Cover of higher education & research in France, facts and figures

📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH.

 Coverage:Whole of France - public sector.

chart 04.01a and chart 04.01b, chart 04.02, chart 04.03 and chart 04.04, chart 04.05a and chart 04.05b : in May 2016, exploitation of management files on higher education teaching staff (RH-SUPINFO and GESUP2) and the survey of non-tenured teachers carried out in higher education institutions by the Department for Workforce Studies and Human Resource Analysis at the Directorate-General for Human Resources (DGRH A1-1). The resulting numbers of potential teacher-researchers and teaching staff represents active staff, with or without tenure. Those who are on secondment in a different establishment from the one to which they are posted, who have been placed on 'availability' or are on holiday, are therefore excluded.

More information, see studies on teaching staff in higher education on ministerial website

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04 teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research

In 2015-16, 92,200 teachers were working in public higher education establishments under the responsibility of the MENESR. Three-quarters of these teachers are employed in universities and 39% of tenured-teachers are women.

In 2016, 92,200 teachers were working in public higher education establishments under the responsibility of MENESR. France therefore had 17.3 students per teacher in higher education compared with an average of 15.8 in the OECD countries. 61% of teachers working in higher education belonged to the corps of tenured teacher-researchers (and equivalent). 24.5% were non-tenured teachers and 14% were secondary education teachers (chart 04.01a).

Three quarters of these teachers were appointed to universities, including 13% in University Institutes of Technology (IUT) and 3% in the ESPE (Higher Schools for Professorship and Education). The remaining 8% were teaching in other types of institution (engineering schools, écoles normales supérieures (higher education establishments), etc.) (chart 04.01b). Secondary education teachers were over-represented in IUT (29%) and ESPE (11%).

The split for tenured teachers-researchers was one third university professors (PR) and two thirds lecturers (MCF). The majority of them were assigned to Science and Technology (45%) and Arts and Humanities (27%), then Healthcare and Law, Economics and Management (14% in each discipline) (chart 04.02).

The average age of professors and lecturers was 53 years and eleven months and 45 years and seven months respectively. This gap is linked to career advancement. Professors are recruited predominantly from the corps of lecturers. Secondary education teachers were 49 years and one month old on average (chart 04.03).

Non-tenured staff included doctoral students under contract carrying out teaching duties (32%), temporary teaching and research assistants (20%), non-tenured teachers in the university hospital fields of education (22%), associated teaching staff (10%), guest teachers (8%), foreign language readers and teachers (4%) and teachers under contract in vacant secondary education posts (4%).

Of the secondary education teachers assigned to higher education, 54% belong to the corps of “qualified” teachers (empowered at national level), 35% to certified teachers and 11% to other categories (teachers in upper secondary vocational schools, teachers with special status, etc.). They mainly teach Economics and Management, Languages and Literature, History and Geography, Mathematics, Mechanics and Physical Education and Sports Science and Techniques (STAPS).

The total number of teachers in higher education has increased by 29% over the last twenty years, from 75,900 in 1996 to 92,200 in 2016 (chart 04.05a). The highest growth rates in this period were for the numbers of non-tenured teachers (+55%), followed by lecturers (+25%), secondary education teachers (+18%) and professors (+15%). The total number of teachers in higher education increased mostly during the 1990s (+26% from 1996 to 2006), in support of the significant rise in student numbers during this period. Numbers then stabilised in the 2000s (+2% from 2006 to 2016).

In 2016, 35% of tenured teachers were women (chart 04.04). They were more secondary education teachers (46%) and lecturers (44%) than professors (24%). The proportion of women has been increasing regularly over time (about 0.5 points a year). By way of comparison, in 1996, secondary education teachers and lecturers counted 36% women, with 14% women professors (chart 04.05b).

There are relatively fewer women in universities teaching Sciences and Technology (28%) and Healthcare (32%) than Law, Economics and Management (43%) and Arts and Humanities (51%). Regardless of the field of education in question, there are proportionally fewer women professors than lecturers (chart 04.02b).

&

📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH.
 Coverage:Whole of France - public sector.

How to cite this paper :

BIDEAULT Marc, TOURBEAUX Jérôme. Teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research. In: Higher education & research in France, facts and figures - 49 indicators [online]. KABLA-LANGLOIS Isabelle (dir.). Paris: Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, 2017. 10th ed. Chapter 04 [Accessed 03/28/2024]. ISBN 978-2-11-152033-2. https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/EESR10EN_ES_04-teaching_staff_in_public_higher_education_under_the_responsability_of_the_french_ministry_of_education_higher_education_and_research-ILL_01b.php

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chart 04.01a and chart 04.01b, chart 04.02, chart 04.03 and chart 04.04, chart 04.05a and chart 04.05b : in May 2016, exploitation of management files on higher education teaching staff (RH-SUPINFO and GESUP2) and the survey of non-tenured teachers carried out in higher education institutions by the Department for Workforce Studies and Human Resource Analysis at the Directorate-General for Human Resources (DGRH A1-1). The resulting numbers of potential teacher-researchers and teaching staff represents active staff, with or without tenure. Those who are on secondment in a different establishment from the one to which they are posted, who have been placed on 'availability' or are on holiday, are therefore excluded.

