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

📄 Source:MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES.

 Coverage:Whole of France.

The tables and graphs come from the APB files of 26 June (2nd admission phase) and 30 September of the 2014-15 applications session on the Post-Bac Admissions web portal.Admissions Post-Bac (APB) centralises course choices in higher education. The application procedure concerns students in the final year of secondary school, first-year students under 26 who want to change course and some foreign students depending on their nationality, secondary school diploma and requested course. The candidates enter their preferences from the month of March, then rank them according to preference. A preference is characterised by a course in a specific institution. The "normal" admission phases in the normal procedure take place between June and mid-July and are followed by an additional admission procedure which continues until early September. The university faculties, Advanced technician's sections (including agricultural), classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles, engineering schools, business schools in some networks, some business schools and some architecture and art schools, and some CFA (Apprenticeship Training Centres) are some of the possibilities offered to students on the APB. By contrast, the IEP (Institute of Political Studies), Paris Dauphine, private courses and nursing schools are not offered on the APB (preparation for paramedical and social courses are offered, however). Since 2013, the IEP have adapted the timetable of their competitive examination to the APB timetable to enable students who fail to apply via the APB.

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08 course preferences and offers made on the Post-Bac Admission portal (APB)

This page has been updated. Read 08. course preferences and offers made on the post-Bac admission portal (APB) in Higher education & research in France, facts and figures 10th edition - June 2017

In 2014-15, 739,600 candidates used the Post-Bac Admission portal (ABP) to continue their studies, including 78% of students in the final year of secondary school ("Terminale"). On average, they entered 6.5 preferences. 83% of candidates received an offer through the normal procedure, of which nearly two-thirds received their first or second preference.

The Post-Bac Admissions portal is designed for students who wish to enrol on the first year of a course, after the Baccalaureate. Since 2014-15, students already in the first year after the Baccalaurate, who want to change their course in their institution or transfer to another institution, can use this portal if they are under 26 years of age.

In 2014-15, 739,580 candidates entered at least one preference for continuing higher education studies, of which 9% entered a single preference and 22% over ten preferences.

Around eight candidates in ten are students in the final year of secondary school, 13% are already in higher education in France and wish to change their course, the others have diverse profiles (not in education or in supplementary training, for example).

Candidates in the final year of secondary school entered 6.5 preferences on average. Candidates following a general Baccalaureate entered more preferences than candidates following a vocational Baccalaureate (on average 7.2 preferences compared to 4.6).

If we consider the first preference entered by candidates in the final year of secondary school (chart 08.01), over half of the future general Bac holders requested a first year at university (including a common first year for medical studies), 14% requested a CPGE (classes preparing for admission to Grande Ecoles), 14% an IUT (university technology institute) and 8% an STS (Advanced technician's section). Nearly half of future technological Bac holders requested an STS, 20% an IUT and 20% a first year at university. Finally, eight out of ten future vocational Bac holders wishing to continue in higher education requested an STS, 11% a university and 4% an IUT.

The preferences differ according to discipline. Only 46% of candidates for the scientific Baccalaureate wished to continue their studies at university and 6% at an STS. By contrast, 19% wished to enter CPGE, 14% IUT and 10% engineering school. 7 out of 10 future literary Bac graduates chose university as their first preference, but only 8% chose CPGE, 10% STS and 5% IUT. Bac holders following an economic and social path were more likely than literary candidates to enrol in an IUT (20%) and an STS (12%) and 51% of them wished to enter university.

Following the normal procedure, 88% of candidates in the final year of secondary school received an offer, of which 55% got their first choice. Among candidates in the final year of secondary school requesting a first year at university, 84% received their first choice. Obtaining the first preference is rarer in selective disciplines; only 39% of students requesting a DUT (university technology diploma) and 37% requesting an STS received their first choice.

62% of general Bac holders receiving an offer through the normal procedure obtained their first preference (chart 08.02), but this proportion falls to 35% if we consider those that requested CPGE. Although one in two technological Bac holders obtained their first choice, only 35% obtained their first preference for an IUT and 42% for an STS. Finally, only 36% of vocational Bac holders obtained their first preference, of which 32% requested an STS and 19% requested an IUT.

28% of vocational Bac holders with a "Pass" grade at Baccalaureate received an offer from their first choice (table 08.04) but 66% who got a "Distinction" (57% for "Merit") in the Baccalaureate got their number 1 choice. Likewise, 86% of technological Bac holders who got "Distinction" received their first choice.

At the end of the normal procedure, more than nine candidates in ten in the general section and over eight candidates in ten in the technological section had received an offer, compared to a little over six candidates in ten in the vocational section (chart 08.03). Candidates without an offer received at least one offer in the additional procedure.

 Coverage:Whole of France.

