Intro

Imagine you’re a French person with a strong academic background, sitting nervously across from an American recruiter in a sleek Manhattan office. You’ve polished your résumé, rehearsed your story, and now comes the moment when the recruiter frowns slightly, tilts their head, and asks,
“I see you did something called… ‘Classe Prépa’? What exactly is that?”

I (Léa) have been in that situation myself — though not in Manhattan, but in the D.C. area instead. At that moment, I paused, realizing just how difficult it is to answer. How do you explain a system so deeply rooted in French education when there’s no true equivalent in North America, the UK, or Australia?

Classe Prépa isn’t just more schoolwork. It’s a full-time, high-pressure program that demands two (sometimes three) years of absolute academic commitment right after high school. Classes Prépas feed the top employers and the most prestigious graduate schools in France with their students — but only after a brutal national exam that filters out all but a few.

Is there any equivalent in the U.S.? Could Classe Prépa be compared to AP classes? Through the stories of Nathan and Agathe (fictional characters), I’ll explore what Classe Prépa — and why it often leaves English-speaking recruiters scratching their heads.

Part 1: Nathan — Life in a Scientific Prépa at Lycée Clémenceau

Nathan is 18 when he finishes high school with a strong science focus — top grades in math, physics, and biology. Instead of heading straight to public university like many of his classmates, his good grades give him the opportunity to enrol in a BCPST program (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Sciences) at the prestigious, public, and free Lycée Clémenceau in Nantes.

His daily life changes dramatically overnight. Classes start at 8 a.m. sharp and often run until 6 p.m., with a short break for lunch. But the real work begins afterward: evenings filled with problem sets, lab reports, oral exams (French: colles) where professors grill students individually, and long weekends spent reviewing textbooks, writing dissertations, and preparing for the next week’s lectures.

Nathan isn’t merely aiming for good grades; he is striving for admission to one of France’s schools that feed the most to top employers. In particular, Nathan is hoping to enter VetAgro Sup in Lyon — one of France’s four national veterinary schools. His other options are l’ENVA in Maisons-Alfort, l’ENVT in Toulouse, and Oniris VetAgroBio in Nantes. If not admitted in any of them, he may have to say “au revoir” to his dream of becoming a veterinarian.

After two years of what could be compared to an intensive, advanced undergraduate science curriculum, the Concours d’Entrée aux Grandes Ecoles day arrives. Nathan and another 156 students spend the week sitting six-hour exams at their assigned desks, working through university-level scientific problems. At the final chemistry exam, Nathan grapples with a mix of exhaustion and determination. The questions are challenging, but he feels a surge of confidence. He solves problems and writes for 5 hours and 47 minutes, and then he gives back his paper to the examiner. Finishing early is a good sign. As he leaves the exam room, he gives a final glance to friends — now his competitors, many of whom can be seen frowning as they focus on the chemistry problems to solve on paper.

Half an hour later, Nathan and his best friends meet in the schoolyard. They can’t help but talk only about the exam. Nathan’s friend Mariam is crying. Her friend Agathe tries to comfort her. Now starts the anxious wait for the results, hoping that their relentless dedication will pay off.

In 2024, the competition was fiercer than ever. According to the French Ministry of Higher Education, 86,900 students were enrolled in preparatory classes, with 54,000 in scientific tracks alone. Most reputed engineering schools in France are Polytechnique, ENS, Centrale, and more. Less than 3% of all Classe prépa students will finally join these schools.

Part 2: Agathe – Dreaming of Business and Global Affairs in Prépa ECG at Lycée Bergson

While Nathan wrestles with scientific formulas, Agathe makes a very different choice.
Determined to work in international business, she enrolls in a Classe Préparatoire aux Grandes Écoles de Commerce— a highly competitive track designed to prepare students for France’s top business schools.

Unlike the traditional literary or scientific prépas, which mainly lead to tuition-free public universities, business prépas feed into private Grandes Écoles where tuition fees resemble American college costs — often reaching €15,000 to €20,000 per year. As a result, business prépas attract more students from wealthy or business-savvy families, who see these schools as an investment toward prestigious, high-paying careers in finance, consulting, and international management. Agathe, with her strong background in mathematics, economics, and humanities, knows the path will be competitive — and expensive. But she is ready for the challenge.

