AGR, l'École de l'Image

What AGR, l'École de l'Image does

AGR, l'École de l'Image is a private higher education institution operating under SAS corporate structure in France, founded in the early 1990s (firmographic data states 1994; a separate historical reference cites 1990), with headquarters in Nantes and a second campus in Rennes. It delivers five RNCP-registered diplomas (two at Level 6, three at Level 7) covering graphic design, art direction, animation 3D-VFX, and interior architecture / immersive design, spanning Bachelor (Bac+3) to Mastère (Bac+5) levels. The school's pedagogical model is built around 39 active industry professionals as instructors, integrated internships totaling 11-20 months, a two-year alternance track in the Master's program, and a network of 500+ business partnerships that supply real client briefs and placement opportunities. The 2024 cohort reported an 82% employment rate within six months of graduation, and students were shortlisted at the D&AD New Blood Awards in 2025.

AGR's revenue model is tuition-driven, with annual fees of €6,300 in Year 1 and €7,600 in subsequent academic years, a one-time €400 first-year registration fee, and zero tuition during the work-study (alternance) years. The latter is funded indirectly through French employer apprenticeship contributions (taxe d'apprentissage) and OPCO flows, contingent on maintaining Qualiopi certification. Ancillary revenue streams include professional training and VAE credentialing for adult learners. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: prospective students are recruited through the school's website, open days (portes ouvertes) at both campuses, holiday discovery workshops, and organic social channels led by Instagram, with TikTok now added. There are no third-party distributors, no application fees, and no disclosed enterprise contracts; the customer base is a long tail of individual tuition-paying students.

AGR does not operate as a technology product company. Its "platform" is the two physical campuses, the proprietary curriculum, the active-practitioner instructor base, and the dense industry partnership ecosystem that delivers project-based learning. The technical stack taught to students consists of mainstream creative tools (Blender, Maya, ZBrush, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Unreal Engine, Houdini), not proprietary software. AGR carries no disclosed subsidiaries, no parent company, no external funding rounds, and no M&A activity; ownership appears stable and independent.

Name

AGR, l'École de l'Image

Legal name

SAS AGR, l'École de l'Image

Website

https://agr.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AGR, l'École de l'Image is a private French higher education institution operating campuses in Nantes and Rennes, offering five RNCP-registered diplomas (Bachelor and Mastère) in graphic design, art direction, 3D animation/VFX, and interior architecture taught by active industry professionals to fee-paying creative students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

Keywords

• Graphic design education
• 3D animation training
• Art direction programs
• Interior architecture school
• Higher education degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged per academic year. Registration fees are charged only for the first year. Work-study (alternance) years during the Master's program are free of tuition fees, with students employed by companies.
2. Professional Services / Training: The school provides professional training services and may offer VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) for adult learners seeking credential recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AGR, l'École de l'Image is a private higher education institution that delivers five state-recognized diplomas (Bachelor Bac+3 and Mastère Bac+5 levels) registered with the French RNCP, covering graphic design, art direction, 3D animation/VFX, interior architecture, and immersive design. Instruction is delivered in-person at two French campuses in Nantes and Rennes by active industry professionals, with work-study (alternance) options available during the Master's programs.

