USCHOOL - Université Catholique de Lille

What USCHOOL - Université Catholique de Lille does

USCHOOL is a private, nonprofit pluridisciplinary school operating as a constituent entity of the Université Catholique de Lille, a 150-year-old Catholic higher-education institution based in Lille, France. The school delivers three state-recognized programs: a three-year Licence Pluridisciplinaire Projet Personnel featuring an "à la carte" course-selection system across the parent university's faculties; a two-year Master in Management de l'Innovation et Design Thinking available in both initial and apprenticeship tracks; and a continuing-education Diplôme Universitaire (Hybrider ses Enseignements) targeted at higher-education educators. Pedagogy is hybrid, built on flipped-classroom delivery, a one-month course trial period, and curriculum co-construction with pedagogical advisors, distinguishing the offer from conventional rigid-degree programs.

The business model rests on tuition fees structured as income-based modular pricing with monthly installments, supplemented by scholarship support aligned to the CROUS scholarship index. State recognition of diplomas is achieved through a formal convention with UPHF, and the design-thinking Master is delivered in partnership with Hémisf4ire Design School. Go-to-market combines platform-channel admissions (Parcoursup for L1, Monmaster for Master), mid-year direct-application portals, open days and immersion programs, plus community-led outreach via the BDE Noctua student union. The customer base is a long-tail of individual B2C students — high-school graduates, bac+3/4 holders seeking innovation credentials, and continuing-education educators — with no meaningful B2B or enterprise concentration.

Revenue mechanics are constrained by the income-based pricing scheme and the modest scale of three programs at a single campus, with ~20 employees. Strategic direction visible from 2021 onward includes apprenticeship-format expansion, double-degree pathways with the Facultés de l'Université Catholique de Lille, Erasmus mobility activity, and student-life formalization through the BDE Noctua union. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or AI/ML capability development is disclosed in the available material.

Name

USCHOOL - Université Catholique de Lille

Legal name

INSTITUT CATHOLIQUE DE LILLE

Website

https://u-school.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

USCHOOL is a private nonprofit pluridisciplinary school within the Université Catholique de Lille offering a customizable Licence, a Design Thinking Master, and a continuing-education diploma, serving individual students in France through hybrid pedagogy and a co-constructed curriculum model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services (Private Catholic University)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Great Books/Core Curriculum Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAM)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Multidisciplinary undergraduate studies
• Innovation management training
• Design thinking pedagogy
• State-recognized diplomas

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Modular tuition based on program (Licence or Master), family resources, fiscal household composition, and CROUS scholarship indices. Payment options include 1, 3, or 6 monthly installments via automatic debit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

USCHOOL is a pluridisciplinary school within the Université Catholique de Lille that delivers state-recognized higher-education programmes (Licence, Master, Diplôme Universitaire) through a customizable 'à la carte' curriculum system, hybrid and flipped-classroom pedagogy, and a 6C competency framework. It targets individual students seeking personalized, interdisciplinary learning pathways that bridge academic theory and professional practice, with diplomas delivered in convention with Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France.

Product overview

USCHOOL operates as a pluridisciplinary school within the Université Catholique de Lille, offering three state-recognized higher-education programmes. The Licence Pluridisciplinaire Projet Personnel is a three-year undergraduate degree with a customizable 'à la carte' module system allowing students to build personalised curricula from across the university's faculties. The Master Management de l'Innovation et Design Thinking is a two-year postgraduate programme focused on Design Thinking, collaborative innovation, and entrepreneurship, available in initial or apprenticeship mode and as a double-degree pathway. The Diplôme Universitaire Hybrider ses Enseignements (DiU HEES) is a continuing-education diploma for higher-education teachers. Together, these three offerings form a progressive pipeline from undergraduate exploration through postgraduate specialisation and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licence Pluridisciplinaire Projet Personnel A three-year undergraduate Licence offering a customizable 'à la carte' curriculum in which students select modules from across the Université Catholique de Lille's faculties to build a personalized project. Delivered in convention with Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF), the diploma is state-recognized in Arts, Letters and Languages, Law, Economics and Management, Human and Social Sciences, or Science, Technology, and Health. Aimed at French Baccalauréat graduates and career-transition learners.
• Master Management de l'Innovation et Design Thinking A two-year Master's programme centred on Design Thinking methodology, collaborative problem-solving, and innovation management. Available in initial or apprenticeship (alternance) tracks, and as a double-degree pathway with partner Master's programmes at the Université Catholique de Lille's faculties. Awards a state-recognized Master degree in Entrepreneurship and Project Management (UPHF convention). Targets Bac+3/+4 holders and early-career professionals.
• Diplôme Universitaire Hybrider ses Enseignements dans l'Enseignement Supérieur (DiU HEES)

