Times Higher Education 2022 ranking: France is gaining ground

“After the general Shanghai ranking 2021, the THE ranking just confirmed the progress of our universities in international comparison”, says the French Minister in charge of higher education, who “congratulates French universities and their teams during the publication of this new ranking”.

Taking all mission into account

Made and published since 2004 by the British newspaper Times Higher Education, this annual ranking of “best universities in the world” is published on September 2nd and targets all missions, whether in teaching/training or research, made by higher education institutions.

Over 1,500 universities in the world are analysed using a dozen indicators divided in five major categories to provide a final score to each institution: teaching (30% of the final score), research (30%), transfer of knowledge and influence of research (30%), openness to the international (7.5%) and innovation (2.5%).

The confirmation of PSL University

Though British and American universities are maintained in the top ranks, France registers a progress of its higher education institutions in this ranking.

Although the number of French universities ranked this year is slightly lagging behind compared with last year[1], there is indeed a progress of French institutions among the 39 registered. PSL University (Paris Sciences & Lettres) gained 6 ranks and reached the 40th rank, the highest rank ever reached by a French university in the THE ranking. The Polytechnic Institute of Paris made a remarkable entrance by reaching the 95th rank.

Institutions enter the ranking

The Top 200 then includes Sorbonne University, maintained in the 88th rank, followed by the Paris-Saclay University at 117th rank the University of Paris at the 155th rank.

Farther in the ranking are the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, the University of Bordeaux, the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Lyon, the University of Montpellier and the University of Grenoble-Alpes, not ranked in 2021. Additional institutions managed to enter the ranking: Arts et Métiers, the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France, the University of Pau and Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 University.

A new model for French universities

According to the Ministry of Higher Education, “by ranking 8 out of 9 institutions resulting from the grouping policy”, under the law relating to the experimentation of new forms of reunification, grouping or merging higher education and research institutions, the THE’s ranking “recognises the success of the new French university models”.

The Ministry underlines that beyond this law, and thanks to other forms of innovation, “France continues to implement a proactive policy for the recognition of the scientific potential of French universities throughout the world”. Those are levers that should help “intensify scientific production and improve the attractiveness in relation with international researchers”.

[1] According to the Ministry of higher education, this difference “is mainly explained by the taking into account of new university models created between 2019 and 2020 as part of the grouping of institutions policy”.