How to cite this paper :

MARLAT Diane. Course preferences and offers made on the Post-Bac Admission portal (APB). In: Higher education & research in France, facts and figures - 50 indicators [online]. KABLA-LANGLOIS Isabelle (dir.). Paris: Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche, 2016. 9th ed. Chapter 08 [Accessed 03/28/2024]. ISBN 978-2-11-151572-7. https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/9EN/EESR9EN_ES_08-course_preferences_and_offers_made_on_the_post_bac_admission_portal_apb-ILL_02.php

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The tables and graphs come from the APB files of 26 June (2nd admission phase) and 30 September of the 2014-15 applications session on the Post-Bac Admissions web portal.Admissions Post-Bac (APB) centralises course choices in higher education. The application procedure concerns students in the final year of secondary school, first-year students under 26 who want to change course and some foreign students depending on their nationality, secondary school diploma and requested course. The candidates enter their preferences from the month of March, then rank them according to preference. A preference is characterised by a course in a specific institution. The "normal" admission phases in the normal procedure take place between June and mid-July and are followed by an additional admission procedure which continues until early September. The university faculties, Advanced technician's sections (including agricultural), classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles, engineering schools, business schools in some networks, some business schools and some architecture and art schools, and some CFA (Apprenticeship Training Centres) are some of the possibilities offered to students on the APB. By contrast, the IEP (Institute of Political Studies), Paris Dauphine, private courses and nursing schools are not offered on the APB (preparation for paramedical and social courses are offered, however). Since 2013, the IEP have adapted the timetable of their competitive examination to the APB timetable to enable students who fail to apply via the APB.

 

08.01 Course preference according to the type of Baccalaureate (in %)

General Bac
ES Series
L Series
Series S
Technological Bac
Vocational Bac
  
University
DUT
BTS-BTSA
CPGE
Other courses
 
 
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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08.02 Breakdown of offers according to the order of preference made and type of Baccalaureate (in %)

Preference 1
Preference 2
Preference 3
Preference 4
Preference 5
Preference 6 and following
  
General Bac
Technological Bac
Vocational Bac
 
 

62% of students taking the general Baccalaureate in the final year of secondary school receiving an offer in the normal procedure received their first choice.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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08.03 Offers received by admission phases according to type of Baccalaureate (in %)

Normal procedure
Additional procedure
  
General Bac
Technological Bac
Vocational Bac
 
 

62% of students in the final year of secondary school studying for a vocational Baccalaureate received an offer through the normal procedure. The additional phase is intended for candidates who did not enrol for the normal phase, or did not express a preference, or did not receive any positive offers (no response from the courses requested or a rejection).

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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08.04 Proportion of candidates in the final year of secondary school who received an offer for their first preference, following the normal procedure (in %)

 
Grade in Baccalaureate
Pass Satisfactory Merit Distinction
General Bac 60 66 65 64
Technological Bac 41 57 74 86
Vocational Bac 28 41 57 66
 

41% of technological Bac candidates who obtained a "Pass" grade received an offer from their first choice. This was the case for 86% of technological Bac candidates who received a "Distinction" in the Baccalaureate.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

You can embed this table to your website or your blog by copying the HTML code and pasting it into the source code of your website / blog:

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Related statistical publication

 Note flash SIES 08 - Course choices in higher education: preferences submitted for the 2016-2017 academic year - Ceren Inan - June 2016
This summary note presents a range of indicators concerning higher education course choices for the academic year 2016-17. It is accompanied by publication of these indicators, broken down in more detail or cross-matched by gender, local education academy, baccalauréat series and, where appropriate, subject reference.

Students preparing for the baccalauréat and enrolled on the Post-Bac Admission Portal (APB) for the 2016 session submitted an average of 7.6 preferences.

38.2% of candidates requested a Bachelor's degree programme as first choice. In several of the requested Bachelor's degree preferences, the number of women reached extreme proportions (91.4% in Linguistics, 10.3% in Computer Science). For literary series candidates, the proportion of women exceeded 70%. Nearly one student in five in the final year of secondary school taking the scientific series (17.9%) requested classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) as first choice.

Students preparing for a vocational baccalauréat (80.5%), but also to a lesser extent technological series candidates (49.4%), put Advanced technician's sections (STS) as first choice. The subsequent choices were often the same as the course chosen in first place.

Other editions

Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 10th edition - June 2017
08 - course preferences and offers made on the post-Bac admission portal (APB) - Ceren Inan
In 2016, 533,600 candidates used the Post-Bac Admission portal (APB) to continue their studies. On average, they entered 7.6 preferences. 87% of candidates received an offer through the normal procedure, of which nearly two-thirds received their first or second preference [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°9 - Juin 2016
08 - vœux d’orientation et propositions exprimés sur le portail Admission post-Bac (APB) - Diane Marlat
En 2014-15, 739 600 candidats sont passés par le portail Admission post-Bac (APB) pour leur poursuite d’études, dont 78 % d’élèves de terminale. Ils ont fait en moyenne 6,5 vœux. 83 % des candidats ont eu une proposition en procédure normale dont près des deux tiers dans leur premier ou deuxième vœu [Consult the following page in french]


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