Paris, ENSTA and Télécom Paris |
| CPGE competition of École Polytechnique | Open to French and international candidates | The École Polytechnique engineering cycle |
According to the schools' own pages as of October 2026, the Mines-Ponts exam is the entry point at several member schools. ENSAE Paris recruits through it in its mathematics concours: MP/MP* (50 places), MPI/MPI* (10 places), PC/PC* (8 places) and PSI/PSI* (12 places). ENSAE Paris tells students in a preparatory class abroad to apply through the Mines-Ponts common exam. ENSTA gives its general engineering cycle access through the Mines Ponts concours for CPGE students, and Télécom Paris offers a three-year course through the same common exam. The places shown for ENSAE Paris are that school's own figures and do not describe the other schools.
According to IP Paris's page as of October 2026, the FUI is a stream of the Polytechnicien engineering entrance exam. IP Paris's pages do not describe the content or the current format of the FUI exam, or the exam of the non-partnership route.
IP Paris admissions step by step: rounds and deadlines for 2027
IP Paris's pages do not publish Bachelor rounds or deadlines for entry in 2027. The Bachelor of Science is a three-year degree delivered by École Polytechnique, so its procedure sits on École Polytechnique's own website. The only 2027 deadlines on IP Paris pages belong to engineering routes, and both have already passed.
For a school-leaver, the first step is therefore to open the Bachelor admissions pages of École polytechnique and read the rounds, dates and application fee for your year of entry. IP Paris's pages state no Bachelor application fee.
Engineering routes: 2027 deadlines
Both dates are the same on the French page of IP Paris (13 septembre 2026 and 15 octobre 2026). If you are enrolled in a double-degree programme at an institution with an agreement with one of these schools, IP Paris tells you to contact your international relations office to find out whether you qualify and how to apply. The engineering programmes are offered by the member schools of IP Paris, so each school runs its own selection.
Master and PhD Track applications
These graduate routes sit after a first degree and are separate from the Bachelor. IP Paris offers two application platforms for Master's programmes, the IP Paris application portal and the government platform MonMaster, depending on your profile. On the IP Paris portal the sessions run from 28 October 2026 to 14 January 2027, from 15 January 2027 to 31 March 2027 and from 1 April 2027 to 31 May 2027. For the PhD Track in the 2027-2028 academic year, the application period is 28 October 2026 to 14 January 2027.
Applying to Master and PhD Track programmes costs nothing: IP Paris's French FAQ states that applying is free of charge (gratuit).
IP Paris English and French language requirements
The Bachelor of Science delivered by École Polytechnique is taught exclusively in English, so the teaching language is not French. IP Paris's pages do not publish an English test or a minimum score for the Bachelor; those belong to École Polytechnique, which runs the programme.
The only language statement for the Bachelor on IP Paris pages is the teaching language. IP Paris does not name TOEFL, IELTS or any other certificate for that route, and it does not state how long a result stays valid. Check the current English requirement on École Polytechnique's Bachelor admissions pages before you book a test.
| Route | English | French |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science | Taught exclusively in English; no test or score published by IP Paris | Not stated for the Bachelor |
| Master's programmes | A strong level of English, generally B2 to C1, depending on the program applied for | A good level of French for programs taught in French |
| PhD Track | Proof of English at B2 level (TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge ESOL) | Not stated |
| CCMP engineering route | Not stated | A route for francophone students from scientific preparatory programmes |
English for Master and PhD Track applicants
These rules apply to graduate applicants, not to Bachelor applicants. For the PhD Track, the exceptions are native speakers and students who have previously completed a program taught in English. IP Paris does not publish a minimum score per test. For Master programmes, the English level is generally B2 to C1, depending on the program applied for.
French at IP Paris
IP Paris tells international students that courses are taught either in French or English, and that the requirements are specified in each programme description. Some engineering routes lean on French: the CCMP exam concerns francophone students from scientific preparatory programmes.
According to IP Paris's pages as of October 2026, the French page for the Bachelor says the programme is dispensée exclusivement en anglais. The international students page says that the language requirements are specified in each program description. The CCMP engineering route is aimed at étudiants francophones.
