The Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) ranks first — not only in France but in continental Europe as a whole — according to the Times Higher Education Supplement. The ENS has held this preeminent position for years running and is widely considered to be the most selective and most challenging institution of higher learning and research in France.

Founded in 1794, the ENS has long been a national legend. Unrivaled in training leading French intellectuals in all fields the ENS counts amongst its alumni such figures as Henri Bergson, Jean-Paul Sartre, Michel Foucault, Louis Pasteur, Paul Langevin and Laurent Schwartz. In mathematics all French Fields Medals are held by ENS alumni, as are all 12 French Nobel prizes across all disciplines. Since 1945, the ENS has garnered half of the National Research (CNRS) Gold Medals, France's topmost research award. Nearly every field of knowledge and research is represented at the ENS.(Source: Unipage)