ENS Courses in Computer Science – University track

• Intended audience
• Selection process
• Calendar 2026
• The application process
• Study scholarships, dormitories

Intended audience

The university track of the department of Computer Science of École normale supérieure aims at recruiting six students, fond of computer sciences and attracted by research in this area.

This recruitment track is mainly opened to the university students with brilliant results in Bachelor in France or abroad (usually with high or highest honor when it applies). The expected level of the first year in Computer Science at École normale supérieure being roughly equivalent to the one of M1 students, the application at the end of the third year of bachelor will be favored over the ones at the end of the second year. The university track is also opened to students from CPGE (preparatory school) with brilliant results and who are able to show their motivation throughout their accomplishments in computer science projects during or beyond their studies.

The students who are admitted to the competition have three years to pass the ENS diploma. As opposed to the other departments, the computer science department privilegiates the entrance in first year (3rd year of bachelor) and does not allow in general an intrance in second year (1st year of Master), even for the students who have a bachelor already.

Selection process

The selection is done in two steps:

• an eligibity phase, based on an application file that allows to asses the profile in computer science of the applicant;
• an admission phase, eligible students will pass two oral exams, one after the other:
  • an oral examination, consisting in solving a set of exercises (the program is the same as the one of the computer science option in preparatory schools MPSI/MP, but some questions may be tailored to the applicant background --- as far as programming is concerned, the applicant can freely choose his/her programming language);
  • a generalist test, in the form of an interview, assessing the motivation of the applicant for a training through research, scientific skills, and open-mindedness to the different aspects of computer sciences and the other sciences.
  No annals are provided, but the applicants that would like to prepare the computer science test may consult, as examples, the exercises that have been used during the oral test in computer science in the CPGE track. We stress on the fact that we will adapt, during the examination, to the applicant profile.

Calendar 2026

Application date

from March 8th to April 24th

Eligibility results

May 19th

Interviews

from May 25th to June 26th

Admission results

July 2nd

The result of the university track will be published on the École normale supérieure website.

The application process

Information on the application process are available on the École normale supérieure webpage that is dedicated to the university track. On the application gate, select Concours Normalien Etudiant Sciences, then Département d’Informatique.

The use of generative artificial intelligence to compose the motivation letter has to be explicitly stated in the letter.

It is advisable to provide the contact of two persons (teacher or internship supervisor) who can write recommendation letters.

Study scholarships, dormitories

Some scholarships of 1000 € / month on the whole three years of studies will be attributed in the Computer Science Department. Furthermore, to face the difficulties against equity and diversity to enter the school, the École normale supérieure has set CROUS scholarship complements as well as scholarships dedicated to women students in computer sciences, for the same amount of 1000 € / month during the three years of the training.

The students who would like to accomodated at the dormitories of École normale supérieure has to write it explicitly in their application online declaration. See the website of the student general delegation for more information on the dormitories.