What Sciences Po Lille does

Sciences Po Lille, officially Institut d'Études Politiques de Lille, is a French public higher education institution (etablissement public) founded in 1991 and governed under Decree 89-902 of December 18, 1989. It is one of seven members of the Réseau ScPo (alongside Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Rennes, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Strasbourg, and Toulouse) and is institutionally associated with the Université de Lille as a founding member of the experimental public establishment created by decree on September 20, 2021. The institution delivers a five-year curriculum in social and political sciences structured as a three-year first cycle (180 ECTS) followed by a two-year master cycle with 13 specializations; students typically spend year three abroad at a partner university.

Its core technology footprint is conventional for a French grande école: a Moodle-based learning management system, a library built around the shared Lillocat catalog with the Université de Lille, the Affluences application for study-room reservations, and Izly for campus payments. There is no proprietary technology platform; the institution differentiates through curriculum design, faculty research output (95 scientific events per year), and an extensive partnership network.

The business model is anchored in French state funding rather than tuition revenue. Sciences Po Lille charges regulated public tuition fees, modest exam registration fees for double diplomas (€110 standard, €15 for scholarship holders), and generates diversified non-tuition revenue through five Master 2 apprenticeship tracks (alternance), continuing-education certifications such as the Boire Manger Vivre program (88 hours over 6 months), the Tremplin IEP online exam-preparation platform, summer school fees, the taxe d'apprentissage, donations, and space rental. International student exchange operates under 230+ bilateral agreements in 50+ countries, with four double-degree pipelines (Franco-German with WWU Münster, Franco-Spanish with Universidad de Salamanca, Franco-Italian with Sapienza Roma, Franco-British with Aston University) and joint M2 programs with Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna and the University of Szeged. Customer segments span prospective undergraduate and graduate students, apprentices, working professionals, and institutional partners including regional authorities (Conseil régional Hauts-de-France, Métropole Européenne de Lille).

Name

Sciences Po Lille

Legal name

Sciences Po Lille

Website

https://sciencespo-lille.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sciences Po Lille is a French public institute of political studies and ScPo network member offering a five-year social-sciences program, with international double degrees, apprenticeship tracks, and continuing education for students and professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Political Science

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual/Hybrid International Short-Term Academic Programs (EDAIAIAL)

Keywords

• Higher education institution
• Political science education
• Social sciences programs
• Graduate professional training
• International dual degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sciences Po Lille is a French public Institute of Political Studies (Institut d'Études Politiques de Lille) that delivers a five-year higher education program in political and social sciences. It operates a two-cycle structure: a three-year undergraduate first cycle (180 ECTS) and a two-year Master's cycle with 13 specializations, complemented by apprenticeship tracks, international double degrees, continuing education certifications, and entrance exam preparation.

Product overview

Sciences Po Lille is a French Institute of Political Studies (IEP) offering a five-year higher education program in social sciences. The institution operates a two-cycle structure: a three-year undergraduate first cycle (180 ECTS) providing multidisciplinary fundamentals, followed by a two-year Master's cycle emphasizing professionalization. Beyond its core academic programs, Sciences Po Lille offers an apprenticeship-based training track with five specialized Master 2 programs, international double-degree partnerships with universities in Germany, the UK, Spain, and Italy, continuing education certifications for professionals, social democratization programs (PEI and Tremplin IEP) for exam preparation, and a Summer School. The institution also provides comprehensive student services including library resources, student life support, and career development through its network of institutional partnerships. The academic offering is organized around majors (langues vivantes, politiques appliquées, administration publique, etc.) and transversal specializations, with a strong emphasis on international mobility and research training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tremplin IEP: Online preparation program for the common entrance exam to Sciences Po institutions, available 24/7 with courses, assignments, methodology and video content
• Programme d'Etudes Integrees (PEI)
• Summer School

