Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series
Did young adults who attended a French-language high school continue their postsecondary studies in French? A look at the situation in Canada outside Quebec in 2021

Acknowledgement

This study was carried out with the support of the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne.

1. Introduction

The availability of workers who are bilingual or can work in French is a common issue outside Quebec, where French is a minority official language. For example, employers who make bilingualism a requirement for some positions are more likely to experience difficulties recruiting employees,^Note  and the need for workers who can work in French is felt in many fields, including education and health care.^Note 

In this context, postsecondary education in French and the labour market integration of young adults who can use French at work are of particular importance. In Canada outside Quebec, people who studied at a French-language postsecondary institution are more likely to work primarily in French after their studies.^Note  However, many young adults who attended a French-language high school pursue their college or university studies in English-language institutions.^Note 

There are many reasons why students choose a postsecondary institution, and the possibility of doing studies at a French-language postsecondary institution varies by program, field of study and region. According to the 2022 Survey on the Official Language Minority Population,^Note  parents of minority language teenagers^Note  cited identity and the importance of studying in the minority official language as the main reasons their children intended to do postsecondary studies in French.

Using a data linkage of the Postsecondary Student Information System with the 2021 Census of Population, this study retrospectively examines the educational pathways and labour force entry of a cohort of young adults aged 18 to 30 in 2021. In particular, it aims to determine to what extent, after attending a French-language high school, these young adults did their postsecondary studies at a French-language or bilingual institution, based on their region of residence and field of study. The results of this study will help to identify regions and fields of study where postsecondary education in French could be developed.

2. Concepts and methods

This study is based on a linkage of the Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) with the 2021 Census of Population.

PSIS is an administrative database that comprises information on enrolments and graduates of Canadian public colleges and universities. Using information from the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials, these postsecondary institutions can be categorized according to their language of instruction.

In 2021, for the very first time, the Census of Population included questions on the language of schooling at the elementary and secondary levels in Canada. Census data can therefore be used to determine whether adults who were living outside Quebec in 2021 participated in regular French-language educational programs in Canada. Combined with PSIS information on postsecondary education, this dataset provides retrospective information on the academic path of adults based on the language of instruction at the institutions they attended.

Target population

This study examines the academic paths of approximately 49,000 young adults who were living in Canada outside Quebec in both 2016 and 2021. The target population comprises individuals who were in a regular French-language program at a Canadian high school for at least one year and who first enrolled at a public postsecondary institution (college or university) in Canada outside Quebec between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. This study excludes enrolments in non-program activities and young adults who first enrolled at a postsecondary institution in Quebec.^Note 

The results of this study are presented based on the province of residence of young adults five years before the 2021 Census (i.e., in May 2016), prior to their first enrolment at the postsecondary level. The study includes only young adults who were Canadian citizens. Although it examines young adults who were 18 to 30 years in 2021, the vast majority (93%) of the target population were aged 18 to 23. Table A.1 in the appendix provides more information on the language characteristics of the young adults in the target population, by region.

French-language or bilingual postsecondary institutions

In this study, French-language or bilingual postsecondary institutions are public colleges and universities^Note  whose main campus is located in Canada outside Quebec, and where French is one of or the only language of instruction on at least one campus.^Note  The data used in this study do not allow to determine the language of the programs taken by students who attended bilingual postsecondary institutions, where both English and French are the languages of instruction. However, the 2022 Survey on the Official Language Minority Population shows that 70%^Note  of French-speaking adults who attended a bilingual postsecondary institution studied primarily in French or equally in French and in English.

3. Postsecondary enrolment and studies

After attending a French-language high school, young adults who go on to do postsecondary studies can enrol in a program at a French-language or bilingual college or university or do their studies at an English-language institution. The proportion of young adults who enrolled in a French-language or bilingual institution varied widely by region, by field of study and by level of education (college or university).

College enrolments

In 2021, there were 20,000 young adults in Canada outside Quebec who had attended high school in French and first enrolled in college between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. Among them, 40% chose a French-language college.

In the territories and the provinces in Canada outside Quebec other than New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba, a low proportion (2%) of those who enrolled at a college chose a French-language college. In the three provinces mentioned above, the proportion of young adults who enrolled at a French-language college was comparatively higher, but varied greatly from one region to another, ranging from 14% in Ontario regions other than eastern Ontario and northern Ontario to 97% in northern New Brunswick.

Data table for Chart 3.1

Data table for Chart 3.1
Table summary
The information is grouped by Place of residence in 2016 (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Place of residence in 2016	Percent
Notes: Among young adults aged 18 to 30 years in 2021 who attended a French-language high school and who first enrolled at a college in Canada outside Quebec between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. Due to small numbers, results are not shown for Atlantic provinces other than New Brunswick, for Western provinces other than Manitoba, and for the territories. Sources: Statistics Canada, integrated data from the Postsecondary Students Information System and the 2021 Census of Population. Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
Canada outside Quebec	40
New Brunswick	83
Northern New Brunswick	97
Southeastern New Brunswick	71
Rest of New Brunswick	30
Ontario	38
Eastern Ontario	60
Northern Ontario	56
Rest of Ontario	14
Manitoba	13

Nearly all (99%) of the young adults who enrolled at a French-language college chose an institution in the province where they lived in 2016; they therefore did not leave their province of residence to study.^Note 

In New Brunswick,^Note  the proportion of young adults who enrolled at a French-language college varied by field of study.^Note  Those who enrolled in an arts and humanities program (49%) or a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program (70%) were less likely to have chosen a French-language college than those who enrolled in a program in a field of study geared toward services to people and other trades^Note  (86%), such as health, education and law. The appendix includes a table that provides more results on college enrolments of young adults in New Brunswick by field of study.

