In 2014-2015, around 141,000 students were preparing for a State-recognised engineering degree, accredited by the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR).
Around 33,000 degrees were awarded in 2014, an increase of 22% in ten years.
The engineering degree is awarded following five years of study after the baccalauréat, the last three as part of an engineering cycle.
The trajectories are varied: half of entrants to the first year of an engineering cycle come from CPGE (classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles) and 21% from an integrated preparatory cycle. Parallel access routes help to diversify the recruitment of entrants to an engineering cycle: 13% hold a DUT (university technology diploma) and 7% hold a Higher technical certificate (BTS) or Bachelor's degree.
Although representing nearly half of scientific baccalauréat holders, only 29% of engineering students are women. Some universities and engineering schools offer LMD Master's programmes (Bachelor's-Master's-PhD) in engineering which can lead to employment in the engineering sector. In 2014, 6,300 students on these Master's programmes obtained their qualification.
In 2015-2016, 146,447 students were enrolled on engineering courses (excluding engineering courses in partnership with universities), an increase of 4.0% compared to 2014-2015. The rise was particularly marked in private institutions (+6.2%).
Seven in ten students are trained in public institutions, i.e. under the authority of the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research (MENESR) (82,000 students), or under the authority of other ministries (20,000 students).
Three in ten students attend private institutions (+6.2%).
In 2012-2013, in the OECD zone, around 3 million students were in education outside their country of origin. For the first time, international mobility was estimated for all the countries in this zone. France is the fourth largest host country, with 230,000 international students, behind the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Chinese students represent a quarter of international students in the OECD, with half the total number coming from Asia.
France is notable for the high proportion of international students from Africa (41%).
The proportion of international students increases with the level of study, ranging from 5% on short courses to one-quarter on PhD programmes.
In France, 40% of PhD students are international students.
At the same time, around 72,000 French students are in education in another OECD country, 65% in a neighbouring country. France is the fifth largest country in terms of student mobility, behind China, India, Germany and South Korea.
There are various trajectories open to students who wish to study economics or management. After obtaining the baccalauréat, or after two years of classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (CPGE), they can enrol at a university, University technology institute (IUT) or a business school.
Universities, which this study focuses on, offer courses in Management, Economics, Economic and Social Administration (AES) and eco-management multi-sciences.
This variety results in different course content and prospects. For these different courses, the main access route is still the Economic and Social Sciences baccalauréat.
Courses in AES, which is more generalist and multi-disciplinary, appeal to a great diversity of profiles, in particular technological and vocational baccalauréat holders, whereas the Economics route, which has a more theoretical content, attracts scientific baccalauréat holders.
In the end, depending on the course, between 30% and 50% of students obtain their Bachelor's degree in 3 or 4 years. Nearly one-third of Bachelor's graduates continue onto a Master's programme. Depending on the course, 46% to 61% of Master's students complete their studies in 2 years.
This note presents the main results of the survey on work placements in higher education, carried out in 2015 and relating to the 2013-2014 academic year. It concerns students in initial education, excluding apprenticeships and work-study programmes. The first three editions of the survey only covered university students enrolled on Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes, engineering courses and University technology institues (IUT). From 2014, the coverage has been extended to technology universities, engineering courses in partnership with universities, Paris-Dauphine and Institutes of Political Studies (IEP).
There have never been so many students in higher education in metropolitan France and the Overseas departments and territories: 2,470,700 at the start of the 2014-15 academic year. Numbers continue to increase (+1.6% in one year, or over 38,400 additional students), in particular at university (+2.1% in one year).
In five years, higher education has welcomed over 150,000 new students (+7%). Engineering schools have seen a particularly high rise in numbers.
By contrast, the number of students in State-recognised business schools has stabilised, following years of marked increases. The numbers enrolling in classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) has risen moderately (+0.8%). On short courses (University technology institutes (IUT) and Advanced technician's sections (STS)), numbers have been stable.
