University in France
Saint-Étienne, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
University profile
Mines Saint-Étienne (École nationale supérieure des mines de Saint-Étienne) is a public engineering school and grande école founded in 1816, under the supervision of the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry. It is a member of Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT), the public group of engineering and management grandes écoles, and trains generalist and specialist engineers in small cohorts, with about 2,500 students and nearly 500 staff across its sites.
The school is spread over three campuses in two regions: Saint-Étienne (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), Aix-Marseille-Provence in Gardanne (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) and Lyon-Charbonnières in Charbonnières-les-Bains. The historic "158" site on Cours Fauriel in Saint-Étienne, in use since 1927, houses administration, the library, classrooms, laboratories and the La Rotonde science culture centre, set in a park with listed trees. In all, 68,200 sq m of premises are dedicated to teaching and research.
Teaching and research are organised around five research and academic centres: Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering (SMS), Natural and Industrial Process Sciences (SPIN), the Centre for Biomedical and Healthcare Engineering (CIS), the Henri Fayol Institute and the Centre of Microelectronics in Provence (CMP). The school lists its fields of excellence as energy, transport, industrial engineering, microelectronics, healthcare and the environment. Degrees comprise six engineering diplomas, 14 Master of Science programmes (eight taught in English), eight Advanced Master programmes, a two-year post-baccalaureate preparatory and degree cycle (PDIS) in engineering and health, and a doctorate within the SIS 488 doctoral school.
Engineering programmes:
Student life is organised through the student unions (BDE) and sports offices (BDS) on each campus, the student-run ME Circle bar, the Comif association in Gardanne, the IlluMines and ISMIN galas, junior enterprises, corporate forums and many clubs. Student Houses (Maison des Élèves) in Saint-Étienne and Gardanne offer furnished rooms and studios near the campuses. International students are supported by a welcome programme, a buddy scheme and the Mines International Students (MIS) association; 27% of students are international, and the school holds the "Bienvenue en France" label and the Cequint label. Its engineering degrees are accredited by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI).
ICM and ISMIN: EUR 3,600 per year for French and European students and EUR 5,700 per year for non-EU students; students receiving needs-based CROUS scholarships are exempt. Fees cover tuition, registration and administration, educational and digital services and international mobility insurance, and can be paid in instalments. A contribution to integration activities, student mutual insurance, personal insurance and the CVEC (contribution vie étudiante et de campus) are added separately. PDIS: EUR 3,600 per year at Mines Saint-Étienne, plus EUR 175 per year at Jean Monnet University for the Health Sciences Bachelor's (set by the State) and a CVEC of about EUR 100. Doctoral students pay the national doctoral fees plus the CVEC.
Needs-based CROUS scholarships (applied for through messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr) give full tuition exemption and further benefits such as housing priority and reduced-price catering. The Mines Saint-Étienne Foundation (Fondation Mines-Télécom) awards needs-based and excellence scholarships and ad hoc aid for an internship, a project or international mobility, on application. Mines Saint-Étienne Alumni grant interest-free honour loans repayable up to eight years after entering the school, and cash advances for specific situations such as a delayed scholarship, visa costs or a deposit. Partial or total fee exemption is possible for students with disabilities or in extreme financial hardship.
International students on the ICM and ISMIN programmes may, depending on their situation, benefit from Eiffel Excellence Scholarships (Master of Science in Engineering level), French Government Scholarships (BGF), Campus France aid for inbound mobility and specific schemes for visa, health insurance and settling-in costs. Housing aid (APL/ALS from the CAF) is available to eligible residents of the Student Houses. Free French courses are generally included in the welcome programme and are optional.
Erasmus+ grants for exchanges and internships in Europe (amount varies by destination and duration); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region and Campus France mobility grants for stays outside Europe; aid for international double degrees and for internships abroad, applied for through the International Relations Department ([email protected]). Doctoral students may receive an international mobility grant of EUR 750 per month up to a maximum of EUR 4,500, and joint-supervision (cotutelle) funding (contact: [email protected]).
