There are now over 75 universities
in France, 17 of which are in Paris. As everybody in France
has the right to go to university once they have taken
and passed their Baccalaureate, most major towns have
a university with at least an Arts or Science faculty
and usually Law and Political Science.
The norm is that most French youngsters will go to
university after school to gain some kind of qualification
because there are no specific entrance requirements.
This means that as well as being grossly overcrowded,
the French educational institutions are highly competitive
and students who fall behind are not allowed to continue
with their studies after their first set of exams in
January. The lack of a selection system also means that,
apart from making a provisional application to the university
of your choice (in 99% of cases this is the university
nearest to your home town), places in courses are allocated
on a first-come, first-served basis.
