University in France
Ivry-sur-Seine, Île-de-France, France
University profile
ESME is a private engineering school founded in 1905, with around 3,000 students and apprentices across four campuses in Paris, Bordeaux, Lille and Lyon. It is recognised by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space, and its engineering diploma is accredited by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI). It is part of IONIS Education Group and has the legal status of a société à mission, with sustainability written into its statutes as the first objective.
The school trains generalist engineers on two pillars, energy systems and digital technologies (artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cybersecurity). The five-year engineering programme begins with a two-year integrated preparatory cycle after the baccalauréat, followed by a three-year engineering cycle. Students explore discovery pathways during the first three years and choose a specialisation at the start of the fourth year from six domains and 19 majors: Énergie & Environnement, Robotique & numérique, Aéronautique & Transports intelligents, Design & Innovation, Biotech & Santé, and Business & Finance.
Alongside the engineering degree, ESME offers six three-year Bachelors in sciences (two with the CTI-validated grade de licence) and three one-to-two-year Masters of Science taught by apprenticeship: Manager Cybersécurité & Data, Stratégie & Business des énergies du futur, and Manager Industrie Aéronautique. The engineering cycle can also be followed by apprenticeship on the Paris and Lille campuses, or in English.
Student life is organised by a Bureau des Élèves on each campus, with about 60 associations covering sport, robotics, sailing, music, entrepreneurship and more. Annual events include the inter-campus integration weekend, a ski week and the Sudriabotik team's entry in the Coupe de France de robotique. Each campus has an e-Smart Lab digital fabrication workshop with 3D printers, laser cutters and prototyping platforms, run jointly with a student Maker Team.
International study is built into the curriculum: a semester abroad is compulsory in the engineering cycle and the Bachelors, through 101 partner universities on five continents and 11 double-degree options abroad. The preparatory cycle and three engineering majors (Cybersecurity; Power Conversion & Renewable Energy; Smart & Secure IoT for Innovation and Defense Systems) are taught entirely in English. ESME is a member of the Conférence des grandes écoles (since 1974), the CDEFI, AmCham France and EFMD, and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification; the CTI renewed its accreditation for five years in 2025.
Ingé Sup and Ingé Spé: EUR 10,240 per year; Ingé 1, 2 and 3: EUR 12,290 per year; accelerated programme with delayed start in first year: EUR 7,650. Payment can be spread over 4 or 9 direct debits.
EUR 7,845 per year for each of the six Bachelors (single payment), which can be financed by apprenticeship in the third year.
Engineering by apprenticeship is offered from the third year on the Paris and Lille campuses, and all MSc programmes are by apprenticeship. Apprentices pay no tuition fees (covered by the employer through its OPCO) and are paid as employees: 43% (ages 18-20) or 53% (21-25) of the SMIC in year 1, 51% or 61% in year 2, and 67% or 78% in year 3 for engineering; 100% of the SMIC or minimum conventionnel at 26 and over for MSc. Apprentices must still pay the Contribution de vie étudiante et de campus (CVEC).
The Fondation ESME, created in 2011 under the Fondation de France, awards bursaries to engineering students in years 1 to 4 on income and merit criteria. A bursary ranges from a quarter to half of tuition fees. Applications are made on the school intranet; the 2026 deadline is 5 October 2026. Since 2011, 156 bursaries totalling EUR 637,000 have been awarded.
State bursaries are available through the CROUS (Créteil for Paris students) because ESME is recognised by the State; students take part in the Propulseo programme of company mentoring for equal opportunity; partner banks offer student loans with repayment starting after graduation. Details: engineering fees and funding, Bachelor fees, MSc fees.
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View scholarships for ESME →The integrated preparatory cycle is open to holders of a general baccalauréat who kept at least one scientific specialty: Mathematics, NSI, Physics-Chemistry, Engineering Sciences or SVT. Applicants without the Mathematics specialty are eligible but are encouraged to take the 'mathématiques complémentaires' option. Applications are made only on Parcoursup by choosing the Concours Advance (shared with EPITA, IPSA and SupBiotech) and then the first year of the ESME preparatory cycle on a campus (Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon or Paris). File: project de formation and motivation letter, filed from the January opening of Parcoursup. The jury reviews files from March to April; selected candidates sit written tests (English MCQ, 30 min, coefficient 3; mathematics MCQ, 1h30, coefficient 4) on the Terminale programme and a compulsory 30-minute motivation interview (coefficient 7) between April and early May. Excellent files ('Grands Classés') are exempt from the written tests. A 'Note Profil École' (coefficient 3) is also awarded. The final ranking appears on Parcoursup from late May; the calendar follows Parcoursup. Places: Paris 270 (60 in English), Bordeaux 55 (20 in English), Lille 70 (20 in English), Lyon 110 (30 in English).
First year of the engineering cycle: BUT GEII, Mesures physiques or Réseaux et Télécommunications; Prépa ATS; scientific or technological Licence 3; or scientific CPUGE. Second year: scientific Master (M1 or M2) in electronics, electrical energy and automation, computer science, signal and image processing, or networks and telecommunications, or a Master of Science (M2). Applications go through the IONIS Advance Parallèle platform (application fee EUR 30) with transcripts for the last two years, baccalauréat transcript, current-year proof or diploma, CV and motivation letter. Admissible candidates sit three tests: a scientific test (mathematics and/or physics), an English test (written or oral depending on campus) and a motivation interview. Entry can be in French or English, full-time or by apprenticeship.
Two Bachelors (Smart Tech & Objets connectés; Cyber & Objets connectés) are accessible after Terminale only through Parcoursup, using up to the regulation 10 choices, followed by a motivation interview. Four others (Énergies du futur, Systèmes Aéronautiques, IA - Tech & Créa, Chef de projet en énergies) use direct online applications opening from October: motivation letter, Première and Terminale grades, CV, then an individual interview. Admission is also possible at bac+1 and bac+2 in a scientific or technical stream.
A bac+3 or bac+4 in a scientific, technical or technological field is required. Applicants create an online account, pay the EUR 30 application fee and upload transcripts for the last two years, the latest diploma, baccalauréat transcript, current-year proof, CV and motivation letter. Admissible candidates sit admission tests assessing knowledge, aptitude and motivation. All three MSc programmes run by apprenticeship (RNCP level 7 titles).
Admissions: [email protected]; Paris-Ivry 01 56 20 62 06; Bordeaux 05 64 13 05 96.
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