An haife shi a Lille, Faransa, Perrin ya halarci École Normale Supérieure, babban makarantar école a Paris. Ya zama mataimakin a makarantar a lokacin 1894-97 lokacin da ya fara nazarin cathode rays da X-rays. An ba shi digiri na docteur ès sciences (PhD) a 1897. A wannan shekarar an nada shi a matsayin mai koyar da ilimin kimiyyar lissafi a Sorbonne, Paris. Ya zama farfesa a Jami'ar a 1910, yana riƙe da wannan matsayi har zuwa lokacin da Jamus ta mamaye Faransa a lokacin yakin duniya na biyu. Tambaya: ina aka haifi Perrin?
Lille, Faransa