Higher education in France - statistics & facts

In 2022, France had almost three million students. A figure that has been constantly increasing since 1980, when there were less than half as many people studying after their baccalaureate. This democratization of higher education is due in part to a change in the French economy over the last few decades. Formerly very agricultural and industrialized, the French economy is now primarily a service economy, with jobs to be filled which require increased specialization and therefore an increase in the length of study.


French students are still going to public universities

Higher education in France is fragmented among several institutions: the public university, private schools (business, engineering) and short professional courses. The university was the institution that received the most students during the 2021-2022 academic year, representing more than half of the student population. They were therefore far ahead of business and engineering schools, which registered between 175,000 and 240,000 students. Although universities are popular among the majority of French people, it is the business schools that have the wind in their sails. The number of students enrolled in these private schools has not stopped increasing since 2000, going from 63,400 to nearly 240,000 in 2022.

Private and public education and social inequalities

The principle of free or quasi-free education is a fundamental principle of European and French education. In a French university in 2019, the tuition cost 685 U.S. dollars, compared to more than 11,213 U.S. dollars in England. In addition, some students are exempt from paying tuition fees. Scholarships based on social criteria are awarded to students with low family incomes. The differences in the amount of grants awarded and the number of recipients vary considerably depending on the field chosen. In 2021, more than half of students in higher technician training were eligible for a grant, and therefore came from a low-income family, compared to only 12 percent of business school students. The inequalities continue in the working world as well. About 20 percent of French people who did not study after obtaining their baccalaureate were looking for work, compared with 12 percent of those who had completed a short term course of higher education, and nine percent of those who had completed a long term program.

Academic research in France

Since 2009, the French government's investment in research and development has not increased. In 2009, 2.2 percent of GDP was spent on research, in 2010, the rate was not much different. In addition, the number of PhDs in France has stagnated over the same period, ranging from 11,000 to 14,000. However, the number of researchers has increased year after year since 2008, reaching more than 313,000 in 2019.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Mar 11, 2024

Key insights

Number of students in France
2.97m
Share of people aged over 25 with higher education in France
82.2%
Average state spending per student in higher education in France
11,630 EUR
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of students registered in higher education in France between 1980 and 2023 (in 1,000s)

Educational Institutions & Market

Number of students enrolled in higher education in France 1980-2023

Share of those aged 25 and over with upper secondary or tertiary education attainment in France from 2006 to 2022

Education Level & Skills

Adults with upper secondary or tertiary education attainment in France 2006-2022

Number of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees awarded by year in France from 2007 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Education & Science

Number of bachelor's, master's and PhDs degrees awarded in France 2007-2021

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Public spending in France
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Millennials in France
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Primary and secondary education in France
Primary and secondary education in France

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