The École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon) is a French public institution that trains professors, researchers, senior civil servants and business and political leaders.[1] It has 2,455 students, 467 of them PhD students.[2] It was created under this name in 1987 and has roots in the École normale supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses, founded in 1880.[3] It is ranked 235th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, down from 205th in the 2026 edition.[4]
ENS de Lyon’s fee page lists around €255 a year for a master’s degree plus the compulsory student contribution CVEC of about €105.[5] It publishes no separate tuition rate for non-EU students; the national differentiated rate for non-EU master’s students in 2026/27 is €3,950, and applicants should ask the school whether and how it applies.[6] Language requirements are set programme by programme.[7][8]
Key facts
| Official name | École normale supérieure de Lyon |
| Location | Lyon, France (15 parvis René Descartes, BP 7000, 69342 Lyon Cedex 07)[9] |
| Type | Public grande école (École normale supérieure), part of the Université de Lyon[1] |
| Founded | 1987 as ENS Lyon, from the scientific departments of the schools of Fontenay-aux-Roses (1880) and Saint-Cloud (1882); the two branches merged on 1 January 2010[3] |
| Students | 2,455, of whom 467 are PhD students (2025 key figures)[2] |
| International students | 13 % of students; about 70 nationalities on campus[10] |
| Faculty | 580 faculty members[2] |
| Research | 22 research laboratories (booklet 2026/27); 30 research units (older “Facts & figures” page)[2] |
| Campuses | Monod campus (sciences) and Descartes campus (humanities and social sciences)[3] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 235th (2026 edition: 205th)[4] |
| Tuition, master’s degree | Around €255 per year; plus CVEC of around €105 per year[5] |
| Tuition, non-EU students | No school rate published; national differentiated rate for master’s in 2026/27 is €3,950[6] |
| Language of teaching | Set per programme (French and/or English)[7] |
| Official website | ens-lyon.fr |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About ENS de Lyon
The school says it is built on the tradition of the École normale supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud, founded in 1880, and that it is part of the Université de Lyon.[1] According to Wikipedia, the École normale supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses (for girls) was founded in 1880 and the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud (for boys) in 1882. In 1987 the scientific departments moved to Gerland in Lyon and the institution was named “ENS Lyon”; the humanities school followed in 2000, and the two branches merged on 1 January 2010.[3]
The Monod campus hosts the sciences and the Descartes campus the humanities and social sciences, both in Lyon.[3] The school has 12 teaching departments.[11]
How is ENS de Lyon ranked?
In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, ENS de Lyon is 235th in the world, down from 205th in the 2026 edition. The school’s own pages give 205th (welcome booklet 2026/27) and 235th (“Facts & figures”) without naming the edition;[2][11] the 2027 figure matches the “Facts & figures” page.[4]
The “Facts & figures” page also lists Times Higher Education (6th in France, 301st to 350th worldwide) and, in THE’s “world’s best small universities”, 1st in France and 7th in the world.[11] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.
What can you study at ENS de Lyon?
The school lists these ways in: the ENS de Lyon 4-year degree, master’s degrees with scholarships, PhD programmes, a student exchange programme and research internships.[12] Studies are organised in 12 teaching departments, and research in 30 research units according to the “Facts & figures” page.[11]
Language of teaching varies by programme. The Biosciences master’s, for example, is taught 100 % in French in the first semester and 100 % in English in the third,[7] while the Anglophone Studies master’s is taught about 80 % in English and 20 % in French.[8]
How much does ENS de Lyon cost?
| Item | Amount stated by ENS de Lyon |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree, per year | around €255 |
| CVEC (student and campus life contribution), per year | around €105 |
| “Stamp ANAEM” (residence permit), non-EU students, one-off | €100 |
The fee page adds that the State covers most of the training cost, an average of €10,000 per student per year, and that exchange students under bilateral agreements, Erasmus, BCI or ORA are not concerned by these annual rates. It carries no date and no academic year.[5]
Non-EU students
The fee page lists no tuition rate for non-EU students. For public national diplomas in 2026/27 Campus France gives the standard rates of €178 (bachelor’s) and €255 (master’s), and the differentiated rates for non-EU students of €2,902 and €3,950, with exemptions for groups such as refugees and long-term residents and a full waiver for French government scholarship holders.[6] We have no source that says how ENS de Lyon applies these rates; ask the school’s international office before you budget. The Excellence Scholarship of ENS de Lyon and its partners is open to European and non-European master’s applicants through the application form.[13]
For rent and living costs in Lyon, see our France guide and the Study in France guide.
