Living in Brest, capital of marine sciences & student metropolis

Dynamic student life, stunning coastline, rich history, diverse cultural offerings... Welcome to Brest, a welcoming place of creativity and innovation. A city of transitions and transformations, Brest strongly asserts its free-spirited identity. It is a city open to the ocean, a city on the move, a city that opens up new horizons.

Brest, one of the best French cities in which to study

Brest ranks 11th in 2025 according to this ranking by L'Etudiant. Nearly 85% of students recommend it!

 

The ultimate water sports destination

With its strong maritime focus, the city of Brest and its surroundings offer magnificent water sports facilities. Thanks to the sports office and the Sailing Team, a wide range of activities are available for beginners and experienced athletes alike.

A lively and festive student city

With more than 30,000 students, including 3,000 international students in the Brest metropolitan area, the city is bustling all year round.

There is a rich cultural program thanks to the many performance venues (Le Quartz, La Carène, Le Vauban, L'Arena, etc.) and the 350 festivals organized in Brittany (Les Vieilles Charrues, Les Petites Folies, Astropolis, Festival du Bout du Monde, etc.).

Simplicity and hospitality

Brest is one of the most affordable student cities in France, and it’s also a welcoming city that goes out of its way to make new students feel at home. It offers an interactive map listing great deals for students in “Brest à la carte.”  

Easy to access (tram, cable car, bus), the public transport network provides quick connections between the ENSTA campus in Brest and the city center, the port, and the beach.

European capital of marine sciences

Brest is home to a center of excellence in marine sciences, comprising numerous research centers such as Ifremer, IRD, IUEM, and ENSTA. This dynamic network promotes interdisciplinary collaboration on major issues such as climate, marine biodiversity, marine renewable energies, and exploration robotics.

Brest is also at the heart of many international initiatives, such as the Ocean & Climate program, and regularly hosts global events such as the One Ocean Summit.

Brest and its surroundings

Photos taken by ENSTA students

Our latest news

Innovation | Research
Gabriel Betton: Exploring the karst networks

Beneath our feet, in the darkness of the underground, a natural network spanning more than a third of France’s territory supplies drinking water to nearly 30 million people. But the quality of this vast freshwater reservoir is threatened by climate change...

Gabriel Betton: Exploring the karst networks

Beneath our feet, in the darkness of the underground, a natural network spanning more than a third of France’s territory supplies drinking water to nearly 30 million people. But the quality of this vast freshwater reservoir is threatened by climate change...

Training | Innovation | Student Life
An ENSTA team wins the Energy4Climate 2026 Challenge

How can we best promote renewable energy production in France? That was the question posed by the 6th edition of the Energy4Climate – Agorize Challenge, to which a team of ENSTA students provided an answer that was both innovative and well-reasoned.

An ENSTA team wins the Energy4Climate 2026 Challenge

How can we best promote renewable energy production in France? That was the question posed by the 6th edition of the Energy4Climate – Agorize Challenge, to which a team of ENSTA students provided an answer that was both innovative and well-reasoned.

Innovation | Research
Digital Twins and Health: ENSTA Research on France Culture

Will it one day be possible to predict how our vital organs will develop and how they will respond to certain treatments, or even to surgery? These are the possibilities opened up by digital twins applied to healthcare, a field in which Alexandre Daby...

Digital Twins and Health: ENSTA Research on France Culture

Will it one day be possible to predict how our vital organs will develop and how they will respond to certain treatments, or even to surgery? These are the possibilities opened up by digital twins applied to healthcare, a field in which Alexandre Daby...

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