Number of students enrolled in higher education in France 1980-2024

In 2023/2024, more than 2.9 million students were enrolled in a higher education structure in France. Since 1980, the number of students has more than doubled. That year there were more than 1.18 million students in higher education in the country, compared to 2.16 million in 2000 and this number has kept rising since then.

 In 2022, Eurostat showed that more than 83 percent of individuals aged 25 and over had attained an upper secondary or tertiary education in France.

The democratization of higher education in France

The rising number of students registered in higher education in France shows that higher education has become more accessible and widespread within the French population. French public universities are financed by the State and welcomed around 1.6 million students in 2022, of which the majority were following a degree course in Art and Humanities. In comparison, only 796,100 students were registered at university in France in 1980. The same increase in the number of students has been seen in preparatory classes for entrance to the selective engineering, business, or management schools called Grandes Ecoles.

The limits of the attractiveness of the French education system

Only two French universities were found in the ranking by Times Higher Education of the top European Universities in 2024. Despite having 625 universities in 2023, France appears to be struggling when it comes to reaching the top best universities in Europe. Even though more training is now provided in English, the French language could have been an obstacle to attracting international prestige.