ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information
(National School for Statistics and Information Analysis)

ENSAI is the top French graduate school specializing in Statistics in France (a French Grande Ecole, and more specifically, one of the prestigious écoles d’ingénieurs). Historically associated with INSEE (French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) and with funding from the French Ministry of Finance, ENSAI is part of the network of prestigious higher education establishments in France known as the Grandes écoles, or specialized graduate schools. ENSAI, along with ENSAE, is a part of the Grouping of National Economics and Statistics Schools (GENES), which brings together the research and pedagogical activity of INSEE.  ENSAI has been accredited by the French Accreditation Board for Engineering Education, the CTI (Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur), through to 2014 to award the Diplôme d'ingénieur, equivalent to a Master of Science (MSc) in Statistics (representative of a total of 5 years of higher education and 300 ECTS credits).

Founded in 1994, ENSAI has been located on the Ker Lann Campus since 1996, in the countryside just outside Rennes. Student recruitment is organized around a highly competitive national examination process which is usually preceded by two years of intensive undergraduate studies in science. Students can also apply after having completed a BSc Honours Degree.

ENSAI's education trains its students to become qualified specialists in Statistics, capable of information processing and analysis. Students acquire threefold expertise in Statistics, Quantitative Economics and Econometrics, and Computer Science, universally recognized in all professional sectors. They are sought after and highly paid by industry.

French students complete a full, three-year postgraduate program and choose one of 6 specializations in their final year: Advanced Statistical Engineering, Biostatistics, Health Econometrics, Quantitative Marketing and Customer Relationship Management, Risk Management and Financial Engineering, and Statistical and Decision-Making Systems. ENSAI also offers PhD supervision in these specializations after graduation. N+i students begin in our 2nd year of courses (level M1) and with satisfactory results, continue on to the third-year courses (level M2) with a specialization in one of the six listed fields.

Furthermore, ENSAI trains the executive body of civil servants who provide statistics for government services, most notably for INSEE, the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques).

For the purposes of future n+i students, ENSAI is able to offer students the possibility of completing either simply a master "n+," (receving the diplôme d'ingénieur), or, a master "n+" and a master  "i". See the list below:

- master "n+":

       - Diplôme d'ingénieur de l'Ensai, a graduate-level statistical engineering degree,
         equivalent to a Master of Science (MSc) in Statistics

- 3 possible master "i"s (through double degree agreements):

- Master of Science (MSc) in Finance: Advanced Studies and Research in Finance (through agreement with the Institut de Gestion de Rennes [IGR-IAE])
- Master of Science (MSc) in Statistics and Econometrics, specialization Mathematical Statistics (in conjunction with the University of Rennes 1 and INSA Rennes)
- Master of Science (MSc) in Public Health, specialization Modeling in Clinical Pharmacology and Epidemiology (through agreement with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Rennes 1)

>For more information on ENSAI : ENSAI's International Brochure (in English) : Folder  + individual thematic pages 

> Consult ENSAI's various brochures: General Presentation of ENSAI, side-by-side comparison of the 2 student statuses,  Coming to ENSAI in 2012, as well as ENSAI's Virtual Tour.

ENSAI is located in the metropolitan area of the city of Rennes, a festive, medieval, royal, gourmet, creative, and international city, only a two-hour ride from Paris by TGV.

Known for its numerous cultural events and festivals, Rennes is a lively college city with two major universities plus a number of schools, accounting for some 80,000 students (totaling roughly one third of its population).

Rennes is the capital of France’s western region of Brittany, one of the country's more rugged regions. Brittany is a fascinating mix of spectacular coastline, ancient towns, magical islands and inland woods, and it is continually ranked among the top places for living, working, and tourism in France.

Home to ENSAI since 1996 and located just outside of Rennes, the green Ker Lann Campus was created in 1990 and now has about one thousand students. This technology campus is home to higher educational institutions, training bodies and businesses. The aim of having a joint business and educational park is to encourage contact and partnerships between academia and the professional world.

This location is ideally suited and offers pleasant working and living conditions with a wide range of facilities covering accommodation, catering, sporting activities and associations.

Discover the entirety of ENSAI's global network, with our surrounding professional and academic contacts, by clicking here.

ENSAI has been a member of the n+i Network since 2008 and is currently available and eager to receive students.

At ENSAI, n+i students enter directly into the second-year courses (level M1), followed by third-year courses (level M2) during their last year.

Students interested in coming to ENSAI who are recruited through the "n+i" Network should follow the general application guidelines and apply as soon as possible during the Fall before the year in question, so in other words, a year in advance. Since there are two deadlines, ENSAI has the possibility to make a first selection of candidates at the beginning of November preceding the year in question, and a final selection of candidates takes place at the beginning of March.

N+i students must arrive at the ENSAI at the beginning of the second week of September when the academic year for second-year students begins (the year into which n+i students integrate).

Academic Calendar 2010-2011 (2nd-year students, level M2)

•    First semester: 08 September 2010 - 21 January 2011
•    Toussaint break: 23 October  - 31 October 2010
•    Christmas break: 18 December 2010 - 02 January 2011
•    Second semester: 24 January - 27 May 2011
•    Winter break: 26 February - 6 March 2011
•    Easter break: 23 April - 01 May 2011

•    End of the year: 27 May 2011

Foreign students through n+i may be eligible for the scholarships available from the "n+i" Network (Bni). Other than those, there are also some possibilities:

•    International students are entitled to apply for ENSAI's grant based on financial need. There are 6 levels of eligibility for the grant, varying from simple exemption from ENSAI's annual registration/tuition fees (550 € + 200 € cost of mandatory student health insurance coverage) to around 4,000 € annually at the highest level. Most n+i students would qualify for nearly the maximum amount. In order to apply, students must supply ENSAI with their parents' most recent tax return.

•    International students are entitled to an accommodation allowance (APL/ALS) from the French government to help with the cost of rent.

•    Gustave Eiffel scholarships from the French government (BGF) for international students admitted to a degree awarding program and showing proof of outstanding academic performance (application deadline in December).

•    French Embassy scholarships program: For more information contact the local French Embassy.

When other foreign students (non-n+i students) come to ENSAI, other grants or scholarships they may receive come from their home country and/or sending institution (if they're studying abroad temporarily from another university or engineering school).

Accomodation

Depending on the type of housing chosen, the residence halls on the Ker Lann Campus (Bruz) and in Rennes usually range in price from 300-450  € per month to rent a private, student studio flat; depending on the price and if they're shared flats with kitchens, these can range in size from 15-30 m2. ENSAI has an agreement with la Résidence Studhotel Léonard de Vinci for foreign students which proposes studios at a price of € 450 (+ € 450 security deposit).

However, international students in France (like French students) are also entitled to an accommodation allowance, or renting subsidies, from the French government to help with the cost of monthly rent. This allowance comes from the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales in the form of Aide au logement, otherwise known as APL/ALS. Students must wait to apply for this until they have arrived in France, begun studies, opened a French bank account, and secured permanent accomodation. Full eligibility entitles the student to benefit from roughly € 180 per month (amount reimbursed to student retroactively); so the net cost of rent would normally be approximately € 270 (unlimited internet access included).

To find out more, please consult ENSAI's helpful guide about the practicalities of coming to France to study: Foreign Students - Coming to ENSAI.

At ENSAI, approximately 13.5% of the student body* is composed of foreign students (transfer students, students from exchange programs, foreigners having been admitted from the competitive exams, etc.).

More than 95% of these students graduate with the engineer's diploma.

All of our foreign students have studied engineering beforehand and are thus well prepared to enter into the curriculum.

To find out more, please consult ENSAI's International Brochure (in English) available for download under the General Presentation page, as well as this shorter guide about the practicalities of coming to France to study: Foreign Students - Coming to ENSAI.

* 2011-2012 academic year

Other key figures about ENSAI:

- 773 graduates (excluding civil servants) since 1997: 450 Ensai graduates up to 2005 and 323 engineering graduates since 2005
-   531 civil servant statisticians since 1997
- 335 students in all, 214 statistical engineering students and 118 INSEE civil servant student statisticians, 3 ERASMUS students and 1 "n+i" student.
- 21.8% admitted on the basis of prior qualifications (DUT, a French University Technology Diploma, equivalent to a HND; Masters; etc.)
- 21 permanent lecturers
- 380 professional teachers from corporate, academic and civil service arenas
- 38 administrative and technical staff
- 2 in-house research teams (laboratoires)
- 7 students preparing a Master’s or Doctorate
- 8,000 m2 of buildings
- 160 computers for student use
- situated on a 170-hectare campus, of which 76 are developed
- net employment rate of 100% for statistical engineers after graduation
- 18 bilateral agreements signed with academic institutions in 8 countries
- 27.9% of all internships were completed abroad in 2011 (students from all years)
- 100% of statistical engineering students complete obligatory 4-week period abroad (internships or studies)

ENSAI has been a member of the n+i Network since 2008 and is currently available and eager to receive students.

At ENSAI, n+i students enter directly into the second-year courses (level M1), followed by third-year courses (level M2) during their last year.

Erasmus agreements have been established between ENSAI and 13 institutions throughout Europe: University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona), University of Seville (Universidad de Sevilla), UPC-Barcelona Tech (Universitat Polytècnica de Catalunya - UPC) (Spain); TU Dortmund (Technische Universität Dortmund), LMU Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (Germany); Università di Bologna (Italy); Université catholique de Louvain - UCL (Belgium); The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies (Romania); The University of Sheffield, The University of Warwick, University of Glasgow, Queen Mary - University of London (United Kingdom); and Aarhus University (Aarhus Universitet) (Denmark). These agreements, among others, permit select ENSAI students to complete the second semester of their 2nd academic year in one of these universities, while benefiting from funding such as Erasmus grants.

An agreement through the Franco-German University program (Université Franco-Allemande - UFA) allows students to complete their third academic year at either Humboldt Universität zu Berlin or the University of Mannheim in Germany with the aim of obtaining a double diploma (a Master of Science i.n either Statistics or Economics). The time spent abroad totals 3 semesters, with the 5th and 6th semesters of the curriculum (third year) spent in Germany, followed by a final dissertation and an oral defense also in Germany during the 7th semester in the fall. This sort of exchange is eligible for funding from the Franco-German University program.

Agreements with the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and Colorado State University (CSU) in the United States allow select students to spend a gap year studying between their 2nd and 3rd academic years in these universities.

Through these previous agreements, especially the Erasmus agreements, ENSAI is able to welcome foreign students as well.

Lastly, students have been known to complete their 3rd academic year abroad in a foreign university which has not signed an agreement with ENSAI. Through these cooperations, students have attended institutions such as: Université de Montréal (UdeM) in Québec (Canada); Columbia University (USA); London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Imperial College London, University of Essex, University of Warwick, University of York, University of Southhampton (United Kingdom); and University of Vienna (Austria).