Ecole normale supérieure

The Ecole normale supérieure (ENS Paris) ranks first - not only in France but in continental Europe as a whole - according to the Times Higher Education Supplement. The ENS has held this preeminent position for years running and is widely considered to be the most selective and most challenging institution of higher learning and research in France. Founded in 1794, the ENS has long been a national legend. Unrivaled in training leading French intellectuals in all fields the ENS counts amongst its alumni such figures as Henri Bergson, Jean-Paul Sartre, Michel Foucault, Louis Pasteur, Paul Langevin and Laurent Schwartz. In mathematics all French Fields Medals are held by ENS alumni, as are all 12 French Nobel prizes across all disciplines. Since 1945, the ENS has garnered half of the National Research (CNRS) Gold Medals, France's topmost research award. Nearly every field of knowledge and research is represented at the ENS. Because of its competitive admittance process, the ENS has the luxury of remaining on a human scale : it counts approximately 2500 students. Most research centers and facilities, even student dormitories, are situated in the historical buildings of the rue d'Ulm, located in the heart of Paris' student Latin...

Entry Standards

The ENS recruits via a competitive admission exam, or on the basis of written documentation. Foreign students can apply to the ENS for undergraduate study by entrance exam in Sciences, or Humanities and Social Sciences. A four-year course leads to the ENS Diploma.
Successful, European students can enrol as civil servant trainees. These positions offer a salary and on-campus accommodation.
In this highly competitive admission process, all students are expected to meet the highest French language standards.
Foreign students may also apply for the three-year ENS Diploma. Application is in writing, with an inerview. There is no renumeration for ENS Diploma students.
There are also exchange agreements enabling students to attend the ENS for a maximum of one year.

An Unparalleled French Research Center

The ENS is at once a grande école, due to its selective recruitment process, and a research university. As a central actor in the training of French elites for more than two centuries, it has nourished the majority of the great intellectual movements of the 20th century and has considerably widened the scope of French scientific influence. The impressive achievements made possible through the training it dispenses, distinguish the École normale supérieure from all other French establishments of higher learning. Former students include all eight French winners of the Fields Medal, twelve Nobel Prize winners and half of the recipients the CNRS Gold Medal.
The success of ENS alumni results from the quality of its research-based training, which includes individual tutorials and personalized attention for the full four years of study. This training-by-research model is the hallmark of the École normale supérieure. It is the best preparation for innovation and creativity.

Times Higher Education Ranking 2009: the ENS is at the 28th position among the top 200 world universities, ahead of the three other French institutions figuring in the ranking.