Parcoursup
Parcoursup is the French national pre-registration platform for first-year higher education, serving approximately 900,000 candidates annually across 25,000+ formations. Operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, it provides a unified, free public service for higher education admissions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Parcoursup does
Parcoursup is the national pre-registration platform for first-year higher education in France, launched in 2018 to replace the previous APB (Admission Post-Bac) system. Operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (Ministère de l'enseignement supérieur, de la recherche et de l'innovation), the platform serves approximately 900,000 candidates annually who apply to over 25,000 higher education formations including universities, BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur), BUT, engineering schools, business schools, and other vocational training programs. It delivers a single dossier, single calendar, and standardized application process for all participating formations, and is the only legal entry point for first-year higher-education admission in France.
The platform's underlying technology is a web-based centralized application system with an integrated database of higher education formations and candidate dossiers. Core features include an interactive formation map supporting keyword, geographic, and type-based search; a continuous admission phase with automatic waiting-list ranking; comprehensive formation profile cards covering pedagogical content, admission criteria, access statistics, and professional outcomes; and real-time notifications via SMS and email. Accessibility is provided through integration with the Acceo service for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, while equality is enforced via automatic application of legal priorities (scholarship-holder quotas, geographic priorities) and the CAES (Commission d'accès à l'enseignement supérieur) accompaniment system for candidates without admission proposals. Supporting products include Avenir(s) and MonProjetSup (orientation and project-building with ONISEP), Monorientationenligne.fr (remote counseling), and Parcours+ (continuing-education module).
Parcoursup operates as a free, government-funded public service with no commercial revenue model. The platform is accessible to all candidates at no charge, with no fees for account creation, applications, or admission processing; some private institutions may charge tuition, but those fees are disclosed on the formation profile and sit outside the platform. There are no funding rounds, external investors, subsidiaries, M&A activity, or commercial ownership structure. The gtm_motion is direct-to-consumer, scaled through high-school guidance networks, an official .gouv.fr website accessible 24/7, dedicated candidate dossier portal, toll-free support (0 800 400 070), video tutorials, and broad social media presence. Recent product development has extended the platform beyond initial terminale-student entry into continuing education (Parcours+), earlier grade-level preparation (seconde and première account creation since 2024), specialized accommodations for high-level athletes and disabled candidates, and diversity programs such as TechPourToutes.
Parcoursup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Parcoursup
- Legal name
- Parcoursup - Plateforme nationale de préinscription en première année de l'enseignement supérieur
- Website
- https://parcoursup.gouv.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Parcoursup is the French national pre-registration platform for first-year higher education, serving approximately 900,000 candidates annually across 25,000+ formations. Operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, it provides a unified, free public service for higher education admissions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Parcoursup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education Admissions Platform
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms (EDAIACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) (EDAGADAC)
Keywords
Where Parcoursup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Parcoursup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government-funded public service: Parcoursup is a free public service operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The platform is funded through government budget allocations. Apprenticeship training formations are free for apprentices per French labor law (article L6211-1).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free access for all candidates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels14 records
Parcoursup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Parcoursup is the national French government platform for pre-registration in first-year higher education, providing candidates with a single dossier, single calendar, and unified process to discover over 25,000 formations, submit applications, receive admission proposals, and complete enrollment. The platform is operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and is free for all candidates.
Product overview
Parcoursup is a unified national pre-registration platform for first-year higher education in France, offering a single dossier, single calendar, and single application process across over 25,000 training programs. The core platform is supplemented by orientation support tools including Avenir(s) (a comprehensive orientation platform with portfolio and agenda features), MonProjetSup (personalized training suggestions), Monorientationenligne.fr (remote counseling service), and Parcours+ (for continuing education seekers). The ecosystem also includes an interactive training map, favorites/comparator functionality for program evaluation, and a public admission tracking dashboard. All these tools work together to guide students from initial orientation through final enrollment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Parcoursup Platform The national pre-registration platform for first-year higher education in France, allowing candidates to consult over 25,000 training programs, submit applications through a single unified dossier and calendar, receive admission proposals, and complete enrollment. Used by approximately 900,000 candidates annually and operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
- Parcours+
Quantifiable outcome
- 90.9% of scholarship holders admitted to higher education (2025)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Parcoursup
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Parcoursup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Parcoursup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.
- AcceosupportingAcceo provides accessibility services for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, enabling them to access the Parcoursup hotline and support services through sign language interpretation and real-time transcription.
- Avenir(s) / ONISEPcoreONISEP (Office National d'Information sur les Enseignements et les Professions) provides the Avenir(s) platform and MonProjetSup tool integrated with Parcoursup for orientation guidance. The partnership offers students information, videos, testimonials on careers and formations, plus personalized project building tools.
- Monorientationenligne.frsupportingPublic service providing free orientation assistance via email (24/7), phone, and chat during specified hours. ONISEP counselors answer questions about orientation, training sectors, and careers through this platform.
- MonProjetSupcoreDigital tool within the Avenir(s) platform that helps students from seconde to terminale build their post-bac formation project and prepare for Parcoursup. Reduces self-censorship by providing personalized suggestions based on profile and interests.
- TechPourToutes program partners (Inria, France Universités, Cdefi, CGE, Femmes@Numérique, Becomtech, JobIRL, Latitudes, Numeum)minorTechPourToutes is a program under dual supervision of the Ministry of Education and Ministry for Gender Equality, supported by technology and education partners to encourage young women to pursue technical digital careers. Animation is entrusted to the Inria Foundation with multiple institutional and private sector partners.
- Eulerian AnalyticssupportingAudience measurement service for the Parcoursup website, providing analytics on platform usage and traffic patterns (CNIL exemption applies).
- French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and InnovationcoreThe platform is operated under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, which sets policies, manages the platform, and coordinates with regional academic authorities (rectorats) for CAES operations.
- Ministry of National EducationcoreCoordinates with the Ministry of National Education for high school student integration, grade data transmission, and teacher involvement in candidate guidance and examination commission work.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Parcoursup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Naviance by PowerSchool: Naviance is a college and career readiness platform used by US high schools for student planning, college application management, and admissions — comparable in function (orientation and application support) though operating as a private B2B platform rather than a national government service.
- College Board: College Board administers the SAT and AP programs and provides college search, planning, and admissions-related services in the US — an adjacent enabling player in the admissions ecosystem, providing standardized inputs and orientation tools that complement application platforms like Parcoursup.
- ONISEP: ONISEP is the French national office for information on education and professions, providing orientation guidance and integrating with Parcoursup via the Avenir(s) and MonProjetSup tools — an adjacent French public-sector education information ecosystem partner, not a competitor.
Direct peers
- UCAS: UCAS is the UK's centralized university and college admissions service, processing applications for over 700,000 applicants annually across UK higher education institutions — the closest international analogue to Parcoursup as a national centralized admissions platform mandated by government and educational authorities.
- Common App: Common App is a US-based centralized college application platform used by over 1,000 colleges and more than 1 million applicants annually — a comparable single-platform, multi-institution admissions infrastructure serving a national student market, though not government-mandated.
- ApplyTexas: ApplyTexas is a centralized application platform used by Texas public universities to streamline undergraduate admissions — a comparable single-application-platform approach to higher education admissions in a defined state/national market.
- Hochschulstart: Hochschulstart is the German centralized admissions service for restricted-admission degree programs (medicine, pharmacy, etc.) operated under state coordination — a comparable government-coordinated centralized admissions infrastructure for selective higher education pathways in a neighboring country.
- Coalition Application: The Coalition Application is a US college application platform serving over 150 member institutions — a comparable centralized alternative-application platform competing with Common App in the US, illustrating the model of single-platform multi-institution admissions that Parcoursup embodies nationally in France.
- Studielink: Studielink is the Dutch national online portal for enrollment in higher education programs, serving as the single entry point for Dutch university and HBO applications — a directly comparable national centralized higher education enrollment platform.
- Universities Admissions Centre (UAC): UAC is an Australian centralized tertiary admissions center processing applications for multiple universities — directly comparable to Parcoursup in providing a single application and admissions platform across a national higher education system.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Parcoursup social profiles
Digital presenceParcoursup compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Parcoursup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Parcoursup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Parcoursup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Parcoursup M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Parcoursup
What does Parcoursup do?
Parcoursup is the national French government platform for pre-registration in first-year higher education, providing candidates with a single dossier, single calendar, and unified process to discover over 25,000 formations, submit applications, receive admission proposals, and complete enrollment. The platform is operated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and is free for all candidates.
Is Parcoursup a public or private company?
Parcoursup is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Parcoursup founded?
Parcoursup was founded in 2018.
Where is Parcoursup based?
Parcoursup is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Parcoursup make money?
One revenue line is on record: government-funded public service.
Who are Parcoursup's main competitors?
Others on record are Naviance by PowerSchool, College Board and ONISEP. Direct peers are UCAS, Common App, ApplyTexas, Hochschulstart, Coalition Application, Studielink and Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
Does Parcoursup have an API?
No public API is recorded for Parcoursup.
What industry is Parcoursup in?
Parcoursup's product category is Higher Education Admissions Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIACAF, Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAGADAC, Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.