shutterstock-2684543041

4 Parisian Universities Among the World's Top 100

undefined undefined undefined 08h30

The Editor

©Alphapicto/Shutterstock

The Shanghai ranking, which recognizes the world's best universities, has just been released. Around twenty French universities are part of it, and several Parisian universities are making their way into the top 100.

Year after year, Paris continues to shine on the international university stage. On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the 2026 Shanghai ranking, which lists the world's best university institutions, was released. The takeaway: France, and particularly the capital, excels. In total, 1,000 universities are listed and among them, 27 are French, with four in the top 100. 


Paris gets close to the global top 10

The universities of Paris are particularly sought-after and gain positions in the Shanghai ranking every year. Paris-Saclay University takes the lead and secures a prestigious 13th place. It is followed by PSL University at the 33rd position, as well as by l

at Sorbonne University and University Paris Cité in 57th place. France has the same number of institutions in the top 50 as Switzerland, Japan and Germany, placing it in 4th place worldwide. 

Paris isn't the only city making waves in higher education. University of Western Brittany is entering this ranking for the very first time, and University of Angers is making its comeback after being absent since 2021. 


American universities well represented in the ranking

Once again, it's British and American universities that dominate the top 10. Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) take the podium. They're followed by University of Cambridge (UK), University of California, Berkeley (United States), Princeton University (United States), University of Oxford (UK), Columbia University (United States), University of Chicago (United States) and finally the California Institute of Technology (United States). 

To establish the Shanghai ranking, criteria such as major distinctions, researcher reputation and publications are taken into account. Certainly, it shows the influence and impact of these universities without however allowing us to judge the quality of teaching provided there.