THE Young University Ranking 2024: 4 French institutions in the Top 10

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The Young University Ranking by the Times Higher Education ranks the best universities at world level with less than 50 years of existence. This year’s ranking, released on 14 May, includes a total of 673 universities. France registers four institutions in the Top 10: PSL (2nd), Paris-Saclay University (5th), Institut Polytechnique de Paris (6th) and Sorbonne-Université (8th). In total, 20 French institutions are ranked in the Top 500.

In parallel to the general ranking of the world’s best universities, the Times Higher Education, a famous British media specialised in higher studies, published a second ranking focusing more particularly on “young universities”, i.e. universities that are 50 years old or younger, called Young University Ranking. Just like the general ranking, institutions concerned are judged using 18 indicators focusing on “across all their core missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook”.

Four French institutions display sharp increase

This year, the ranking of “world universities created since 1974” was established using 673 institutions, universities or “grandes écoles”. They include four French institutions, all up two places compared to 2023, in the Top 10.

They are:

Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) up one position to reach the 2nd position of the ranking;
Université Paris-Saclay, in 5th position, up 7 ranks;
Institut polytechnique de Paris in 6th position, up two ranks;
Sorbonne-Université, up seven 7 positions to reach the 8th rank this year.

Twelve French institutions in the Top 100

In the Top 100 of the young universities ranking, eight additional groups of institutions implemented all over France complete the total of 12 French institutions in the Top 100:

Université Paris-Cité, created in 2019, at 19th rank;
Université de Montpellier, founded in 1289 and recreated in 2015, (51th);
Université Grenoble-Alpes, transformed in a “major institution” in 2023 (55th);
Institut Agro, which, since 2022 groups three schools: Institut Agro Dijon, Institut Agro Montpellier and Institut Agro Rennes-Angers (56th);
IMT Atlantique, created in 2017 (60th);
Centrale Nantes, founding member of the University of Nantes since 2022 (63th);
Aix-Marseille Université, created in 2012 and present on four departments and nine cities (73th);
Université de Bordeaux, founded again in 2014 (78th).