This page compares the education systems of France and Denmark.
Education System Overview
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| System Type | Public-private mix; Governance model: Centralized, with national rules for curricula, qualifications and teacher recruitment, while regions, departments and municipalities manage responsibilities such as buildings, equipment and local services. [French Ministry] | Public/private mix with decentralized municipal delivery. National legislation sets the main rules for compulsory education, while municipalities operate the public Folkeskole system and publicly supported private schools provide an alternative. [Ministry of Education] |
| Governing Body | Ministry of National Education for school education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space for tertiary education. | Ministry of Children and Education for school and upper-secondary education; municipalities for public primary and lower-secondary schools; and the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Digital Affairs with the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science for most tertiary education. [Danish Ministry] |
| Government Expenditure on Education (% of GDP) | 5.32% of GDP (2022, latest available value for general government expenditure on education). [World Bank] | 6.4% of GDP in 2022, the latest value in the World Bank/UNESCO UIS government-expenditure series. [World Bank] |
Education Structure & Compulsory Schooling
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory Age Range | From age 3 to age 16. A separate training obligation applies from ages 16 to 18 and can be fulfilled through schooling, vocational training, employment, civic service or an approved support pathway. [Éduscol] | Compulsory education normally begins in August of the calendar year in which a child turns 6 and ends after completion of Grade 9, normally around age 16. Denmark requires education rather than attendance at a particular type of school. [Ministry of Education] |
| Total Compulsory Duration (Years) | 13 years of compulsory instruction (ages 3–16), followed by the separate training obligation through age 18. | 10 years: one compulsory preschool class, known as Grade 0, followed by Grades 1–9. Grade 10 is optional. [Ministry of Education] |
| Pre-primary Education (ECE) Access | Compulsory from age 3. In 2024, the schooling rate was 98.5% at age 3 and 100% at ages 4 and 5. [French Ministry] | Optional before compulsory preschool class. Participation is high: 94.7% of 3-year-olds were enrolled in early childhood education in 2023. [OECD] |
| Primary + Secondary Education Structure (Years) | 5 + 4 + 3 (Primary + Lower Secondary/Collège + Upper Secondary/Lycée). Pre-primary education normally adds three years before primary school. [French Ministry] | 1 + 9 + 3 is the common general route: one compulsory preschool-class year, Grades 1–9 of compulsory school and usually three years of general upper-secondary education. An optional Grade 10 is also available. Vocational routes have different durations. [Ministry of Education] |
| Vocational vs. General Upper Secondary Split (%) | Approximately 29.3% Vocational / 70.7% General & Technological among lycée students in 2025, based on 661,600 vocational and 1,599,400 general and technological students. [French Ministry] | Approximately 19% vocational / 81% general among 15–19-year-old upper-secondary students in the latest directly comparable OECD distribution. Danish VET students are often older than students in general upper-secondary education, so this age-based measure does not represent all VET participation. [OECD] |
Academic Calendar & Instruction Time
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Year Start (Typical Month) | September. [French Ministry] | August |
| Academic Year End (Typical Month) | July. [French Ministry] | June |
| Instruction Weeks per Year | 36 weeks. [Légifrance] | Approximately 40 weeks in the most common Folkeskole calendar. [Ministry of Education] |
| Instruction Days per Year | — | Approximately 200 days in the most common school-year arrangement. [Ministry of Education] |
Grading System
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Primary/Secondary Grading Scale | The 0–20 scale is widely used in secondary education, while competency-based assessment is also used, particularly during compulsory schooling. | 7-point scale: -3, 00, 02, 4, 7, 10, 12. Grades 02, 4, 7, 10 and 12 are passing grades when a pass requirement applies. [Ministry of Education] |
| Higher Education Grading Scale | Commonly 0–20, with 10/20 generally representing a passing mark; higher education programs use ECTS credits within the LMD degree structure. [Campus France] | The same 7-point scale is used across state-regulated higher education, with pass/fail assessment also permitted in specified courses. [Danish Agency] |
Language of Instruction
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Instruction Languages (K–12) | French | Danish is the main language of instruction in ordinary public schooling. |
| Other Official / Minority Instruction Languages (K–12) | Regional languages can be taught through bilingual or specialized programs, including Breton, Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Occitan and regional Germanic languages. | German is used in recognized German-minority schools in Southern Jutland. International and bilingual schools may teach partly or fully in English or another language. |
School Provision & Access (K–12)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Public School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | 86.4% in primary education and 78.8% in secondary education in 2025. [French Ministry] | At compulsory-school level, approximately 82% of pupils attend the municipal/public sector, based on the Ministry's reported 18% share attending free private primary and lower-secondary schools. [Ministry of Education] |
