Study at a public or private boarding school in France
Your Exchange Program at a French boarding school starts here with Nacel.
You are enrolled in one of the public or private French high schools offering a Boarding House. These French high schools welcome a majority of day schoolers and some boarders. Boarders represent a small portion of the student population. These schools usually welcome between 30 and 150 French boarders and a few international boarders. Join them now!
We place our exchange students all over France. Many of the French boarding schools are located in middle-sized cities or the countryside.
These boarding schools in France have several decades of experience in education and offer a general academic French High School curriculum. Exchange students usually attend a 10th or an 11th grade and, in some rare cases a 9th grade at middle school (Collège). Exchange students live at the boarding house of the school from Monday to Friday and with a nice French host family during weekends and school holidays.
Only students with native English and Spanish mother tongues are eligible for this program. If you speak a different language, please contact us to learn about alternative exchange programs in France.
What about the French school system?
French secondary education is divided into two schools:
- the “collège” for the first four years directly following primary school (Grades 6-9)
- the “lycée” for the next three years.
Completion of secondary studies leads to the “baccalauréat”. The school’s director makes the decision regarding grade and placement level for international students, taking into account the school’s organization, the student’s transcripts, and their French level. All students attend general classes such as French, History, Foreign Language (usually English, then German or Spanish), Sports, Sciences, etc. Require our dedicated handbook about the French school system!
Graduation from a French boarding school is only possible after at least two years of study (Grade 11 and 12).
Learn more about the French High School System on the Blog:
Study abroad in a French boarding school
Most private boarding schools in France only offer a 5-day boarding option. Exchange students are therefore welcomed by French host families during the weekends and the school breaks. The family also takes care of the laundry of the student. They also keep in touch with your school to monitor your academic progress.
A typical day at school will follow this schedule:
- 7 am wake up
- 7.10 am to 7.45 am breakfast
- 8 am the boarding school quarters are closed
- 8:30 to 12 pm morning schedule
- 12pm to 1pm lunch
- 1pm to 4pm afternoon schedule
- 5 pm or 6 pm compulsory study time
- 7 pm to 7.30 pm dinner
- 8 pm to 9 pm compulsory study time
- 9 pm to 10 pm Free time to relax
- 10.15 pm Curfew
You leave your school after your last class on Friday and join your host family to spend the weekend with them. They accompany you back to the dorm on Sunday evening or Monday morning. You also spend the school breaks with your host family: the French school calendar is generous, and you have a 2-week school break every 6 weeks!
Rather looking for an exchange program in France living full time with a host famiy? Or a program in a different location? Look at our page dedicated to student exchange in France.
