Sciences Po, France's leading university in the social sciences

Founded in 1872, Sciences Po is France’s leading university for the social sciences. Sciences Po offers degrees at the undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. levels. Its mission is to educate open-minded individuals who can understand the world and who will have a profound impact upon it.

An interdisciplinary approach focusing on the social sciences and professional integration

At Sciences Po, students complete both fundamental academic courses in social sciences such as economics, history, law, political science, and sociology, as well as a range of professional courses. As a result of this academic and professional mix, 80% of Sciences Po graduates are hired within six months of graduation.

A European education in the context of a globalized world

Almost half of Sciences Po’s 15,000 students hold a nationality other than French, representing 150 different countries from around the globe. At the undergraduate level, our commitment to international education is evident in the 480 partnerships with universities around the world who welcome our third-year students for a year abroad. Furthermore, Sciences Po has developed innovative dual degrees with some of the world’s most prestigious universities, including Columbia University, FGV EAESP Sao Paulo, Freie Universität Berlin, Fudan University, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, Johns Hopkins University, Keio University, London School of Economics, National University of Singapore, Peking University, University College London, and the University of Tokyo, to name but a few.

A unique combination of selectivity and diversity

Sciences Po is known for both its highly selective admissions process, and the large diversity of its student profiles. It was the first higher education institution in France to create innovative partnerships with high schools in priority education areas across the country in order to admit more diverse candidates. Today, almost one-third of Sciences Po students receive financial aid towards their degree.

Facts and Figures

• 15,000 students
• 25% of students are scholarship recipients and 35% of students receive scholarships/financial aid
• 480 partner universities
• 63 dual-degree programmes
• 21 foreign languages taught
• 11 research units
• More than 270 professors of the permanent faculty, 100 visiting researchers and over 4200 lecturers with backgrounds in academia, business or public administration
• In politics, Sciences Po ranked 1st in the European Union, and 2nd in the world - QS World University Rankings 2024
• Ranked 1st university in the social sciences in France and 39th in the world by the Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings 2023 
• Ranked 3rd university in the world for Political Science and International Relations and holds the top spot in this discipline within the European Union – QS World University Rankings 2022