École Polytechnique tops Le Figaro's 2026 ranking of engineering schools

For its 2026 ranking of engineering schools, Le Figaro selected three criteria: academic excellence, international outlook, and employability and professional success. With a score of 18.7 out of 20, École Polytechnique is the top-ranked post-preparatory engineering school. Paris-PSL is in second place with an average score of 17.5, and CentraleSupélec is in third place with an average score of 17.4.

In addition to providing a high-quality education, these engineering schools offer students many advantages. They award degrees recognised by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI), and tuition fees are relatively low, or even non-existent, as at École Polytechnique.

They also provide their students with the opportunity to take on positions of responsibility. Of the 501 members of the executive committees of CAC 40 companies listed by Le Figaro Étudiant, 34% are engineering school graduates: These include Polytechnique (65 alumni), École des Ponts (31), École des Mines Paris-PSL (20), CentraleSupélec (14), ISAE-Supaéro (9), INSA Lyon (5), and UTC (2).
 

Click here to learn more about Le Figaro's methodology for ranking engineering schools.