CESI School of Engineering

What CESI School of Engineering does

CESI School of Engineering (CESI École d'Ingénieurs) is a French private non-profit graduate engineering school founded in 1958, structured as an association under French law of 1901. The institution delivers engineering and professional education across five domains: Industry & Innovation, IT & Digital, BTP & Civil Engineering, HR & Management, and QSE & Sustainable Development. Programs range from bac+2 technician tracks through bachelor's degrees, the five-year Programme Grande École (CTI-accredited), Mastère Professionnel (bac+5), Mastère Spécialisé® (bac+6), doctoral programs via the HESAM Université partnership, executive education, and international programs. The school operates 26 campuses across all major French regions with approximately 1,600 staff and serves prospective students via the Parcoursup national admission platform, direct campus outreach, and continuing education channels.

CESI's research and pedagogical infrastructure includes the LAB'CESI innovation labs, VR'LAB virtual reality facilities, BIM Room for digital construction, Créativ'Lab for design thinking, and the CESI LINEACT research unit. The platform integrates apprenticeship-based learning (alternance) with 8,000 partner companies hosting students, alongside 170 international partner universities enabling student mobility and dual degrees. Technology footprint emphasizes simulation, BIM, and design thinking environments rather than proprietary AI/ML products.

The business model combines tuition fees (€7,000/year for the bachelor's passerelle ingé program), professional training and certification services (Manager de proximité at €10,710 TTC for the 25.5-day program, with modular blocs ranging from €2,646 to €3,600 TTC), and company partnerships generating apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) revenue. As a non-profit association, CESI reinvests all surpluses into pedagogy, equipment, and campus development. The commercial perimeter is channeled through three subsidiaries: ISMANS CESI (engineering programs at Le Mans), CESI SAS (commercial training), and CESI Certification (COFRAC-accredited certification services).

Name

CESI School of Engineering

Legal name

CESI (Association under the French association law of 1901)

Website

https://www.cesi.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CESI School of Engineering is a French non-profit graduate engineering school founded in 1958, operating 26 campuses nationwide. It delivers CTI-accredited engineering degrees, bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and executive programs across five domains to students and 8,000 partner companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL)

Keywords

• Engineering education
• Higher education
• Professional training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Executive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Francescas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees: Revenue from student tuition fees across various programs including Grande École, Bachelors, Mastère Professionnel, Executive, and international programs. The institution is a non-profit association under French law (loi 1901) and reinvests all surpluses into pedagogical quality, equipment, and campus development.
2. Professional training services: Revenue from continuing education and professional training programs for companies, including certificates, specialized mastères, and engineering diploma programs for professionals. Services include training employee certification and company partnership programs.
3. Company partnerships: Revenue from partnering with 8,000 companies for student hosting (alternance), recruitment services, and apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CESI delivers state-recognized engineering degrees and professional training through a multi-level curriculum spanning bac+2 to bac+8, anchored by the CTI-accredited Programme Grande École. Offerings include bachelor, master, doctoral, executive, and international programs delivered across 26 French campuses, with an apprenticeship-integrated model supported by 8,000 partner companies. Complementary services include professional certification, continuing education, and applied research through the LINEACT unit and specialized laboratories.

Product overview

CESI École d'Ingénieurs operates as a platform of educational programs spanning bac+2 to bac+8, organized into the core Programme Grande École (Grande École Program) for five-year engineering degrees, complemented by Bachelor programs (bac+3) including specialized bachelor's and bridge-to-engineering pathways, Professional Master's (bac+5), Specialized Master's® (bac+6), Executive Programs for continuing education, and International Programs. The institution also maintains research facilities including LAB'CESI innovation labs, VR'LAB virtual reality environments, BIM Room for digital construction, and Créativ'Lab for creativity training, all coordinated through the CESI LINEACT research unit. Programs are delivered across 26 campuses throughout France with accreditation from CTI and partnerships with 170 universities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programme Grande École Five-year engineering program with integrated preparatory cycle, CTI-accredited (Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur), leading to a state-recognized engineering degree for post-bac students.
• Bachelor de spécialité Three-year bachelor's degree programs in various specializations, providing direct entry pathways to the engineering program.
• Bachelor en sciences et ingénierie Three-year bachelor's degree in sciences and engineering with practical, industry-focused curriculum.
• Bachelor passerelle ingénieur·e Bridge bachelor's program preparing students to integrate the Grande École engineering program in three years, with RNCP Level 6 certification in application development. Priced at 7,000 euros/year for years 1 and 2; third year financed by company under work-study contract.
• Mastère Professionnel Master's level professional programs (bac+5) for advanced specialization in various engineering and management domains.
• Mastère Spécialisé® Specialized Master's degrees (bac+6) offering advanced professional certification in specific technical or managerial areas.
• Programme Doctoral Doctoral program conducted in partnership with HESAM University for advanced research and PhD candidates.
• Executive Programs Continuing education and professional certification programs for working professionals, including certificates, specialized master's, engineering training, and IDPE (Ingénieur Diplômé par l'État).
• Programmes Internationaux International programs including Foundation Years, Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, Master of Science, and Short Programs for international students.
• Manager de proximité Professional certification program for proximity managers, RNCP Level 5 (bac+2), 25.5 days over 12 months, covering team animation, activity organization, and performance improvement. Full program priced at 8,925 euros HT for companies; 10,710 euros TTC for individuals.
• Formation professionnelle (Professional Training) Continuing education and professional training programs for companies, including certifiable skill blocs for managers and HR professionals, offered via CPF and corporate training plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.6% of 2023 graduates employed within 6 months of graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and supporting.

• Fulbright ProgramstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026International academic exchange program alliance to strengthen transatlantic research collaboration between CESI and U.S. institutions.
• Erasmus+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union program for education, youth, and sport that enables student mobility, staff teaching, and learning opportunities across European higher education institutions.
• CGE (Conférence des Grandes Écoles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench conference of grandes écoles representing elite French higher education institutions, promoting the values and interests of its member schools.
• CDEFI (Conférence des Directeurs des Écoles Françaises d'Ingénieurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization bringing together directors of French engineering schools to coordinate and promote engineering education in France.
• CTI (Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench engineering degree accreditation commission responsible for evaluating and accrediting engineering programs in France.
• Campus France (Bienvenue en France Label)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench agency promoting higher education to international students and managing the Welcome to France label for institutions supporting international students.
• France CompétencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic institution responsible for the national directory of professional certifications (RNCP), overseeing professional training and apprenticeship in France.
• 170 Partner Universities WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of universities enabling student exchanges, dual degrees, and international mobility programs for CESI students.
• 8,000 Host CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompanies across France that host CESI students for internships, apprenticeships, and work-study programs as part of their training.
• COFRAC (CESI Certification)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench accreditation body for CESI Certification department, accreditation number 4-0556, ensuring quality of certification services.
• ISMANS CESIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the CESI Group located at Le Mans campus, offering engineering programs with specializations in operational excellence, modeling, materials, and advanced sports technologies.
• CESI ALUMNI AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni association maintaining connection with 120,000+ CESI graduates worldwide, organizing events and career networking.
• N+i NetworksupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational network for engineering student recruitment, particularly for CESI's international master's and engineering programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ICAM (Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers): ICAM is a multi-campus private engineering school with a strong apprenticeship/alternance focus spanning several French regions. It is the closest analog to CESI in terms of model: private, multi-site, apprenticeship-integrated engineering programs producing workforce-ready graduates.
• ESIGELEC: ESIGELEC is a private engineering school in Normandy with a CTI-accredited program and a strong apprenticeship track, particularly in electronics, IT, and networks. It competes with CESI for the same post-bac talent pool and employer partnerships in the Rouen/Normandy region.
• EPITA: EPITA is one of France's largest private IT engineering schools, with campuses in the Paris region and a multi-year engineering program. It directly competes with CESI's IT & Digital domain, particularly the Bachelor Informatique ranked by Eduniversal.
• EPITECH: EPITECH is a major French private digital/IT school with a strong apprenticeship model and multi-city presence. Like CESI, it targets post-bac students seeking work-integrated IT engineering programs and competes for the same employer partners.
• ECE (École Centrale d'Électronique): ECE is a private engineering school in Paris specializing in electronics, computer science, and digital technologies. It competes directly with CESI in the IT & Digital and Industry & Innovation domains for post-bac engineering talent.
• ISEN (Yncréa): ISEN Yncréa is a network of private engineering schools (Lille, Brest, Toulon, etc.) focused on digital, electronics, and environmental engineering. Like CESI, it operates multi-campus with CTI accreditation and apprenticeship tracks, competing for similar employer partnerships.
• UTC (Université de Technologie de Compiègne): UTC is a public technology university offering engineering programs with an applied, innovation-oriented pedagogy similar to CESI's approach. It competes in similar domains (IT, Industry, BTP) and shares an applied-research orientation via its Alliance Sorbonne Université affiliation.
• UTBM (Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard): UTBM is a public technology university specializing in engineering, particularly in industry, IT, and transportation. Its applied-research teaching model and apprenticeship integration make it a close methodological peer to CESI.

Broad incumbents

• INSA (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées): The INSA network is the leading public group of French engineering schools with campuses across France. As a publicly subsidized incumbent, INSA represents a broader and more established competitor, often preferred by students seeking lower-cost engineering education.
• Arts et Métiers ParisTech: Arts et Métiers ParisTech is one of France's most prestigious public engineering Grandes Écoles with a network of campuses. It competes for top engineering talent and industry partnerships, particularly in Industry & Innovation and BTP domains where CESI also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/groupecesi1
• Facebookfacebook.com/CESIingenieurs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groupe-cesi
• Instagraminstagram.com/cesi_officiel
• TikToktiktok.com/@cesi_officiel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CESI School of Engineering