58 Best universities for Classics and Ancient History in France

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in France ranked based on their research performance in Classics and Ancient History. A graph of 154K citations received by 13.5K academic papers made by 58 universities in France was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Pierre and Marie Curie University

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#37 in Europe

#107 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 35,114
Founded: 1150

2. University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#68 in Europe

#175 in the World

Enrollment: 42,700
Founded: 1971

3. Paris Institute of Political Studies

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#113 in Europe

#296 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 11,196
Founded: 1872

4. University of Aix-Marseilles

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | Marseille

For Classics and Ancient History

#117 in Europe

#306 in the World

Enrollment: 78,000
Founded: 2012

5. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Villeurbanne

For Classics and Ancient History

#149 in Europe

#383 in the World

Enrollment: 38,007
Founded: 1809

6. School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#155 in Europe

#398 in the World

Enrollment: 2,613
Founded: 1947

7. Paris West University Nanterre La Defense

Ile-de-France | Nanterre

For Classics and Ancient History

#175 in Europe

#449 in the World

Enrollment: 31,975
Founded: 1964

8. University of Bordeaux

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Bordeaux

For Classics and Ancient History

#182 in Europe

#471 in the World

Enrollment: 54,000
Founded: 1441

9. University of Strasbourg

Grand Est | Strasbourg

For Classics and Ancient History

#200 in Europe

#523 in the World

Enrollment: 10,077
Founded: 1621

10. University of Lille

Hauts-de-France | Lille

For Classics and Ancient History

#216 in Europe

#568 in the World

Enrollment: 80,000
Founded: 2018

11. Paris Diderot University

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#229 in Europe

#598 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 25,523
Founded: 1970

12. Paul Sabatier University - Toulouse III

Occitanie | Toulouse

For Classics and Ancient History

#242 in Europe

#633 in the World

Enrollment: 29,680
Founded: 1960

13. University of Montpellier

Occitanie | Montpellier

For Classics and Ancient History

#259 in Europe

#670 in the World

Enrollment: 46,578
Founded: 1289

14. EHESP School of Public Health

Brittany | Rennes

For Classics and Ancient History

#294 in Europe

#770 in the World

Enrollment: 433
Founded: 1945

15. Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University

Ile-de-France | Versailles

For Classics and Ancient History

#295 in Europe

#772 in the World

Enrollment: 13,816
Founded: 1991

16. Grenoble Alpes University

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Saint Martin d'Heres

For Classics and Ancient History

#299 in Europe

#776 in the World

Enrollment: 53,949
Founded: 1339

17. Paris-Sud University

Ile-de-France | Orsay

For Classics and Ancient History

#303 in Europe

#781 in the World

Enrollment: 31,400
Founded: 2014

18. University of Orleans

Centre-Val de Loire | Orleans

For Classics and Ancient History

#308 in Europe

#788 in the World

Enrollment: 16,629
Founded: 1962

19. University of Poitiers

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Poitiers

For Classics and Ancient History

#316 in Europe

#810 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 25,078
Founded: 1431

20. University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur | Nice

For Classics and Ancient History

#330 in Europe

#856 in the World

Enrollment: 28,333
Founded: 1965

21. University of Lorraine

Grand Est | Nancy

For Classics and Ancient History

#339 in Europe

#876 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 60,404
Founded: 2012

22. University of Paris 8

Ile-de-France | Saint-Denis

For Classics and Ancient History

#343 in Europe

#891 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Enrollment: 22,023
Founded: 1968

