École Normale Supérieure de Lyon

ENS de Lyon, 15 parvis René Descartes, BP 7000, 69342 Lyon Cedex 07, France

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Overview

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon is one of the highest ranked small universities in the world. Located in the French city of Lyon, it is home to 2,300 students, most of whom enroll in interdisciplinary programs in the sciences and humanities. Many graduates of ENS Lyon go on to take up responsible positions in the civil service, business leadership, politics, and academic research.

Academic and research activities at ENS Lyon are divided into 12 Departments (Arts and Literature, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Education and Digit...

University Highlight

Establishment year	1880
Total Students	2,300
International Students	N/A
QS World University Rankings 2024	=184
Campus Size	N/A
Total Number of Campuses	2 (Descartes and Monod))
University Website	http://www.ens-lyon.fr/en/
No. of Schools and Divisions	12 Departments and 2 Centers
Nobel Prize Winner Alumni	0
No. of Education Programs	40 (Master’s)
Student to Faculty ratio	3:1

Course Highlight

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses through 12 Departments and 2 Centers.

The Arts and Literature Department provides UG and PG taught and research programs in several ancient and modern creative disciplines.
The Biology Department conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Biosciences, Modeling of Complex Systems, and Science of Medicine.
The Chemistry Department teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research in organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, in addition to cutting edge fields like ionic liquids.
The Computer Science Department provides UG and PG taught and research programs in Information Technology, Mathematics and Scientific Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning.
The Earth Sciences Department conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs related to the Earth, the planets, the environment, and sustainability.
The Education and Digital Humanities Department provides UG and PG taught and research programs in pedagogy
The Department of Foreign Languages, Literature and Civilizations conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs in several areas: English, Arabic, Chinese, German, Hispanic, Italian, and Russian Studies.
The Humanities Department teaches UG and PG courses, and carries out research in four main fields: Contemporary Philosophy, Ancient History, Logic, History & Philosophy of Science & Technology, and History of Philosophy.
The Mathematics Department provides UG and PG taught and research programs in Applied and Advanced Mathematics.
The Physics Department conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs in several areas including Quantum Physics, Solid State Physics, Optics, and Nuclear Physics.
The Social Sciences Department provides UG and PG taught and research programs in Migration Studies, Contemporary Societies, Spatial Humanities, European Studies, Pluralist Healthcare, and History of Political Thought.
The Economics Department conducts undergraduate and postgraduate programs in multiple areas, including gender economics, welfare, and advanced economics.

The Foreign Languages Center and the Sports Center provide essential services to the University community at large.

Eligibility Criteria

Students who apply for a two year Master’s program at ENS Lyon must satisfy the following requirements:

Completion of a recognized Bachelor’s degree with a course load of 180 European Credits or equivalent.
Holding a valid international passport issued in the country of application.
A clean record with no criminal convictions.
Course specific requirements include a set of recommended Bachelor’s programs that are eligible for each Master’s degree application, additional research information, and portfolio or performance submission for programs in the creative arts.

Applicants to four year undergraduate diploma programs at the University must satisfy similar requirements, with the exception of the academic certificates to be submitted; high school Year 12 transcripts must be uploaded.

Doctoral program applicants must have a Master’s degree from a recognized international institution of higher learning.

All courses have associated Language Proficiency requirements. This is either B2 or C1 for most courses in either French or English, depending on the medium of instruction of the chosen graduate program. Students who fail to meet the language proficiency standards by small margins can study at the Center of Foreign Languages during their first year at ENS Lyon to bring their French language skills up to the required standard. The University maintains a dynamic set of rules for language proficiency required for different types of courses.

Admission

International applicants to the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon must follow these steps:

Creation of an applicant account on the online ENS Lyon admission portal.
Filling the online application form: This is open between December 1 and January 10 each year. This is significantly earlier than most other Universities in France, reflecting the small class size and competitive admission process at ENS Lyon.
Uploading the documents required: For example, postgraduate applicants must submit scans of the following, with originals to be submitted for verification after arriving at the University:
- Identity Proof: A certified scan of a passport or national identity document.
- An up to date resume or curriculum vitae.
- A cover letter or statement of purpose, clearly setting out the reasons for applying to the chosen course, and detailing why the applicant is a good fit for the Department and the University.
Key academic details need to be submitted, along with scans of transcripts certified and stamped by the relevant University authorities. In case the original documents are not in either French or English, they need to be translated to either of these languages; the nearest French embassy has resources to help with this process.
Language proficiency certificates must be uploaded according to the requirements for the course chosen.

