Graduate employability: top universities in France ranked by employers 2022
French universities producing the most employable graduates have been ranked by companies around the world in the Global University Employability Ranking 2022
- Best universities in
- Careers
- Global University Employability Ranking
- Rankings
Share
There are 18 French universities in the Global University Employability Ranking 2022, designed by the HR consultancy Emerging and published exclusively by Times Higher Education. The ranking reveals which universities recruiters at top companies think are the best at preparing students for the workplace.
The grandes écoles – elite French institutions set up to produce civil servants and businesspeople – do particularly well in the employability ranking.
Business schools also feature prominently, including ESSEC Business School. The majority of universities on the list are located in Paris.
Top universities in the world for employability
Top universities in the United States for employability
Top universities in the UK for employability
Top universities in Canada for employability
Top universities in Australia for employability
Top universities in the Netherlands for employability
Top universities in Germany for employability
Top three universities in France for graduate employability
1. CentraleSupélec
In 2015, the merger of two of France’s leading engineering universities led to the creation of CentraleSupélec.
The two schools that formed CentraleSupélec were the École Centrale Paris and the École Supérieure d’Electricité. Over the years, both schools had gained an international reputation for excellence in their fields and their graduates were some of the highest-earning in France.
2. HEC Paris
HEC Paris is an international business school set up in 1881 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The university’s flagship course is a master’s in management. The institution also offers 11 specialised MSc programmes and a PhD programme.
Notable alumni include Louis Dreyfus, chairman of newspaper Le Monde; Jean-Paul Agon, CEO of L’Oréal; and René Proglio, chairman of Morgan Stanley France.
3. École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique was established in 1794 and previously served as a military academy under Napoleon I in 1804. Although it is no longer a military academy, the institution is still supervised by the French Ministry of Defence.
It focuses on teaching science and engineering, but students can also take courses in humanities, social sciences and languages.
Students are expected to do an internship during their time at the university to gain some work experience.
The cost of studying at a university in France
Working on a student visa in France
Everything international students need to know about student visas in France
A day in the life of a student in France
Top universities in France for graduate employability 2022
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2023 results
| France Employability Rank 2022 | Employability Rank 2022 | Employability Rank 2021 | University | City |
| 1 | 18 | 22 | CentraleSupélec | Various |
| 2 | 23 | 25 | HEC Paris | Paris |
| 3 | 33 | 30 | École Polytechnique | Paris |
| 4 | 41 | 38 | EMLyon Business School | Lyon |
| 5 | 50 | 40 | Mines ParisTech | Paris |
| 6 | 52 | 55 | Sorbonne University | Paris |
| 7 | 55 | 80 | ESSEC Business School | Cergy |
| 8 | 57 | 58 | EDHEC Business School | Various |
| 9 | 59 | 51 | Ecole Normale Supérieure (PSL) | Paris |
| 10 | 68 | 89 | Paris-Sud University | Paris |
| 11 | 70 | 91 | ESCP Europe | Paris |
| 12 | 131 | 154 | Arts et Métiers | Paris |
| 13 | 143 | 142 | Paris Dauphine University (PSL) | Paris |
| 14 | 156 | 175 | École des Ponts ParisTech | Paris |
| 15 | 223 | 236 | Institut Polytechnique de Paris | Paris |
| 16 | 226 | 250 | École Centrale de Lyon | Lyon |
| 17 | 236 | 240 | Skema Business School | Various |
| 18 | 238 | - | Aix-Marseille University | Marseille |
