Grande école facts for kids

Gate of the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, a famous school in Paris.

A grande école (pronounced "grahnd eh-kohl") is a special type of top-level school in France and some other countries like Morocco and Tunisia. These schools are different from regular universities in France. They focus on teaching, research, and training students for specific jobs. This can be in areas like science, social studies, engineering, architecture, business administration, or even working for the government.

Think of Grandes écoles like the Ivy League schools in the United States or Oxbridge in the UK. They are very selective schools. Students usually get in by taking very tough national exams called concours. These exams are held every year by the French Ministry of Education. To do well on these exams, most students spend two or three years in special preparatory classes (called classes préparatoires) before they even try to get into a grande école.

Most Grandes écoles do not offer a bachelor's degree (called a Licence in France). Instead, they usually offer master's degrees, like an Engineer's Diploma or a special business degree called a Programme Grande École. Getting into these schools is very competitive.

Many Grandes écoles are funded by the government, so their tuition fees are usually low. However, some, especially business schools (Écoles de commerce), are private. These private schools often have higher tuition costs.

What are Grandes Écoles?

How they started

The idea of a grande école began in 1794, right after the French Revolution. Important schools like the École normale supérieure and the École polytechnique were created then. Another key school, the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, also started around this time.

These early schools were often inspired by military academies. They wanted to pick students based on their skills and knowledge. Some schools that are now called grandes écoles are even older. They started in the 17th and 18th centuries to train people for government jobs. This included engineers for bridges and roads, mine supervisors, and even shipbuilding engineers.

In 1802, Napoleon created the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr. This school trains army officers and is also considered a grande école. During the 1800s, many more grandes écoles were created to help with industry and business. For example, the École supérieure de Commerce de Paris started in 1819.

France has had this unique system for a long time. It has these smaller, specialized schools working alongside the bigger university system. Some subjects, like medicine, are mostly taught at universities. Other subjects, like architecture, are often taught at écoles.

Grandes Écoles today

There isn't one official list or definition for grande école. The term isn't even used much in French education laws. Instead, they often use the phrase "écoles supérieures" for higher education schools that are not universities.

The Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE) is a group of these schools. They have a broad idea of what a grande école is. Being a member of this group doesn't mean a school is super selective or has the most famous diploma. For example, some engineering schools in the CGE can't even give out state-recognized engineering degrees.

Getting into Grandes Écoles

The way students get into grandes écoles is very different from how they get into other French universities. Most students spend two years in a special program called CPGE (preparatory classes) before taking tough national exams.

These national exams are written tests that last several weeks. They test students on everything they learned in their two years of prep classes. If students pass the written exams, they then take oral exams, usually in the summer. During an oral exam, a student gets a problem to solve. After preparing for about 20 minutes, they present their solution to a professor. The professor then asks questions about their answer. After all the exams, students get a national ranking. This ranking helps them choose which grande école they can get into.

Preparatory classes (CPGE)

The Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris is famous for its preparatory classes.

Classes préparatoires aux Grandes Écoles (CPGE), or prépas, are two-year programs. They focus on science, literature, or economics. These classes are the usual way students get ready for the competitive exams to enter the main grandes écoles. Most prépas are held in public high schools (lycées). Getting into the best prépas is also very competitive. Students who don't get into their dream grande école might repeat the second year of prep classes to try the exam again.

There are different types of prépas:

Science Prépas: These prepare students for engineering schools. They teach math, physics, chemistry, and technology. There are different types, like those focusing on math and physics (MP) or physics and chemistry (PC).
BCPST Prépas: These focus on biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and math. They are often called "Agro-Véto" and prepare students for agricultural and veterinary schools.
Literature Prépas: These focus on humanities. They are mainly for schools like the Écoles normales supérieures.
Economics and Business Prépas: These focus on math and economics. They prepare students for business schools.
Chartes Prépas: These are for humanities, with a focus on old languages, history, and languages. This is the smallest type of prépa.

The Lycée Henri-IV is also well-known for its classes prépas.

Getting in after high school

Some grandes écoles accept students right after high school, based on their grades and high school diploma (baccalaureate) results. For example, the seven schools in the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA network) are popular and selective engineering schools that you can join after high school. Other famous engineering schools that accept students directly are the three Universités de Technologie.

Most of these five-year grandes écoles are public. They have very low tuition fees, usually between 601€ and 2,350€ per year. They are free for students who receive national scholarships. A few others are private or public with high fees, sometimes up to 10,000€ per year. These are usually less selective.

