Career placement at some of France's top engineering schools
In the overall rankings published by L'Étudiant, Centrale Lyon ranks among the top ten French engineering schools and is ranked 3rd among schools located outside the Île-de-France region. The school stands out particularly in the “professional development and employment” category. It received the maximum score of 9 out of 10, on three of the four indicators measured: links with businesses, starting salaries for recent graduates, and the percentage of graduates working abroad.
These results are confirmed by the figures from the 2025 employment survey: 89.6% of graduates from the general engineering program are employed, slightly above the national average for engineering schools (88.1%), with a median time of three weeks to land their first job. Salaries reflect the degree’s appeal: €43,000 median annual income excluding bonuses, €48,000 including bonuses.
An engineering degree that prepares students for the most promising sectors
The DAUR ranking, which evaluates each degree program based on its ability to provide practical preparation for a specific professional sector, reinforces this finding. Centrale Lyon ranks 10th out of 190 institutions and ranks second among engineering schools outside the Île-de-France region.
A breakdown by sector is even more revealing. The general engineering degree ranks first in two sectors and among the top three in several others.
- 1st in strategy (out of 10 programs evaluated)
- 1st in materials and nanosciences (out of 13)
- 2nd in urban engineering (out of 19)
- 3rd in aeronautics (out of 16)
- 3rd in embedded systems (out of 10)
- 3rd in Land Transportation (out of 26)
- 5th in Energy (out of 61)
This ranking does not evaluate each program as a whole, but rather by career path. For a prospective engineering student, this information helps in choosing a school that aligns with a more specific career path.
Research and Academic Excellence
6 CNRS laboratories at the heart of education
Centrale Lyon ranks 7th in the "Research and Academic Excellence" category in L'Étudiant's rankings. This result reflects an engineering education program supported by high-level scientific research.
The school draws on 6 research laboratories affiliated with the CNRS that conduct research in engineering and information sciences as well as the exact sciences. This research infrastructure directly contributes to the quality of instruction, attracts renowned faculty members, and provides students with opportunities to participate in scientific projects from the very start of their education.
Training engineers capable of understanding, innovating, and anticipating: it is this link between basic and applied research and education that ranks Centrale Lyon among the best French engineering schools.
Centrale Lyon, a French engineering school with a global presence
QS, Shanghai, THE: Global Recognition in Engineering Disciplines
Centrale Lyon is featured in the world’s leading academic rankings. In mechanical engineering, the school ranks in the top 201–250 worldwide in the QS World University Rankings and in the 151–200 range in the Shanghai Ranking “by subject” (ARWU). It also appears in the Times Higher Education (THE) among the 801–1,000 best institutions worldwide out of 2,200 evaluated, and in the top 601–800 in the Engineering category.
These rankings place Centrale Lyon among a select group of French institutions recognized globally in their flagship disciplines: mechanical engineering, aeronautics, materials science, and mathematics.
International Appeal: Rising Inbound Mobility and the 3-Star “Bienvenue en France” Certification
Centrale Lyon is attracting a growing number of international students. Between 2022 and 2025, the proportion of international students within the Centrale Lyon network rose from 24.78% to 28.68%, an increase of nearly 4 percentage points.
This trend is driven by a recognized institutional commitment: since 2025, Centrale Lyon has held the 3-star “Bienvenue en France” label. This is the highest distinction awarded by Campus France to French higher education institutions for the quality of their support for international students, from admission to integration into campus life.
A strong signal for international applicants choosing where to pursue their engineering studies in Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Centrale Lyon ranks 10th nationally and 3rd among engineering schools located outside the Île-de-France region in the 2026 L'Étudiant rankings.
Yes. The school scores a 9 out of 10 on three key indicators in the Étudiant ranking: industry connections, starting salary, and the percentage of graduates working abroad.
According to the DAUR rankings by sector, the general engineering degree ranks first in strategy and in materials and nanosciences, and is among the top three in urban engineering, aeronautics, embedded systems, and land transportation.
In July 2025, the school was awarded the “Bienvenue en France” certification at Level 3—the highest level—for both of its campuses. Its percentage of international students reached 28.68% at the start of the 2025 academic year.