Introduction to Further and Higher Education in France
Originally posted on & updated on 1st April, 2025
If you’re thinking of moving and living in France with kids of any age, the likelihood is that you’ll have further education in your sights in some shape or form. While some kids that move to France with their parents even when they’re small often opt to go back to the UK to go to university or to avail of further education, it’s nice to know what options are open to those kids who decide to stay.
In other words, whatever age your kids are right now, it’s nice to know the long-term options should they choose to continue their studies beyond high school in France.
The Impact of Lycée on Education Choices
In many ways, in France, what happens in high school or Lycée determines which further or higher education option a child takes. As we mentioned in our previous article, at Lycée, a student will either follow a general Baccalauréat or move into a more specialist, job-orientated area of study.
Classes Préparatoires for Universities
In addition to this sort of streaming, some of the best and biggest Lycée in France also offer what are called classes préparatoires (or prépas), which are effectively a two-year ‘training programme’ for students hoping to secure themselves places at the top universities. This two-year programme effectively represents the first two years of higher education. It allows students to work intensively, normally in small groups, increasing their chances of successful acceptance to one of France’s highly esteemed grandes écoles.
Vocational Training Through BTS
Some Lycée also offer the opportunity for students to pursue the equivalent of a Higher National Diploma-type qualification after finishing the Baccalauréat. In France, these courses are called Brevet de Technicien Supérieur or BTS. Once again, these courses are typically pretty intense, with small classes, and tend to cover subjects such as mechanics, secretarial studies, or commerce.
Universities and Private Institutes in France
Over 80 universities and some private institutes in France have the right to award degrees. Universities in France provide degree-level education as well as two-year diplomas (provided by Institut Universitaires de Technologie) and business qualifications, which fall under the category of Instituts d’Administration des Entreprises, or business schools, many of which are private.
Degree Types and Structure
There are three types of degrees in France: the Licence, a three-year qualification; the Master’s, a five-year course; and courses that are eight or more years long and are called Doctorates. It’s quite common in France for people to refer to their level of qualification as BAC +3 or BAC +5, indicating how many years of education they have undertaken after the Baccalauréat,
The French Grading System
The whole French education system relies on a marking system of 20 out of 20, with 10 being a pass. Marks of 12 and above are graded into one of three categories of mention: Assez bien, Bien, and Très Bien (TB), with only a tiny percentage of students receiving TB.
The Prestige of Les Grandes Écoles
As an alternative to university, for the crème de la crème of students, there is what it is known as Les Grandes Ecoles, sometimes termed ‘super-universities’ in France, which have strictly limited spaces and come with highly respected reputations. Such schools include the Ecole Polytechnique, which has been nicknamed ‘X’ and is a school of public engineering; others are the ENA, the Ecole Normale d’Administration, which is geared up to produce high-ranking civil servants and Ecole Normale Supérieure, which, in France, is the highest rated establishment for the arts.
Funding and Financial Support
When it comes to funding, in relation to the UK, university fees in France are extremely low, and France still runs a means-tested grant system to help students with their accommodation and living expenses.
Navigating the French Education System
Although the higher and further education system in France may seem more complex than the system in the UK, there are plenty of sources of help to make sure your kids make the right decisions. This is particularly true for Lycée students, who will be guided both by their principal teachers as well as by career advisors on the best individual choices based on their results and what their hopes and dreams are for the future.
Where to Live for Education Opportunities
If you’re planning to move to France with children and thinking about higher education, you may decide to move in or near a large city with all the schools and amenities for the whole family. Looking for a city pied-a-terre in in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux or Montpellier, check out our a la carte bespoke service. And if you, remember to carefully looking into Visas and travel insurance, once they are in set up in France.
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