International grants and scholarships | ICM cost and funding
Mines-Télécom Foundation Scholarships and Aid (needs-based and excellence) →
International Mobility Aid for Doctoral Students →
Browse the scholarships listed for Mines Saint-Étienne and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Mines Saint-Étienne →The main route is the Concours Commun Mines-Ponts for students in the second year of scientific preparatory classes (CPGE: MP, MPI, PC, PSI, PT, TSI). Registration is online on the competition website from early December to mid-January, and 155 places are offered each year at Mines Saint-Étienne. Admission by qualification is open to university students: a validated L3 (180 ECTS) with an excellent level in maths and physics for first-year entry, or an M1 for second-year entry, by application file and interview. Dual degrees exist with emlyon and in pharmacy, medicine and dentistry.
Entry after CPGE is through the Mines-Télécom competitive examination, with 88 places at Mines Saint-Étienne (MP 37, MPI 5, PC 8, PSI 28, PT 7, TSI 3). University applicants with a scientific Bachelor's (L3) enter the first year, and holders of an M1 in electronics, computer science, physics or mathematics enter the second year. Selection is by file review and an interview. The file contains a CV, cover letter, transcripts for the last two years and the current year, copies of degrees and a letter of recommendation. The deadline is 31 May for a September intake, and foreign degrees and transcripts must be translated into French and certified by the French consulate. Experienced professionals can apply through VAE (validation of acquired experience).
Exchange and dual-degree students apply through their home university (Erasmus+, Brafitec, Arfitec and similar agreements); free-mover applicants apply directly. The ICM page requires an academic level equivalent to four years of higher education (minimum Bac+4), a minimum of B1 in French and B1+ in English (official tests required). A mandatory French Summer School is offered to students who have not reached B1+ in French. Non-EEA applicants residing in a country covered by the "Études en France" procedure complete the school's application and also apply through Campus France, which is required for the visa. After admission the school provides an official admission letter for the visa application and assists with registration, social security, residence permit and bank account.
The ISTP work-study engineering programmes (IGI, IGN, ISEE, ISE) are open to students with a scientific or technological L2 or L3 degree, under apprentice or employee status. The one-year specialised engineering programmes (3I and TECTO) are aimed at Bac+5 graduates and professionals, in work-study or continuing education format.
Admission is through Parcoursup, which opens in mid-January, with an application deadline in March and a main admission phase in May-June. One application covers Mines Saint-Étienne and Jean Monnet University. Applications are assessed on the academic record (mathematics, physics, biology, French, English), work methods, autonomy, motivation letter and commitments. Candidates are classified as highly eligible (accepted without interview), ranked (20-minute interview) or not ranked.
The Master of Science in Engineering programmes are selective, mostly M2-entry programmes, taught in English, French or bilingually. Using the example of Data and Connected Systems (DSC, 60 ECTS, about half in English): applicants hold an M1 or equivalent (Bac+4) in a relevant field, and submit a CV, motivation letter, transcripts, diplomas, an English certificate (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS or equivalent) if English is not their native language or language of instruction, and a French test (TEF, DELF) for non-French speakers. Selection is by committee with an optional interview. The programme runs two rounds: applications early January to late February, and early March to late April, with classes starting in September (dates indicative). Applicants from EEA countries use the online form; applicants from countries covered by "Études en France" also register through Campus France.
Applicants hold a Master of Science in Engineering (or equivalent five-year degree) and show research experience, through a research master's or significant research experience. Every doctoral student must have funding for the duration of the thesis (doctoral contract, CIFRE, industrial funding, scholarship or international funding), validated before administrative registration. Doctoral registration includes the national doctoral tuition fees and the CVEC. Contact: [email protected].
Facilities: the library holds over 20,000 books, more than 50 print periodicals and a heritage collection, with access to databases such as IEEE and Elsevier, and is part of the SUDOC and Couperin networks. Student Houses: in Saint-Étienne, four buildings with 123 rooms and 257 studios (including five adapted units) for ICM students; in Gardanne, 157 studios for first-year ISMIN students. Health services include free Qare teleconsultations, psychological support on the Saint-Étienne and Gardanne campuses and solidarity grocery stores.
Experiences shared by students of Mines Saint-Étienne.
Studied here? Share your experience to help other applicants.
Book a free consultation with our expert counsellors and take the first step towards your dream university.
Copyrights © 2026 StudyMapped. All rights reserved.
Enter your credentials to continue.
Join us and start your study abroad journey.