| Public School Tuition Fee (Annual, Local Currency) | $0 tuition. Public primary and secondary education is tuition-free. [French Ministry] | $0. Municipal Folkeskole education is free of charge. [Ministry of Education] |
| Public Schools Nationwide Availability | Yes, with public primary and secondary education provided nationwide. | Yes. Municipalities are responsible for providing public compulsory education throughout Denmark. [Ministry of Education] |
| Private School Enrollment Share (K–12, % of Students) | Approximately 13.6% in primary education and 21.2% in secondary education in 2025. [French Ministry] | Approximately 18% of compulsory-school pupils attend a free private primary and lower-secondary school. These schools receive public subsidies and may charge parental fees. [Ministry of Education] |
| Private Schools (Geographic Concentration) | — | Nationwide, with free private schools operating in both urban and regional areas. |
International Schools (K–12)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Number of International Schools (Total) | — | 26 recognized international basic schools in the Ministry's official category. [Ministry of Education] |
| Number of IB World Schools | — | 20 IB World Schools currently offer at least one IB programme in Denmark; 17 offer the Diploma Programme. [IB] |
| Main International Programmes Offered | International Baccalaureate, International Sections, Cambridge programs and American-style curricula, depending on the school. The IB currently lists French schools offering PYP, MYP, DP and CP programs. [IB] | International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International and school-specific British, American or bilingual programs. |
Resources & Learning Environment (K–12)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Teacher Qualification (Public Schools) | From the 2026 recruitment session, the main external teacher recruitment competitions opened at Bachelor’s level (bac+3), followed by two years of paid initial training. Transitional bac+5 competitions continue through 2027 for candidates already following the previous route. [French Ministry] | For the standard Folkeskole teacher pathway, a four-year Professional Bachelor's degree in teacher education totaling 240 ECTS, including teaching practice. Upper-secondary teacher qualification requirements differ. [Danish Agency] |
| Average Class Size (Primary) | 21.1 students in elementary classes (2025). [French Ministry] | Approximately 19 students in 2023. [OECD] |
| Average Class Size (Lower Secondary) | 25.7 students in collège classes (2025). [French Ministry] | Approximately 20 students in 2023. [OECD] |
| Average Class Size (Upper Secondary) | 30.2 students in general and technological lycée classes / 18.4 students in vocational lycée classes (2025). [French Ministry] | — |
System Performance & Learning Outcomes (OECD/PISA)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| PISA Participation Years | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] | 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025. [OECD] |
| PISA 2018 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 495 / 493 / 493. [OECD] | 509 / 501 / 493 |
| PISA 2022 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 474 / 474 / 487. [OECD] | 489 / 489 / 494. [OECD] |
| PISA 2025 Scores (Mathematics / Reading / Science) | 458 / 456 / 483. France performed close to the OECD averages of 463 in mathematics, 461 in reading and 482 in science. [OECD] | 471 / 460 / 478. [OECD] |
| PISA Performance Trend 2000–2025 | France’s 2025 results were lower than in 2022 in mathematics and reading and about the same in science. The 2025 results were among France’s lowest PISA results across all three domains and were below the levels recorded in 2015. [OECD] | Performance was lower in 2025 than in 2022 in mathematics, reading and science. Mathematics declined by 19 points, reading by 29 points and science by 16 points. OECD reports that 2025 performance in all three subjects was lower than in any Danish PISA assessment conducted before 2022. [OECD] |
| Strongest Subject Area (PISA 2025) | Science (Score: 483), followed by mathematics at 458 and reading at 456. [OECD] | Science — 478 points. [OECD] |
Higher Education System
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Higher Education Institutions (Total) | More than 3,500 public and private higher education institutions. [Campus France] | 25 core institutions across the main state-regulated categories: 8 universities, 7 university colleges, 7 business academies and 3 architecture/art institutions. Additional specialized institutions fall under other administrative arrangements. [Danish Agency] |
| Number of Universities (Research Universities) | 78 universities and communities of institutions. [Campus France] | 8 universities: University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, University of Southern Denmark, Roskilde University, Aalborg University, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen Business School and IT University of Copenhagen. [Danish Agency] |
| Number of Universities of Applied Sciences / Colleges | — | 7 university colleges and 7 business academies. Denmark does not use a single formal “University of Applied Sciences” category equivalent to some other European systems. [Danish Agency] |
| Main Institution Types | Universities; Grandes Écoles; engineering schools; business and management schools; art and architecture schools; specialized institutions; IUT and STS programs. | Universities, university colleges, business academies and architecture/art institutions, alongside additional specialized tertiary providers. |
| Tertiary Enrollment Share by Ownership | — | Public institutions: 99.6% / government-dependent private institutions: approximately 0.3% / independent private institutions: approximately 0% in 2023. [OECD] |
