01 education expenditure on tertiary education

The nation spent €28.7 billion (€bn) on tertiary education in 2013. This is 2.5 times more than in 1980 (in constant euros). The contribution by central government represented 70% of that amount. In 2013, average expenditure per student stood at €11,540, or 40% more than in 1980 (in constant euros).

In 2013, the nation (central government, local authorities, other public administrative bodies, households and companies) dedicated €28.7 billion to tertiary education, an increase of 1.2% over 2012 (at constant prices). Since 1980, expenditure on tertiary education has seen strong growth of 2.8% per year on average. Its share of domestic education expenditure (DEE) increased from 15.0% in 1980 to 19.8% in 2013 (table 01.01).

Over the period as a whole, DEE on tertiary education was multiplied by 2.5 in constant euros (chart 01.02). Despite this significant increase, average expenditure per student rose by only 40.1% due to a doubling of student numbers. Over the same period, average expenditure per secondary school pupil increased by 63.1%. Over the period 2006-2010, when there was both a rapid increase in DEE and a slowdown in student enrolment, expenditure per student increased by 2.5% on average per year. Since 2010, however, the slowdown in DEE combined with a rise in student numbers has resulted in a drop in spending per student of 0.9% annually. ¹

Average expenditure per student stood at €11,540 in 2013 (chart 01.03). Although it may be difficult to compare the cost of different curricula directly, especially since research expenditure is included in the university totals, there are considerable differences from one branch of study to another. The cost varies from €10,850 per year for a university student to €14,850 for a pupil in a class preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles - CPGE). However, in recent years, the gap between these average expenditure figures has tended to narrow (chart 01.03).

Seventy per cent of total expenditure goes on staff, especially teachers' wages (40%) (chart 01.04). ²

The theoretical cost of 18 years of education, with no repeat years, leading to a Bachelor's degree (via a general or technology second cycle) was estimated in 2013 to be €147,900, while a 17-year education leading to an Advanced technician diploma (Brevet de technicien supérieur - BTS) (via a vocational upper secondary cycle) would cost the nation €145,800.

In terms of initial funding (see definitions opposite), central government contributes the major share of DEE for tertiary education (70.4%), while local authorities contribute 10.5% and households 8.7% (table 01.01). In terms of final funding, i.e. after including grants in the household budget, the household share practically doubles (16.6%). Some direct or indirect support, funded by the central government and which benefit students or their families, do not appear in the DEE for tertiary education: these are related to taxation (increase in family quotient) or are not directly linked to student status (social housing benefit). If they were included (excluding social welfare payments), expenditure per student in 2013 would then increase from €11,540 to €12,760.

Jean-Pierre Dalous & Martine Jeljoul

¹ Change in expenditure on programmes 150, 231 and 142 of the Inter-ministerial Mission for Research and Higher Education (Mission interministérielle recherche et enseignement supérieur - MIRES) was -0.2% between 2010 and 2011, +1% between 2011 and 2012 and +0.9% between 2012 and 2013 (at 2013 prices).
² In the 2012 definitive accounts and the 2013 provisional accounts, a distinction is made between staff working in research and staff involved in teaching.