Understanding our education system

Since the 18th century, French Grandes Écoles have been training the leaders and senior executives of France's leading industrial companies. These institutions, which include ENSTA, are highly selective in their admissions. Small to medium in size, Grandes Écoles provide high-quality education and maintain close ties with the business world.

Graduates of France's “Grandes Écoles” enjoy a status similar to that of Oxbridge in the UK and Ivy League schools in the US. Naturally, they are highly sought after by many large companies around the world. There are around 250 different engineering schools in France. The most prestigious of these, such as ENSTA, are certified by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (CTI). This body is responsible for accrediting French higher education institutions in the field of engineering.

Equivalency table to understand the French education system of grandes écoles:

Illustration des différentes formations accessibles dans les grandes écoles, en les comparant à celles des États-Unis et de l'Angleterre.

Grading system

The French grading system is based on a scale of 20. Grades are awarded from 0 to 20, with “0” being the lowest grade.

Traditionally, grades above 16 are rarely awarded. The passing grade for a subject is generally 10/20, although grades of 8 or 9 may indicate satisfactory performance. The grading system in France is particularly demanding and can vary from one institution to another and from one course to another.

French grading systemLetter equivalentGrade GPA
16-20A+4,3
14-15,9A4
12-13,9A-3,7
11-11,9B+3,3
10-10,9B3
8-8,9C2
6-7,9D1
0-5,9F0

ECTS distribution system

The table below shows how ECTS credits are distributed on average at ENSTA, taking into account the positive results awarded in each field of study.

ECTS% of students who passedDefinition 
A20%Exceptional 
B30%Very goodAbove-average results, no significant errors
C30%GoodOverall satisfactory work, contains errors
D15%SatisfactoryAdequate: passable results, some shortcomings
E5%SufficientThe work meets basic requirements
FX FailAdditional work required before credit can be awarded
F ÉchecConsiderable work is required; implies repeating the course

Our latest news

Institute | Student Life
Schoolgirls today, engineers tomorrow

On Thursday, March 19, nearly 100 high school girls from three schools in Finistère were welcomed to the ENSTA Brest campus as part of the event “100 Women, 100 Careers: Engineers Tomorrow.” The afternoon’s program included a tour of the campus and...

Schoolgirls today, engineers tomorrow

On Thursday, March 19, nearly 100 high school girls from three schools in Finistère were welcomed to the ENSTA Brest campus as part of the event “100 Women, 100 Careers: Engineers Tomorrow.” The afternoon’s program included a tour of the campus and...

Alumni | Institute | Training
Graduation Ceremony in Brest: ENSTA Celebrates the Class of 2025, “Marie Marvingt”

March is graduation season for ENSTA’s community of young engineers, master’s students, and specialized master’s students across the school’s two campuses. Following the ENSTA Paris graduation ceremony, it was the turn of the 310 graduates from the ENSTA...

Graduation Ceremony in Brest: ENSTA Celebrates the Class of 2025, “Marie Marvingt”

March is graduation season for ENSTA’s community of young engineers, master’s students, and specialized master’s students across the school’s two campuses. Following the ENSTA Paris graduation ceremony, it was the turn of the 310 graduates from the ENSTA...

Research
A national library of dolphin vocalizations

Launched in late 2024, the PAMCéClass project, entrusted to ENSTA by the Offshore Wind Observatory and funded by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), aims to create a national library of vocalizations from several species of dolphins found along the...

A national library of dolphin vocalizations

Launched in late 2024, the PAMCéClass project, entrusted to ENSTA by the Offshore Wind Observatory and funded by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), aims to create a national library of vocalizations from several species of dolphins found along the...

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