Despite changes recently introduced within higher education (cluster building policies, the influence of university rankings, etc.) which may have fueled fears of a disparity between a pocket of world class universities and a vast group of second tier universities, relatively few quantitative studies exist to examine this matter. Using data from the Système d’information sur le suivi de l’étudiant (SISE), an information system for monitoring students university enrolments in France, we provide an exhaustive overview of the university landscape taking into account the capital held by various student populations. We then apply measures of segregation and polarisation to analyse the change in heterogeneity, which increased between 2007 and 2015. Lastly, we link this polarisation to the measures implemented at domestic and international level (Initiatives d’Excellence in France, and university rankings globally) which shape the foundations for globalisation among universities since the mid 2000s.

Citation: Avouac, R. & Harari‑Kermadec, H. (2021). French Universities – A Melting Pot or a Hotbed of Social Segregation? A Measure of Polarisation within the French University System (2007-2015). Economie et Statistique / Economics and Statistics., 528‑529, 63–83 (First published online: May 2021). doi: 10.24187/ecostat.2021.528d.2058