Her days become a fast-paced marathon. Mornings start with advanced mathematics — either applied math for business modeling or in-depth mathematics for data analysis. She also attends courses in economics, covering microeconomic theory, market structures, and public policy. Later in the day, she studies sociology and contemporary history, connecting historical events to modern social and economic systems. Afternoons are devoted to geopolitics — analyzing how geography influences global power — and foreign languages, where she sharpens her English and Spanish for future international work.

She also tackles philosophy and literature, focusing on the ethical foundations of leadership and capitalism. The assignments are no easier than the schedule. In philosophy class, Agathe is asked to write a dissertation on the topic (in French): “Comment le profit peut-il guider éthiquement la stratégie d’une entreprise ?” A 6-hour timed essay where she must mobilize authors from Aristotle to Milton Friedman, critically argue both sides, and structure her thinking with impeccable logic — all without notes.

In economics, she writes analytical essays such as (in French) : “L’impact du salaire minimum sur le taux de chômage dans les marchés libéraux”
where she must use real-world data, economic models, and historical examples to craft a coherent argument.

Evenings, meanwhile, are filled with essays like these, case studies, complex math problems, and preparation for the weekly colles — oral exams where professors challenge students to argue, solve, or analyze on the spot. Agathe’s goal is clear: pass the fiercely competitive entrance exams for France’s top business schools — ideally HEC Paris, ESSEC Business School, or ESCP Business School. From there, she dreams of launching an international career, possibly working in global finance, consulting, or at an institution like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In 2024, about 20,000 students across France enroll in business prépas like ECG. Among them, less than one out of ten students successfully integrate the most prestigious Grandes Écoles de commerce.

After two relentless years balancing quantitative problem-solving and critical thinking, Agathe sits for the national entrance exams — the Concours. She delivers her best, but now, like Nathan, she waits — knowing that everything rests on a few decisive rankings.

Part 3: The Race to France’s Most Prestigious Schools

Why all this effort put into classe prépa programs? What school? What career? What salary? Who might hire you? Will it be worth it for Agathe and Nathan? Let’s take a step back in this section to understand where Classe Prépa is designed to lead. First of all, each type of Prépa leads to a different set of schools.

Scientific Prépas (like BCPST, MPSI, PCSI) prepare students for engineering schools such as École Polytechnique (“X” pour les intimes), CentraleSupélec, Mines Paris, ENS Ulm, and specialized institutions like veterinary schools.
→ Where does this prépa scientifique track lead?
Graduates typically pursue careers in engineering, scientific research, technology innovation, environmental science, data science, and veterinary medicine.Typical big employers:Airbus (aerospace engineering), Safran (aerospace and defense), Thales (technology and cybersecurity), TotalEnergies (energy and sustainability), CEA (Atomic Energy Commission – research). Starting salaries: €40,000 to €55,000 per year after engineering school graduation. Higher for Polytechnique or Mines Paris graduates entering consulting or finance (€60,000+ in some cases).
Business Prépas (ECG) aim at elite business schools including HEC Paris, ESSEC Business School, ESCP Business School, EDHEC, and EMLYON Business School.
→ Where does this classe prépa commerciale track lead?  Graduates often enter finance, consulting, entrepreneurship, luxury brand management, or international business leadership.
Typical big employers: Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, LVMH, L’Oréal, Hermès, and other management positions in luxury brands. Starting salaries: €45,000 to €65,000 per year in consulting and finance right after graduation. Luxury sector roles slightly lower to start (€40,000–€50,000), but often grow rapidly.
Literary Prépas (Hypokhâgne/Khâgne) target top humanities schools such as the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris and Lyon, École des Chartes, and selective entry into Sciences Po Paris for public affairs, international relations, and social sciences.
→ Where does this Hypokhâgne/khâgne track lead? Graduates typically work in academia, journalism, publishing, public administration, diplomacy, and international relations. Typical big employers: media and journalism (Le Monde, France Culture, AFP), public institutions (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union institutions), and international organisations (UNESCO, United Nations, OECD). Starting salaries: €30,000 to €45,000 per year depending on the sector (journalism, civil service, cultural industries). Diplomatic roles and public administration start modestly but offer strong career progression. Success rates vary significantly. For instance, in 2024, about 86,900 students enrolled in Classe Prépa across France (Campus France, 2024), but only a fraction secure places in the top-ranked schools:

Admission rates at HEC Paris hover around 5% for Prépa ECG candidates.
Only 300–350 students from all scientific Prépas combined are admitted annually to École Polytechnique.
At ENS Ulm, fewer than 100 students across all fields are admitted each year from literary and scientific Prépas combined.