IP Paris requirements for IB, A-levels and other diplomas
According to IP Paris's page as of October 2026, the Bachelor of Science asks for a high school leaving certificate or equivalent (in French, Baccalauréat ou équivalent), and it does not publish minimum grades, subjects or thresholds for the IB, A-levels, the US diploma or the Polish matura. Those details belong to École Polytechnique, which runs the Bachelor.
According to IP Paris's page as of October 2026, the Bachelor is aimed at international and French students, and designed for students with a passion for mathematics and science. Its pages list no accepted credentials and no required subject combination, so any statement about advanced mathematics, a particular IB level or an A-level grade has to be confirmed on École Polytechnique's Bachelor admissions pages. For the engineering cycles, the international admission page lists documents on recommended knowledge in maths and physics and a probability and statistics programme.
Engineering routes need prior higher education
A school-leaving certificate alone does not open the engineering routes. Each one asks for study after school, and the requirement differs by route and by school.
| Route | What the pages require | School concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Admission without partnership | At least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance at a university outside France | ENSTA, ENPC, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris, Télécom SudParis |
| International University Stream (FUI) | Students in higher education at a university abroad who do not have French nationality | École Polytechnique engineering cycle |
| Joint IP Paris international recruitment, ENSAE Paris | Enrolled outside France with at least the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits on 1 September of the year of admission | ENSAE Paris |
| Concours route, Télécom Paris | Level required: classes préparatoires, Mathématiques Spéciales MP, MPI, PC, PSI, PT, TSI | Télécom Paris |
The ENSAE Paris and Télécom Paris rows come from those schools' own pages and apply to those schools only. The one earlier example of a joint IP Paris engineering recruitment, in 2020, was open to students with at least two years of university study, from nine countries; it is shown for context and is not a current rule.
The Ingénieur route: international admission to the engineering schools
The engineering routes of IP Paris are entry after prior higher-education study, not first-year entry from secondary school. IP Paris organises different international admissions processes for its six member engineering schools, and the cycle grants graduates the "Titre d'Ingénieur" (Master of Science in Engineering) and the European degree of Master.
Each route has its own school, audience and exam. A fact from one school does not apply to the others, so read the route that matches your situation and then the page of the school it leads to.
| Route | Who it is for | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| International University Stream (FUI) | Foreign students pursuing higher education in international universities | École Polytechnique engineering cycle |
| Admission without partnership | At least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance, at a university outside France | ENSTA, ENPC, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris, Télécom SudParis |
| Double-degree programmes | Students of an institution with an agreement with the school | ENPC, ENSAE Paris, ENSTA, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis recruit students through their double-degree programs |
| CCMP entrance exam | French-speaking students from scientific preparatory programs (classes préparatoires) | Used by ENSAE Paris, ENSTA and Télécom Paris |
| CPGE competition of École Polytechnique | Open to French and international candidates | École Polytechnique engineering cycle |
The 2027 deadlines for two of these routes have passed. The FUI deadline for 2027 admission was 13 September 2026, and the deadline for admission without partnership was 15 October 2026.
How long the engineering cycle lasts
- École Polytechnique: a 3-year Engineer Degree Program, completed by one-year specialization.
- ENSAE Paris: a three-year Program.
- Télécom Paris: according to its page as of October 2026, through the Mines-Ponts common exam, a course of three years.
- Télécom SudParis: in the engineering cycle, teaching takes place over three years.
- ENSTA Paris (founded in 1741) and ENPC (founded in 1747): the IP Paris page gives no duration for either.
After the diploma
IP Paris states that 95% of graduates are hired within 4 months. The French version of the page words it as an average employability rate of 95% less than 4 months after graduation. IP Paris does not name the graduating class or the survey behind this figure, so treat it as the institute's own indication and not as a school-by-school result.
