ENS Paris-Saclay

What ENS Paris-Saclay does

ENS Paris-Saclay (formerly ENS Cachan) is a French public 'grand établissement' operating under the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and is a founding member of the Université Paris-Saclay federal university. It delivers a selective four-year diploma across departments spanning mathematics, physics, computer science, biology, engineering, design, and human sciences, plus affiliated master's and doctoral programs, with 77% of diploma graduates pursuing PhDs. The institution serves approximately 1,723 students, including 1,353 normaliens (civil-servant trainees) and over 200 international students per year, alongside 322 doctoral candidates across 14 affiliated research laboratories.

The portfolio extends beyond the core diploma into named 'excellence diplomas' in Artificial Intelligence (ARIA), Quantum Technology (ARTeQ), Ecological Transitions (ARÉco), and Research-Creation (ARCC), plus the ASPEN civic-engagement track that places students with partners such as Office Français de la Biodiversité, Fondation Tara Océan, and field NGOs in Benin. ENS Paris-Saclay functions through selective admission (national concours, international dossiers, and targeted excellence-program applications), with delivery via on-campus teaching, the Université Paris-Saclay shared-degree infrastructure, and external research partners including CEA, Atos, IFPEN, LuMIn, and LMF.

Revenue is overwhelmingly public: government funding via the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, supplemented by corporate mécénat managed through the DREAMS department (Direction relations extérieures, alumni et mécénat), industrial research partnerships and chairs, and continuing-education contracts. Pricing is government-regulated nominal tuition billed annually. Commercial technology products, APIs, or proprietary AI/ML services are not part of the offering; ENS Paris-Saclay is fundamentally an education and research operator, not a software vendor.

Name

ENS Paris-Saclay

Legal name

École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay

Website

https://ens-paris-saclay.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ENS Paris-Saclay is a French public elite higher education institution (grand établissement) within Université Paris-Saclay, offering a four-year diploma, master's, and doctoral programs across sciences, engineering, and humanities to roughly 1,723 selective-admission students, with supplementary excellence diplomas in AI, quantum, and ecological transitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI), Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.) (EDAHAFAB)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Graduate programs
• Scientific research
• Doctoral studies
• Engineering education

Headquarters

HQ city

Gif-sur-Yvette

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public funding: Government-funded public higher education institution receiving state funding through the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
2. Mécénat/Corporate donations: Corporate philanthropy and individual donations managed through the DREAMS department (Direction relations extérieures, alumni et mécénat), supporting scholarships, research chairs, and educational programs.
3. Research partnerships: Collaborative research agreements with industrial partners including chairs in AI, climate, and other strategic domains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ENS Paris-Saclay delivers a four-year elite diploma across departments including Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Design, and Human Sciences, with 77% of graduates proceeding to PhDs. It also offers master's and doctoral programs, agrégation preparation, and specialized diplomas (ARIA in AI, ARTeQ in Quantum Technology, ARéCO in Ecological Transitions, ARCC in Research-Creation) together with the ASPEN civic-engagement year. The school operates 14 affiliated research laboratories and serves 1,723 students including 322 doctoral candidates.

Product overview

ENS Paris-Saclay is a French higher education institution (École normale supérieure) within the Université Paris-Saclay, offering a four-year diploma program across multiple scientific and humanities departments, followed by master's and doctoral programs. The institution's portfolio includes core diploma programs, specialized excellence programs (ARIA in AI, ARTeQ in Quantum Technology, ARÉco in Ecological Transitions, ARCC in Research-Creation), and the civic engagement ASPEN program. Cross-cutting initiatives include the TEDS (Ecological Transition and Sustainable Development) program, science mediation services, and research theater (Scène de Recherche). The institution serves approximately 1,723 students including 1,353 normaliens and 187 international students, with 77% of diploma graduates pursuing doctoral studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ENS Paris-Saclay Diploma A four-year multidisciplinary elite diploma covering Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Design, and Human Sciences, preparing students for research and teaching careers with 77% of graduates proceeding to PhDs.
• Masters Programs Graduate-level master's programs offered in partnership with Université Paris-Saclay, covering specialized fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering disciplines.
• ASPEN (Année Spécifique de Parcours Engagement Normalien) A third-year civic-engagement year for normaliens, allowing projects in humanitarian solidarity, knowledge transmission through popularization, or sustainable development, validating 60 ECTS.
• ARIA (Diplôme en Intelligence Artificielle) A specialized excellence diploma in Artificial Intelligence offered as additional training beyond the main ENS Paris-Saclay diploma.
• ARTeQ (Diplôme Technologie Quantique) A specialized excellence diploma program in Quantum Technology offered as part of the institution's specialized programs.
• ARÉco (Diplôme Sciences pour les Transitions Écologiques) A university diploma focused on sciences for ecological transitions, examining public policy responses to ecological crises.
• ARCC (Diplôme Recherche-création) A research-creation diploma combining artistic and scientific approaches.
• Doctoral Programs PhD programs across 14 research laboratories, with 322 doctoral students enrolled, including specific PhD contracts and the habilitation to direct research (HDR).

