The FrenchÉcole Normale Supérieure (ENS)offers one of the most prestigious academic scholarships in Europe — afully funded programdesigned for outstanding students from around the world who wish to enroll inmaster’s programs or the third year of a bachelor’s degreein the fields of sciences, arts, and humanities.This scholarship provides students with the opportunity to study in a world-class research environment that combines advanced academic training with hands-on research experience. Recipients benefit fromfinancial support and accommodationfor the entire three-year program, which leads to the awarding of amaster’s degree and the École Normale Supérieure diploma.
General Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants must not be older than26 yearsonDecember 1.
- Applicants mustnot have appliedto the International Selection before; previous applications will be identified and not forwarded to the selection committee.
- Applicants mustnot have lived in Francefor more than10 monthsduring the academic year of selection (September 1–August 31) or the previous year.
- Applicants must have completedat least two years of undergraduate studiesat a university outside France bySeptember 1following admission.
- In rare cases, theDirector of ENSmay authorize applications from candidates with anon-traditional academic background.
Funding and Benefits
- Fullcoverage of tuition fees.
- Monthly stipend of €1,000for three years.
- Free accommodationin one of ENS campuses.
- Access to world-classacademic and research facilities.
- French language trainingand full administrative support for visa and residency.
- Upon completion, graduates earn both aMaster’s degreeand theENS diploma.
Arts & Humanities Track Details
Available Disciplines
Anthropology, Archaeology, Classical Studies (Greek, Latin), Cinema, Theater Studies, Art History, Musicology, Cognitive Sciences, Economics, Political Studies, Geography, History, History and Philosophy of Law, History and Philosophy of Science, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Sociology.
Program and Training
Over three years of study, international students in the Arts & Humanities track discover Paris under exceptional conditions. They benefit from intellectual freedom and multidisciplinary learning that define ENS training. In addition to academic excellence, ENS seeks young candidates driven bycuriosity, open-mindedness, and a passion for research.
The diversity of students’ backgrounds enriches the ENS community.Fluency in Frenchis strongly recommended for applicants in this track.
Training begins with awelcome day, followed bythree weeksof conferences and debates in sciences and humanities, departmental visits,intensive French courses, cultural tours of Paris, and activities organized by ENS student associations.
Required Documents for Arts and Humanities Track
Applicants must upload asingle PDF filenamed “FamilyName-GivenName.pdf” on the designated platform, including:
- Detailededitable application form(download and complete locally).
- High school diploma.
- University transcript.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Motivation letter(1–3 pages, Times New Roman, size 12, 1.5 line spacing) written inFrench; applicants in Economics, Linguistics, or Cognitive Sciences must submit it in bothFrench and English.
- Research project(max. 3 pages / 10,000 characters, including spaces) written in French; candidates in Economics, Linguistics, or Cognitive Sciences may submit in French or English. The project must address a well-defined topic, state a key issue, develop hypotheses, and describe research materials (e.g. fieldwork, corpus, databases, archives). It must include abibliographyof at least 10 works (books, articles, or literary texts significant to the applicant’s academic journey).
- 2 to 4 recommendation letters.
- All documents must be combined intoone PDF file.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Schedule for Arts & Humanities Track
| Dates | Actions |
| October 1 – December 3, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Paris time) | Application period (submit all documents before the deadline). |
| From January 15, 2026 | Preliminary results published online and at ENS. All applicants receive an email. |
| February 2–6, 2026 | Written exams (remote). |
| February 9–13, 2026 | Oral exams (remote). |
| From March 4, 2026 | Final admission results announced. |
Sciences Track Details
Available Disciplines
Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Cognitive Sciences.
Program and Training
Students in the Sciences track are selected for theircuriosity, open-mindedness, and passion for research and innovation. They benefit from excellent financial and material conditions (accommodation and scholarship), enabling full dedication to their studies at this prestigious institution while enjoying life in Paris.
They receiveadvanced trainingin their main scientific discipline as well asmultidisciplinary educationthat strengthens their understanding across sciences and humanities. The program ispersonalized through a mentorship systemand is research-oriented from the outset, with courses taught by leading researchers andinternship opportunities in laboratories.
The training starts with awelcome day, followed bythree weeksof conferences, debates, departmental visits, intensive French courses, cultural tours, and student association activities.
When applying, students must indicate theirpreferred academic department.
Required Documents for Sciences Track
Applicants must upload asingle PDF filenamed “FamilyName-GivenName.pdf” on the designated platform, including:
- Detailededitable application form(download and complete locally).
- High school diploma.
- University transcript.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Cover letter(1–3 pages, Times New Roman, size 12, 1.5 spacing) written inFrench or English, explaining the applicant’s interest in ENS and chosen department, outlining study plans, academic interests, research topics, and possible secondary field.
- 2 to 4 recommendation letters.
- All documents must be combined intoone PDF file.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Schedule for Sciences Track
| Dates | Actions |
| October 16 – December 15, 2025 (12:00 p.m. Paris time) | Application period. |
| From January 27, 2026 | Preliminary admission results published. |
| January 27 – March 2, 2026 | Personalized invitations to tests sent by email. |
| March 3 – March 20, 2026 | Oral tests by videoconference, according to each department’s schedule. |
| From March 26, 2026 | Final admission results announced. |
After Admission
InSpring 2026, admitted students receive:
- Aninvitation letter.
- Avisa certificate(by email and/or post).
- Alist of required documentsfor administrative registration in September (translated and certified diplomas, birth certificate, three ID photos, etc.).
- Informationon French language courses, registration, student card, health insurance, liability insurance, opening a French bank account, and residence permit procedures.
Admitted candidates must:
- Apply for along-stay student visa(“visa long séjour pour études”).
- Prepare the required administrative documents.
- BeginFrench language courses for foreign students.
September 2026:Administrative registration, scholarship activation, and residence permit application (if needed).
October 2026:First scholarship payment (for September and October), followed by monthly payments between the 5th and 10th of each month.
Application Steps
- Fill out and validate theinitial online formvia:https://formulaires.ens.psl.eu/and upload all the required documents depending on the track.
- Within two days, applicants receive an email toactivate their Dematec accountand upload the required PDF documents.
- If the file is complete, it will bereviewed by the selection committee.
- Shortlisted candidates will beinvited to written and oral testsconducted remotely.
- Final admission is determined based onexam results.