What to study at IP Paris: Bachelor, Ingénieur and Masters
The one IP Paris programme built for school-leavers is the Bachelor of Science: a three-year undergraduate degree, taught exclusively in English, delivered by École Polytechnique. Everything else IP Paris offers, from the engineering cycle to the Master of Science and the PhD Track, follows prior higher-education study.
The Bachelor has a double specialization. IP Paris lists Mathematics and Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science and Mathematics and Economics. The programme is backed by research and gives access to the facilities of the École Polytechnique's labs. IP Paris's pages do not publish the year-by-year curriculum or the credit total for the Bachelor.
| Programme | Length and degree | Delivered by |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science | Three-year undergraduate degree, in English | École Polytechnique |
| French Diplôme d'Ingénieur | Engineering cycle after prior study; duration depends on the school | The member schools |
| Masters of Science and Technology | A degree of the founding member schools, listed with the Diplôme d'Ingénieur | Founding member schools |
| IP Paris Master of Science | Either two years (M1-M2) or one year (M2), leading to a French National Master's Degree | IP Paris |
| PhD Track | Graduate programme after a first degree, one of the IP Paris degrees | IP Paris |
Engineering, Masters of Science and PhD Track
IP Paris separates two kinds of graduate degree. Its own degrees are Master of Science (French National Master's Degree) and PhD Track, while the degrees from the founding member schools are the French Diplôme d'Ingénieur and the Master of Science and Technology. IP Paris's pages give no count of programmes or language split for the Masters of Science and Technology.
IP Paris reports 2,300 Master students and 7,000 engineering students against 400 in the Bachelor, so the Bachelor is the smallest of the three groups.
Laboratories and research
The IP Paris research key figures name 45 research laboratories, while the French Diplôme d'Ingénieur page speaks of PhD study in one of the 40 IP Paris Laboratories. IP Paris does not reconcile the two counts, so quote the figure with the page it comes from. The Bachelor's lab access is specifically to the labs of École Polytechnique.
Career prospects: what IP Paris graduates do next
IP Paris states that 95% of graduates are hired within 4 months, and that figure sits on its page for the French Diplôme d'Ingénieur, so it speaks for engineering graduates. IP Paris does not publish an employment figure for the Bachelor or for the Master's programmes.
The French version of the engineering page words the claim as an average employability rate of 95% less than 4 months after graduation. IP Paris does not name the graduating class or the survey behind it, so read it as the institute's own statement and not as an audited result.
| Topic | IP Paris statement |
|---|---|
| Time to employment | 95% hired within 4 months |
| Sectors named | IT, deep-tech, finance, energy, environment, transport, cybersecurity, nanotechnologies, AI, data science, robotics |
| Employers named | International companies, SMEs, start-ups |
IP Paris names sectors and types of employer, but no individual companies and no salary figures. For a hiring outlook by company or pay level, you need the member school's own career pages.
Employability in the QS rankings
IP Paris reports that in the QS World University Rankings 2025 it was ranked 10th worldwide and 1st in France for employer reputation. In July 2024 IP Paris reported receiving the QS Employability Champions Recognition Award and the QS Award for Excellence in Global Engagement. These are the institute's own statements about QS results.
Cost of study and living at IP Paris
IP Paris does not publish a single tuition figure: its pages say that fees are specific to each program and are specified in each programme description. The Bachelor of Science is run by École Polytechnique, which sets and publishes its own fee, and IP Paris's pages do not give one. For living in Paris, IP Paris's Master FAQ states a monthly budget of 600-900€.
Because tuition depends on the programme and the school, the fees below are examples tied to one school, one year and one student group each. Do not read any of them as a fee for the Bachelor or for IP Paris as a whole.
| Programme and student group | Fee |
|---|---|
| Télécom Paris engineering cycle, 2026-2027: French and EU students | 3600 € |
| Télécom Paris engineering cycle, 2026-2027: non-EU students entering by concours (CCMP, ATS) or the university route GEI-UNIV | 3600 € |
| Télécom Paris engineering cycle, 2026-2027: non-EU students with a residence card and a French tax household for at least 2 years | 3600 € |
| Télécom Paris engineering cycle, 2026-2027: other non-EU students | 5700 € |
Compulsory yearly costs
The student and campus life contribution (CVEC) is compulsory for all students, including scholarship holders and apprentices, and the Télécom Paris page sets it at 105 € for 2026-2027. Registration with French social security is compulsory when you enrol in higher education, and it is free of charge. Civil liability insurance is also compulsory; taken out independently it costs less than €20/year.
