IP Paris and the Écoles Normales Supérieures network launch the Observatory for Equality of Opportunity

A changing landscape, a growing need for evaluation

In 2021, a report by the Institut des politiques publiques (IPP) revealed that, despite the social outreach initiatives launched by several grandes écoles in the mid-2000s, the social composition of their student bodies had barely evolved between 2006 and 2016.
Since then, French higher education has undergone major transformations: the introduction of Parcoursup in 2018, the overhaul of the high school curriculum in 2019, the creation of the “Talents du service public” preparatory classes, and the implementation of admissions bonuses for scholarship students.

Against this backdrop, the Observatory aims to provide an objective assessment of how these reforms have shaped access to selective programmes.

A powerful scientific collaboration

The project brings together IP Paris and its six member schools, the four Écoles normales supérieures, the Institut des Politiques Publiques, as well as specialised research teams, including those at CREST (Center for Research in Economics and Statistics – a joint CNRS, École polytechnique, and ENSAE research unit).

Under the scientific coordination of Institut des Politiques Publiques, the Observatory will draw on data spanning several generations of students to shed light on the mechanisms that shape access to elite academic tracks – from the influence of social and geographical background to gender dynamics, the role of educational pathways, and disparities across disciplines.

The research will be conducted in close collaboration with DEPP (the Directorate for Evaluation, Forecasting and Performance) and SIES (the Statistical Information and Studies Department) ensuring the analytical robustness and reliability of the findings.

A multi-year programme delivering actionable insights

The partnership foresees an interim report in the second year and a final report in the third. Two thematic deep dives will follow, including one dedicated to women’s representation in scientific tracks. Regular progress updates and analytical releases will complement these milestones.

The data gathered will also support targeted experiments, such as identifying high-potential students who do not apply to selective programmes or mapping institutions where gender gaps in academic choices are most pronounced.

A strategic resource for institutions

The Observatory will provide both scientific insight for the public debate and a practical decision-making tool for the schools of IP Paris and the ENS network. It will strengthen efforts to promote equal opportunity across the higher education landscape.

As Thierry Coulhon, President of Institut Polytechnique de Paris, highlights:

The transformations of the past twenty years have profoundly reshaped the landscape of selective programmes; it is essential that we measure their effects objectively. (…) The creation of the Observatory marks a new stage: that of a scientific, transparent, and cumulative evaluation that will sustainably inform policies aimed at widening access.