Products and services

• Premier cycle (First Cycle / Undergraduate Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• 180 ECTS credits for complete 5-year program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Université de Lille (University of Lille)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSciences Po Lille is associated with the University of Lille and participates in the Collegium of Lille grandes écoles. Joint research activities, shared library resources (Lillocat catalog), and institutional cooperation including the public experimental establishment (EPE) project.
• Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) MünstercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble diploma Franco-German program established since 1999. Alternating 5-year curriculum between Sciences Po Lille and WWU Münster. Students spend years 1, 3, and 5 at Sciences Po Lille; years 2 and 4 at Münster.
• Universidad de SalamancacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble diploma Franco-Spanish program. 5-year integrated curriculum: years 1-2 at Sciences Po Lille, years 3-4 at Universidad de Salamanca, year 5 at Sciences Po Lille.
• Sapienza Università di RomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble diploma Franco-Italian program. 5-year curriculum alternating between Sciences Po Lille and Sapienza Rome: year 1 at Sciences Po Lille, year 2 at Sapienza, year 3 at Sciences Po Lille, year 4 at Sapienza, year 5 at Lille.
• Johns Hopkins University (SAIS Bologna)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint M2 (Master 2) program in International Affairs. Cogéré (co-managed) international master's accessible in 5th year.
• Aston University (UK)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for double degree opportunities in master cycle.
• University of Szeged (Hungary)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint M2 program in European Studies focused on Central and Eastern Europe in partnership with University of Szeged.
• Réseau ScPo (Sciences Po Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 7 Sciences Po institutions in France: Aix-en-Provence, Lille, Lyon, Rennes, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Strasbourg, Toulouse. Joint common concours (admissions exam), shared programs, and coordinated communications.
• Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Lille (ESJ Lille)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the journalism school co-located near Sciences Po Lille. Joint activities and shared campus proximity.
• Conseil régional Hauts-de-FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council partnership for territorial cooperation and regional development initiatives.
• Métropole européenne de Lille (MEL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority partnership for urban governance studies and territorial development.
• ENA (Ecole nationale d'administration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership for civil service preparation and public administration education.
• EN3S (Ecole nationale supérieure de sécurité sociale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for social security and public policy education.
• Collegium des grandes écoles de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in the Collegium bringing together public grandes écoles of Lille including Centrale Lille, IMT Lille, ENSC, ENSAM, IRA for shared resources and cooperation.
• Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational conference membership representing major French engineering and business schools.
• Conférence régionale des grandes écolesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conference of grandes écoles in Hauts-de-France for regional cooperation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sciences Po Strasbourg: ScPo network IEP directly comparable in admissions, 180 ECTS structure, and European/international orientation; like Sciences Po Lille, benefits from proximity to EU institutions.
• Sciences Po Paris: The flagship and most prestigious member of the Sciences Po network; directly comparable in core political science curriculum, grande école model, and 5-year degree structure, but with materially larger scale, employer network, and brand reach.
• Sciences Po Toulouse: ScPo network IEP directly comparable in 5-year IEP model, apprenticeship offerings, and regional grande école positioning.
• Sciences Po Rennes: ScPo network IEP sharing the same concours commun admissions process, 5-year structure, and 13-master-spécialités model; comparable size and regional positioning.
• Sciences Po Lyon: One of Sciences Po Lille's closest peers in the same ScPo network, offering a similar IEP model (premier cycle + master) with comparable size, regional focus, and apprenticeship/continuing education offerings.
• Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence: ScPo network IEP with parallel admission (concours commun), similar multi-cycle structure, and apprenticeship tracks; directly comparable regional grande école peer.

Regional players

• ESJ Lille (École Supérieure de Journalisme): Co-located journalism grande école partner within the same EPE; shares campus proximity and is a partner for journalism-related programs, serving a similar Hauts-de-France talent pool.
• INALCO (Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales): Public French higher education institution with comparable social-science and language focus, similar IEP-style curriculum structure, and a public-establishment governance model, useful as a structural comparison point.

Others

• Centrale Lille: Fellow member of the Collegium des grandes écoles de Lille; comparable grande école status and shared institutional infrastructure, but in engineering rather than political science.

Broad incumbents

• Université de Lille: The parent/associated public university under the same EPE since 2021; shares library (Lillocat), research infrastructure, and selected programs, but is a much broader multi-disciplinary research university rather than a focused IEP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrkUO2wWzhIrGinwtrrOzsg
• Facebookfacebook.com/sciencespolille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sciences-po-lille-164034
• Xx.com/ScPoLille

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sciences Po Lille