Learning alongside students from all over the world
At Sciences Po, internationality is present in all areas of academic and student life. Our students are immersed in a multicultural learning environment in which they collaborate with students from all around the world and who speak different languages. Over 150 nationalities are represented in our student body, with 49% of students who carry a passport other than French. All of our undergraduate students are given the opportunity to broaden their horizons through the experience of a year abroad. They study all subjects on a European and a global scale.
Financial aid: a policy of inclusion
At Sciences Po, we believe that financial difficulties should not impede access to education. That is why each year we dedicate over 10 million euros to scholarships and financial aid (11.3 million euros in 2019). In total, we assist almost four out of ten students (figures for 2017-2018), by means of:
- Scholarships: any French or European students awarded the CROUS scholarship pay no tuition fees and also receive additional aid from Sciences Po.
- Tuition fee exemptions, which apply to more than a third of students (35%), including but not limited to the CROUS scholars.
- For non-European applicants, the Emile Boutmy scholarship provides funding to the very best international students from outside the European Union.
- Needs-based financial aid, particularly mobility grants for use during the third year abroad.
These provisions complement our sliding scale system of fee allocation, a unique policy that aims to address financial inequality amongst students by adapting the cost of studies according to household income. All students whose tax residence falls within the European Economic Area can benefit from this scheme.
The Equal Opportunity Programme: a pioneering policy
Sciences Po seeks to recruit the most talented students, whatever their social or cultural background. It was this conviction that led in 2001 to the creation of a programme without equivalent in France: the Equal Opportunity Programme, which today works with 166 secondary schools in the most disadvantaged areas of France and its overseas territories. Since its creation, this specially developed admissions scheme has allowed us to welcome nearly 1,800 students from various partnered institutions, who might never otherwise have had access to Sciences Po.
Find out more about our diversity and inclusion initiatives
