Get to know us

The University of Bordeaux, heir to a history of nearly six centuries, is a multidisciplinary university with deep regional roots that reach out to the European and international level. It is now striving to rise to the challenge of environmental and societal transitions and improve the well-being of its entire community.

Photo : The University of Bordeaux has a unique history, from the Renaissance to the 21st century - Pey Berland Legal and Judicial centre © Olivier Got - University of Bordeaux
The University of Bordeaux has a unique history, from the Renaissance to the 21st century - Pey Berland Legal and Judicial centre © Olivier Got - University of Bordeaux

Missions and values

By its very nature, the university is open to the world and the place for learning, innovation and the transmission of knowledge.

By linking research and education together, the University of Bordeaux is preparing the citizens of tomorrow and helping them become successful in both their personal and professional lives. Thanks to the lifelong learning opportunities it provides, the university continually enriches employees' skills and transforms companies and communities.

Recognised for its capacity for innovation and awarded the "Initiative of Excellence" label, the University of Bordeaux regularly contributes to major scientific advances with its academic and socioeconomic partners in France and abroad. It ensures their transmission and facilitates their transfer to society, in line with its commitment to environmental and societal transitions.

The university has participated in building the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and Research Area (ERA), while developing actions of international cooperation.

Throughout, the University of Bordeaux has remained loyal to the intellectual and cultural values as well as the open-mindedness and freedom of thought inherited from the great figures of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

Key figures (in 2022)

  • 52,000

    students

  • 6,100

    staff members

    including nearly 3,260 lecturer-researchers and researchers

  • 90

    research facilities

    including 65 in co-supervision with research organisations

  • 50

    fields

    of research and education

  • 27,000

    scientific publications

    from 2015 to 2020, including 18% in the top 10% of the world's most cited publications

  • 130

    joint European research projects

    within Horizon Europe and other programmes

  • 1rd

    French university at national level

    2nd place at regional level, behind Safran

  • 570

    million-euro budget

    in 2022

  • 18

    campus sites

    in Nouvelle-Aquitaine

  • 187

    hectares of campus grounds

    including 140 hectares of green spaces

A multidisciplinary university

The wide range of fields available at the University of Bordeaux is a guarantee of interdisciplinarity.

The university's educational components cover practically all fields of knowledge. They are grouped into 4 colleges:

  • Law, Political Science, Economics and Management
  • Health Sciences
  • Human Sciences
  • Science and Technology

This interdisciplinarity is also illustrated by its 8 doctoral schools, also grouped into a Graduate Research School, and its 11 research departments, bringing together 90 laboratories, institutes and technical platforms in nearly 50 fields.

Last but not least, the University of Bordeaux is home to 3 institutes dealing with more specific fields of study: