At a time when thousands of sixth-formers and students are finalising their course choices, one question often arises: which institutions are most highly regarded for training in digital, IT and the technologies of the future?

To help prospective students make informed choices, Extra Student Media has published its 2026 ranking of the best digital and IT schools, based on the academic ratings from Le Figaro Étudiant 2026.

This selection highlights institutions recognised for the quality of their courses, their academic excellence and their ability to prepare students for changes in the world of work.

The Top 5 digital and IT schools in 2026

• 1 ★^Top of the rankings aivancity Paris Île-de-France · Nice Côte d’Azur
• 2 Epitech Paris · Bordeaux · Montpellier · Marseille · Mulhouse · Moulins · Nancy · Nantes · Nice · Rennes · Strasbourg · Toulouse · Réunion
• 3 Albert School Paris · Lyon · Marseille · Milan · Madrid · Geneva
• 4 École 42 Paris · Lyon · Nice · Mulhouse · Angoulême · Le Havre · Perpignan
• 5 ESGI Aix-en-Provence · Bordeaux · Grenoble · Lille · Lyon · Montpellier · Nantes · Nice · Orléans · Paris · Poitiers · Reims · Rennes · Rouen · Toulon · Toulouse · Tours · Le Havre

Increasingly demanding criteria

With the rise of artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and cloud computing, students are now looking for courses that can meet the real needs of the job market.

Beyond a school’s reputation, several criteria are now decisive:

• The academic quality of the programmes
• Recognition of qualifications
• Links with businesses
• Graduates’ employability
• Educational innovation
• Adapting to new digital professions

Artificial intelligence at the heart of career choices

The 2026 edition also confirms a strong trend: artificial intelligence and data now play a central role in the career choices of prospective students.

As businesses accelerate their digital transformation, the demand for skills related to AI, data and emerging technologies continues to grow across all sectors.

This trend is leading more and more students to seek specialised courses that enable them to acquire technological, managerial and ethical skills.

aivancity, a school dedicated to AI and data

Ranked first in this selection published by Extra Student Media, aivancity has established itself as a leading French institution for higher education in artificial intelligence and data science.

The school offers programmes ranging from Bachelor’s degrees to the Grande École Master’s Programme, as well as several specialised MSc programmes, with a teaching approach based on academic excellence, innovation and responsibility.

Through its Campus 5.0 model, aivancity champions a vision in which technology is harnessed to serve people, organisations and society, with the aim of training the future^AIgineers® capable of supporting the major transformations of tomorrow.

Ranking published by Extra Student Media based on academic scores published by Le Figaro Étudiant 2026.
Link to the full ranking: etudiant.lefigaro.fr – Digital & IT Ranking 2026