At the start of the 2014-15 academic year, all the local education academies apart from two saw an increase in students. Just over one student in six was enrolled in a private education institution. Female students continued to be in the majority. One in eight students were foreign nationals.
In 2014-15, 1,531,300 students were enrolled in French universities, compared to 1,499,600 in 2013-14, an increse of 2.1%, slightly less than the previous year (+2.5%).
In particular, there were more students on Bachelor's degree programmes (+2.2%) and Master's programmes (+2.3%), but the number of PhD students was lower (-1.7%).
There was a dynamic increase in enrolments of new baccalauréat holders at university (+2.9%), although this increase was partly due to parallel enrolments in classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (CPGE).
There was a very dynamic increase in enrolments on Scientific courses and Humanities and Social Sciences courses.
The number of new technological baccalauréat holders increased significantly in University technology institutes (IUT) (+7.0%). The proportion of foreign students at university fell slightly to 14.3%, as did the number of foreign students not holding a French baccalauréat (11.0%). The proportion of foreign students on PhD programmes remained stable, at 41.5%.
Interviewed about their situation at the start of the 2013-14 academic year, 59% of baccalauréat holders who enrolled in higher education in 2008 now have a degree. At the same time, 24% are continuing their studies but have not yet graduated, due to the course chosen or a delay in their studies. Finally, 17% have not graduated and have left higher education.
Half of the baccalauréat holders who enrolled on the first year of a Bachelor's degree obtained their qualification. Although only three in ten students who enrolled in the first cycle of medical studies (PCEM) or the first cycle of pharmaceutical studies (PCEP) then enrolled in the second cycle, there were many successful reorientations onto short courses, with over half of those enrolled in University technology institutes (IUT) and 22% of those enrolled in Advanced technician's sections (STS) obtaining a Bac +3 level qualification. 84% of students who enrolled in classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) then enrolled on a Bac +5 level course or a Master's degree. Among the baccalauréat holders who enrolled on paramedic and social courses or preparations for these courses, 45% obtained a qualification. Only 10% of students who enrolled in higher education left without a qualification.
The regional atlas of student numbers offers a territorialised approach to higher education courses in France.
It is organised by region and provides a detailed overview of higher education territories: the maps give a clear overall vision of the distribution of students and the tables provide details of these students by agglomeration and commune according to course type.
32% of the 990,000 students enrolled in French universities in initial Bachelor's degrees, Master's degrees, engineering courses and University technology institutes (¦Instituts universitaires de technologie - ¦IUT) (excluding teacher training, political studies institutes and universities of technology) completed work placements in 2011-2012.
This proportion remained stable against the previous year. It tends to increase the further through the course the student progresses. Work placements are standard in vocational courses and they are becoming more common in general courses, especially in the second and third years of a general Bachelor's degree.
The vast majority of work placements are carried out in the region around the university, but almost one in ten takes place abroad. 63% of placements last for two months or longer. Half of all students receive a gratuity. Of these, one in five receives a gratuity of over €600 per month.
The regional atlas of student numbers offers a territorialised approach to higher education courses in France.
It is organised by region and provides a detailed overview of higher education territories: the maps give a clear overall vision of the distribution of students and the tables provide details of these students by agglomeration and commune according to course type.
Of those students who passed their baccalauréat in 2008 and who went on to study in metropolitan France, 68% were still in higher education four years later, and 30% of these already had a higher education diploma. 32% were no longer in higher education and 14% had left without a diploma. In all, almost half of the class of 2008 who went on to higher education already had a diploma at the end of three years. 35% of those who enrolled in the first year of a Bachelor's degree course in 2008 obtained their degree after three years and 28% were in a Master's programme. In the short courses, 7 out of 10 students in University technology institutes (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT) obtained their diploma after two years, and the same for 6 out of 10 students in the Advanced technician’s sections (¦Section de technicien supérieur - ¦STS). In their fourth year, more than 7 out of 10 students from classes preparing for admission to Grandes Écoles (¦Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles - ¦CPGE) were enrolled in a further education school doing a course at baccalauréat + 5 years study level, with students from the arts and humanities classes preferring universities. The proportion of students going on to post-baccalauréat schools and paramedical courses increased significantly over the last ten years.
