Using administrative data on pre-enrolment in higher education from 2013 to 2019, these phenomena are measured using standardised exposure indices. In 2017, recent A-level graduates were unevenly distributed across higher education programmes according to their academic achievement, social background and gender. Half of the educational and social segregation stems from the distribution of students across the main categories of programmes (bachelor’s degrees, preparatory classes, BTS, IUT, etc.), whilst gender segregation occurs more within the fields of study within each of these categories. Much of the segregation at the point of entry into higher education is already evident in the course choices expressed by applicants, whilst the ranking of applicants carried out by the programmes themselves contributes 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 candidates with ‘good’ or ‘very good’ grades rose from 29 per cent to 59 per cent among those receiving an offer of admission in the first round. However, the levels of segregation measured across the three dimensions studied remain broadly stable. In degree programmes facing high demand, the new candidate ranking rules have had a substantial impact, as these programmes do not have sufficient capacity to admit all those wishing to enrol. The final section of the study shows that the introduction of Parcoursup has brought about a more marked change in the distribution of students across degree programmes in Île-de-France, a region where many high-demand bachelor’s degree programmes are concentrated and where social and educational segregation has historically been high.
HAL: hal-03501119
