Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) is France’s leading institute of science and engineering, ranked 43rd in the world and second in France in the QS World University Rankings 2027. It brings together famous engineering schools on and around its campus in Palaiseau, south of Paris, including École polytechnique, ENSTA Paris, École des Ponts, ENSAE Paris, Télécom Paris and Télécom SudParis. Many of its programmes are taught in English, which makes it popular with international students.
IP Paris has several routes in, from a three-year Bachelor of Science taught in English to master’s degrees, PhD Tracks and the engineering programmes of its schools. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on IP Paris’s and École polytechnique’s own guidance.
1. Choose the right programme
Your main options are:
- Bachelor of Science at École polytechnique: a selective three-year programme taught entirely in English, with double majors in Mathematics and Computer Science, Mathematics and Economics, or Mathematics and Physics.
- Master’s degrees: many national and international master’s programmes in areas such as computer science, data science and AI, applied mathematics, economics, energy and engineering.
- PhD Track: a five-year programme combining a master’s and a PhD, for students who want a research career.
Choose the programme that matches your background and plans, and check its language of teaching.
2. For the Bachelor, meet the academic and English criteria
École polytechnique’s Bachelor looks for students with a high overall average, advanced mathematics and at least one advanced science course, and English at C1 level. The minimum English scores are TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each skill, or Cambridge CAE/CPE B (176), from a test less than two years old when you start. You can be exempt if English is your native language or you’ve studied in English for at least the last two years. The admissions jury also looks at activities such as science competitions, leadership, sport, the arts and volunteering. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
3. Apply in the right Bachelor round
International applicants apply on École polytechnique’s own online form, in one of three rounds for 2027 entry:
- Round 1: 17 September to 20 October 2026 (now closed), with interviews in early December and results in January 2027.
- Round 2: 21 October 2026 to 6 January 2027, with interviews in February and March and results in March 2027.
- Round 3: 7 January to 8 February 2027 (2pm CET), with interviews in March and April and results in April 2027.
There are no quotas by round or nationality, and you can apply only once a year, either through Parcoursup or on the school’s website, not both. The application fee is €105. Financial aid is limited, so the school encourages students who need aid to apply in the early rounds. Bachelor admission criteria and dates.
4. Prepare for the Bachelor interview
Shortlisted applicants are invited to a 50-minute video interview, held entirely in English. It includes about 30 minutes of mathematics questions based on your high-school programme, and you may be asked to discuss a physics exercise or a scientific article. The interviewers are looking for perseverance, enthusiasm and creativity, and some questions are designed to be unfamiliar, so think out loud and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
5. Apply to master’s programmes in the first session
For master’s programmes starting in 2027, IP Paris’s own application portal has three sessions: 28 October 2026 to 14 January 2027, 15 January to 31 March 2027, and 1 April to 31 May 2027 (the third session may not apply to every programme). Some applicants, depending on their nationality, residence and programme, must use the government’s MonMaster platform instead, and IP Paris says it won’t review applications sent through Campus France. Applying is free. Places and scholarships go quickly, so aim for the first session. IP Paris admissions.
6. Show an outstanding academic record
IP Paris says it selects master’s students on the reputation of their university, their academic performance compared with others in their country and institution, and a personal and professional project that fits the programme. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in a related subject for year 1, or a first year of a master’s for year 2. Upload complete transcripts and degree certificates, and for degrees from outside the EU, include a document explaining your university’s grading system.
7. Write a strong motivation letter and get two references
Master’s and PhD Track applications ask for a CV, a motivation letter and two academic references, which your referees submit online. It’s your responsibility to make sure they do it before the deadline. In your letter, explain why you’ve chosen this programme, which courses and research areas interest you, and how it fits your career plans. See our 50 sample SOPs for ideas on structure.
8. Meet the language requirements
For master’s programmes, IP Paris asks for a strong level of English, generally B2 to C1 depending on the programme, and a good level of French for programmes taught in French. The PhD Track requires English at B2 level, shown by TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge, unless you’re a native speaker or have studied in English.
9. Understand the fees and financial aid
Fees vary a lot by programme. École polytechnique’s Bachelor of Science costs €15,900 a year for EU/EEA students and €19,600 a year for students from outside the EU, and fees can change. For 2026–27, IP Paris’s master’s fees for non-EU students are €4,317 a year for national master’s programmes and €7,148 for international-track programmes, compared with €254 and €4,859 for EU/EEA students. The PhD Track costs €254 a year. Financial aid for the Bachelor, based on merit and need, is limited and usually doesn’t cover the full cost, and Bachelor students can’t get French government (CROUS) need-based grants. Look also at the France Excellence Eiffel scholarship and funding from your own government.
10. Plan your visa and life on campus
If you’re from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, you’ll usually need a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS), and you’ll have to show a realistic financial plan to get it. École polytechnique warns that without a stable financial plan you won’t be able to get your student visa. You must validate your visa online after you arrive. IP Paris is on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 km south of central Paris, and has student housing on campus. After a master’s or engineering degree, you can usually apply for a one-year residence permit to look for work or start a business in France. Rules change, so check Campus France and the French embassy in your country.
Applying for a PhD at IP Paris?
IP Paris has two doctoral schools: the multidisciplinary IP Paris Doctoral School and the Hadamard Doctoral School of Mathematics. For the PhD Track, which starts at master’s level, applications for 2027–28 run from 28 October 2026 to 14 January 2027 on the IP Paris portal. For a direct PhD, you’ll usually need a master’s degree, a supervisor and funding. See our free GRE practice tests if you’re also applying to universities that ask for it.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
IP Paris is very selective, so apply to other strong options too. Read our guides to Université PSL, Université Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne Université and ENS de Lyon, and our guide to Imperial College London. Our guide to studying in France explains how the French system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Institut Polytechnique de Paris’s and École polytechnique’s official admissions and fees pages and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and visa rules can change, so always confirm the details on IP Paris’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Institut Polytechnique de Paris or École polytechnique.