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

📄 Source:MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES.

 Coverage:Whole of France.

The indicators are produced from data taken from the Student Monitoring Information System (SISE), which counts enrolments (SISE-Inscrits) and graduates (SISE-Résultats). They are calculated on the basis of administrative enrolments, not actual attendance by the student.

The data presented here cover all French universities (including the University of Lorraine, which has major institution status, and university centres for education and research (CUFR), and includes New Caledonia and French Polynesia).

The population used for each of the qualifications (cohort) consists of students enrolling for the first time on the first year of the corresponding course in a given year. Students who have enrolled at STS, DUT or CPGE at the same time are excluded from the Bachelor's degree cohort. A student is considered to have passed as soon as the degree is awarded, whether or not this is from the institution or discipline in which they enrolled the first year. Bachelor's degrees include vocational Bachelor's degrees (LP).

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19 student trajectories and pass rates in university bachelor's degrees, vocational bachelor's degrees and master's degrees

At university, 27% of students obtain their Bachelor's degree 3 years after enrolling in the first year and 39% after 3 or 4 years. These rates have changed little in recent years. Nearly three-quarters of Bachelor's degree graduates enrol on a Master's the following year. Pass rates for Master's degrees have significantly increased since 2007; around 53% of students now obtain their degree in two years and 65% in two or three years.

Just over a quarter of Bachelor degree students obtain their degree after three years: 27% of students enrolled in the first year of a Bachelor degree (L1) in 2011 achieved a degree after three years, in the 2014 session. One year later, the proportion grew by nearly half to reach 39%. Two years later, it reached 45% for students who enrolled in 2010 (table 19.01). These relatively low rates are essentially due to the many students who give up the course: 46% of students enrolled in L1 for the first time in 2011 were no longer enrolled on a Bachelor degree course two years later. Some of them had changed to other university courses (3%), mainly in IUT (2%), but the great majority had left university (43%) (table 19.02). These trajectories are not necessarily synonymous with failure as some of those leaving university change to other study programmes, such as STS, engineering, management, healthcare or arts schools.

The prospects for success on a Bachelor degree course are strongly linked to the type of baccalauréat held by the student: although over half of general baccalauréat holders achieved their Bachelor degree after three, four or five years, only 20% of technological baccalauréat holders and 8% of vocational baccalauréat holders did the same. Correlatively, technological and vocational baccalauréat holders are much more likely than general baccalauréat holders to give up their course before the third year: 85% of vocational baccalauréat holders and 71% of technological baccalauréat holders are no longer enrolled on a Bachelor degree course in the third year, compared with 35% of general baccalauréat holders (table 19.02).

The pass rate for students enrolled on a vocational Bachelor degree is high: 89% of students enrolled for the first time on a vocational Bachelor degree in 2013 achieved their degree at the end of the year (chart 19.03). This rate significantly exceeds the figures for the final year of a general Bachelor degree (78% of students enrolled for the first time in L3 were awarded their degrees within one year). The pass rate for vocational baccalauréat holders on a vocational Bachelor degree (87%) is not very different from that of general baccalauréat holders (91%). The difference in success between students preparing for DUT or STS, which each represent a quarter of the numbers, is also low: 94% for the former and 89% for the latter.

Nearly three-quarters of general Bachelor degree graduates enrol on a Master's the following year, including 11% on a teaching Master's (chart 19.04). Students are more likely to continue on a Master's course if they have a Bachelor degree in Law (86%), Fundamental Sciences or Life and Earth Sciences (over 78%) than other fields of education (between 62 and 71%).

Among those students enrolled for the first time on the first year of a Master's (M1) in 2012, 53% achieved their degree after two years and 65% with an additional year (chart 19.05). Only 56% of students enrolled for the first time on M1 in 2007 passed within two or three years. The increase is linked to a rise in the rate of transition from the first to second year of a Master's, going from 53% to 60% between the 2007 and 2012 cohorts (chart 19.06).

 Coverage:Whole of France.

How to cite this paper :

MAETZ Isabelle. Student trajectories and pass rates in university bachelor's degrees, vocational bachelor's degrees and master's degrees. 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 19 [Accessed 03/28/2024]. ISBN 978-2-11-152033-2. https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/EESR10EN_ES_19-student_trajectories_and_pass_rates_in_university_bachelor_s_degrees_vocational_bachelor_s_degrees_and_master_s_degrees-ILL_04.php

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The indicators are produced from data taken from the Student Monitoring Information System (SISE), which counts enrolments (SISE-Inscrits) and graduates (SISE-Résultats). They are calculated on the basis of administrative enrolments, not actual attendance by the student.

The data presented here cover all French universities (including the University of Lorraine, which has major institution status, and university centres for education and research (CUFR), and includes New Caledonia and French Polynesia).

The population used for each of the qualifications (cohort) consists of students enrolling for the first time on the first year of the corresponding course in a given year. Students who have enrolled at STS, DUT or CPGE at the same time are excluded from the Bachelor's degree cohort. A student is considered to have passed as soon as the degree is awarded, whether or not this is from the institution or discipline in which they enrolled the first year. Bachelor's degrees include vocational Bachelor's degrees (LP).

 

19.01 Changes in pass rate in three, four and five years in Bachelor degree (%)

 
Cohort numbers Pass rate in three years (%) Pass rate in four years (%) Pass rate in five years (%) Pass rate in three, four or five years (%)
2007 cohort 160,137 27.5 12.1 5.1 44.7
2008 cohort 156,225 27.7 12.6 5.2 45.5
2009 cohort 169,178 26.6 12.2 5.2 44
2009 cohort 169,652 27.8 12.0 5.2 44.9
of which baccalauréat holders 160,979 28.0 12.1 5.2 45.2
general baccalauréat holders 120,390 34.7 14.2 5.9 54.9
technological baccalauréat holders 30,272 9.2 6.9 3.5 19.6
Vocational baccalauréat holders 10,317 3.7 2.7 1.3 7.7
2011 cohort 173,783 27.2 11.8 1 1
2012 cohort 178,150 27.5 1 1 1
 

1 As the qualification results for the 2016 session are not yet known, the data are unavailable.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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<iframe src="https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/illustration-EESR10EN_ES_19-0-changes_in_pass_rate_in_three_four_and_five_years_in_bachelor_degree.php" width="500px" height="700px" frameborder="0" id="EESR10EN_ES_19-0" scrolling="auto"></iframe>

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19.02 What becomes of entrants in L1 third year in 2012-13 based on original baccalauréat

 
General baccalauréat holders technological baccalauréat holders Vocational baccalauréat holders All baccalauréat holders
Continue with Bachelor degree 65.3 29.5 15.3 54.0
Third year of Bachelor degree (general or vocational) 39.5 11.2 3.6 30.9
Second or first year of Bachelor degree 25.9 18.3 11.6 23.1
Changed to university 4.1 2.3 0.6 3.4
in IUT 2.2 1.6 0.4 1.9
in other university courses 1.8 0.7 0.2 1.5
No longer enrolled at university 30.6 68.2 84.1 42.6
 

65.3% of students who took a general baccalauréat are still enrolled in a Bachelor degree in the third year of observing the cohort. 39.5% are enrolled in third year of Bachelor degree (general or vocational).

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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<iframe src="https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/illustration-EESR10EN_ES_19-1-what_becomes_of_entrants_in_l1_third_year_in_2012_13_based_on_original_baccalaureat.php" width="500px" height="700px" frameborder="0" id="EESR10EN_ES_19-1" scrolling="auto"></iframe>

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19.03 Pass rate in one or two years in vocational Bachelor degree of students enrolled for the first time in vocational Bachelor degree in 2013-14 according to the course taken the previous year

DUT
Bachelor's degree
STS
Other university courses
Not in school
All
  
Pass rate in one year
Pass rate in two years
 
 
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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

<iframe src="https://publication.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/eesr/10EN/illustration-EESR10EN_ES_19-2-pass_rate_in_one_or_two_years_in_vocational_bachelor_degree_of_students_enrolled_for_the_first_time_in_vocational_bachelor_degree_in_2013_14_according_to_the_course_taken_the_previous_year.php" width="500px" height="700px" frameborder="0" id="EESR10EN_ES_19-2" scrolling="auto"></iframe>

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19.04 Proportion of 2015 graduates in general Bachelor degree continuing with a Master's according to the discipline in which the Bachelor degree was obtained

Law
Economics
Economic and Social Administration
Humanities-Arts
Languages
Human Sciences
Life sciences, Health care, Earth sciences, Astrophysical sciences
Physical education and sports science and techniques
Pure and applied sciences
Total
  
Proportion of Bachelor degree graduates continuing with a Master's (excluding Teaching Master’s) (%)
Proportion of Bachelor degree graduates continuing with a Teaching Master's (%)
 
 
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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19.05 Changes in Master's pass rate in two years and three years (%)

2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013 1
  
Pass rate in two years (%)
Pass rate in three years (%)
 
 

1 The qualification results for the 2016 session are not yet known, therefore nor is the pass rate in three years for entrants in M1 in 2013.

 Coverage: Whole of France.

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19.06 What becomes of entrants in M1 second year from 2007 to 2014 (%)

2007
 
2009
2011
2013
 
 
2008
2010
2012
 
2014
  
Move to M2
Repeat in M1
Change of trajectory
Leaving university
 
 
 Coverage: Whole of France.

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Related statistical publications

 Note flash SIES 15 - Parcours et réussite aux diplômes universitaires - Isabelle Maetz - November 2016
Cette note de synthèse présente les principaux indicateurs sur le parcours et la réussite des étudiants à l’université. Elle est accompagnée de la publication d'indicateurs complémentaires, l'ensemble étant décliné par université (voir encadré). Ces informations sont publiées pour la cinquième année consécutive.
 Note flash SIES 01 - University degree trajectories and pass rates: indicators from the 2014 session - Isabelle Maetz - February 2016
The pass rate was stable for Bachelor's degree programmes, with 40% of students graduating in 3 or 4 years, as well as for University technology diplomas (DUT), where 3 out of 4 students graduated in 2 or 3 years. The pass rate, which correlates strongly with the type of baccalauréat held, does not include qualifications obtained following course reorientations outside universities. The pass rate for Master's degrees was 65% in 2 or 3 years, demonstrating a constant increase.

Other editions

Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 9th edition - November 2016
18 - student trajectories and pass rates in university Bachelor's degrees, vocational Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees - Isabelle Maetz
At university, 28% of students obtain their Bachelor's degree 3 years after enrolling in the first year and 40% after 3 or 4 years. These rates have changed little in recent years. Nearly three-quarters of Bachelor's degree graduates enrol on a Master's the following year. Pass rates for Master's degrees have significantly increased since 2007; around 54% of students now obtain their degree in two years and 65% in two or three years [Consult the following page]
Etat de l'enseignement supérieur et de la rechercheHigher education & research in France, facts and figures 8th edition - November 2015
17 - student trajectories and pass rates at universities - Samuel Fouquet
Slightly fewer students who started the first year of a Bachelor's degree in 2009 obtained their degree in three years, compared with those who went into the first year in 2005 (-1.7%). However, the proportion of those obtaining a Bachelor's degree in 3 or 4 years remained stable at nearly 40%. 47% of students on Master's degree programmes obtained their degree in two years and 57% in three years, an increase of eight points in four years [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
19 - les parcours et la réussite en Licence, Licence professionnelle et Master à l'université - Isabelle Maetz
À l’université, 27 % des étudiants obtiennent leur Licence 3 ans après leur première inscription en L1 et 39 % après 3 ou 4 ans. Ces taux évoluent peu au cours des dernières années. Près des trois quarts des licenciés s’inscrivent en Master l’année suivante. La réussite en Master a elle fortement progressé depuis 2007 ; 53 % des étudiants obtiennent désormais leur diplôme en deux ans et 65 % en deux ou trois ans [Consult the following page in french]


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