1. Home
  2. Top lists
  3. France
  4. Science PhD

PhD in Science Programs in France: Top 10

A French doctorate is a three-year contract, not an open-ended course of study. You are registered in a doctoral school, attached to a research laboratory, and in most science disciplines you are paid — which makes the French system one of the more structured and better-funded routes to a doctorate in Europe.

How this list is ordered: Ordered by each university's QS World University Rankings position where it has one, then by research citations recorded by OpenAlex; one programme per university, and universities with neither measure are left out.

Full time or part time
Full time9 75%Full or part time3 25%

Same 12 records.

When these programmes start
Fall9 90%September1 10%

Counted from the intake stated on 10 of 12 records. A programme listing more than one intake is counted under each.

1 PhD Track

PSL University

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration5 yrs
  • StartsSeptember
  • Research citations5,068,689

PSL runs five-year PhD tracks that are fully funded, aimed at students intending to become senior researchers.

The master's and doctorate are taught as a single curriculum, and research begins in the first master's year rather than after it.

Starting research that early is the real difference from the usual route. Entry is in September, and moving into the doctoral stage normally depends on performance across the master's years.

Full programme details →

2 PhD Doctorat

Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations2,816,556

A doctorate at the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, one of France's small and highly selective grandes écoles, which sit at the centre of French research training.

French doctorates normally run three years on a fixed-term employment contract with a salary. The start is autumn.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Industry Research Scientist
  • Consultant in Academic or Research Institutions
  • Project Manager in Research Initiatives

Full programme details →

3 Doctorate Programs

Sciences Po

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull or part time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall

A doctoral programme at Sciences Po, a specialist social sciences institution in Paris. Its doctorates cover politics, economics, sociology and related fields.

That places it outside the natural sciences, despite appearing under science. It is one of the most significant institutions in France for the social sciences. The start is autumn.

Full programme details →

4 PhD Doctorat

Université de Toulouse-le-Mirail (Toulouse III)

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations9,719,175

A doctorate at a university in Toulouse, a city with major aerospace, space science and life sciences research around it.

French doctoral records often give no subject, because the field comes from the laboratory you join rather than from the programme name. The start is autumn.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Consultant in specialized industries

Full programme details →

5 PhD Doctorat

Université de Caen Basse Normandie

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration3 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations2,135,143

A doctorate at the University of Caen Normandy, and one of only two entries here to record the correct French length: three years.

Three years is the normal duration of a French doctorate, usually on a fixed-term employment contract with a salary, social security and employment rights. The start is autumn.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Consultant in Academia or Industry
  • Project Manager in Research Institutions
  • Director of Research Development

Full programme details →

6 PhD Doctorat

AgroParisTech

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations1,987,689

A doctorate at AgroParisTech, a specialist institute for agriculture, food and environmental sciences, and a grande école rather than a university.

Much of French research runs through institutions like this, often in laboratories shared with the national research organisations. The start is autumn.

Full programme details →

7 PhD in Sciences and Technologies

Université de Technologie de Troyes

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations288,159

A doctorate in sciences and technologies at the University of Technology of Troyes. Technological universities in France combine engineering education with research.

The English title suggests the programme is open to international applicants, which is common in French doctoral science. Technological universities often fund doctorates through industry contracts.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Product Development Specialist

Full programme details →

8 PhD Formation doctorale

Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations163,460

Doctoral training at the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État, a specialist public works and civil engineering school.

That places this firmly in applied engineering research: infrastructure, construction materials, transport and urban engineering. The start is autumn.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Research Scientist in Civil Engineering
  • Project Manager for Public Works
  • Consultant in Environmental Engineering
  • Government Policy Advisor
  • Technical Specialist in Infrastructure Development

Full programme details →

9 Professional PhD

SKEMA Business School

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration3 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations104,839

A professional doctorate at SKEMA Business School, listed at three years — a different qualification from a research doctorate in the sciences.

It is designed for experienced professionals applying research to their own work, usually studied alongside a job and normally self-funded. It leads towards consultancy, senior practice and teaching.

Jobs graduates go into

  • Research Scientist in Business
  • Director of Research and Development

Full programme details →

10 PhD Doctoral

Centre d'Etudes Supérieures Industrielles Paris

  • DeliveryOn campus
  • Study modeFull time
  • Duration4–6 years
  • StartsFall
  • Research citations8,769

A doctoral programme at a specialist higher education centre, with no field recorded in the title.

In the French system that is normal: the subject comes from the laboratory you join. French doctorates are administered by an école doctorale, which handles registration and the final defence. The start is autumn.

Full programme details →

French doctorates: what applicants ask

How long does a French doctorate take?

Three years is the nominal and normal duration, and two entries here record it. Extensions exist but require justification from the doctoral school. Where an entry is recorded at four to six years, that reflects a general convention in this data rather than the French norm — confirm with the institution.

Will I be paid?

Usually, yes. The standard arrangement in the sciences is a fixed-term employment contract for three years with a nationally set minimum salary, social security and employment rights. Registration fees at public institutions are a modest administrative charge rather than tuition. An unfunded offer should prompt a direct question about how you are expected to live.

Do I apply to a university or to a project?

To a project and a supervisor. Funded doctoral positions in France are advertised individually, attached to a specific laboratory and often to a specific grant, and the supervisor's agreement effectively determines the application. Browsing advertised subjects is far more productive than browsing institutions.

Can I do a French doctorate in English?

In the sciences, frequently — laboratories publish in English and many theses are written and defended in English with the doctoral school's agreement. French remains useful for administration, for teaching duties and for daily life. Ask the doctoral school its specific policy on the thesis and the defence.

What is a PhD track?

An integrated programme admitting after the bachelor's degree and combining the master's and doctorate into a single sequence, with progression conditional on performance — one entry here is recorded that way at five years. It gives continuity and security to applicants certain of their field, at the cost of committing early.

Science lists elsewhere

Other subjects in France

Browse every Science programme in France →