SCHOOLING IN FRANCE

The Education System in France: An Overview

As in the U.S., the education system in France is composed of three stages of study: 

Most French elementary and secondary schools, as well as a large number of universities, are public institutions that are highly centralized in their administration. In particular, curricula at primary and secondary schools are standardized across all schools for a given grade.

1.     Primary education

Compulsory schooling in France starts at age 3, with the école maternelle (nursery school).  Primary school (école primaire) spans five years of study, from approximately age 6 to age 11 (similar to a U.S. elementary school).

2.     Secondary education

From primary school, students move to the secondary level, which is divided into two stages. The first stage, the collège, is composed of four years of study for students ages 11 through 15 (similar to a U.S. middle school). Students are awarded a brevet des collèges upon completion. From there students attend a lycée (high school), where they complete the last three years of schooling. This second stage of study culminates with the achievement of the baccalauréat (bac). The baccalauréat is similar but not the same as a U.S. high school diploma, as it often requires more rigorous academic preparation and it cannot be attained without passing a national exam.

See the equivalency chart below.

3.     Higher education

The French higher education system is composed of universities, grandes écoles, and specialized schools. Universities are public institutions which offer academic, technical, and professional degrees to any student who has achieved a French baccalauréat or a foreign equivalent. University study can lead to various types of degrees in many fields. Degrees are awarded at three different levels of achievement, called cycles, within a framework referred to as licence, master, doctorat (LMD).

Grandes écoles are particularly prestigious public and private institutions that are highly selective. They are similar to universities but generally offer a more specialized three-year course of study, such as business, public administration, or engineering. Students are admitted to grandes écoles based on their scores on a competitive exam. The exam is open to students who hold a baccalauréat and, for the most part, who have taken the two-year preparatory course (classes préparatoires). Students graduate from a grande école with a master.

Specialized schools are either public or private institutions that train students for professional careers in specific fields, such as art, architecture, social work or tourism. They tend to offer the licence and master degrees. 

The LMD framework is as outlined in the footer of this page.

After the lycée, one may choose either to pursue a vocational diploma…

The BTS (brevet de technicien supérieur) is a two-year technology-oriented degree. BTS courses are offered by high school. A BTS may be followed by one additional qualifying year of study, leading to a licence professionnelle.

There is also the BUT (bachelor universitaire de technologie) offered at IUT (instituts universitaires de technologie) that are connected to universities. It is a three-year professional degree.

…or an academic diploma

The licence, which lasts three years, is an undergraduate degree. After the licence, one can go on to do a master, which lasts two years. There are two sorts of Master’s degrees: master recherche (for those students planning on getting a PhD) or a master professionnel (a professional graduate degree for such fields as law, engineering or business).

After a master recherche one may go on to do a doctorat (PhD). The doctorat is obligatory for the medical profession, for example.

The LMD framework, the result of an effort to harmonize degree qualifications in France with the rest of Europe, is relatively recent. While the previous system no longer exists, you may hear people refer to their degree programs using the old terminology. FYI, therefore: prior to the reform, the first two years of what is now the licence were referred to as the DEUG (diplôme d’études universitaires générales). The third year of today’s licence was referred to as the licence, and the fourth year as the maîtrise. Today’s master recherche was a year-long degree called a DEA (diplôme d’études approfondies) and the master professionnel a DESS (diplôme d’études spécialisées). The doctorat remains the same.

You may also hear students refer to their academic credentials in terms of how many years of study they have validated since the baccalauréat. For example, a Master’s degree is a “bac plus cinq” (Bac+5).

It is difficult to make direct comparisons between degrees awarded in the U.S. and degrees awarded in France. While the years of study may be similar, degree requirements may differ. As such, applications for higher education in France are generally considered on a case-by-case basis. 

The following websites also clearly present the main structural patterns of the French educational system:

Enrolling your children in school

Deciding where to send your child to school (public, private, international...) depends significantly on the individual child's age and personality, as well as how and where you will live. Note that French schools have longer hours than American schools, less recess time, more disciplined study, and more homework. 

The Commission suggests that parents not worry about the language problem their children will face in school. After a period of adjustment, children are quick to acquire very usable French. The less rigid contact among children makes friendships easier among French and American children than among their adult counterparts; also, a year of French schooling can be a precious and very practical experience for a young American.

The "CASNAV" network is nation-wide and specializes in integrating newly arrived students from abroad and from Roma/traveller communities into the French public school system. If you enroll your child at public school, you will be invited to meet with the CASNAV to discuss your child's prior schooling and French language ability. If your child has no French, s/he will likely be assigned to UPE2A (Unité Pédagogique pour Elèves Allophones nouvellement Arrivés). The UPE2A coordinator will work with your child to make sure s/he is learning French and enrolling in grade-level classes as appropriate.

Schooling is mandatory in France for children from ages 3 to 16. Free public schools are available from nursery through high school. 

Full school listings for the entire country are available at:  https://www.education.gouv.fr/annuaire 

For listings of schools (public and private) with at least some classes taught in English, see for example:

Overall directory of international sections and schools — search by "Anglais US" or "Anglais UK".

General information: https://fr.usembassy.gov/education-schools-in-france/ 

We strongly suggest reaching out to your local Euraxess Center for assistance on enrolling your children in school. 

For the basic procedure to sign up children for public schools, see: https://access.ciup.fr/en/practical-information/schooling-of-children/. 

School Calendar

The school calendar for France is available at the website below. The académies (school districts), except the académies of Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, Réunion, Corse and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, are divided in three zones – A, B, and C – for school vacations so that not everyone is on vacation at the same time. 

Before and after school

Public schools offer before and after school care (generally from 7:30 AM, and until 6:30 PM) (accueil périscolaire) as well as daycare during school vacation (centre de loisirs). To sign up, see with your local town hall. The fees are very reasonable. 

Vaccination requirements

To enroll in public schools, you must provide proof of vaccination of your children.

For children born prior to January 2018:

 

For children born from January 2018, the additional vaccines are:

 

Source.

Grantee quotes: