Établissement public à caractère scientifique, culturel et professionnel

EPSCP; English: public scientific, cultural or professional establishment) is a formal category of more than one hundred and thirty public higher education institutes in the fields of sciences, culture and professional education.

EPSCP have legal, administrative and financial autonomy in the French education system.

They operate on the basis of a four-year objective roadmap that they define and agree with the national fund-granting authority and their achievements are assessed by a national evaluation agency for research and higher education.

The 81 universities and institutes of technology are EPSCP led by a president and administered by a board of directors.

There are five French institutes operating outside France, hosting world-class researchers.