One of France's top five best cities for studying, Nantes is a fantastic option to follow a degree abroad. An attractive destination for thousands of international students, as they get to select from numerous accredited programmes, available in French and English as well. Enjoy the vibrant city life and elegant lifestyle of Nantes, one of the most liveable cities in Europe.
Nantes has a rich and diverse economy that is continually growing. The largest industries of the city are: aircraft manufacturing, finance, shipbuilding, renewable energy, food manufacturing, commerce.
Some of the top employers in Nantes are: Airbus Group, Credit Agricole, Decathlon, Unilever, Lidl, EDF, Carrefour, BNP Paribas, Accenture, Alstom Power, Société Générale.
As the second most successful city in France in terms of employment growth, you will be able to find a large number of internship opportunities available in local companies in Nantes.
Although not having the amazing architecture that you would see in other French cities, everywhere you walk in Nantes, you can feel the typical French elegance and charm. Some of the places that are worth visiting in Nantes are:
Nantes has been drawing tourists with quite a unique attraction: Les Machines de l'île amusement park, inspired by Jules Verne’s tales. Here, visitors can ride on three levels mechanical sea creatures: squid and crab on the lowest level, suspended fish on the second and boats and jellyfish at the top, among many other interesting ride machines.
The entertainment scene of Nantes, covering bars, cafés, nightclubs and cinemas is mainly centred in the Bouffay area and the Place du Commerce. Do try some of the local specialties, like the Muscadet white wine, the galettes (a heavier, less sweet version of the crepe) or Curé Nantais cheese.
Nantes counts for a number of minorities, people coming from countries like Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Russia, Guinea, Greece, few people from U.K. and other European countries that chose to live here.
Regarding international business in the area, Nantes is in top ten places in terms of foreign investment projects in France. Companies related to the software and IT service sector represents almost one investment in the region, followed by agri-food, agriculture and fishing. A large part of the foreign business people are American, German, Spanish and Swedish investors.
Covering all four seasons, Nantes has frequent rainfalls all year round and cool temperatures. Autumn and winter seasons are generally rainy with cold temperatures and moderate snowfalls in the coldest months. During December and January, the highest temperatures are usually around 9 °C (48 °F). Spring and summer average daily high temperatures are 24 – 25 °C (76 – 77 °F).
Partner of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nantes, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique is a private institution for higher education dedicated to design professions, in association with the University of Nantes.
IMT Atlantique is an Elite Graduate Engineering School in the fields of Digital Technology, Energy & Environment. It is a member of IMT, the largest group of Engineering and Management Graduate Schools in France. Ranked among the top ten "Grandes Ecoles" in France, its cutting edge programs, as well as it researches activities are recognized nationally and internationally for their excellence.
Centrale Nantes, a member of Groupe des Ecoles Centrales, was founded in 1919 and is in the Top 4 of French higher education and research institutions in Science & Engineering. Its purpose is to develop top level scientists and engineers in multidisciplinary and specific fields.
The students and faculty members come together from all over the world. This creates an enriching intercultural learning environment. Students learn to work on teams with peers who have very different cultural values and communication styles. This prepares them for success in the global workforce.
