Secondary education in France follows five years of primary school and is divided into two main stages:
Collège (Lower Secondary, ages 11–15) – compulsory
Lycée (Upper Secondary, ages 15–18) – optional but widely attended
Education in France is compulsory from ages 3 to 16.
At the end of Collège, students take the Diplôme National du Brevet. In Lycée, students choose between:
General Lycée – academic pathway leading to university
Technological Lycée – combining academic and applied studies
Vocational Lycée (Lycée Professionnel) – career-focused training
At the end of upper secondary education, students sit for the Baccalauréat (Le Bac), the national qualification required for higher education admission.
France has over 4,000 public and private lycées.
Upper secondary enrollment exceeds 90%.
Literacy rates are above 99%.
The French system is nationally standardized and academically rigorous, with strong emphasis on humanities, philosophy, mathematics, and analytical thinking.
France has one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious higher education systems.
Public universities
Grandes Écoles (elite, highly selective institutions)
Specialized schools (business, engineering, art, political science)
Leading institutions include Sorbonne University, PSL University, École Polytechnique, HEC Paris, and Sciences Po.
Bachelor’s degrees (Licence) typically last 3 years.
Master’s degrees (Master) usually take 2 years.
Doctoral programs generally require 3 years.
Affordable public university tuition fees compared to many Western countries.
Growing number of programs taught in English, particularly at master’s level.
France hosts over 2.9 million higher education students.
More than 400,000 international students study in France annually, making it one of the top global destinations.
France consistently ranks among the world leaders in research, business education, and engineering.
French higher education is particularly strong in business, fashion, hospitality, political science, engineering, culinary arts, and luxury brand management.
France is one of the world’s leading destinations for learning French, a major global language spoken on five continents.
The country offers numerous summer programs for school and university students.
French language classes (15–25 hours per week)
Cultural workshops (cooking, art, cinema, fashion, history)
Pre-university and business summer schools
Excursions to Paris, Lyon, Nice, Bordeaux, and the French Riviera
Accommodation in host families, boarding schools, or university residences
Hundreds of accredited French language schools operate across the country.
France is one of the top study destinations within the European Union.
Summer programs in France combine academic excellence with rich cultural heritage, offering students full immersion in language, art, and European lifestyle.