The top public engineering grandes écoles with standard fees, according to the French magazine L'Étudiant noir in 2023, include the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA Lyon) and Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse (INSA Toulouse). Rankings can change each year and depend on what is being measured, like academic quality or job opportunities.

Some of these schools include the two years of prep classes as part of their program. This means students study topics more related to their future job. The main benefit is that students can choose their specialty based on their interests, not just their exam rank.

Other ways to get in

You don't always have to go through the prépa years. Many schools also offer "parallel admission." This means university students or students from other schools can apply without taking the main entrance exams. This way of getting in is becoming more popular. Many students choose to go to a university first and then apply to a grande école.

Some grandes écoles also have special agreements with other schools. Students can switch schools in their last year to get diplomas from both places.

Degrees from Grandes Écoles

Historically, the degrees from French Grandes écoles didn't always fit well with international degree systems. In 2007, the OECD noted that their diplomas didn't easily match standard international academic names. Students would study for five years and then get a master's degree, without a bachelor's degree in between.

However, some Grandes écoles have started to use the European Bologna system for degrees. This helps them fit better with schools around the world.

Engineering degrees

For their engineering programs, Grandes écoles give out a "Diplôme d'Ingénieur." This is similar to a Master of Engineering degree. This engineer's degree is very important in France. Only state-approved Grandes écoles, checked by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (CTI), can give it out.

Business school degrees

Most business schools in France are private or partly private. Business schools that are Grandes écoles (like HEC or ESCP) offer a "Programme Grande École" or "PGE." This is usually called a "Master in Management" in English. This diploma is more respected than a regular master's degree in management from a French university.

Only public Grandes écoles and universities in France can give out bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees. For example, the private ESCP Business School works with Panthéon-Sorbonne University to offer a PhD in management.

Teachers at Grandes Écoles

Full-time teachers and researchers

Teachers who work full-time at Grandes écoles also do research. They give lectures, help students with their projects, and are involved in school life. They also make sure the teaching quality is high and always improving.

Other teachers

Adjunct Professors: These teachers also work at another school.
Visiting Professors: These are teachers who have another job, like being a consultant or entrepreneur. They might teach once or twice a week.
Guest Professors: These are international professors who come to give special lectures or classes.

Types of Grandes Écoles

Grandes écoles can be grouped into different types:

Écoles normales supérieures

These schools train researchers and professors. Many French Nobel Prize and Fields Medal winners studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. There are four ENS schools:

The École Normale Supérieure in Paris (nicknamed "Ulm").
The École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in Lyon.
The École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay near Paris.
The École Normale Supérieure de Rennes near Rennes.

Students from France and other European Union countries who attend these schools are often considered government workers in training. They get a monthly salary in exchange for agreeing to work for France for ten years after they graduate.

Engineering schools (grandes écoles d'ingénieurs)

Many engineering schools accept students who have finished their two years of science prep classes. These schools often train "generalist" engineers, meaning they get a broad education in science, management, and social studies.

Here are some of the main groups of engineering schools:

ParisTech alliance: A group of top engineering schools in Paris, like École polytechnique (known as l'X), which is run by the French Ministry of Defense.
Centrale Graduate Schools: These include CentraleSupélec, which was formed by two schools merging in 2015.
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) network: This is the largest group of engineering schools in France, with many campuses like INSA Lyon and INSA Toulouse.
National Polytechnic Institutes (INP): These include schools like the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble.
Réseau Polytech schools: A network of 15 engineering schools within French universities, like Polytech Lille.
Other engineering schools: This includes many specialized schools in areas like chemistry, physics, information technology, and biology.

Business schools (grandes écoles de commerce)

Most French business schools are private or run by local business groups.

Some business schools accept students right after high school:

ESSCA School of Management
IESEG School of Management

Other business schools are very selective and accept students from the post-high school preparatory classes:

Some business schools also accept students who already have work experience, like INSEAD.

Grandes Écoles without prep classes

Some schools can be entered directly after high school by taking a competitive exam. These often lead to jobs in government or public service.

Examples include:

École du Louvre: For archaeology and history of art.
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS): For social sciences like sociology and history.
École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs: For decorative arts.
Instituts Nationaux des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) schools: These offer five-year engineering degrees that include two preparatory years.

Universities that are also Grandes Écoles

In 2004, Paris-Dauphine University joined the Conférence des grandes écoles. It is now considered both a university and a grande école.

