ENS Rennes is a high-status public institution of higher education and research. It is the fourth école normale to be created since the 18th century joining ENS Paris, ENS Lyon and ENS Paris-Saclay (afore named ENS Cachan) in pursuing a long standing tradition of prestige and excellence in education and research.
One of the major French Grandes Écoles
Founded in 1994, ENS Rennes was initially created as a satellite campus of ENS Cachan in Brittany. Since 2013 ENS Rennes has been an independent institution specializing in Law, Economics, Management, Computer Science, Telecommunications, Mathematics, Mechatronics, Sports Science and Physical Education. The highly selective admission process (recruiting 1 out of every 1000 high school graduates per year) and strong research orientation (80% of all Master graduates pursue to PhD) makes ENS Rennes one of the top ranked and highly competitive Grandes Ecoles in France.
The school educates students, through high-level scientific and cultural training, who aspire to a career in fundamental or applied scientific research, university teaching and secondary education and, more generally, for working for State and local authorities and State public establishments or enterprises.
Each year, around 400 students follow Master’s Degree programmes jointly accredited with the Université de Rennes 1 and the Université Rennes 2. Over 90% of its students pass the Agrégation examination and 70 % continue their studies by completing a PhD.
Research activities
The research activities of ENS Rennes are organized within the Hubert Curien Research College, an internal institute, dedicated to multidisciplinary research, disseminating knowledge and training students.
Since its foundation, the school has been a focal point of original research supported by the best local and national laboratories in a variety of fields, in particular: European Law, High-speed Manufacturing, Large Systems Computing and Virtual Reality, Mathematics, the study of Sports Movement, Bio-Microsystems and Energy Management. All these subjects continue to be developed strongly in the school and have already earned it a solid reputation.
Tradition of excellence
As one of the four Écoles Normales Supérieures (ENS) in France, high standards and quality are hallmarks of this institution. Only the most optimal conditions are proposed to the students (under- and postgraduate) and researchers so as pursue its long standing tradition of prestige and excellence in education and research.
Date of update June 16, 2017
Facts and figures
5 academic departments
In partnership with 7 research laboratories
400 students - 290 student civil servants
94 on site staff: 31 professors and research professors, 30 administrative and technical staff, 5 full time researchers, 15 PhD students, 5 interns, 8 external research-professors