For many international families in Shanghai, IB, A-Levels and AP are familiar territory. The French Baccalauréat — better known simply as the Bac — perhaps less so.
So where can a French education actually take you? One of the clearest answers lies in where its graduates go next.
Over the past decade, from 2016 to 2026, the Lycée Français de Shanghai (LFS) has tracked the higher-education destinations of more than 830 graduates. The numbers paint a decidedly international picture...
One in every six LFS graduates has gone on to study at a global Top 50 university.
Among them are some of the world’s Top 10 universities: think Imperial College London (No. 2), the University of Oxford (No. 4), the University of Cambridge (No. 6) and University College London (UCL, No. 8).
Other Top 50 destinations include EPFL (No. 22), McGill University (No. 30), the University of Toronto (No. 32), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (No. 33) and King’s College London (No. 37). Graduates have also continued their studies at institutions including Sciences Po, Bocconi University, IE University, Sorbonne University and École Polytechnique.
One particularly telling detail: for each of the past 10 years, LFS has sent graduates to both McGill and UCL. For the school, that consistency reflects a long-term approach to education — one designed to equip students not only to reach their chosen destination, but to adapt, find their feet and continue to thrive once they get there.
^Rankings based on QS data.
Where in the world do LFS graduates go?
France remains the most popular destination, with 54% of graduates continuing their studies there. The remaining 46% study exclusively outside France.
Beyond France, the most common destinations are the UK, Canada, China, Spain, Switzerland and the US.
Altogether, LFS graduates have gone on to study across 20 countries and five continents.
Is there one typical path after LFS?
The answer is no, there is no one-size-fits-all path. The variety isn’t limited to geography. Among 831 graduates, 25% chose business and management, while 14% entered preparatory programmes for France’s prestigious Grandes Écoles. Another 13.5% pursued engineering and science, 13% chose art and design, and 12% entered law and political science. The remainder went into general university programmes and health-related fields.
In other words, there isn’t one subject that dominates — nor one prescribed route after graduation.
The idea isn’t to funnel students towards a fixed destination, but to give them the foundation and flexibility to choose their own.
How does LFS measure up academically?
In 2026, LFS was included in the HSBC × Forbes China International Schools Selection for the first time. The selection assesses international schools across areas including academic performance, teaching quality, campus environment and innovation.
Among schools for children of foreign nationals in China, LFS placed within Shanghai’s Top 10!
It was also the only school on the list offering an academic pathway outside the more familiar IB, A-Level and AP systems.
Rankings aside, the students’ own results offer another measure of academic performance.
All 66 students in LFS’s Class of 2026 passed the French Baccalauréat, giving the school a 100% pass rate. Of those students, 97% graduated with honours, while 50% received the highest honours distinction. The results placed LFS among the top three international French schools in Asia.
What does an international school community actually look like?
At LFS, French, English and Chinese aren’t confined to language lessons. All three form part of everyday learning and campus life, allowing different languages and cultural backgrounds to mingle naturally throughout the school day.
In 2026, LFS welcomed its largest-ever school community: over 1,160 families representing 60 nationalities.
More than two-thirds of its families have European backgrounds, spanning 23 European countries including France, while more than one-third are dual French-Chinese families.
Students can choose from several academic pathways: the general track, European track, American International track and Chinese International track.
Do you need to speak French to join LFS?
Here’s something families unfamiliar with the French education system may not realise: students don’t necessarily need to come from a French-speaking background.
French as a Language of Schooling is offered to students from non-French-speaking backgrounds.
Whether they arrive with a little French or none at all, the programme is designed to help them gradually adapt to learning in French and integrate into the French curriculum.
Non-French-speaking students can join LFS from K3 through Grade 7. Currently, around 18% of the LFS community receives some level of French-language support.
That support is tailored to individual needs, ranging from intensive French courses to several hours of additional language support each week.
Where does your tuition actually go?
LFS is a non-profit school governed by a parents’ association, with its resources continually reinvested in education.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, annual tuition ranges from RMB 125,000 to RMB 208,000 per student, depending on grade level and language pathway.
All school revenue is reinvested into teaching, faculty and academic programmes, focusing on education rather than financial returns.
So, where can an LFS education take you?
If there’s one thing a decade of graduate destinations shows, it’s that an education at LFS doesn’t point in only one direction.
Some students stay in France; others head to universities across Europe, Asia, North America and beyond.
Students gain the tools to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, become part of a new community and keep moving forward.
Want to get to know LFS?
LFS will open its doors for its October Open Day.
Seize your chance to explore the campus and learn more about life at the Lycée Français de Shanghai.
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(Left to right) Chinese, French & English
All photos were provided by Lycée Français de Shanghai (LFS). This article is not to be replicated without prior consent.