THE World University Rankings by subject 2025: 50 French institutions awarded

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The Times Higher Education (THE) has just released a series of rankings “by subject”. Eleven different rankings by subject include 50 French higher education institutions, four more than in 2024. In total, 22 are in the Top 100 of several disciplines, with five institutions particularly standing out: PSL University, Paris-Saclay University, Sorbonne University, Polytechnic Institute of Paris and University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

To create its World University Rankings by Subject 2025, the Times Higher Education took into consideration several major criteria: quality of teaching, (teaching reputation, student-to-staff ratio, doctorate-to-bachelor ratio, doctorate-to-staff ratio), quality and influence of research (citation impact, knowledge transfer), but also international outlook (accounts for international students and staff, and co-authorship)

10 French institutions appear in the Top 100 in engineering, physics and computer science

In 2025, more than 270 citations from French institutions are in the THE Ranking by Subject, which grants the country a sound 13th position among 73 countries. In detail, engineering is the best sector for French institutions (41 institutions ranked, six more than in 2024). Then are physics (38, +5) and computer science (31, +4).

And even more precisely:

in engineering, out of 1,488 institutions ranked, France receives 41 citations, with two institutions in the Top 100, PSL University (Paris Sciences & Lettres) and Polytechnic Institute of Paris;
in physics (physics, chemistry, mathematics and statistics), out of 1,447 institutions ranked, 38 institutions are French, with four in the Top 100: PSL University, Polytechnic Institute of Paris, University of Paris-Saclay and Sorbonne University
in computer science, out of 1,122 institutions ranked, 31 are French, with four in the Top 100, and they are the same than in physics: PSL University, Polytechnic Institute of Paris, University of Paris-Saclay and Sorbonne University

12 French institutions in the Top 100 in life science, literature, management, social science, health and law

France reaches a good position in six additional fields:

in life science, out of 1,143 institutions ranked, 29 are French, with three in the Top 100, PSL University, University of Paris-Saclay and Sorbonne University;
in literature and social science (arts and humanities), out of 750 institutions ranked, France claims 26 citations, with three institutions ranked in the Top 100: PSL University, Sorbonne University and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne;
in management, (business and economics), out of 990 institutions ranked, 21 French institutions, with one university in the Top 100, the University of Toulouse;
in social science (political sciences, social science and international studies), out of 1,093 institutions ranked, 27 are French, with two in the Top 100, Sciences Po Paris and PSL University;
in clinical and health (medicine, dentistry and other medical fields), out of 1,150 institutions ranked, 21 are French, with two in the Top 100, Sorbonne University and University of Paris-Saclay;
in law, (legal studies), out of 389 institutions ranked, four are French, with one university in the Top 100, the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

32 French institutions ranked in education science and psychology

And in the last two disciplines, the ranking is as follow:

in education science (training of teachers and university studies), out of 767 institutions ranked, 16 are French;
in psychology, out of 654 institutions ranked, and in this field too, 16 institutions are French.