How do you apply to ENS de Lyon?
- Master’s, non-EU applicants with a foreign degree: master’s programmes are not on the Études en France platform of Campus France. You apply directly to ENS de Lyon through its online form. You need a bachelor’s-level degree (180 ECTS) for M1 or an M1 (240 ECTS) for M2, or equivalents, and you upload your passport, CV, cover letter, transcripts and diplomas and a language certificate. Documents must be in French or English or officially translated. An admissions commission reviews the files, and incomplete applications are not considered.[13]
- ENS de Lyon 4-year degree: by competitive exam or by direct admission from the third year of a bachelor’s degree. The school has separate pages for EU/EEA and non-EU applicants, and its non-EU direct-admission page said that for 2025/26 the 4-year degree was not open to non-EU students, so check the current page.[12]
- PhD: open to EU/EEA and non-EU applicants through the school’s PhD pages.[12]
We give no deadlines because application windows change every year; the school’s page for the 2026/27 master’s call said it was closed.[12] Applicants who already hold a French higher education degree follow the EU/EEA procedure instead.[13]
Which language level do you need?
The school sets language requirements for each programme, and each programme page states the French and/or English level.[13] Two examples, using the CEFR scale (the European scale from A1 to C2; B2 is upper-intermediate, C1 advanced):
- Biosciences master’s: French B2 for the first year (M1) and English B2 for the second year (M2).[7]
- Anglophone Studies master’s: French C1 and English B2.[8]
The school’s Foreign Languages Center teaches 13 languages and offers French as a foreign language courses for international students, and a week-long welcome programme at the start of each year includes French courses at several levels.[10] The school lists its language-certificate rules on a separate page, so check it for the accepted tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ENS de Lyon cost per year?
How is ENS de Lyon ranked?
Can non-EU students apply to ENS de Lyon?
Do I need to speak French to study at ENS de Lyon?
More about studying in France
- France: best universities
- Study in France: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in France
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- CentraleSupélec
- École des Ponts ParisTech
- École Polytechnique
- ESSEC Business School
- HEC Paris
- INSA Lyon
- PSL University
- Sciences Po
- Sorbonne University
- Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
- University of Bordeaux
- University of Lille
- University of Montpellier
- University of Strasbourg
- Université Grenoble Alpes
- Université Paris Cité
- Université Paris-Saclay
- Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University
Sources
[1] ENS de Lyon: Who we are (page without a date)
[2] ENS de Lyon: Welcome booklet 2026-2027 (key figures and rankings) (document without a date; figures labelled “2025 key figures”)
[3] Wikipedia: École normale supérieure de Lyon (history, campuses and QS 2026 position)
[4] L’Étudiant: QS 2027 ranking, French universities down (page updated 3 Jul 2026; QS edition released 18 Jun 2026; QS site blocks automated access)
[5] ENS de Lyon: Fees and living expenses (page without a date or academic year)
[6] Campus France: Tuition fees in France (page updated 25 Jun 2026)
[7] ENS de Lyon: Biosciences master’s (page without a date)
[8] ENS de Lyon: Anglophone Studies master’s (page without a date)
[9] ENS de Lyon: Homepage (address) (page without a date)
[10] ENS de Lyon: Welcoming international students (page without a date)
[11] ENS de Lyon: Facts & figures (page without a date; rounded figures, rankings without an edition)
[12] ENS de Lyon: Admissions (page without a date; mentions the 2026-2027 master’s call as closed)
[13] ENS de Lyon: Application for Master’s degrees, non-EU citizens (page lists the 2025-26 call (12 Nov 2025 to 23 Jan 2026), closed)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.