Sciences Po, also referredParis Institute of Political Studies, is France’s leading university in the social sciences. Spread across seven campuses with the main campus in Paris, the university marks its name among globally recognized universities and is placed #261 by QS World University Rankings 2021.
This is one major reason for its popularity among international students. They make up a robust 49% of the total population. This is 14000 students across all campuses representing 150 nationalities from around the world. Applications for UG courses at Sciences Po are invited in November and for PG courses are invited in the month of October.
International applicants interested in taking admission with Science Po will need to pay an application fee of 150 Euro. The cost of pursuing higher education in France with Sciences Po goes up to 13,000 to 18,000 Euros a year. However, the university boasts that 36% of its students are receiving financial aid and 35% of its students pay no tuition fees.
Science Po is well-known for its distinct BA degree that offers multidisciplinary studies with an international focus. Other Pg courses are offered only with the Paris campus. Sciences Po is also well-known for its study abroad programs and has partnered with 478 universities across the globe. It also offers international dual Bachelor’s degrees that enables students to spend two years in Sciences Po and two years in one of its partner universities
Sciences Po Rankings
Founded in 1872, Sciences Po remains as one of France’s best universities, contributing to the production of a bunch of its well-known politicians. Some of the rankings of Sciences Po are given below:
- #261 in QS World University Rankings (Overall), QS rankings of 2021
- #2 in QS World University Rankings by the Subject: Politics, QS rankings of 2021
- #68 in World University Rankings by the Subject: Social Sciences, Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2021
- #501-600 in World University Rankings (Overall), Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2021
- According to Shanghai Rankings, Economics and Political Sciences at Sciences Po stand at #101-150 and #151-200 in Global Ranking of Academic Subjects respectively.
Highlights
| Type of University | Private |
| Type of Campus | Urban |
| Academic calendar type | Semester |
| Faculty Members | 4162 (250 of them are permanent faculty) |
| Acceptance rate | 20% |
| Test scores accepted | SAT or ACT (for undergraduate programmes); GRE or GMAT (for certain graduate programmes) |
| Percentage of International Students | 49% |
| Basic tuition fee for international undergraduate students | 13000 EUR per annum |
| Basic tuition fee for international graduate students | 18000 EUR per annum |
| Application fees | 150 EUR |
| Official website | https://www.sciencespo.fr/en |
Science Po Campus & Accommodations
Although Sciences Po is headquartered in Paris, it has six other campuses across the length and breadth of France. They are Dijon Campus, Le Havre Campus, Menton Campus, Poitiers Campus, Nancy Campus and Reims Campus. They all offer the same bachelor’s degree. However, each campus offers different regional concentrations. Campuses and their regional campuses have been tabulated below:
| Campus | Regional Concentration |
|---|---|
| Le Havre Campus | Europe-Asia Programme |
| Paris Campus | General Programme |
| Poitiers Campus | Europe-Latin America Programme |
| Reims Campus | Europe-North America Programme & Europe-Africa Programme |
| Nancy Campus | European Programme, Franco-German concentration |
| Dijon Campus | European Programme, Central and Eastern Europe concentration |
| Menton Campus | Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Programme |
Graduate and doctoral programmes are offered only on the Paris campus. There are around 300 student associations across all campuses that enable students to enrich their lives, hone their skill sets, and increase their networking opportunities.
Student Life at Science Po:
Around 25 student initiatives per semester and around thousand student events each year take place across all campuses. The Paris campus is located near the Luxembourg Gardens offering students with lush green surroundings and art to explore at the Louvre museum. With 200 student associations, 800 participants in art activities, and 2500 students in athletic classes, Sciences Po guarantees its students a wholesome experience.
Sciences Po Housing Facilities/Residence
Sciences Po does not provide on-campus housing facilities for students. Therefore, students have to go for off-campus housing options. However, Sciences Po provides exclusive guidance for students for their accommodation out of its campus.
- The institution has partnered with public and private organizations so that they will provide reserved housing facilities for Sciences Po students at preferential rates.
- The institution also provides a list of rentals on its website portal. Students who have completed their online registration are able to access that.
- Students can also go for other housing options, which the university itself has elaborated on.
Sciences Po Courses
Sciences Po offers a number of undergraduate, graduate (both one-year master’s and two-year master’s) and PhD programmes as well as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).
Undergraduate Courses at Sciences Po is a multidisciplinary education in the humanities and social sciences, spanning across six main disciplines - law, economics, humanities, history, political science and sociology.
Moreover, undergraduate students also get field exposure through the Civic Learning Programme over the three years that enables them to understand citizenship and social responsibility through a community internship.
Postgraduate courses at Science Po are offered through seven graduate schools. Around 30 Master’s degrees are available where you can avail yourself for an internship or field study or opt for studying at a partner university.
PhD Programmes & MOOCs are offered in five disciplines, which are law, economics, history, political science and sociology. Students will do their PhD in one of Sciences Po’s 11 research centres.
Sciences Po Application Process
The online application for the 2021 intake for undergraduate, graduate and PhD programmes are currently closed.
Applications for the 2022 intake for undergraduate programmes will start in November. For graduate and PhD programmes, it will begin in October. Admission decisions are announced on a rolling basis.
How to Apply?
International candidates can apply for admissions to Sciences Po through the university website portal online.
Application Fee: 150 EUR (non-refundable)
Sciences Po Undergraduate Admission Requirements
The basic requirements for international students for admissions to Sciences Po’s undergraduate programs are as compiled below:
- Academic report cards/transcripts for the final three years of secondary education
- Scores from secondary school examination (IB or AP) or standardized test scores (SAT or ACT)- optional due to the current pandemic
- One academic reference
- Three essays: (i) a personal statement about the aspirant’s background, (ii) an essay that outlines the aspirant’s motivations and ambitions (statement of purpose), and (iii) an essay on one of five proposed themes.
- Copy of ID/Passport
- CV/Resume (in English or French, depending on the language of the programme opted for).
- Two academic references
- Language proficiency test scores (optional)
- Articles or texts candidates have written or published
- GRE or GMAT (where applicable)
Note: Applications are evaluated based on 4 elements: (i) results obtained in secondary school exams, (ii) academic performance and overall progress in the final three years of secondary education, (iii) the essays, and (iv) interview. All elements will carry 20 marks each, amounting to 80 marks in total. However, in order to be eligible for the interview, which is the last stage of the admission process, aspirants should obtain at least a minimum mark defined by Sciences Po each year in the first three elements.
Language Proficiency Requirements
The main working languages in undergraduate and graduate programmes are English and/or French. At the time of application, no proof of language proficiency is needed for undergraduate programmes.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of the candidates to ensure that they have a sufficient level of language proficiency to attend the programmes. However, candidates’ language proficiency will be assessed at the time of interview.
For graduate programmes, language requirements depend on the programme applied for. When needed, candidates will be required to attach test results into the online application. In terms of English, candidates should have an excellent command of the language equivalent to no less than a European C1 level, which corresponds to:
| Test | Score Required |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 100 |
| IELTS (Academic) | 7 |
| Cambridge English: Advanced (C1 Advanced) | C1 |
| Linguaskill General | 180 |
| TOEFL Home edition | 100 |
| Duolingo English Test | 120 |
French Language Proficiency
In terms of French, candidates should have an excellent command of the language equivalent to no less than a European B2 or C1 level, which corresponds to:
| Tests | Score Required |
|---|---|
| TCF | 400 to 500 points |
| DELF | B2 |
| DALF | C1 or C2 |
Sciences Po Cost of Attendance
For international applicants the tuition fees for pursuing higher education at Sciences Po is:
- UG Courses- 10,700 to 13,000 EUR per annum
- PG Courses- 14,700 to 18,000 EUR per annum. Tuition fees for one-year master’s programmes will vary from programme to programme. However, they range from 14790 EUR to 25000 EUR.
