Best Universities in France for research Based on THE World University Rankings 2018 |
| Rank | University | Score for research |
| 1 | Paris Sciences et Lettres – PSL Research University Paris | 52 |
| 2 | Panthéon-Sorbonne University – Paris 1 | 40.1 |
| 3 | Pierre and Marie Curie University | 39.8 |
| 4 | école Polytechnique | 38.2 |
| 5 | école Normale Supérieure de Lyon | 37.8 |
| 6 | Paris-Sorbonne University – Paris 4 | 34.3 |
| 7 | Paris-Sud University | 33.1 |
| 8 | Sciences Po | 27.1 |
| 9= | Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées | 25.8 |
| 9= | Paris Diderot University – Paris 7 | 25.8 |
| 11 | Grenoble Alpes University | 22.9 |
| 12 | Aix-Marseille University | 22.4 |
| 13 | University of Bordeaux | 22 |
| 14= | University of Lille | 20.9 |
| 14= | University of Strasbourg | 20.9 |
| 16 | University of Nantes | 19.3 |
| 17 | Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 | 18.2 |
| 18 | école des Ponts ParisTech | 16.9 |
| 19 | Montpellier University | 16.7 |
| 20 | CentraleSupélec | 16.2 |
| 21 | Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | 15.1 |
| 22 | école Centrale de Lyon | 15 |
| 23 | University of C?te d’Azur | 14.6 |
| 24 | Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (UBFC) | 13 |
| 25 | Paris Nanterre University | 12.9 |
| 26 | National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon) | 12.6 |
| 27 | University of Lorraine | 11.3 |
| 28 | école Normale Supérieure de Cachan | 10.6 |
| 29 | University of Technology of Compiègne | 9.5 |
| 30 | University of Cergy-Pontoise | 9.3 |
| 31 | Blaise Pascal University | 6.5 |