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of diploma holders pursue doctoral studies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENS Paris-Saclay collaborates with CEA on research initiatives, including an 'Industrial Data Analytics & Machine Learning' Chair established with Atos and CEA to support the emergence of French data science industry.
• AtoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint chair in 'Industrial Data Analytics & Machine Learning' with ENS Paris-Saclay and CEA to foster French data science industry development.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for student engagement programs (ASPEN) where students work on biodiversity training for public servants. OFB has a 2024 budget of 623 million euros and nearly 3000 agents.
• Université Paris-SaclaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENS Paris-Saclay is part of the Université Paris-Saclay consortium, a world-class university complex and major innovation ecosystem. Students benefit from shared resources, research labs, and degree programs.
• Fondation FDJ (Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate foundation supporting educational outreach programs including the 'Science at Child Height' mentorship initiative connecting ENS students with primary school students.
• GRABE-Bénin (Groupe de Recherche et d'Action pour le Bien-être au Bénin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner hosting ASPEN student Quentin Rougeon for sustainable agriculture research in Benin, with activities including reforestation, market gardening, and environmental education.
• CIPCRE-Bénin (Cercle International pour la Promotion de la Création)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Benin for sustainable agricultural development, working with ENS Paris-Saclay students on farming practices with local farmers.
• Association OceaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine conservation association in French Polynesia hosting ASPEN student Morgane Cretin-Reina for whale conservation and ocean awareness work.
• Fondation Tara OcéanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean exploration foundation hosting ENS students for ocean protection and communication activities, complementing Polynesian fieldwork.
• IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial research partner providing doctoral supervision for pre-doctoral scholarship recipients like Tayeb Mezri, working on electrical machines research.
• LuMIn (Lumière, Matière et Interfaces)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch laboratory where ENS doctoral student Mélanie Pietri conducts research on microalgae-bacteria co-culture modeling for bioenergy applications.
• LMF (Laboratoire Méthodes Formelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal Methods laboratory collaborating with ENS on mathematical modeling research as part of doctoral thesis projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Imperial College London: UK public research university focused on science, engineering, medicine and business. Comparable in scale (~20,000 students), doctoral intensity, and industry-funded research model, and a natural international reference point for ENS Paris-Saclay's research output and ranking position.
• ETH Zurich: Leading European public research university specializing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Comparable in research-intensive model, doctoral output, and industry partnership orientation, and a key international benchmark for ENS Paris-Saclay's STEM positioning.

Direct peers

• ENS Lyon: Sister ENS institution, also a grand \u00e9tablissement under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Trains normaliens via concours and dossier pathways across sciences and humanities, with strong doctoral and research orientation \u2014 directly comparable operating model.
• ENS Paris (PSL): The original \u00c9cole Normale Sup\u00e9rieure on rue d'Ulm, now integrated into PSL University. Most direct peer: same ENS network identity, same concours-driven admission model, same focus on training researchers and agr\u00e9gation preparation, and same civil-servant-trainee (normalien) status for students.
• Mines Paris - PSL: Elite French engineering grande \u00e9cole within PSL University, with comparable scale, industry research chair model, and selective intake from CPGE students. Frequently mentioned alongside ENS Paris-Saclay when French industry recruits research-trained engineers.
• ESPCI Paris (PSL): Parisian grande \u00e9cole focused on physics, chemistry and biology engineering. Operates within PSL University on a similar model of small-cohort elite training with deep research lab integration, comparable in scale and prestige positioning.
• CentraleSup\u00e9lec: Elite French engineering school, also a founding member of Universit\u00e9 Paris-Saclay. Targets the same classes pr\u00e9paratoires student pool, offers engineering diplomas and applied research labs, and competes directly for industry chairs and doctoral candidates.
• \u00c9cole Polytechnique (Institut Polytechnique de Paris): France's other elite grande \u00e9cole with a strong science/engineering focus, also part of the \u00cele-de-France ecosystem. Shares the highly selective intake, civil-servant-trainee (polytechnicien) structure, and deep industry research partnerships \u2014 the most cited French peer for ENS Paris-Saclay's engineering departments.

Broad incumbents

• Universit\u00e9 Paris-Saclay: Parent federal university encompassing ENS Paris-Saclay, CentraleSup\u00e9lec, and other institutions. Broader scope across all fields and much larger student base, with shared research labs, joint degrees, and a unified brand. Comparable as the consortium-level entity of which ENS Paris-Saclay is a founding member.
• PSL University (Universit\u00e9 PSL): Federal university in Paris including ENS Paris, ESPCI, Mines Paris, Dauphine, and Observatoire de Paris. Competes directly with Universit\u00e9 Paris-Saclay for talent, funding, and international rankings, and houses ENS Paris as a direct ENS-network counterpart.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ENS_ParisSaclay
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=K3qBkLQoch0
• Facebookfacebook.com/ens.paris.saclay
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ens-paris-saclay
• Instagraminstagram.com/ensparissaclay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ENS Paris-Saclay