More information, see studies on teaching staff in higher education on ministerial website

 

Key figures


Number of non-permament teachers
22,591
 non-permament teachers
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of non-permanent teachers
24%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of teacher-researchers
61%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of teachers under contract in secondary education posts
14%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
  See more key figures  
Share of university professors
22%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of lecturers and assistants
39%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Number of teacher-researchers
56,436
 teacher-researchers
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Number of secondary teachers working in higher education
13,221
 teachers under contract in secondary education posts
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
  See more key figures  
Number of teachers
92,200
 teachers
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Number of non-permament teachers
22,591
 non-permament teachers
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Number of secondary teachers working in higher education
13,221
 teachers under contract in secondary education posts
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Number of lecturers and assistants
36,184
 lecturers
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
  See more key figures  
Number of university professors
20,252
 university professors
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: teaching staff at higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of teachers in Arts and Humanities
31.0%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of teachers in Law, Economics and Management
14.8%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
Share of teachers in Healthcare
14.2%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH
  See one more key figure  
Share of teachers in Sciences and technical studies
40.0%
 
2015
Whole of France
 
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Extract from the chapter "04. teaching staff in public higher education under the responsability of the french ministry of education, higher education and research".

Coverage: higher education institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR)
Source: MENESR-DGRH

04.01a Distribution of serving teachers in higher education by category and type of institution in 2015-16 (%) - By category

Professors
Lecturers and assistants lecturers
Secondary teachers working in higher education
Non-permanent teachers
  
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.01b Breakdown of teaching staff in higher education by category and type of institution in 2015-16 (in %) - Per type of institution

Universities (excl. IUT)
University technology institutes (IUT)
Écoles supérieures du professorat et de l'éducation (ESPE)
Other institutions
  
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.02 Distribution of serving teachers in higher education by major discipline and category in 2015-16

Professors
Lecturers and assistants lecturers
secondary teachers working in higher education
Non-permanent teachers
All
  
Law, economics and management
Humanities and social sciences
Science and technology
Health
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.03 Distribution of permanent teaching staff by age in 2015-16 (headcount)

  
Lecturers
Professors
secondary teachers working in higher education
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.04 Proportion of women by major discipline and category for permanent teaching staff in 2015-16 (%)

Professors
Lecturers and assistant lecturers
Secondary teachers working in higher education
All
  
Law, economics and management
Humanities and social sciences
Science and technology
Health
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.05a Trend of teaching staff in higher education between 1992 and 2016

  
Professors
Lecturers and assistant lecturers
Secondary teachers working in higher education
Non-permanent teachers
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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04.05b Trend in proportion of women among teachers working in higher education between 1992 and 2016 (%)

  
Professors
Lecturers and assistant lecturers
Secondary teachers working in higher education
 
 
📄 Source:MENESR-DGRH
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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Other editions

Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 9th edition - November 2016
04 - teaching staff in public higher education under the responsibility of the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research - Marc Bideault
In 2014-15, 91,800 teachers were working in public higher education establishments under the responsibility of the MENESR, out of a total of about 155,000 people. In 2013, France had 15.6 students per teacher against an average of only 17.3 in the OECD countries. A quarter of these employees are posted in the Ile-de-France region [Consult the following page]
Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 8th edition - November 2015
04 - teaching staff in public higher education under the responsibility of the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research - Marc Bideault
In 2013-2014, 91,800 teachers were working in public higher education establishments under the responsibility of the MENESR, out of a total of about 150,000. In 2012, France had 15.6 students per teacher against an average of only 14.4 in the OECD countries. A quarter of these employees are posted in the Ile-de-France region [Consult the following page]

Translation

 Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheL'état de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche en France n°10 - Avril 2017
04 - les personnels enseignants de l'enseignement supérieur public sous tutelle du MENESR - Marc Bideault & Jérôme Tourbeaux
En 2015-16, 92 200 enseignants sont en fonction dans les établissements publics d’enseignement supérieur sous tutelle du MENESR. Les trois quarts de ces enseignants sont affectés dans les universités et 39 % des titulaires sont des femmes [Consult the following page in french]


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