Quantifiable outcome

• 170 million new jobs expected globally by 2030 requiring new competency frameworks

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal convention partnership for diploma delivery. Licence Pluridisciplinaire Projet Personnel granted as Licence Arts, Lettres et Langues, Droit, Economie, Gestion, Sciences Humaines et Sociales, Sciences, Technologies, Santé – Mention Pluridisciplinaire. Master Management de l'innovation et Design Thinking granted as Master Droit, Economie, Gestion – Mention Entrepreneuriat et Management de projets. Diplôme Universitaire Hybrider ses Enseignements dans l'Enseignement Supérieur also delivered under convention.
• Career Center (Université Catholique de Lille)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDedicated university service supporting students and graduates in career development. Provides job datings, workshops, professional immersions, and internship search support. Helps students find alternance and stage opportunities.
• ALL (Student Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity student services provider managing housing (20+ residences, €350-710/month), sports facilities, and dining (12+ restaurants). Partnership provides USCHOOL students access to comprehensive student life infrastructure.
• Hémisf4ire Design SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative design school partnership for joint conferences and events. Shared expertise in design thinking methodology and pedagogical innovation. Carole Blaringhem serves as both USCHOOL Director and innovation pedagogy responsible at Hémisf4ire.
• Les Facultés de l'Université Catholique de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble Master degree program allowing students to combine Management de l'Innovation et Design Thinking with a disciplinary Master's from partner faculties. Provides interdisciplinary curriculum breadth across law, economics, sciences, humanities, languages, and international relations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NEOMA Business School: French Grande École with programs in innovation management, design thinking, and entrepreneurship; comparable as a private higher-education peer offering similar alternance and Master specialization themes to USCHOOL's Innovation & Design Thinking program.
• Sciences Po: France's leading pluridisciplinary social-sciences institution offering customized Master tracks and double degrees; comparable in its pluridisciplinary curriculum model, state-recognized diplomas, and emphasis on transversal competencies.
• EDHEC Business School: Major Lille-based private business school (Grande École) offering Master in Management and MSc programs with strong employer pipelines; comparable as an established French non-public higher-education provider with state-recognized diplomas.
• Université Paris-Dauphine: Paris-based pluridisciplinary university focused on organization and decision sciences with interdisciplinary Master tracks; comparable in its pluridisciplinary, project-based pedagogy and state-recognized degree delivery.
• SKEMA Business School: French Grande École with a Lille campus offering Bachelor, Master, and MSc programs including specialization tracks; comparable as a multi-campus private institution delivering state-recognized degrees through innovation-focused pedagogy.
• Université Catholique de Lille (UCL - parent): The parent institution housing USCHOOL as one of its 30+ faculties; comparable as a French private non-profit higher education provider offering state-recognized degrees, though broader in scope across law, economics, sciences, humanities, and theology.
• Audencia Business School: French Grande École based in Nantes with strong CSR and innovation positioning; comparable as a private non-profit institution offering state-recognized Master programs with employer-integrated pathways.

Regional players

• IESEG School of Management: Lille-based private business school offering state-recognized Bachelor and Master programs with similar alternance pathways and employer-network focus; directly comparable French higher-education peer in the same geography.
• Centrale Lille (École Centrale de Lille): Lille-based engineering Grande École offering interdisciplinary and innovation-focused programs; comparable as a Lille-region higher-education peer with state-recognized engineering diplomas and industry-integrated tracks.

Direct peers

• Hémisf4ire Design School: Lille-based design school sharing pedagogical philosophy and a leadership link (Carole Blaringhem serves at both USCHOOL and Hémisf4ire); directly comparable in design thinking methodology and joint event programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/u-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 USCHOOL - Université Catholique de Lille