Institut polytechnique de Paris | |
     | |
| Type | Publicresearch university |
|---|---|
| Established | 1741ENSTA Paris 2019Scission fromParis-Saclay University |
| Chancellor | Christophe Kerrero |
| President | Thierry Coulhon |
Academic staff | 2,100 (2025)[1] |
| Students | 10,000 (2025)[1] |
| Postgraduates | 1,500 (2025)[1] |
| 2,100 (2025)[1] | |
| Location | ,, 48°42′42″N2°10′17″E / 48.7117343°N 2.1712888°E /48.7117343; 2.1712888 |
| Campus | Paris-Saclay |
| Website | ip-paris.fr/en |
 | |
ThePolytechnic Institute of Paris (French:Institut polytechnique de Paris,pronounced[ɛ̃stitypɔlitɛknikdəpaʁi]) is apublictechnological university located inPalaiseau,France. It consists of six engineeringgrandes écoles:École polytechnique,ENSTA Paris,ENSAE Paris,École des ponts ParisTech,Télécom Paris andTélécom SudParis.
With theParis-Saclay University, the Polytechnic Institute of Paris is part of theParis-Saclay project, which is aresearch-intensive academic campus andbusiness cluster being developed on thePlateau de Saclay near Paris. The project integrates several engineering schools and research centers that are part of the world's top research organizations in various fields.[2][3]
The technological university was formed around theÉcole polytechnique, one of the most respected and selectivegrandes écoles in France. Amongits alumni and teachers are fiveNobel Prize winners,[4] twoFields medalists,[5] threepresidents of France[6] and many CEOs of French and international companies.
After World War II, the rapid growth of nuclear physics and chemistry meant that research needed more and more powerful accelerators, which required large areas. TheUniversity of Paris, theÉcole Normale Supérieure and theCollège de France looked for space in the south of Paris nearOrsay. The Orsay branch of the University of Paris eventually became an independent university, calledParis-Sud University. In 1976, theÉcole polytechnique joined the region, by moving from central Paris toPalaiseau. Other institutes joined the region in the following decades, most notablyENS Cachan,Télécom Paris, andENSTA, as part of theParis-Saclay project, a national effort to regroup research and business activities.
In 2015, these institutes were grouped together as a university community (ComUE) calledParis-Saclay University. The goal was to be recognized as an entity of sufficient size and quality, and to become a top-ranking, research-focused French university. Each member institution would remain independent but share a significant portion of existing and newly invested resources. This follows a model similar to the one adopted byUniversity of Oxford andCambridge, where each constituent college keeps its independence while being grouped under a 'university'.
Confronted with disagreements between its members (engineering schools versus universities,French Ministry of Defense versusMinistry of Higher Education), theUniversity of Paris-Sud proposed to transform itself intoParis-Saclay University in 2017, with the engineering schools being only associated to the future institution. On October 25, 2017, the French presidentEmmanuel Macron announced the creation of a second university pole in Paris-Saclay, which would split away from Paris-Saclay University and regroup the engineering schools. This new pole was initially called "NewUni", and became the Polytechnic Institute of Paris in February 2019.
HEC Paris also joined the new university pole without becoming a member. Other higher education or research institutions may join in the future.Paris-Saclay University and the Polytechnic Institute of Paris co-operate in several master's degrees and PhD programs[7]
On September 15, 2020, the Institute co-founded with HEC Paris[8] theartificial intelligence research centerHi! PARIS.[9][10]
On July 15, 2024, theÉcole des ponts ParisTech joined the Institute.[11]
The 2025AI Action Summit in Paris was preceded by AI Action Week presentations, launched with IP Paris hosting a conference on "transformations brought by artificial intelligence for science and societies" on February 6 and 7,[12] with support from theHi! PARIS research center.[13]
The Polytechnic Institute of Paris comprises sixgrandes écoles:
| Name | Foundation[14] | Field | Students | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| École polytechnique | 1794 | Science andengineering | 2,316 | Paris-Saclay,Paris |
| ENSTA Paris | 1741 | Science andengineering | 897 | Paris-Saclay,Brest |
| ENSAE Paris | 1945 | Science andengineering | 581 | Paris-Saclay |
| École des ponts | 1747 | Science andengineering | 1,971 | Champs-sur-Marne |
| Télécom Paris | 1878 | Science andengineering | 1,360 | Paris-Saclay |
| Télécom SudParis | 1979 | Science andengineering | 822 | Évry-Courcouronnes,Paris-Saclay |
The following research organizations have established research centers within the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The resources contributed by these organizations will remain largely independent from other member institutions.
The Polytechnic Institute of Paris offers a wide range of programs (PhDs, Master's degrees, etc.) through all its schools, validated by national degrees.
Polytechnic Institute of Paris is one of the three founding institutions of theCycle pluridisciplinaire d’études supérieures (CPES) inData Science, Society and Health, a selective three-year undergraduate program created in 2023.[15] The degree is jointly delivered byParis-Saclay University, Polytechnic Institute of Paris andHEC Paris.[16] Recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education, it confers the nationalgrade de licence (Bachelor’s level) to its graduates. The curriculum combinesmathematics,computer science,statistics, social sciences andpublic health, and includes interdisciplinary projects taught across the three institutions.
| University rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global – Overall | |
| ARWU World[17] | 201-300 (2025) |
| CWUR World[18] | 35 (2025) |
| QS World[19] | 41 (2026) |
| THE World[20] | 68 (2026) |
| National – Overall | |
| ARWU National[17] | 9-12 (2025) |
| CWUR National[18] | 4 (2025) |
| QS National[19] | 2 (2026) |
| THE National[20] | 2 (2026) |
In international rankings, the Polytechnic Institute of Paris is ranked 41st overall in 2026 and 12th in graduate employability in 2022 byQS World University Rankings.[19] It is ranked 68th byTimes Higher Education,[20] 201-300 by theShanghai Ranking,[17] and 35th in the world by the CWUR Ranking.[18]