Product overview

AGR, l'École de l'Image is a private higher education institution offering five recognized diplomas focused on visual arts and digital creation. The institution operates a single unified educational platform with five distinct programs: three Bachelor-level programs (Bac+3) in graphic design, interior architecture, and a Mastère-level program combining interior architecture with immersive design. Two graduate-level Mastère programs (Bac+5) specialize in artistic direction/multimedia and 3D animation/VFX respectively. Programs are delivered at two campus locations in Nantes and Rennes, with some master's programs available through apprenticeship. The institution emphasizes hands-on project-based learning with professional instructors and industry partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Designer en communication graphique éco-responsable (Bac+3) A 3-year undergraduate program (Bac+3) that prepares students for careers in graphic design, covering visual identity, publishing, digital creation, and eco-responsible design practices. Recognized as RNCP Niveau 6 (n°39221).
• Mastère Directeur Artistique Plurimédia (Bac+5) A 5-year graduate program (Bac+5) that trains students for senior positions in artistic direction, covering web design, motion design, UX/UI design, and project management. Recognized as RNCP Niveau 7 (n°36738). Available in both initial and alternance (work-study) tracks.
• Mastère Animation 3D-VFX (Bac+5) A 5-year graduate program (Bac+5) that prepares students for careers in 3D animation and visual effects, covering modeling, rigging, animation, CFX, VFX compositing, and rendering. Recognized as RNCP Niveau 7 (n°36132).
• Bachelor Designer en Architecture d'Intérieur (Bac+3) A 3-year undergraduate program (Bac+3) that trains students in interior architecture and design, covering space planning, materials, lighting, and 3D visualization. Recognized as RNCP Niveau 6 (n°38012).
• Mastère Architecture Intérieure / Design Immersif (Bac+5) A 5-year graduate program (Bac+5, available as apprenticeship) that combines interior architecture with immersive technologies for designing experiential spaces.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% employment rate within 6 months of graduation (2024 cohort)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 500+ Business PartnerscoreOthersThe school maintains over 500 partnerships with local and international companies for professional student projects and internship placements. These partnerships span various industries including cosmetics, food brands, cultural institutions, and NGOs.
• Edulab PasteurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Edulab Pasteur for risography printing projects. Students in 2nd year Graphic Design at the Rennes campus use the facility for print-based design projects.
• MiniBigForestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-year Master's students created an immersive installation for MiniBigForest, an association that plants urban micro-forests using the Miyawaki method. The project aimed to explain ecological concepts interactively at public events.
• Le RefugeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst-year Art Direction Master's students at Rennes created communication campaigns for Le Refuge, an association supporting LGBT+ individuals in family or social crisis. Students developed campaigns to recruit new volunteers.
• 19.33 Cocktail ExperienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-year students at Nantes created video content for this Nantes bar, including Instagram posts, immersive stories, and promotional videos as part of their video capture and editing coursework.
• PatykaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond-year students at Nantes conducted a photography shoot for the cosmetics brand Patyka Paris, creating in-store display visuals inspired by 'Minimalist Paper' style for three products in their skincare routine range.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strate École de Design: Leading French private design school near Paris with RNCP-registered programs in product design, transportation design, and digital design. Comparable in pedagogy and credentialed program structure, though more focused on industrial/product design than AGR's communications-focused portfolio.
• ECV (École de Communication Visuelle): French private creative school with campuses in Paris, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Lille, and Nantes. Overlaps directly with AGR's graphic design, art direction, and digital programs and operates in the same Nantes market.
• LISAA (L'Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués): Paris-based private school with multiple French campuses offering RNCP-registered programs in graphic design, animation, interior architecture, and game design. Direct competitor for both the Graphic Design and Interior Architecture/Immersive Design tracks.
• Brassart: French private creative school group with campuses across France offering programs in graphic design, 3D animation, video games, and interior architecture. Comparable program portfolio, credentialing, and student pricing tier to AGR.
• ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques): Multi-campus French private school specializing in 3D animation, VFX, video games, graphic design, and interior architecture. Closest peer in scope and RNCP-credentialed program structure, with campuses in Montpellier, Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Nantes — directly competing in AGR's home market.
• Gobelins, l'école de l'image: Paris-based private school offering programs in animation, graphic design, photography, and video — the most prestigious and best-known French creative school. Direct competitor for the same student pool, particularly for the Animation 3D-VFX and Art Direction tracks.
• L'École Multimédia: Paris-based private school offering bachelor's and master's programs in web development, design, and digital project management. Overlaps with AGR's digital art direction and UX/UI offerings, targeting a similar post-bac student.
• Rubika (Supinfocom / Supinfogame): French-Indian-Canadian creative school group specializing in animation, video games, and industrial design. Strong direct overlap with AGR's 3D-VFX program and competes for the same internationally mobile creative student pool.

Broad incumbents

• Ynov Campus: Large private higher education group with 15+ French campuses covering creative, digital, tech, and business programs. Direct overlap on graphic design, 3D, and animation tracks but much broader portfolio and significantly larger scale than AGR.
• Pôle Léonard de Vinci: Private higher education cluster near Paris offering engineering, business, and digital/creative programs including 3D animation and web design. Comparable in credentialed program structure but much broader portfolio and primarily Paris-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/agrecoleimage
• TikToktiktok.com/@agrecoleimage
• Xx.com/agrecoleimage
• Facebookfacebook.com/agrecoleimage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agr-l-ecole-de-l-image

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 AGR, l'École de l'Image