Angers - Health and Education

Health and Education

The Hôtel-Dieu, founded in the 12th century, is one of the oldest hospitals in France. First located in the Hospice Saint-Jean, it moved in new buildings in 1870, it became Centre Hospitalo Universitaire (CHU) in 1966. It has 1,500 beds and around 5,500 people work there. Two private hospitals and a regional centre for reeducation also exist.

A centre of learning, Angers boasts two renowned universities and several specialized institutions, altogether responsible for more than 26,000 students. The city has a Catholic university, the Université Catholique de L'Ouest (Catholic University of the West, or UCO), one of five Catholic universities in France. UCO is best known for its French language studies institute, the Centre international d'étude de la langue française (CIDEF), which provides college students from around the world with college-level course instruction in the French language. The town is also home to a state university, the University of Angers.

Angers's other educational institutions include lycées; training colleges, an engineering school in manufacturing (ENSAM), an engineering school in electronics and computer science (ESEO), and a school of fine art. Its education and research institutes are the driving force behind the city's science and technology industries.

Angers's Business School is ESSCA (Ecole Superieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers). Formerly part of the UCO, the school's Masters program is of a duration of five years. ESSCA is recruiting students after the Baccalaureat.

In addition to French schools and universities, an American university St. Edward's University has a new expanding campus in Angers. St. Edward’s University is a diverse, Catholic liberal arts institution from Austin, Texas. The university has a partnership with UCO, and offers a variety of courses of undergraduate level and professional training.