23. Normal Superior School of Lyon

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

For Classics and Ancient History

#344 in Europe

#893 in the World

Enrollment: 2,297
Founded: 1987

24. University of Nantes

Pays de la Loire | Nantes

For Classics and Ancient History

#348 in Europe

#902 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 37,252
Founded: 1460

25. Polytechnic School

Ile-de-France | Palaiseau

For Classics and Ancient History

#360 in Europe

#939 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 2,316
Founded: 1794

26. University of Rouen Normandie

Normandy | Mont-Saint-Aignan

For Classics and Ancient History

#364 in Europe

#951 in the World

Enrollment: 31,500
Founded: 1966

27. Normal Superior School

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#367 in Europe

#961 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,536
Founded: 1794

28. Francois Rabelais University

Centre-Val de Loire | Tours

For Classics and Ancient History

#377 in Europe

#985 in the World

Enrollment: 27,388
Founded: 1969

29. Paris Dauphine University

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#397 in Europe

#1050 in the World

Enrollment: 11,281
Founded: 1968

30. Paris-Est Creteil Val-de-Marne University

Ile-de-France | Creteil

For Classics and Ancient History

#415 in Europe

#1116 in the World

Enrollment: 37,313
Founded: 1970

31. New Sorbonne University - Paris III

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#419 in Europe

#1123 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 15,232
Founded: 1971

32. University of Limoges

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Limoges

For Classics and Ancient History

#430 in Europe

#1177 in the World

Enrollment: 17,658
Founded: 1968

33. Paris Descartes University

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#438 in Europe

#1201 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 31,704
Founded: 2019

34. EDHEC Business School

Hauts-de-France | Roubaix

For Classics and Ancient History

#456 in Europe

#1265 in the World

Founded: 1906

35. HEC School of Management

Ile-de-France | Jouy-en-Josas

For Classics and Ancient History

#464 in Europe

#1302 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 5,453
Founded: 1881

36. University of Caen Normandy

Normandy | Caen

For Classics and Ancient History

#465 in Europe

#1310 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 27,465
Founded: 1432

37. Montpellier SupAgro

Occitanie | Montpellier

For Classics and Ancient History

#475 in Europe

#1346 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Founded: 2007

38. Catholic University of Lyon

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

For Classics and Ancient History

#479 in Europe

#1362 in the World

Enrollment: 12,000
Founded: 1875

39. ESSEC Business School Paris

Ile-de-France | Cergy-Pontoise

For Classics and Ancient History

#482 in Europe

#1380 in the World

Founded: 1907

40. University of Burgundy

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte | Dijon

For Classics and Ancient History

#486 in Europe

#1402 in the World

Enrollment: 29,508
Founded: 1722

41. University of Franche-Comte

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte | Besancon

For Classics and Ancient History

#501 in Europe

#1467 in the World

Enrollment: 21,550
Founded: 1423

42. University of Clermont Auvergne

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Clermont-Ferrand

For Classics and Ancient History

#508 in Europe

#1502 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 14,690
Founded: 1854

43. University of Rheims Champagne-Ardenne

Grand Est | Reims

For Classics and Ancient History

#510 in Europe

#1504 in the World

Enrollment: 24,480
Founded: 1548

44. Paul Valery University, Montpellier 3

Occitanie | Montpellier

For Classics and Ancient History

#515 in Europe

#1526 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 21,997
Founded: 1970

45. Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Sciences

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#525 in Europe

#1562 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 2,300
Founded: 2007

46. University of Picardie Jules Verne

Hauts-de-France | Amiens

For Classics and Ancient History

#531 in Europe

#1592 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 27,490
Founded: 1970

47. EMLYON Business School

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

For Classics and Ancient History

#554 in Europe

#1673 in the World

Enrollment: 9,000
Founded: 1872

48. University of Evry-Val d'Essonne

Ile-de-France | Evry

For Classics and Ancient History

#555 in Europe

#1675 in the World

Enrollment: 6,458
Founded: 1991

49. Pantheon-Assas Paris II University

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#558 in Europe

#1690 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 19,018
Founded: 1970

50. University of La Rochelle

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | La Rochelle

For Classics and Ancient History

#569 in Europe

#1731 in the World

Enrollment: 7,832
Founded: 1993

51. Central School of Lyon

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Ecully

For Classics and Ancient History

#571 in Europe

#1741 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 2,920
Founded: 1857

52. University of Western Brittany

Brittany | Brest

For Classics and Ancient History

#578 in Europe

#1760 in the World

Enrollment: 22,303
Founded: 1461

53. University of Rennes 2

Brittany | Rennes

For Classics and Ancient History

#599 in Europe

#1850 in the World

Enrollment: 23,365
Founded: 1969

54. SKEMA Business School

Hauts-de-France | Lille

For Classics and Ancient History

#607 in Europe

#1885 in the World

Founded: 1892

55. University of Pau and Pays de l'Adour

Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Pau

For Classics and Ancient History

#615 in Europe

#1937 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 12,629
Founded: 1970

56. American University of Paris

Ile-de-France | Paris

For Classics and Ancient History

#629 in Europe

#2020 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Founded: 1962

57. Jean Moulin University Lyon 3

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes | Lyon

For Classics and Ancient History

#653 in Europe

#2148 in the World

Enrollment: 26,754
Founded: 1809

58. University of Angers

Pays de la Loire | Angers

For Classics and Ancient History

#664 in Europe

#2178 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 25,687
Founded: 1971

The best cities to study Classics and Ancient History in France based on the number of universities and their ranks are Paris, Marseille, Villeurbanne, and Nanterre.