Living costs
The Master FAQ gives the monthly budget for Paris as 600 à 900€ par mois; IP Paris says it depends on the type of accommodation. At the Le Magnan restaurant, students of ENSAE, Télécom and Télécom SudParis pay a fixed external student rate of €6 per meal.
IP Paris scholarships and financial aid
IP Paris lists no scholarship for the Bachelor of Science. The aid described on pages linked from IP Paris belongs to the member schools, and each school sets its own terms: ENSAE Paris exempts its need-based scholarship holders from tuition fees and Télécom Paris fully exempts Crous need-based scholarship holders.
The Bachelor of Science is delivered by École Polytechnique, so its scholarship rules sit on École Polytechnique's own pages and not on IP Paris's. The two schools below are examples of what other member schools publish.
| Scheme | Who it concerns | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| ENSAE Paris need-based scholarships | Engineering-cycle students at ENSAE Paris | Scholarship holders are exempt from the school's tuition fees |
| Télécom Paris fee exemption | Crous need-based scholarship holders; foreign holders of Eiffel, French Embassy, French Government or Brafitec scholarships | Total exemption for the Crous group and total exemption for the foreign scholarship group |
Each row belongs to the school or group named in it. The Télécom Paris exemptions apply to the groups listed there, and the ENSAE Paris scheme to its engineering-cycle students.
Housing on the IP Paris campus
IP Paris has no student housing of its own: its accommodation page says the institute does not have any housing unit to offer. It works through partner residences, private homes and an online platform, and the page is written for Master and PhD Track students, not for Bachelor students.
The accommodation page states that several accommodation options are available to Masters and PhD track students, who can also receive an accommodation grant and help placing deposits. IP Paris's pages do not describe housing for Bachelor students; ask École Polytechnique, which runs the Bachelor, what applies to your programme.
| Option | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Partner residences | Partnerships for all students of the member schools with Twenty Campus, ECLA and YouFirst. The page speaks of 4 partnerships but names three. |
| Science Accueil private homes | Orsay area: between €400 and €450 for a room, between €600 and €650 for a studio flat and between €750 and €900 for a two-bedroom apartment; a reservation deposit of up to 30% of the rent, deducted from the first rent |
| Solidarity homestay (ensemble2générations) | A monthly rent of around €280-400 and a €300 annual fee paid to the organisation |
| Studapart | If you have no guarantor living in France, Studapart is your guarantor for the whole duration of your rental |
How the housing request works
A housing request is processed after your registration is completed and your tuition fees paid. IP Paris first provides accommodation to PhD Track students, students benefitting from a scholarship (CROUS, Campus France) and students arriving on French territory for the first time.
The terms and conditions warn that you will have no choice regarding the location of your accommodation nor the type of apartment. Treat institute housing as a possibility and not as a guarantee, and keep a private-rental plan ready.
Housing aid and distance to Paris
The accommodation page points to the CAF website for housing support: personalized housing support (APL), family housing allowances (ALF) and social housing allowances (ALS). VISALE - Action Logement is a scheme that replaces the need for a guarantor or personal deposit. The IP Paris campus is next to Massy Palaiseau and 45 minutes from the center of Paris by public transport.
Student life at IP Paris and on the Saclay plateau
Student life at IP Paris happens on a 200-hectare site on the outskirts of Paris, with student associations spread across the member schools and a large sports offer on the Palaiseau campus. The campus is 20km south of Paris, so most of your leisure time in the city starts with a train ride.
IP Paris says its students have dynamic associations throughout its five schools, while the institute itself lists six member schools. The BDE IP Paris association was officially created on 19 September 2021. It runs the IP Paris Buddy Program, which puts incoming students in touch with a buddy who has already been on campus for at least a year.