Schools for Political Studies, Social Sciences, Journalism, and Communication

These schools train students in many areas of social and human studies. Students often prepare for government jobs, but many also work in the private sector. Some of these schools are only for French or EEA citizens.

Institut d'études politiques (IEP, Sciences Po): These are often called "Sciences Po." The most famous and selective is Sciences Po (also known as Sciences Po Paris).
Grandes Écoles of Journalism and communication studies: These include CELSA Paris and the Centre de Formation des Journalistes.

Other important Grandes Écoles include:

Institut national du service public (INSP): This school trains people for public service.
École Nationale de la Magistrature (ENM): This school trains judges.

Military officer academies

Today, there are three grandes écoles that are officially military academies in France:

The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr: This is the Army Academy.
The École de l'Air (EA): This is the Air Force Academy.
The École Navale (EN): This is the Navy Academy.

The École polytechnique is also overseen by the French Ministry of Defense. However, it is no longer officially a military academy. Only a few of its students go on to military careers.

There are also other specialized military grandes écoles:

The École de santé des armées: For training army doctors and pharmacists.
The École nationale de la sécurité et de l'administration de la mer: For military officers and government workers in the French Maritime Administration.

Interesting Facts and Influence

In 2013, grandes écoles awarded about 60,000 master's degrees. In the same year, all French higher education schools, including universities, awarded 150,000 master's degrees.

Some grandes écoles are very famous in France for how selective they are and how challenging their courses are. They are often called "A+" schools in rankings. These elite schools make up less than 1% of all higher education students in France.

Since 1975, a group called the Comité d'études sur les formations d'ingénieurs has studied how engineers from grandes écoles are trained and find jobs.

Famous people who attended Grandes Écoles

Many important people in France, including presidents and Nobel Prize winners, went to a Grande école.

Of the 29 people who have been President of France, 17 attended a Grande école.

President of France	In Office	Grande école(s)
Patrice de MacMahon	1873 – 1879	École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
Sadi Carnot	1887 – 1894	École Polytechnique; École des ponts ParisTech
Paul Doumer	1931 – 1932	Conservatoire national des arts et métiers
Albert Lebrun	1932 – 1940	École Polytechnique; Mines ParisTech
Philippe Pétain	1940 – 1944	École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
Léon Blum	1946 – 1947	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Charles de Gaulle	1959 – 1969	École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr
Alain Poher (Acting)	1969; 1974	Mines ParisTech; Sciences Po
Georges Pompidou	1969 – 1974	Sciences Po; École normale supérieure (Paris)
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	1974 – 1981	École Polytechnique; École nationale d'administration
François Mitterrand	1981 – 1995	Sciences Po
Jacques Chirac	1995 – 2007	Sciences Po; École nationale d'administration
Nicolas Sarkozy	2007 - 2012	Sciences Po
François Hollande	2012 – 2017	HEC Paris; Sciences Po; École nationale d'administration
Emmanuel Macron	2017 – present	Sciences Po; École nationale d'administration

Many winners of the Nobel Prize also attended a Grande école.

Nobel laureate	Year	Category	Grande école(s)
Marie Curie	1903 & 1911	Physics & Chemistry	ESPCI Paris
Henri Becquerel	1903	Physics	Conservatoire national des arts et métiers; École Polytechnique
Henri Moissan	1906	Chemistry	École pratique des hautes études
Gabriel Lippmann	1908	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Paul Sabatier	1912	Chemistry	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Jean Baptiste Perrin	1926	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Henri Bergson	1927	Literature	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Frédéric Joliot-Curie	1935	Chemistry	ESPCI Paris
Roger Martin du Gard	1937	Literature	École Nationale des Chartes
François Mauriac	1952	Literature	École Nationale des Chartes
Jean-Paul Sartre	1964	Literature	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Alfred Kastler	1966	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Louis Néel	1970	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Gérard Debreu	1983	Economics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Maurice Allais	1988	Economics	École Polytechnique; Mines ParisTech
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes	1991	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Georges Charpak	1992	Physics	Mines ParisTech; ESPCI Paris
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji	1997	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Yves Chauvin	2005	Chemistry	École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon
Albert Fert	2007	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Serge Haroche	2012	Physics	École normale supérieure (Paris)
Jean Tirole	2014	Economics	Paris Dauphine University; École des ponts ParisTech; École Polytechnique
Esther Duflo	2019	Economics	École normale supérieure (Paris); École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
Alain Aspect	2022	Physics	École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay
Anne L'Huillier	2023	Physics	École normale supérieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses