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Education in France is organized in a highly centralized manner, with many subdivisions.It is divided into the three stages of primary education (enseignement primaire), secondary education (enseignement secondaire), and higher education (enseignement supérieur). The main age that a child starts school in France is age 3. Three year olds do not start primary school, they start preschool. Then, by the age of six, a child in France starts primary school and soon moves onto higher and higher grade levels until they graduate.

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Education is compulsory and free from the age of 3 to the age of 16; it includes three years of pre-primary education (in nursery schools), five years of primary education (at elementary school) plus five years of secondary education: four years at collège (lower secondary education) then one year at lycée (upper secondary education).

Pupils can then continue their education through to the last year of lycée and go onto higher education. Access to higher education is conditioned by passing a State examination, resulting in a national diploma, the baccalauréat.

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Modern education system

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Primary, or first degree, education comprises:

pre-primary education (nursery school), which is compulsory and free. It is for all children aged 3 to 6 years. 2-year-olds can also be admitted if places are available. Nursery schools receive almost 100% of children from the age of 3;

primary education (elementary school), which is compulsory and free, for 6 to 11 year olds. Children go on automatically to secondary education. There are no admission exams.

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Secondary, or second degree, education comprises:

lower secondary education (collège), which is compulsory and free, for 11 to 15 year olds. At the end of the last year ("classe de troisième" or 3rd year), a national diploma is issued, the brevet, which assesses knowledge and skills acquired at collège. Pupils are not required to pass the examination successfully to go on to lycée as the first year of lycée ("classe de seconde" or 2nd year) is part of the compulsory education cycle.

general upper secondary education and vocational upper secondary education (lycée), which is free, for 15 to 18 year olds. After collège, pupils can continue their education in a general baccalauréat and continue long studies in higher education. The technological curriculum prepares pupils for the technological baccalauréat and higher technological studies. The professional curriculum offers concrete education, in close liaison with business and professions. Pupils at a professional lycée prepare a Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnel (CAP) in two years or professional baccalauréat in three years.

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Since 2002, the higher education cycle has been structured into 3 years of Licence (classes préparatoires aux Grandes écoles), elites schools or Grandes Ecoles, Higher Technical Sections (Sections de Techniciens Supérieurs).

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French universities occupy an important place in the intellectual landscape of Europe. Many of them have a rich history dating back to the 12th century. For a long time, French universities, which are considered prestigious universities in the world with Oxford and Bologna Universities, were available only to the upper strata of society. Today, the policy of the French Ministry of Education is democratic and strives to make education in France as attractive and affordable as possible for everyone.

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In France, there are more than 3,500 public and private institutes of higher education. Universities, Grandes Ecoles and schools of art or architecture: there is a wide choice for foreign students who want to study in France.