These Grandes Écoles, although separate from the regular university system, are either publicly funded (like École Polytechnique and ENS) or privately managed but accredited and supported by the state (like HEC Paris, ESSEC). While public Grandes Écoles often charge modest tuition fees (for example, less than €1,000 per year at ENS), private Grandes Écoles in business and management charge €15,000 to €20,000 per year.

Part 4: Behind the Scenes – Funding Excellence: The Work of Monsieur Lefèvre

While Nathan and Agathe live the daily intensity of Classe Prépa, Monsieur Lefèvre works quietly behind the scenes to make it all possible.
From his office at the French Ministry of Education in Paris, Monsieur Lefèvre manages one of the most delicate and strategic tasks in the national education system: ensuring that Classe Prépas across France receive the funding they need to operate at full strength.

Each year, Monsieur Lefèvre and his team carefully balance the education budget, knowing that Classes Prépas require a far higher investment per student than regular university programs. On average, the French state spends two to three times more per CPGE student than per university student. While a typical public university student might cost the state around €10,000 a year, a student in a Classe Prépa — with smaller class sizes, specialized professors, and intensive training — cost the state closer to €20,000 annually.

And yet, students themselves pay very little. In 2024, official tuition fees for public higher education programs in France remain modest — €175 per year for undergraduate students, €250 per year for graduate students. Thanks to heavy state subsidies, even the most intensive Classe Prépas are almost free to those who attend.

For Monsieur Lefèvre, the financial challenge is more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. It is about maintaining one of France’s proudest traditions: a system where academic merit, not financial background, determines who gets a shot at the nation’s top schools and future leadership positions. He knows, however, that the reality is complex. Because Classe Prépa life is so demanding — full-time study, constant pressure, no time for part-time jobs — students from more affluent families are still overrepresented. Scholarships, housing assistance, and targeted support programs exist to correct these inequalities, but the challenge remains.

Every year, when Monsieur Lefèvre finalizes the CPGE funding package, he feels a quiet sense of pride.
He knows that somewhere across France, thousands of students — like Nathan and Agathe — are giving everything they have, and that the country is investing back in them, not just for their futures, but for France’s future too.

Part 5: The Results – Two Paths Forward

Summer arrives, and with it, the moment Agathe and Nathan have been waiting for: the results of the concours. After two years of long nights, relentless studying, and emotional highs and lows, everything now hinges on a screen, a list, a ranking.

Agathe’s results come first. She holds her breath as she scrolls through the admissions list.
There it is: her name. She’s qualified for admission to the IEP de Rennes — one of France’s Instituts d’Études Politiques, part of the Sciences Po network.
It’s not her first-choice Paris campus, but it’s a prestigious, selective school with strong programs in political science, economics, and international relations. More importantly, it’s a door that has opened.

But the race isn’t over. Next comes the oral examination phase, and Agathe knows how crucial it is. The oral will test her ability to express ideas clearly, defend positions, and show the kind of intellectual agility that Classe Prépa was meant to cultivate.
She spends the next weeks preparing — reading the press, practicing mock interviews, analyzing current events — sharpening her mind for the next test.

Nathan’s results arrive a few days later.
He gave everything he had, but it wasn’t enough — he didn’t qualify for veterinary school. For a while, there’s only silence. No tears, no drama. Just fatigue. And disappointment.

After long conversations with his parents, and a few phone calls with former teachers, Nathan makes a decision. Rather than repeat the concours or shift to another field, he’ll enroll in the third year of a biology degree at a nearby public university.
It’s a more flexible environment — less pressure, more room to breathe. But it’s not giving up. Nathan still hopes to enter a veterinary program later, either through a different track or a master’s degree route.

The path may be winding, but Nathan now has tools he didn’t have two years ago: discipline, depth, and a mind trained to think under pressure.

Part 6: Merci pour avoir lu. Thank you so much for reading!

I hope you enjoyed this journey into the world of Classe Prépa — and maybe even pictured yourself in a French classroom along the way. This article took me about five days (and several strong coffees) to write, with the help of my ever-patient writing assistant. I chose this topic as part of a broader effort to make French education systems more accessible to English-speaking readers. If you made it to the end, I owe you an espresso!