Sciences Po
Sciences Po (French: [sjɑ̃s po]) or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (French: Institut d'études politiques de Paris), is a private and public[10][11][12] research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of grande école and the legal status of grand établissement. The university's undergraduate program is taught on the Paris campus as well as on the decentralized campuses in Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Poitiers and Reims, each with their own academic program focused on a geopolitical part of the world. While Sciences Po historically specialized in political science, it progressively expanded to other social sciences such as economics, law and sociology.
Other name
Sciences Po
École libre des sciences politiques
Roots of the Future
1872
€197 million (2018)[2]
Jean Bassères (Interim)
300[5]
15,000[6]
4,000
10,000
350
French and English (official, university-wide)
German (working language at the Nancy campus)[7]
Spanish (working language at the Poitiers campus)[8]
Sciences Po Press
Red White
The school was established in 1872 by Émile Boutmy as the École libre des sciences politiques in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War as a private institution to form a new French elite that would be knowledgeable in political science, law and history.[13] It was a pioneer in the emergence and development of political science as an academic field in France.[13] Following World War II, the school was nationalized and re-established as a public institution.[14] As of 2021, 80% of Sciences Po graduates are employed in the private sector.[15]
Sciences Po Paris is the only Institute of Political Sciences in France allowed to refer to itself with the epithet "Sciences Po" without indicating the name of the city where their headquarters are located, under a legal agreement with the other institutes.[16] They are allowed to use the term "Sciences Po" to refer to themselves only when followed by the names of the cities where they are located, such as "Sciences Po Lille" or "Sciences Po Grenoble".[17]
The institute is a member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA) and CIVICA – The European University of Social Sciences.[18]
Organisation[edit]
Governance[edit]
Sciences Po operates under a dual governance model composed of two entities: the Fondation nationale des sciences politiques (FNSP), a private non-profit foundation, and the Institut d’études politiques de Paris or Paris Institute of Political Studies, a public higher education institution. These two bodies constitute Sciences Po, which is the official term used to designate them collectively.
The FNSP is responsible for the strategic direction and administrative and financial management of Sciences Po. It is administered by a board of directors.[81]
The role of the Paris Institute of Political Studies is to ensure teaching, research and library services, like all international research universities. Its governing bodies consist of the Board of Directors, the Student Life and Education Committee and the Academic Board.[82]
The Executive Committee is the institution’s operational steering committee. It brings together the directors of Sciences Po’s various divisions and offices under the authority of the President of Sciences Po. The Executive Committee implements the strategic direction and makes operational decisions on running and managing the institution.[83]
Finances[edit]
Sciences Po's own resources have grown significantly. They have been multiplied by six: from €18.3 million in 2000 to €127.2 million in 2018. These resources now account for a majority of the budget.[84]
The school's development under Richard Descoings led it to contract a €68 million debt by 2010.[85] The institution took on a debt of €191 million in 2016 in order to fund the acquisition of its new Paris campus and undertake the restoration of the site. This debt is partially guaranteed by the Paris City Council.[86]
Reputation and rankings[edit]
National rankings[edit]
Sciences Po has the highest attractivity rate of the French Institutes of political studies, as 86% of students who were admitted to its undergraduate programs accepted their offer.[114] In 2022, the admission rate of the school was 10% as the undergraduate level, and 5% on the Paris campus.[115] In 2023, French students who joined the school had scored an average of 17.9/20 at the Baccalauréat.[116] 92% of French students admitted to undergraduate programs got their Baccalauréat Summa cum laude ("mention Très bien").[116]
National rankings place the school in first place in sociology, social policy and administration, in second place in development studies and law, and third place in economics.[117]
International rankings[edit]
In rankings based on English-speaking publications, in 2023, Sciences Po ranks 2nd globally for the study of Politics in the QS World University Subjects Rankings,[118] whereas it is ranked 39th in social sciences by Times Higher Education. In 2024, its global ranking in the QS World University Rankings decreased to the 319th rank.[119]