In 2012-2013, there were 1,468,300 students enrolled in French universities (including universities in overseas departments and the University of Lorraine). There were 1,456,100 students in 2011-2012. The number rose by 0.8%.
The number of new baccalauréat holders enrolling in universities increased in the general subject programmes (+2.3%).
More students were enrolling in Physical education and sports science and techniques (Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives - STAPS) and in Economics. In healthcare courses, the number of new baccalauréat holders rose sharply (+7.4%).
There were fewer doctoral students at the start of the academic year 2012 than in 2011, while the number of students on Master's courses rose by 1.5%.
In Technological university institutes (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT), numbers fell back slightly. The number of foreign students at university fell 1.8%: they represented 14.8% of the student population in general and their numbers remained stable in PhD programmes (41.4%).
Engineering schools provide a wide range of courses (engineering diploma, Master's degree, PhD, etc.). They are located throughout France and count some 166,000 students, of whom 130,000 are preparing an engineering diploma approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Numbers have doubled in the last twenty years.
In 2011-2012, 1,406,000 students were enrolled in French universities (including universities in the overseas departments). This compares with 1,455,000 in 2010-2011. This decrease is the result of the creation of a major public institution, the "University of Lorraine" which is no longer, strictly speaking, counted in the category of "universities". All other things being equal, student numbers increased by 0.8%. The number of new baccalauréat holders enrolling in universities increased in the general study tracks (+2.8%). These students tended to take courses such as Physical education and sports science and techniques (¦Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives - ¦STAPS) and economics and economic and social administration. In the healthcare subjects, the number of new baccalauréat holders fell 2.7%. There were fewer doctoral students in 2011 than in 2010 and the number of students in the Master's programme remained stable. In Technological university institutes (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT), numbers fell slightly. The number of foreign students in universities remained stable: they still represent 15.2% of the student population, and 41.3% of students on doctoral programmes.
The changes in directions taken by students in the baccalauréat S series are mainly characterised by a growing dispersion in their choices: in 2008, only 21% enrolled in a Bachelor's degree programme, whereas this figure was 35% ten years ago. However, this decline only affects Bachelor's degrees in the sciences, and more generally fewer and fewer holders of the baccalauréat S are taking the traditional scientific courses. At the same time, more and more are going into medicine (or pharmacy), or in a wide range of fields in schools that recruit after the baccalauréat. These changes concern all those with a baccalauréat S, irrespective of their speciality or their grades. Three years later, more baccalauréat S students were enrolling in the Bachelor's degree programme, especially in the science subjects, where they continue their studies after first going through a Technological university institute (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT), classes preparing for admission to Grandes Écoles or a first cycle of medical studies. However, 36% were in higher education schools, mainly engineering or paramedical schools.
Eight out of ten baccalauréat holders enrolling in their first year of a Bachelor's degree programme say that their course is the kind they had hoped to be doing at the end of their final year at high school. However, 38% had not put this course at the top of their list of choices for their path. Some had been accepted on different courses from their present degree course, but had not enrolled; others (25% overall) could be said to have enrolled in their degree course 'by default'. These students were less satisfied with the guidance they had received and the way that the Admission Post-Bac (APB) website worked, and fewer of them had benefitted from measures in the government's Plan for Success in Bachelor's Degree Programmes. Satisfaction with guidance information available before entering university continued to grow, with the internet becoming the most cited information source. Three quarters of those enrolling for the first time in first year hoped to continue studying for their Bachelor's degree, with more than half hoping to go on to a Master's degree. Fewer and fewer students hope to become teachers (31% compared with 45% in 2006).