The admissions commission of ENS Lyon scrutinizes each application, and releases its decisions in February each year. Successful candidates are sent an email with registration instructions. At the time of registration, students must pay the campus (CVEC) fees, choose their courses, and pay the registration fees for the first year. Once they successfully register, they can apply for a French long term student visa through the nearest Embassy. This process can take up to 2 months. Upon arriving in Lyon to begin their course, all international students must apply for a Residence Permit within the first week of their stay in the country.

Fees

As with other French Government higher education institutions, the State of France pays the majority of the tuition fees for students at ENS Lyon, approximately 10,000 Euros per year. Therefore, students only pay registration fees as follows:

Bachelor’s degree students pay 184 Euros per year.
Master’s students pay 243 Euros annually.
PhD students pay registration fees of 391 Euros per year.

It is compulsory for students at ENS Lyon to pay the campus contribution (CVEC) fee. This is approximately 90 Euros per year, and is used to pay for sports, cultural, and campus facilities for students. Proof of successful payment of this fee is needed to confirm acceptance of the offer of admission. The CVEC fee is applicable to all students except those admitted under exceptional circumstances, e.g. refugees and asylum seekers.

There are four one-time costs for international students who join ENS Lyon for the first time. The housing deposit is usually equal to one month’s rent. The health service contribution is an annual payment of 5 Euros. New students must buy an insurance package of approximately 50 Euros; which is valid for the duration of the degree. Finally, overseas students must pay a stamp duty of 60 Euros for their resident permits in France.

Living costs in Lyon are significantly lower than those in larger French cities like Paris. Student housing on the ENS Lyon campus is low cost, ranging between 200 and 400 Euros per month. Private accommodation is associated with monthly rents of 400 to 600 Euros. The average cost of food is 300 Euros per month. Public transport is discounted for students, with a travel card costing a little over 30 Euros per month.

Campus facilities

École Normale Supérieure de Lyon has two campuses: Monod and Descartes. The Monod campus is home to departments related to natural and experimental sciences. The Descartes campus hosts the Social Sciences and Humanities Departments. Both campuses are located close to each other in the Geland district of the city of Lyon, on the left bank of the Rhone river.

There are four main types of student associations at ENS Lyon: sports clubs, cultural associations, art groups, and humanitarian / social projects. These clubs set up regular conferences, performances, events, and concerts, leading to a vibrant student life.

Twenty clubs are active in the cultural and arts sectors. The choir is a notable student association, and is in demand to perform at events in the University and city. ASSET is the club for international students at ENS Lyon. It helps foreign members of the community adjust to life at the University.

The Sports Association of ENS Lyon performs several important functions. It sets up training sessions for students who are interested in learning several popular sports and fitness activities, including football, volleyball, tennis, badminton, soccer, and yoga. It organizes social health activities like hiking trips and college excursions.

Even though ENS Lyon is a relatively small University, it provides world class sports facilities to its students. The campus has two gyms, a climbing wall, a tennis court, a well equipped gym with cardio and weight training areas, and a dance studio.

Scholarship

There are several scholarships available for international Master's students at ENS Lyon. These are awarded based on academic excellence.

The Ampere Scholarships of Excellence are the most prestigious. They are awarded for one year of a Master's program, and the award amount is 1,000 Euros per month. Students in all programs are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted through the online scholarship portal after confirmation of admission to the University.

The MILYON Scholarship is funded by a French Government grant. It is awarded to students pursuing postgraduate courses in Advanced Mathematics and Fundamental Computer Science. The award amount is 10,000 Euros, split into ten monthly payments of 1,000 Euros each.

The QuanTEdu - France scholarships award 12,000 Euros to exceptional applicants studying Master's degrees in Physics, Advanced Mathematics, and Fundamental Computer Science. This is funded by the France 2030 Program, which aims to attract skilled researchers to the country.

Many medical doctoral students at ENS Lyon apply for Foundation and Association grants. Students apply individually and directly for these scholarships. In contrast, research teams may apply as a whole for research grants. Through these, several PhD and postdoctoral students receive tuition fee waivers and living stipends.

Students who are recruited through a competitive entrance examination can receive a financial benefit due to their Normalien status; this entails a scholarship payment of 1,000 Euros per month for three years.