Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes

What Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes does

École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE-PSL) is a French public higher education and research institution founded in 1868 and headquartered in Paris, with operations relocating to the new Campus Condorcet in Aubervilliers. EPHE operates as a component member of Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) and is organized into three scientific sections: Life and Earth Sciences, Historical and Philological Sciences, and Religious Sciences. The institution delivers advanced research training through six Master's programs (including Civilisations/Cultures/Sociétés, Études Asiatiques, Histoire de l'Art et Archéologie, Sciences des Religions et Sociétés, Biodiversité/Environnement, and Biologie Intégrative/Physiopathologie), establishment diplomas, a doctoral program through École doctorale ED 472, postdoctoral diplomas, continuing education, and public research seminars. Its core product surface spans academic credentialing, funded research output through 45 research units staffed by 270+ teacher-researchers, and digital humanities infrastructure including Biblissima+, eScriptorium, and the HAL-EPHE open access repository.

EPHE's business model is anchored on recurring French Ministry of Higher Education and Research funding, supplemented by regulated tuition fees (€254 for EU Master's/EPHE diploma, €398 for Doctorate/HDR; €3,879 for non-EU Master's from 2026-2027), apprenticeship tax contributions, and individual and corporate donations through its endowment fund (with 60-66% tax deduction incentives). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer recruitment via PSL platforms, international exchange agreements (Erasmus+ Charter 2021-2027, Campus France 'Bienvenue en France' label), double-degree programs with EFEO, EHESS, University of Basilicata, and University of Bologna, and event-driven outreach through the 'Ondes de sciences' podcast, 'Le Moment de savoir' seminars, and open Campus Condorcet events. Customer segments span Master's students, doctoral/postdoctoral researchers, international students, and continuing education professionals. AI capabilities are limited to research-assistive applications in NLP and computer vision for manuscript analysis (Biblissima+, eScriptorium, ERC Synergy MiDRASH), with no commercial AI productization.

Name

Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes

Legal name

École Pratique des Hautes Études

Website

https://ephe.psl.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1868

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

École Pratique des Hautes Études is a French public higher education and research institution founded in 1868 and part of PSL, delivering advanced Master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral training across three scientific sections to students and researchers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Research University

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD), Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education research
• Doctoral training programs
• Master's degree programs
• Digital humanities research
• Life earth sciences

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

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 Higher Education Funding: Government-funded public institution receiving state funding for research and education activities, tuition fees regulated by national legislation.
2. Tuition and Academic Fees: Differentiated tuition fees for non-EU students (Master's €3,879), standard fees for EU residents (€254 Master/EPHE diploma, €398 Doctorate/HDR), and reduced fees for gap year programs.
3. Apprentissage Tax (Apprenticeship Tax): Companies can direct their apprenticeship tax contribution to support EPHE's educational modernization and research training programs.
4. Donations and Patronage: Individual donors (66% tax deduction) and corporate sponsors (60% corporate income tax deduction up to 0.5% of revenue) support school development through the endowment fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

École Pratique des Hautes Études is a public higher education and research institution offering Master's degrees, establishment diplomas, doctoral and postdoctoral programs across three scientific sections (Life and Earth Sciences, Historical and Philological Sciences, Religious Sciences), plus continuing education and public research seminars. The institution operates 45 research units with 270+ teacher-researchers, integrated within Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), and supports 5,000 students through specialized rare-discipline training delivered via the methodology of learning research through research practice.

Product overview

École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL operates as a higher education and research institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and research services. The institution's educational offerings span six master's degree programs (Civilisations Cultures et Sociétés, Études Asiatiques, Histoire de l'Art et Archéologie, Sciences des Religions et Sociétés, BE - Biodiversité et Environnement, and Biologie Intégrative et Physiopathologie), with the latter two organized under the IMaGHE (Integrative Master's for Global Health and Ecology) umbrella. In addition to master's programs, EPHE provides establishment diplomas in three scientific sections (Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Sciences historiques et philologiques, Sciences religieuses), specialized diplomas in Islamic Studies and Religions/Laïcité/Sociétés, doctoral programs through École doctorale ED 472, postdoctoral diplomas, and continuing education including public research seminars and digital humanities training. The institution maintains 45 research units and operates key digital infrastructure including HAL-EPHE for open science, Biblissima+ for manuscript studies, and various digital humanities platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Civilisations, Cultures et Sociétés Interdisciplinary master's program dedicated to the study of civilizations and cultures in Mediterranean and European areas, covering historical and contemporary dimensions.
• Master Études Asiatiques Multi-disciplinary program in collaboration with EFEO and EHESS training researchers and experts in Asian societies through critical humanities and social sciences approaches.
• Master Histoire de l'Art et Archéologie Master's program training specialists in art history and archaeology through five training courses, including international double degrees with University of Basilicata and University of Bologna.
• Master Sciences des Religions et Sociétés Multidisciplinary master's combining historical, sociological, anthropological, philosophical, and legal approaches, co-accredited with EHESS.
• Master BE - Biodiversité et Environnement Part of IMaGHE (Integrative Master's for Global Health and Ecology), training for careers in ecology, environment research, and natural space management.
• Master Biologie Intégrative et Physiopathologie Multidisciplinary master's program within IMaGHE focusing on human biology from molecules to behaviors, covering cellular biology, infectious diseases, neuroscience, and oncology.
• EPHE Diploma - Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre Professional diploma in Life and Earth Sciences offered by EPHE-PSL for advanced specialized training.
• EPHE Diploma - Sciences historiques et philologiques Professional diploma in Historical and Philological Sciences for specialized scholarly training.
• EPHE Diploma - Sciences religieuses Professional diploma in Religious Sciences for advanced study in religious studies.
• Diplôme d'Études islamiques Specialized diploma in Islamic Studies offered in collaboration with IREL.
• Diplôme Religions, Laïcité, Sociétés Diploma focusing on the study of religions, secularism, and societies.
• Doctoral Program (École doctorale ED 472) PhD program organized by EPHE-PSL for doctoral research across all three scientific sections.
• Postdoctoral Diplomas Postdoctoral diplomas in Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Sciences historiques et philologiques, and Sciences religieuses.
• Continuing Education Programs Continuing education offerings including apprenticeship training, professional projects, and specialized courses for working professionals.
• Research Seminars and Public Conferences Public conferences and research seminars organized by EPHE-PSL covering topics across all three scientific sections, including evening courses and specialized cycles.
• Digital Humanities Programs (Humanités Numériques) Digital humanities programs including Biblissima+, eScriptorium, and various computational approaches to manuscript and textual analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• ERC Starting Grant 2023 awarded for EvoGenArch project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and support.

• Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPHE is a component institution of PSL, the world-ranked Paris Sciences et Lettres university. PSL coordinates research, education, and innovation across its member institutions, offering shared resources, graduate programs, and international visibility.
• Campus CondorcetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPHE is a founding member of Campus Condorcet in Aubervilliers, a major interdisciplinary research campus. The campus houses EPHE research teams, student housing (450 units), and shared dining and cultural facilities.
• École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Master's in Asian Studies, combining EPHE expertise with EFEO's specialized knowledge of Asian civilizations for comprehensive research training.
• École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Master's programs including Religious Sciences and Societies, and Asian Studies, enabling interdisciplinary approaches and shared faculty resources.
• CROUS ParissupportOthersCROUS operates student restaurants, housing services, and social welfare programs. EPHE student cards grant access to all CROUS facilities across France.
• University of Basilicata and University of BolognamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational double degree partnerships for Master's in Art History and Archaeology, allowing students to obtain diplomas from both French and Italian institutions.
• Biblissima+ (Equipment of Excellence)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch equipment federation that aggregates and structures millions of data points on ancient texts and images. EPHE contributes expertise in philological and historical research while benefiting from shared digital infrastructure.
• Campus FrancesupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational agency for international student mobility and welcome services. EPHE holds the 'Bienvenue en France' label and works with Campus France to attract international students.
• PSL Valorisation & InnovationsupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology transfer and innovation hub helping researchers commercialize discoveries and launch startups through pre-maturation funding and incubation support.
• Erasmus+ ProgrammesupportChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean mobility program enabling student and staff exchanges. EPHE holds the Erasmus+ charter 2021-2027 for study and internship mobility.
• PSL-PépitesupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent entrepreneurship program offering support for launching student ventures, startup incubation, and innovation funding.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• École Normale Supérieure (ENS-PSL): ENS-PSL is a peer elite French research university within PSL that competes with EPHE for top students and researchers in sciences and humanities. Both institutions operate within the same PSL umbrella, share resources, and recruit from similar elite applicant pools for advanced graduate programs.
• Collège de France: Collège de France is a prestigious Paris-based public research and higher education institution focused on advanced research across humanities and sciences. It shares EPHE's emphasis on cutting-edge research, advanced study without traditional degrees, and serving as a hub for specialized scholarship in rare disciplines.
• École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO): EFEO is a French research institution specializing in Asian civilizations and societies, directly partnered with EPHE on the Master's in Asian Studies. Both share a focus on philological and historical research in specialized regions, with similar scholarly methods and overlapping faculty/researcher pools.
• École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS): EHESS is a French public research and higher education institution in Paris focused on social sciences, sharing EPHE's model of training through research and partnering on multiple Master's programs including Religious Sciences and Asian Studies. Both institutions operate under similar French public-research frameworks and compete for overlapping doctoral and Master's cohorts in humanities.
• INALCO (Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales): INALCO is a Paris-based public higher education institution specializing in languages, civilizations, and area studies outside Western Europe. It competes with EPHE's Asian Studies and historical/philological programs for international students and faculty in similar rare-discipline niches.

Regional players

• SOAS University of London: SOAS is a UK-based higher education institution specializing in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East studies with research and training programs that closely mirror EPHE's Asian Studies and Historical/Philological Sciences sections. It operates as a regional peer with comparable niche focus but serves a different geography.
• The Warburg Institute (University of London): The Warburg Institute is a UK-based research institution studying the classical tradition, history of ideas, and cultural history. It parallels EPHE's focus on philological, historical, and religious scholarship while operating as a specialized research hub with similar academic culture and rare-discipline emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne: Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne is a large French public research university strong in humanities, archaeology, art history, and religious studies that overlap with EPHE's Historical/Philological and Religious Sciences sections. It serves a broader student base and competes for faculty and doctoral candidates in shared fields.
• Sorbonne Université: Sorbonne Université is a major French public research university offering broad programs in sciences and humanities that overlap with EPHE's offerings in historical/archaeological studies and life sciences. As a much larger incumbent, it competes for graduate students in adjacent disciplines while not specializing in EPHE's rare-field focus.
• Aix-Marseille Université: Aix-Marseille Université is a major French public research university with significant programs in archaeology, ancient studies, and life sciences that intersect with EPHE's three sections. As a broader regional incumbent, it competes in similar research fields while serving a much larger student body across multiple campuses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-J_JyW33kUCeVh1HVL_gkQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/EPHE.PSL
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/school/%C3%A9cole-pratique-des-hautes-%C3%A9tudes
• Instagraminstagram.com/ephe_psl
• Xx.com/EPHE_PSL

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes