Next possible start dates: January and August 2026. Apply now!

Your student exchange in France: Live with a French host family and go to a local High School in France!

Nacel organizes a cultural student exchange program in France dedicated to native English or Spanish speakers who study French at school: come to France for a few months, live with a volunteer host family and go to a Lycée! This is the best way for you to become bilingual and bicultural!

This French exchange program takes place in high schools all across France.

International students join school lectures as any other local student and graduation is possible, as long as the student remains at least 2 years in France (Grade 11 and 12). Most exchange students in France stay for a semester or an academic year and collect a transcript with subjects and grades from their French school.  

Only students with native English or Spanish mother tongues are eligible for this cultural exchange in France. If you speak a different language, please contact us to learn about alternative exchange programs in France.

Study Abroad in France / Subjects, grades, and credits:

Before registering for the High School exchange program in France, students must gather all necessary information regarding the recognition of their exchange program abroad: 

• If a grade report is required at the end of the program (Full academic year or semester program only), students must inform their Nacel counselor with a list of specific classes that need to be attended.  Nacel recommends that students arrange a meeting with their school counselor to determine what subjects they need to attend while abroad, to be able to earn credits from their study abroad program. Nacel is not responsible for the procedures and information required for this process in the home country. However, our team of professionals provides you with full support to initiate the process. Note that your level in the French language will also determine your ability to earn credits: start to study the language even more intensively as soon as you book your exchange program in France!  
• If you wish to graduate from a French Lycee, please note that it is possible as long as you study in years 11 and 12 and pass all exams with success. 
• If you do not need to earn credits, your school year will be recognized in your career as an enriching gap year in France. 

Learn more about the French high School System: 

• ​About the French grade report you may earn
• How will my grades look like if I'm an exchange student in France?
• Prepare your presentation video​
  

How will my French cultural exchange program with Nacel look like?

• This French student exchange program in France has been exclusively designed for international students who speak native English or Spanish. Volunteer families welcome international students speaking English or Spanish because they hope that this cultural exchange will also expose their children to the foreign languages they study at school!
• Our students are placed with volunteer host families all across France. 
• Students are usually placed in day schools during their school year in France but also have the opportunity to attend a private 5-day boarding or even a private permanent boarding school in France. 
• Students arriving in late August and starting school in September participate in a 3-day cultural and linguistic orientation camp in Paris, where they meet with all other exchange students, coming from all over the world!
• All students have the support and assistance of a local coordinator during their whole high school exchange program in France. A 24/7 hotline is also available at all times. 

Who is the Classic exchange program in France ideal for?

This Classic exchange program in France is ideal for students who :

• are open to be placed in any region in France; 
• who value the host family relationship as the most important aspect of their program; 
• who are looking for the cheapest option for their High School Abroad in France;
• who are flexible to adapt to host family life and customs;
  
• who can adapt to countryside/village life; 
• who are looking for an immersive experience with a host family and a local community;
• who are ready to share time with the host family members and actively participate in family life. 

This program is not ideal for students:

• who would like to choose an area: if you would like to choose an area, have a look at our high school program in selected French boarding schools​
  
• who would like to live in a middle-sized city: choose a boarding school in the Loire Valley​
• who would like to study and live in Paris area: choose our English-speaking High School Exchange in Paris
• who do not feel comfortable living with a host family: choose our full-time boarding school options. 

Looking for a shorter experience? Come for 2 to 10 weeks to experience French cultural immersion in a host family and French school. 

If you are rather a beginner in French or wish to study in English while you are in France, visit the website of our English-speaking high school in the Paris area. You will attend American subjects or/as well as IB subjects taught in English. You will attend one one-hour French class every day and also have the opportunity to live with a French host family to practise your French! Contact us to inquire.