Some of the other living expenses are:
| Expense Type | Costs (Euro) |
|---|---|
| Rent | 885/month |
| Student life & campus contribution | 92/year |
| Food | 200-250 |
| Transport | 264-315/year for bus pass |
Sciences Po Scholarships & Financial Aid
Sciences Po offers an array of aids for international students in order to meet their expenses. The university reports financially assisting students through 11 million Euro from its funds. Some of the popular scholarships to explore for international students in France studying at Science Po are:
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award Value |
|---|---|---|
| The Emile Boutmy Scholarship | Graduate or doctoral students who have never previously lived in France and whose fiscal residence is not in the European Economic Area | 3000 EUR to 19000 EUR per annum |
| EIFFEL Scholarship | Candidates who hail from emerging countries, especially those who are underrepresented in French universities | 1181 EUR per month |
Major grants offered by Science Po to its international students are:
Mobility Grants: This is to assist students who opt for studying abroad in their third year with their specific costs. All students are eligible to apply for this. The amount allocated will be on the basis of students’ household income and the cost of living in the host country.
Emergency Hardship Funds: This is to assist students in their unexpected financial difficulties. Even non-scholarship students will be supported if such a situation occurs in their case.
Sciences Po Alumni
Sciences Po boasts of having a robust number of 90000 alumni. The alumni can avail a variety of benefits that include boosting their career by making use of the Sciences Po Alumni career guidance service, recruiting Sciences Po students or graduates, and staying in touch with the alumni network.
In the last 148 years, Sciences Po has produced some of the most influential thinkers, leaders, artists and innovators around the globe. Some of them are:
- Emmanuel Macron, President of France
- Jean Castex, Prime Minister of France
- Francois Hollande, Former President of France
- Jacques Chirac, Former President of France
- Simone Veil, Former President of the European Parliament
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Pierre Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada
- Florian Zeller, French novelist
- Salome Zourabichvili, President of Georgia.
Sciences Po Placements
Sciences Po provides career services and organizes job fairs for students at various levels each year. Some of the top-paying degrees with Science Po are:
| Degree | Graduate Salaries (Euros/year) |
|---|---|
| MBA | 130,000 |
| EMBA | 81,000 |
| Other Degree | 80,000 |
| MSc | 78,000 |
| Masters in Finance | 70,000 |
| LLM | 67,000 |
As last reported by the university, in 2018-19, a total of 8889 internships and work experience placements were completed. 1000 one-on-one careers advice sessions, 240 career preparation workshops and about 50 careers information and recruitment events were conducted.
Results of the most recent Graduate Employability Survey (Class of 2018) suggests that:
- 9 in 10 graduates are in employment.
- 86% of graduates got their first job less than six months after graduating.
- 43 percent of the students are recruited before their graduation.
- Average yearly salary of young graduates is 39000 EUR.
Among some of the highest paying sectors were HR, legal department, financial services sector, executive management, and compliance and monitoring. International applicants choosing to study at Sciences Po can be assured a high return on their investment. The global recognition of the university make it a popular choice among international students.
FAQ
Ques. Is Sciences Po hard to enrol at?
Ans. Sciences Po is very selective. Last year, its acceptance rate was a meagre 20%, meaning that it accepted only 20 out of every 100 aspirants. The acceptance rate for its undergraduate programmes was 18%. For its graduate and PhD programmes, it was 23% and 16% respectively.
Ques. Does Sciences Po provide on-campus housing facilities?
Ans. Sciences Po does not provide on-campus housing facilities. However, it will provide a variety of support for students to find accommodation outside of its campuses.
Ques. Does Sciences Po demand any English language proficiency test scores?
Ans. Sciences Po demands proof of English language proficiency only for admissions to its certain graduate programmes. For other programmes, proficiency will be assessed in the interview conducted with the aspirants as part of its admission process.
Ques. Is proficiency in French required for admissions to Sciences Po?
Ans. Proficiency in French is required for admissions only to certain Sciences Po programmes that demand so.
Ques. Are scholarships available for international candidates at Sciences Po?
Ans. Scholarships are available for international candidates as well. Major scholarships provided are the Emile Boutmy Scholarship and the EIFFEL Scholarship.
Ques. What is Sciences Po known for?
Ans. Sciences Po is majorly known for its study abroad programmes as it has partnered with 478 universities across the length and breadth of the globe as well as for its Bachelor of Arts programme. It is also ranked #2 in QS World University Rankings 2021 by Subject: Politics. Interestingly, 25 total languages are taught at Sciences Po.