Sports on the Palaiseau campus
IP Paris lists its outdoor and indoor sports facilities on the Palaiseau campus. Some of the larger items are in the table.
| Facility | Number |
|---|---|
| Riding school | 1, with 30 horses |
| Athletics track | 1, 400m |
| Climbing wall | 1 |
| Football pitches | 4 |
| Rugby pitches | 3 |
| Tennis courts | 8 |
Indoors, the list includes gyms, weightlifting rooms, a fencing room, 25-meter swimming pools, volleyball, basketball and handball courts, climbing walls, a dojo, a dance studio and a shooting range.
Getting to campus
The RER B and C trains take you to the campus: get off at Massy Palaiseau, served by the B or the C, or at Lozère, served only by the B. From Lozère, you climb a pedestrian walkway and stairs, 300 steps, about 15-20 minutes walk. IP Paris puts the campus 45 minutes from the center of Paris by public transport, and Orly airport 20 minutes by car.
Health and wellbeing
The IP Paris health centre is in the Pavillon Broca, in the heart of the campus, and is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 8.30pm. IP Paris states that only the doctor does not charge for consultations; payment for the other consultations can be made by cheque, bank transfer or cash. For Master and PhD Track students, psychologists in each school are available to listen.
For meals, students of ENSAE, Télécom and Télécom SudParis pay a fixed external student rate of €6 at Le Magnan restaurant. That rate is stated for those three schools only.
Visa, health insurance and arrival in France
Whether you need a visa for IP Paris depends on your nationality: nationals of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland don't need any visa to study in France. Other nationals use the long stay student visa that is valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), which allows you to remain in France for one year. IP Paris tells you to start the visa process at the latest 2 months before departure.
| Your situation | What IP Paris states |
|---|---|
| National of an EEA country or Switzerland | No visa needed to study in France |
| National of any other country | A student long stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), one year in length |
| VLS-TS validity | One year, and the visa must be approved by the OFII within the first 3 months after arrival |
| Residence in a country using the "Études en France" procedure | Register on the Études en France platform and upload the documents; IP Paris counts 46 countries |
The IP Paris page counts 46 countries in the "Études en France" procedure. Check your own country on the Campus France website, which is the authority for the procedure.
Health insurance
Registration with French public health insurance is mandatory when you enrol in higher education, and it covers only part of your medical expenses. You take the steps on arrival at etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. The exception is for students residing in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway or Switzerland who are already affiliated to a national health insurance provider and hold the European health insurance card. A mutuelle is not compulsory but highly recommended. Civil liability insurance is also compulsory; you can take it out independently for less than €20/year.
Arrival support
IP Paris takes part in the GATE, a shared welcome service for the institutions of the Saclay plateau, which runs from the end of August to the end of December. You can also create an account on livin-france.com to prepare your journey and your stay in France. The Bachelor is run by École Polytechnique, so check which welcome services it offers.
Who is IP Paris for? Summary
IP Paris suits a school-leaver who wants a three-year undergraduate degree taught exclusively in English in mathematics and science, and who is ready for a highly selective programme run by École Polytechnique. Every other route needs prior higher-education study, so a school-leaver with no university years behind them has one door: the Bachelor of Science.
IP Paris describes the Bachelor as aimed at international and French students with very high potential, who are passionate about science and hold a high school leaving certificate or equivalent. It calls the programme highly selective, and it publishes no acceptance figure.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who can apply from secondary school? | The Bachelor of Science, delivered by École Polytechnique; applications go through École Polytechnique's website |
| Who can apply to engineering? | Students with at least two years of undergraduate studies in science, engineering or quantitative economics and finance outside France (admission without partnership), or students on the other engineering routes |
| How strong is the institute? | IP Paris reports 29th in Physical Sciences and 43rd in Computer Science in THE by subject 2026; the rankings chapter gives the other positions it reports |
| How big is its research base? | 45 research laboratories, and 43% international students |
| What does it cost? | Fees are specific to each program; IP Paris gives no Bachelor fee. Living in Paris takes 600-900€ a month, according to the IP Paris Master FAQ |
What to do next
For the Bachelor, open École Polytechnique's admissions pages and read the rounds and requirements for your year of entry; IP Paris's pages do not list them. Two engineering deadlines for 2027 admission have already passed: the International University Stream deadline was 13 September 2026, and the deadline for admission without partnership was 15 October 2026.