In 2010-2011, 1,440,000 students were enrolled in French universities (including universities in the overseas departments). The number of new baccalauréat holders enrolling in universities increased in the general study tracks (+0.9%). They tended to take courses in subjects such as Physical education and sports science and techniques (¦Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives - ¦STAPS), sciences and humanities. However, there were fewer students enrolling for law and economics. In the healthcare courses, where a common first year for all healthcare studies had just been introduced for 2010-11, the number of newly qualified baccalauréat holders dropped by 4.1%. There were fewer doctoral students in 2010 than in 2009 and the number of students on Master's programmes stagnated. In Technological university institutes (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT), numbers fell by 1.4%. They had stabilised the previous year after three years of growth. There were more foreign students in universities than in previous years and they represented 15.2% of all students. Those in the PhD programme represented 41.3% of the student population.
In 2007-2008, 3.3 million students were following a course outside their country of origin, and of these, 2.7 million were in an OECD country. Their numbers have quadrupled in thirty years and their countries of destination are more and more varied. France is the third most popular destination for these students, jointly with Germany. In the OECD zone, almost half of foreign students are from Asia and 18% are Chinese. The origins of foreign students vary from one country to another, but they are linked with geographical, historical, economic and linguistic factors. The share of foreign students increases with the level of study, with about 6% for short vocational courses and 21% for PhD programmes. Lastly, a little over 62,000 French students are studying abroad; for the most part, they choose a neighbouring country.
One in fifteen students in metropolitan France and the overseas departments follows an artistic, cultural or communication course, making a total of 155,000 students in 2009. Most are enrolled in artistic or cultural courses (113,000). A wide range of these courses exist, with students being mainly women. They are more often offered in private education institutions than other higher education courses, and they are also heavily concentrated in Paris. The university's contribution to this sector has diminished over the last ten years. The Bachelor's degree and PhD are better represented than in other university courses. Courses in communication are flourishing, and are essentially to be found in universities (79.6%). The vast majority of students are women.
At the start of the 2009-10 academic year, eight out of ten baccalauréat holders from 2008 were still studying in higher education and the vast majority were continuing along the same study path. The pass rate in short courses was high: nine out of ten of those enrolled in an Advanced technician’s section (¦Section de technicien supérieur - ¦STS) or Technological university institute (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT) continued into the next year. However, a quarter of those who had gone into classes preparing for admission to Grandes Ecoles (¦Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles - ¦CPGE) or into a Bachelor's degree programme after their baccalauréat did not re-register. 52% of students in the Bachelor's degree programme went into second year; what happened at the end of the first year varied considerably according to their previous study path and their motivation for studying at university. The rates of students moving into the next year are much higher when they have a baccalauréat with distinction or when they have decided on the course they want to follow. In second year, students find it less difficult to organise themselves and they say they are more satisfied with their studies, especially at university. However, the majority feel that they are not well-informed about the opportunities for changing courses and further studies.
Engineering schools provide a wide range of courses (Engineering diploma, Master's degree, Specialised Master's, PhD, etc.). They have 150,000 students, of whom 119,200 are preparing an Engineering diploma accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research as a result of a decision by the Engineering degree commission (¦Commission des titres d'ingénieur - ¦CTI). 60% of future engineers are trained in schools under the authority of the Ministry. The engineering diploma is obtained after five years of post-baccalauréat study, but there are a variety of paths to this end. Courses in engineering schools last between three and five years, depending on the level at which the student entered. Although the most common route into an engineering school is via classes preparing for admission to Grandes Écoles (¦Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles - ¦CPGE), admission based on qualifications is possible at all levels. In first year, 70% of students enrol in the year they passed their baccalauréat, and most of these have a scientific baccalauréat. Although women are in the minority, their share is constantly increasing and they predominate in agriculture and applied science courses. More than 28,000 diplomas were awarded in 2009.
In twenty years, the number of students in engineering schools more than doubled. After 52,000 at the start of the 1988-89 academic year, 108,000 students enrolled for an engineering course in 2008. This growth extended to all the education authorities, although it was not on the same scale everywhere. Over this same period, the number of female students tripled. In 2008, women represented 27% of students enrolled in engineering courses. Numbers of foreign students increased more than numbers of French students (foreigners account for 57% of all growth between 2003 and 2008). Foreign nationals are more prevalent in these schools than in higher education overall (13.4% compared with 11.9% in 2008). The majority of engineering students still come from a background of managers and higher intellectual professions (55%). Conversely, there are few children of workers or employees on these courses (16%).
This 2009-2010 atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry for Youth and Associations, and the ministries for Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Sports. The geographical unit used in this atlas is the urban unit, which is the equivalent of an agglomeration; for Île-de-France and the French overseas collectivities, the geographical unit used is the commune.
In 2009-2010, 87,800 students were following courses in one of the 84 recognised business schools authorised to award approved diplomas. This was an increase of 18.6% against the start of the 2008-09 academic year. Newly enrolled students had either just passed their baccalauréat and were going to schools that recruited baccalauréat holders, or they came from classes preparing for admission to the Grandes Ecoles (¦Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles - ¦CPGE), from universities, from Advanced technician’s sections (¦Section de technicien supérieur - ¦STS) or from Technological university institutes (Institut universitaire de technologie - IUT) and were entering schools that recruited students with the baccalauréat + 2 years of study. Men outnumbered women slightly, but the proportion of women was increasing steadily. More and more foreign students were following courses in business and management schools. As with women students, there were fewer foreign students in the first cycle programmes and a greater proportion in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses.
There have never been so many students in higher education in metropolitan France and the overseas departments: 2,316,000 at the start of the 2009-10 academic year. Numbers increased substantially (+3.7%), the largest rise since 1993.
First enrolments in universities increased more than numbers of baccalauréat holders for the year. The rise in student numbers affected almost all courses, except for teacher training colleges (Institut universitaire de formation des maîtres - IUFM). It was especially sharp in recognised business schools awarding approved diplomas.
The private education sector continued to grow and more women had higher education diplomas than men. All the education authorities saw an increase in student population, apart from Dijon which remained at its 2008 level. The number of foreign students (+4.8%) increased more than the number of French students (+3.5%) and they now represent 12.0% of students. Chinese student numbers continued to increase very rapidly, becoming the second contingent of foreign students, after Moroccans.
At the start of the 2010-11 academic year, according to forecasts based on the provisional results of the baccalauréat and the course choices seen in previous years, student numbers seemed set to increase by 1.4% across higher education as a whole. The number of students continuing their studies into 2010-11 was up in healthcare and law; there was a decrease in enrolments in first year at university, but all programmes combined, there was an overall increase in university student numbers (excluding University technology institutes (¦Institut universitaire de technologie - ¦IUT)). Looking ahead to 2019, there are expected to be 20,000 more enrolments in the four main study paths: universities, Advanced technician’s sections (¦Section de technicien supérieur - ¦STS), classes preparing for admission to Grandes Écoles (¦Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles - ¦CPGE), and non-university engineering courses. Box: main assumptions used for forecasts.
This 2010 atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses in 2008-2009, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Education, and the ministries for Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Sports. The geographical unit used in this atlas is the urban unit, which is the equivalent of an agglomeration; for Île-de-France and the French overseas collectivities, the geographical unit used is the commune.
This atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry for Health and Sports.
This atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry for Health, Youth, Sports and Associations.
This atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs and the Ministry for the Family and Social Protection.
This 2004-2005 atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research, and by the ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Sports. The geographical unit used in this atlas is the urban unit, which is the equivalent of an agglomeration; for Île-de-France and the French overseas collectivities, the geographical unit used is the commune.
This 2003-2004 atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research, and by the ministries for Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Sports. The geographical unit used in this atlas is the urban unit, which is the equivalent of an agglomeration; for Île-de-France and the French overseas collectivities, the geographical unit used is the commune.
This 2002-2003 atlas shows numbers of students enrolled in higher education institutions and courses, drawn from the information systems and surveys produced by the French Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research and by the ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, Health and Sports. The geographical unit used in this atlas is the urban unit, which is the equivalent of an agglomeration; for Île-de-France and French overseas collectivities, the geographical unit used is the commune.