| English-Taught Degree Programmes (Bachelor + Master, Total) | More than 1,600 programs taught in English. [Campus France] | 500+ English-taught higher education programs across Danish institutions. [Study in Denmark] |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in National Languages (%) | — | — |
| Share of Tertiary Programmes Taught in English (%) | — | — |
| Main Global Ranking Used | Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2026. [Campus France] | QS World University Rankings 2027. [QS] |
| Universities in Top 100 (Selected Ranking) | 4 in ARWU 2026: Paris-Saclay University, PSL University, Sorbonne University and Université Paris Cité. [Campus France] | 1 in QS 2027: University of Copenhagen (=90). [QS] |
| Universities in Top 500 (Selected Ranking) | 17 in ARWU 2026, including the four institutions in the Top 100 and 13 additional institutions ranked from 101 to 500. [Campus France] | 5 in QS 2027: University of Copenhagen (=90), Technical University of Denmark (105), Aarhus University (=128), University of Southern Denmark (=283) and Aalborg University (=329). [QS] |
| Universities in Top 1000 (Selected Ranking) | 27 in ARWU 2026. [Campus France] | 5 in QS 2027. Roskilde University is ranked in the 1001–1200 band, while Copenhagen Business School and IT University of Copenhagen do not have an overall QS World University Ranking position in this edition. [QS] |
| National Accreditation / QA Agency (Higher Education) | Hcéres (High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education), which evaluates higher education institutions, programs and research units. [Hcéres] | Danish Accreditation Institution (Danmarks Akkrediteringsinstitution), which conducts accreditation work within Denmark's higher education quality-assurance system. |
| International Students (Total) | 443,500 foreign students were enrolled in French higher education in 2024/25. [Campus France] | Approximately 30,000 international tertiary students in 2023, the latest OECD internationally comparable total. [OECD] |
| International Students Share of Total Tertiary Enrollment (%) | Approximately 15% in 2024/25. [Campus France] | 9.9% in 2023, down from 10.7% in 2018. [OECD] |
Education Costs (Indicative)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Public University Tuition Fees – Domestic / Regional (Annual, Local Currency) | Approximately $210–$740 per year for standard public Bachelor’s, Master’s and engineering registration fees in 2026/27; some institutions and programs charge different amounts. [Campus France] | $0 for Danish students and generally for eligible students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland in public higher education. [Study in Denmark] |
| Public University Tuition Fees – International / Non-EU (Annual, Local Currency) | Approximately $3,400–$4,700 per year for differentiated Bachelor’s and Master’s fees in 2026/27 at institutions applying the national fee schedule; exemptions and lower fees apply in some cases. [Campus France] | Typically $8,000–$21,000 per year for fee-paying full-degree students, equivalent to the official published range of DKK 45,000–120,000. Exact fees are set by institutions. [Study in Denmark] |
| Typical Tuition Fees for English-Taught Programmes (Annual, Local Currency) | — | $0 for eligible EU/EEA/Swiss students; generally $8,000–$21,000 per year for other full-degree students. [Study in Denmark] |
| Language School Costs (Monthly, Local Currency) | — | — |
Major Education Updates & Policy Changes
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2010: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2010–2020: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2020–2024: Key Updates & Reforms | ||
| 2025–2026: Key Updates & Reforms |
General Overview (Narrative)
| Category | France | Denmark |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | France operates a centralized education system with national curricula, qualifications and teacher recruitment alongside local responsibility for school facilities and services. Compulsory instruction runs from age 3 to 16, followed by a training obligation through age 18. Primary and secondary education follow a 5+4+3 structure, with upper secondary students choosing general, technological or vocational pathways. Most students attend public schools, which are tuition-free. In PISA 2025, France scored 458 in mathematics, 456 in reading and 483 in science; mathematics and reading were lower than in 2022, while science was about the same. Higher education includes more than 3,500 institutions, including universities, Grandes Écoles, engineering schools, business schools and specialized institutions. France had 443,500 foreign students in higher education in 2024/25. Current changes include bac+3 teacher recruitment from the 2026 session, the first early mathematics examination for the baccalauréat in June 2026, and new mathematics programs introduced for seconde and première in the 2026/27 school year. | Denmark has a decentralized public/private education system in which municipalities operate the public Folkeskole within national legislation. Compulsory education lasts 10 years, beginning with preschool class in the year a child turns six and continuing through Grade 9. Municipal schools provide free education, while about 18% of compulsory-school pupils attend publicly supported free private schools. General upper-secondary programs and vocational education provide the main routes after compulsory school. Danish is the principal instructional language, with German-minority and international-school provision also available. In PISA 2025, Denmark scored 471 in mathematics, 460 in reading and 478 in science; all three results were lower than in 2022. Higher education includes eight research universities, seven university colleges and seven business academies, with 99.6% of tertiary students enrolled in public institutions in 2023. Current school changes include greater local flexibility, fewer compulsory leaving examinations and revised subject plans, while a new epx upper-secondary route is being prepared for introduction in 2030. |