Educational system in France

three, when many children attend kindergarten. Day care is available

from age two.
While kindergarten and day care are not mandatory, all children must be enrolled in school by age six. Primary school consists of five years of study, from approximately age six to age eleven (similar to a US elementary school)

is composed of four years of study, for students ages

eleven through fifteen (similar to a US middle school). Students receive a «brevet des collèges» (certificate) upon its completion.
After the collège students attend the lycée (high school) for the final three years of secondary education. Students then take an examination to receive the baccalauréat (bac) qualification. The baccalauréat is equivalent to the US high school diploma, but differs in that it requires preparatory study.
After the lycée, students choose to pursue either a vocational diploma or an academic diploma

institutions that offer academic, technical, and professional degrees to any

student who has obtained a baccalauréat (high school) or its foreign equivalent. University study leads to degrees in many fields. Degrees are awarded at three different levels of achievement, called cycles, within a framework referred to as license, master, doctorat (LMD).
The licence, a three-year course of study, is an undergraduate degree equivalent to a bachelor's degree in the English-speaking world.
After the licence, students can complete a master, a two-year course of study equivalent to a master's degree. The master can be a professional degree, e.g. law, business, or engineering, or it can be a research degree, leading towards doctoral work.
Students holding a research master’s degree may complete an additional three years' coursework to qualify for a doctorat (doctoral-degree equivalent). The doctorat is obligatory for medical doctors, who receive a state diploma in medicine.

are similar to universities, but typically offer a more specialized

three-year course of study, in subjects such as business, public administration, or engineering. Students are admitted to the Grandes écoles based on their scores on a competitive exam. Before taking this exam, students must have obtained a baccalauréat, and they often have taken a two-year preparatory course. Students graduate from a Grande école with a master's degree.

for professional careers in specific fields, such as art, architecture,

social work, or tourism. They offer licence and master degrees.

de technicien supérieur) are two-year technology-oriented degrees. BTS courses are

offered by high schools, whereas DUT are awarded by universities. A DUT or BTS may be followed by one additional qualifying year of study, leading to a professional license.