World rankings 2026
Best medical schools in France
40 universities in France ranked on the medicine research they published from 2021 to 2025. Université Paris Cité leads the country and ranks 12th in the world.
Can graduates of medical schools in France train in the US?
No accrediting agency in France is on WFME's recognized list (checked October 2026). ECFMG requires graduation from a school accredited by a recognized agency, so check the school's World Directory listing and ECFMG before you rely on a US pathway.
A school must itself be accredited by that agency. Every country's status.
Universities in France
| # | University | In country | Articles 2021–25 | Cited 50+ times | International | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Université Paris CitéParis | 1 | 34,028 | 5.6% | 47% | 85 |
| 44 | Sorbonne UniversitéParis | 2 | 20,542 | 5.5% | 47% | 79 |
| 65 | Université Paris-SaclayGif-sur-Yvette | 3 | 12,904 | 6.5% | 49% | 76 |
| 90 | Lyon 1 UniversitéVilleurbanne | 4 | 15,093 | 4.9% | 45% | 73 |
| 95 | Université de BordeauxBordeaux | 5 | 12,249 | 5.4% | 48% | 73 |
| 119 | Université de LilleLille | 6 | 10,491 | 5.4% | 45% | 70 |
| 135 | Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille | 7 | 11,106 | 4.7% | 43% | 69 |
| 141 | Université de LyonLyon | 8 | 10,431 | 4.7% | 44% | 68 |
| 177 | Université de MontpellierMontpellier | 9 | 7,418 | 4.8% | 54% | 66 |
| 200 | Université de ToulouseToulouse | 10 | 5,568 | 5.7% | 49% | 64 |
| 218 | Université Paris Sciences et LettresParis | 11 | 3,450 | 7.2% | 50% | 63 |
| 222 | Université Sorbonne Paris NordVilletaneuse | 12 | 4,808 | 5.9% | 44% | 62 |
| 251 | Nantes UniversitéNantes | 13 | 5,008 | 5.0% | 42% | 60 |
| 255 | Université de LorraineNancy | 14 | 3,523 | 6.0% | 51% | 60 |
| 272 | Paris-Est SupChamps-sur-Marne | 15 | 4,397 | 5.0% | 42% | 59 |
| 273 | Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-YvelinesVersailles | 16 | 4,528 | 4.8% | 43% | 59 |
| 275 | Université Paris-Est CréteilCréteil | 17 | 4,022 | 5.3% | 42% | 58 |
| 303 | Université de StrasbourgStrasbourg | 18 | 3,681 | 4.9% | 46% | 57 |
| 326 | Université Jean MonnetSaint-Etienne | 19 | 4,143 | 4.2% | 43% | 56 |
| 352 | Normandie UniversitéCaen | 20 | 4,122 | 4.0% | 38% | 54 |
| 830 | Université Grenoble AlpesSaint-Martin-d'Hères | 21 | 3,723 | 0.0% | 46% | 20 |
| 831 | Université de RennesRennes | 22 | 3,853 | 0.0% | 44% | 20 |
| 852 | Université Toulouse III - Paul SabatierToulouse | 23 | 2,793 | 0.0% | 46% | 18 |
| 853 | Université d'AngersAngers | 24 | 3,145 | 0.0% | 39% | 18 |
| 854 | Université Côte d'AzurNice | 25 | 2,528 | 0.0% | 51% | 18 |
| 1006 | Université de ToursTours | 26 | 2,666 | 0.0% | 0% | 12 |
| 1047 | Université Clermont AuvergneClermont-Ferrand | 27 | 2,272 | 0.0% | 0% | 11 |
| 1063 | École Nationale Vétérinaire d'AlfortMaisons-Alfort | 28 | 2,198 | 0.0% | 0% | 11 |
| 1070 | Université de Caen NormandieCaen | 29 | 2,163 | 0.0% | 0% | 11 |
| 1076 | Université de Rouen NormandieRouen | 30 | 2,081 | 0.0% | 1% | 11 |
| 1091 | Université Bourgogne EuropeDijon | 31 | 1,998 | 0.0% | 2% | 11 |
| 1133 | Université de NantesNantes | 32 | 1,804 | 0.0% | 0% | 10 |
| 1146 | Université de Picardie Jules VerneAmiens | 33 | 1,645 | 0.0% | 3% | 9 |
| 1147 | Université de BourgogneDijon | 34 | 1,673 | 0.0% | 2% | 9 |
| 1162 | Université Paris DescartesParis | 35 | 1,695 | 0.0% | 0% | 9 |
| 1192 | Université Marie et Louis PasteurBesançon | 36 | 1,606 | 0.0% | 0% | 9 |
| 1212 | École Normale Supérieure de LyonLyon | 37 | 1,531 | 0.0% | 0% | 9 |
| 1243 | Université de PoitiersPoitiers | 38 | 1,452 | 0.0% | 0% | 8 |
| 1264 | VetAgro SupLyon | 39 | 1,401 | 0.0% | 0% | 8 |
| 1265 | École Pratique des Hautes ÉtudesParis | 40 | 1,399 | 0.0% | 0% | 8 |
# = world rank of 1,712. Medicine articles 2021–2025 in OpenAlex.
Questions
What is the best medical school in France?
Université Paris Cité ranks first in France on medical research output, citations and international collaboration from 2021 to 2025, followed by Sorbonne Université.
Can graduates of medical schools in France do residency in the US?
No accrediting agency in France is on WFME's recognized list as of October 2026, which ECFMG requires for certification. Check the school's World Directory listing and ECFMG.
Sources: OpenAlex (CC0), medicine-field articles published 2021–2025; World Federation for Medical Education, agencies with recognition status (October 2026). Methodology · Download the data (CSV)