History
- 1857: Foundation of "École Centrale lyonnaise pour l’Industrie et le Commerce"
- 3 November 1857: Opening of the School with 14 students.
- 1869: Second campus of Ecole Centrale de Lyon. Movement of the School to Quai Augagneur
- 1930: First female engineering student.
- 1963: Common entrance exam established with Ecole Centrale de Paris.
- 1970: The School is renamed École Centrale de Lyon.
Education
Over and above the scientific and technical skills that the School undeniably imparts to its students, Ecole Centrale de Lyon provides you with an open-minded, wide-ranging vision of the world as well as an approach towards the humanities and social sciences that grant our graduates the Centrale Lyon advantage.
Research
Internationally, nationally and industrially renowned, research at Ecole Centrale de Lyon is performed around 6 laboratories, all Joint research units (UMR) CNRS.
In an increasingly globally competitive environment, coupled with economical and societal expectations, Centrale Lyon has put in place a dynamic scientific policy, structured around 5 main disciplines: nanotechnology and nanomaterials, transport, energy, environment and bio-engineering.
Top reasons to study here
- Strengthened by 150 years of experience
- 6 research units located on campus
- Forty-five years the School has formed agreements with universities from all of the world that pertain to the awarding of double degrees and other forms of part
Ecole Centrale de Lyon Key Statistics & Highlights
- #801 Ranking
- 8 Masters
- 100 Scholarships
- 1,468 Students
- Public Institution Type
Ecole Centrale de Lyon Overview
Ecole Centrale de Lyon Scholarships
Ecole Centrale de Lyon Scholarships
Below you will find scholarships related to Ecole Centrale de Lyon. Distinction can be made between scholarships provided by the University and those provided by independent providers.
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Ecole Centrale de Lyon Student Reviews & Awards
Based on 6 reviews
- 5 Star 2 Reviews
- 4 Star 4 Reviews
- 3 Star 0 Reviews
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
Good
Ecole tres préstigieuse en France. Une bonne dynamique étudiante, bon esprit de promo. Bonne inclusivité des personnes de nationnalités non française. Je recommande. Cependant, les profs et les cours ne sont pas très pédagogique.
M.Sc. Engineering
Great combination of academic tools and unparalleled career development, a plethora of campus events and things to do in the city. Visit the sites if you are international looking for a place to see. Everything around is magnificent ??
A warm university
The Catholic University of Lyon allows students to study in a professional and warm setting in the heart of the city. The atmosphere on campus is friendly, with a great associative life and opportunities for engagement. Students can benefit from personalized follow-up.
Ecole Centrale de Lyon Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
World University Rankings
By Times Higher Education
Dropped 200 places compared to 2025
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 601 | 601 | 801 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Best Global Universities Rankings
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 100 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1498 | 1824 | 1924 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Housing services
Located only 20 minutes from Lyon, the Ecole Centrale de Lyon campus is situated in beautiful surroundings in the heart of an 18 hectare property.
The campus brings together teaching buildings and research centres, buildings belonging to the student associations, sporting facilities, administrative buildings, the university cafeteria and student residences:
- According to our students, some of the highlights include:
- The K-Fêt (café) in the student foyer
- The student foyer, complete with cinema, performance hall, and café-bar.
- The "Assoce", joining more than a hundred of student associations in Centrale Lyon
Library services
Centred at the heart of the campus, the library lists several key objectives among its missions to the students and personnel of the School:
- The library contains materials from a large variety of domains.
- The library also offers leisure materials including CDs, sheet music and tourist guides.
Campus life
- Benefit from life in a beautiful setting on a wooded campus spanning 18ha
- Be situated right in the centre of the life of the school (associations, library)
- Access a large number of sporting facilities (stadium, sporting fields, tennis courts, weights room, gymnasium)
- Dine on campus (restaurant universitaire, snacks available from the foyer)
- Only 20 minutes from the centre of Lyon using public transp
Sports facilities
Physical education and sport are an integral element of the whole education of the engineering student at the School. Sport is compulsory at Centrale Lyon. Students can choose from among 20 different sports – either as an individual or in a team – to fulfil requirements for participation in sport, often allowing them to participate in university sporting competitions. They can also participate in less competitive sporting activities such as as part of hikes organised by the mountaineering club or visits to ski stations with the ski club.
Campus facilities:
- A gymnasium, complete with rock-climbing wall
- Four exterior tennis courts
- An athletics track
- A grass football and rugby field
- A weights room
Student clubs
At Centrale Lyon, the student associations play a vital role in the activity on campus. With a huge variety of cultural, social and sporting activities, about 1500 engineering students participate in the associative life on campus. Amongst them, 150 active students are highly involved in organising events which contribute to the animated life of the School – the Week-End d’Intégration, the Centrale Lyon Challenge, the Forum Perspectives Grandes Ecoles, the Gala Eclyps – as well as providing services which support the entire Centralian community.