In 2017, recent A-level graduates were unevenly distributed across higher education programmes depending on their academic performance, social background and gender. For example, recent A-level graduates who achieved a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ grade – who account for 28 per cent of all recent A-level graduates – are admitted to programmes where, on average, 50 per cent of students have achieved such a grade, whereas this proportion is only 21 per cent in programmes admitting new A-level graduates with a ‘fairly good’ or ‘passable’ grade. Around half of educational and social segregation stems from the distribution of students across the main categories of study programmes (bachelor’s degrees, preparatory classes, BTS, IUT, etc.), whilst gender segregation occurs more within the fields of study within each of these categories. A large proportion of the segregation at the point of entry into higher education is already evident in the course choices expressed by applicants, whilst the rankings of applicants carried out by the programmes themselves contribute only marginally to this.
The introduction of Parcoursup in 2018 had a significant impact on the ranking practices of non-selective programmes (university bachelor’s degrees): the proportion of ‘good’ or ‘very good’ grades thus rose from 29 per cent to 59 per cent among the highest-ranked applicants. However, the levels of segregation measured across the three dimensions studied remain broadly stable. It is only in a minority of bachelor’s degree programmes facing high demand that the new candidate ranking rules have had an impact, as these programmes do not have sufficient capacity to admit all those wishing to enrol.
HAL: hal-0350111
