Sciences Po

Overview

Founded in 1872, Sciences Po (SP), also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies, is a renowned institution specialising in social and political sciences. It is considered elite due to its distinguished alumni. The university operates across seven campuses in France, with its primary campus located in Paris.

The Undergraduate College features a mandatory year abroad at one of Sciences Po’s 400 prestigious partner universities worldwide, such as Columbia University in New York, the London School of Economics, Cambridge, and Peking University. This international focus enhances the institution's global outlook.

Each campus is dedicated to a specific region for its undergraduate programs:

• Dijon focuses on Central and Eastern Europe.
• Le Havre emphasises Asia.
• Menton specialises in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
• Nancy concentrates on Europe and the Franco-German Region.
• Poitiers covers Latin America.
• Reims highlights North America and Africa.

In 2002, the university launched the Equal Opportunity Programme to attract high-achieving students from non-prestigious preparatory schools. This initiative has significantly increased scholarship recipients, rising from 6% in 2001 to 27% in 2011.

Sciences Po’s education combines multidisciplinary and multilingual approaches, placing strong emphasis on practical knowledge, professional interaction, extracurricular activities, and active student participation to develop well-rounded graduates.

Notable alumni include seven recent French presidents (such as Emmanuel Macron, Francois Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy, Jacques Chirac, and Georges Pompidou), 13 French prime ministers, 12 foreign heads of state or government, and CEOs of six of France’s largest companies.