The French education system is centralized, secular (*laïque*), and highly esteemed. Compulsory education begins at age 3 and lasts until age 16. The public school system spans *école maternelle* (preschool), *école élémentaire* (primary), *collège* (middle school), and *lycée* (high school), culminating in the grueling *baccalauréat* exam, which is required for university entry.
Higher education is split between public universities (which are generally open-admission and highly affordable) and the uniquely French *Grandes Écoles*—elite, highly selective institutions that traditionally produce the nation's political, engineering, and business leaders. Notable institutions include: * **Sorbonne University:** One of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, renowned for humanities and sciences. * **École Polytechnique:** A premier engineering institution under the Ministry of Armed Forces. * **HEC Paris:** Consistently ranked among the top business schools globally. * **Sciences Po:** The leading university for political science and international affairs. * **Université Paris-Saclay:** A relatively new mega-university that has rapidly become a global powerhouse in mathematics and natural sciences.