Annual overview of the CDEFI: 17% of international students in French schools of engineering

Students, Institutions

Every year in June, the Conférence des directeurs des écoles françaises d’ingénieurs (CDEFI, Conference of Directors of French Schools of Engineering) publishes the Annual overview of French Schools of Engineering processing data collected from institutions during the 2020-2021 period. Figures provide an overview of the activity of schools in relation with key topics such as the number of students, the international aspect and professional integration. Regarding the openness to the international, the CDEFI registers 17% of international students in schools of engineering, regardless of the training course.

The Conference of Directors of French Schools of Engineering (CDEFI) is an association created in 2004 including directors of French public and private schools of engineering, accredited by the Commission of Engineer Titles (CTI in French) to deliver the title of graduate engineer. The CDEFI is an advisory body representing schools of engineering before the government, the European Union and international organisations.

A body of students on the rise

Data collected by the CDEFI for the 2020-2021 period indicate that 244,000 students are registered in schools of engineering, regardless of the training course. Some 185,600 students are registered in engineering training course, and 154,000 in engineer cycle. The number of students registered in engineer cycle increased by 2.5% compared to the previous year, and 19.5% over 5 years. Women stand for about 30% of students registered, regardless of the training course.

More precisely, public schools (under supervision by the ministry of higher education, dependent of a university or not) include 57% of learners in engineering training course. Private schools train 31%, and external schools under supervision of another technical ministry (such as agriculture) train 12%.

Clear international openness

According to the CDEFI, in 2020-2021, and despite the health crisis, schools of engineering, regardless of the training course, welcomed 17% of international students. Students from outside the EU stand for 15% of students registered. And the CDEFI add that "if we focus on students engineers, we note that less than 2% are foreigners of European nationality, while foreign students with a nationality from outside Europe are 13%”.

In addition, young foreigners stand for the majority (53%) of doctorate students registered in schools of engineering.
Regarding joint degrees, French students-engineers still prefer (respectively) Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Regarding international students with a joint degree from a French school of engineering, they mainly come from Morocco, Brazil and China.

Quick and lasting professional integration

The CDEFI points out that stats about the professional integration of recently graduate engineers show “harder professional integration than last year”. But professional integration of young graduates from schools of engineering, even though slower, is still quick and lasting, as the CDEFI says.

In detail, a little more than 70% of respondents work in a salaried employment six months after graduating, and they are about 85% 12 to 15 months after graduating. Graduates prefer three industries:

IT and computer science (14%);
Consulting firms and engineering firms (13%);
construction and building sector (10%).

To be noted that the CDEFI also registered 2,200 company creations by students who graduated over the course of the three years preceding the survey.