IP Paris is a good fit if you are drawn to mathematics, physics, computer science or quantitative economics and want a French engineering-school environment. The details that decide your application, such as fees, scores and rounds, sit with École Polytechnique and the individual member schools rather than with IP Paris itself.
IP Paris: frequently asked questions
What is the acceptance rate at IP Paris?
IP Paris does not publish an acceptance rate or an applicant count for the Bachelor of Science. It reports 400 Bachelor students in total and calls the programme highly selective. The Bachelor is run by École Polytechnique, so any admission statistics would come from that school.
Can I apply to IP Paris straight from secondary school?
Yes, through the Bachelor of Science, a three-year degree delivered by École Polytechnique. IP Paris describes it as aimed at students who hold a high school leaving certificate or equivalent. The engineering routes start after prior higher-education study, so they are not an entry point from secondary school.
Does IP Paris require the SAT or ACT?
IP Paris's pages name no SAT, ACT or other test for the Bachelor of Science; the only prerequisite they state is a high school leaving certificate or equivalent. Whether a score counts is decided by École Polytechnique, which runs the Bachelor, so check its admissions pages before you pay for a test.
What are the IP Paris deadlines for 2027 entry?
IP Paris's pages publish no Bachelor deadline for 2027. For engineering, the International University Stream deadline for 2027 admission was 13 September 2026 and the deadline for admission without partnership was 15 October 2026. Both have passed, and both belong to routes for students with prior higher-education study.
What English level does IP Paris require?
The Bachelor of Science is taught exclusively in English, but IP Paris's pages state no English test or minimum score for it. For Master programmes the level is generally B2 to C1, depending on the program applied for; that rule does not apply to the Bachelor.
How much does it cost to study at IP Paris?
IP Paris says fees are specific to each program and gives no Bachelor fee; École Polytechnique sets that. As an example from one member school, Télécom Paris lists 3600 € for French and EU students in its engineering cycle in 2026-2027 and 5700 € for other non-EU students. For living in Paris, IP Paris's Master FAQ gives 600 à 900€ par mois.
Does IP Paris offer scholarships?
IP Paris lists no scholarship for the Bachelor of Science. The aid on pages linked from IP Paris belongs to the member schools: ENSAE Paris exempts its need-based scholarship holders from tuition fees, and Télécom Paris fully exempts Crous need-based scholarship holders.
Do I need a visa to study at IP Paris?
Nationals of an EEA country or Switzerland don't need any visa to study in France. Other nationals use a long stay student visa valid as a residence permit, which allows you to remain in France for one year; IP Paris tells you to start at the latest 2 months before departure.
Does IP Paris have student housing?
IP Paris says it does not have any housing unit to offer. It works through partner residences and private homes; through Science Accueil, a studio flat in the Orsay area costs between €600 and €650. Its accommodation page is written for Master and PhD Track students, not for Bachelor students.
Is IP Paris one university or several schools?
IP Paris is a public institution that brings together six French engineering schools, and ENPC joined in 2024. The engineering programmes are offered by the member schools, so each school sets its own admission steps and a rule from one school does not apply to the whole institute.
What rankings does IP Paris report?
For 2026 subject lists, IP Paris reports 29th worldwide in Physical Sciences in the Times Higher Education subject ranking and 30th worldwide in Statistics in the Shanghai subject ranking. It also reports a position in the QS World University Rankings 2026 edition; see the rankings chapter. These are the institute's own statements, not positions taken from the ranking publishers.
Where these numbers come from
Official pages of Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.
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Photos: Aerial view of the Palaiseau campus of Ecole polytechnique: photo Jérémy Barande, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · ENSTA Paris main entrance: photo Strawhat42, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons