This list of universities and colleges in France includes universities and other higher education institutes that provide both education curricula and related degrees up to doctoral degree and also contribute to research activities. They are the backbone of the tertiary education institutions in France. They are listed as different categories, depending on their administrative status, size and extents of research activity compared to educational activities.
Aside from the nationally funded public education system that provides recognised degrees to the vast majority of students in France and that keeps tuition fees low, there exist private institutes.
Public universities in France
French public universities (see List of public universities in France for a detailed list) are as of 2015 in the process of reorganization according to the Law on Higher Education and Research passed in July 2013. This includes some merging of institutions, and the previous high-level organization under Pôle de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur (PRES) has been dissolved for Communities of Universities and Institutions (COMUE).
Public technical universities, institutes of technologies and autonomous scientific higher education institutes
The Établissements publics à caractère scientifique, culturel et professionnel (EPCSP) that are not listed as universities in the list above operate as university-grade institutes.
Within a public university
- Paris-Saclay University (Paris region)
- PSL University (Paris region)
- Sorbonne University (Paris region)
- Paris Cité University (Paris region)
- Gustave Eiffel University (Paris region)
- ESIEE Paris - École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs en Électrotechnique et Électronique
- CY Cergy Paris University (Paris region)
- Institut supérieur de mécanique de Paris (alliance)
- Hautes Écoles Sorbonne Arts et Métiers University (Paris region)
- University of Lyon (Lyon)
- University of Toulouse (Toulouse)
- Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France (Valenciennes)
- Grenoble Alpes University (Grenoble)
Autonomous scientific higher education institutes
- École centrale de Lille
- École centrale de Marseille
- École centrale de Nantes
- École nationale supérieure des arts et industries textiles
- École des hautes études en sciences sociales
- IFP School - École Nationale Supérieure du Pétrole et des Moteurs
- Institut National des Sciences Appliquées
- Université de technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard
- University of Technology of Troyes
Autonomous art schools
Grandes écoles
Private universities in France
Independent institutions
- Leonardo da Vinci University Center
- INSEEC U.
- Hautes Etudes Internationales et Politiques
- Centre d'Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques
- Faculté libre de droit, d'économie et de gestion (FACO)
Catholic universities
Protestant universities
- Free Faculty of Reform Theology of Aix-en-Provence
- Free Faculty of Protestant Theology of Montpellier
- Free Faculty of Protestant Theology of Paris
Others
- American University of Paris
- Chavagnes Studium
- American Graduate School in Paris
- Schiller International University
- Sigmund Freud University Paris
- European Global School/University
- International Institute for Image and Sound of Paris
- International Institute of Paris
- Higher Institute of Law (ISD)
- Independent Cooperative University
- Free Faculties of Philosophy and Psychology
- European International University - Paris, France