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Why do students choose to do postsecondary studies in English rather than in French?

Results from the 2022 Survey on the Official Language Minority Population (SOLMP) include the reasons why French-speaking adults chose to pursue postsecondary studies in either French or English.^Note 

The main reason given by French-speaking adults for choosing to study in English at the postsecondary level was that the program they were interested in was offered in English only. This was the case for 54% of French-speaking adults who studied at college in English and 40% of those who studied at university (undergraduate level) in English.

Furthermore, the most common reason given by French-speaking adults who attended college in French was that they felt more comfortable studying in French (60%).^Note  This reason was also given by 47% of French-speaking adults who completed an undergraduate program in French. Of these adults, more than half (53%) also gave identity as a reason for choosing to study in French.

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University enrolments

In 2021, there were 29,000 young adults in Canada outside Quebec who had attended high school in French and first enrolled in university between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. Among them, 45% chose a French-language or bilingual institution.

The proportion of young adults enrolled in university who chose a French-language or bilingual institution was particularly high in northern (93%) and southeastern (85%) New Brunswick and in eastern (72%) and northern (72%) Ontario. A smaller proportion of young adults chose a French-language or bilingual university in British Columbia (26%) and Ontario regions other than eastern and northern Ontario (23%).

Data table for Chart 3.2

Data table for Chart 3.2
Table summary
The information is grouped by Place of residence in 2016 (appearing as row headers), , calculated using (appearing as column headers).

Place of residence in 2016	Percent
Notes: Among young adults aged 18 to 30 years in 2021 who attended a French-language high school and who first enrolled at a university in Canada outside Quebec between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. Due to small numbers, results are not shown for Newfoundland and Labrador and for the territories. Sources: Statistics Canada, integrated data from the Postsecondary Students Information System and the 2021 Census of Population. Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
Canada outside Quebec	45
Prince Edward Island	35
Nova Scotia	24
New Brunswick	81
Northern New Brunswick	93
Southeastern New Brunswick	85
Rest of New Brunswick	36
Ontario	43
Eastern Ontario	72
Northern Ontario	72
Rest of Ontario	23
Manitoba	30
Saskatchewan	41
Alberta	40
British Columbia	26

Moreover, 1 in 20 young adults who enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university chose an institution in a different province from their province of residence in 2016. This was the case for 46% of young adults from Nova Scotia who attended a French-language or bilingual university and 34% of those living in Saskatchewan. Conversely, a smaller proportion of young adults in Alberta (9%), British Columbia (8%), New Brunswick (6%) and Ontario (1%) enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university in a different province from the one where they were living in 2016.^Note 

Among young adults who enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university in a different province from their province of residence, the main provinces they went to study were Ontario (48%), New Brunswick (23%) and Nova Scotia (15%).^Note 

The proportion of young adults who enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university also varied by field of study. In many provinces, the proportion of young adults who enrolled in a French-language or bilingual university was higher among those in a business, humanities, health, arts, social science and education (BHASE) program than among young adults enrolled in a STEM program. This was observed in New Brunswick (85% for those enrolled in a BHASE program and 68% for those enrolled in a STEM program), Ontario (48% and 35%), Saskatchewan (47% and 29%) and British Columbia (29% and 21%).

Young adults in a field of study geared toward services to people and other trades (such as health, education and law) were much more likely than the average to choose a French-language or bilingual university in New Brunswick (97%), Ontario (53%), Manitoba (75%), Saskatchewan (67%) and Alberta (59%).

The tables in the appendix provide more information on enrolments of young adults at French-language or bilingual universities by field of study.^Note 

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Type of postsecondary institution chosen by young adults who attended French immersion in elementary or high school

Young adults who attended French immersion at an English-language elementary or high school were slightly more likely to have enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university (17%) than adults who had not studied in French at either elementary or high school (16%). This difference was greatest in Ontario (19% and 15%), Manitoba (8% and 2%) and Alberta (28% and 23%).

In some fields of study, young adults who had attended French immersion were more likely than adults who had not studied in French in elementary or high school to enrol at a French-language or bilingual university. For example, this was the case in education and teaching programs (43% versus 37%) and social and behavioural sciences programs (25% versus 21%).

At the college level, only a small number of young adults who had attended French immersion chose to attend a French-language college.

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4. Post-enrolment situation of young adults

In 2021, the situation of young adults who had studied in French at high school and enrolled at a postsecondary institution in Canada outside Quebec between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years varied. In particular, about one-fifth (21%) had earned a postsecondary credential. In some respects, the socioprofessional situation of these graduates varied based on the language of instruction of the first college or university they attended.

Interprovincial mobility

Some postsecondary graduates, after earning their degree, move to another province to work or to return to their home province. For the official language minority communities where these graduates studied, this can represent a loss of trained workers who can work in French.^Note  There was relatively little interprovincial mobility among the graduates in the population studied, since they graduated recently. In 2021, 97% of young graduates who had attended a French-language or bilingual postsecondary institution still lived in the province where they had studied. This proportion was similar among young graduates who had attended an English-language institution (96%).

Labour market integration

The proportion of young graduates who were employed during the 2021 Census reference week (employment rate) was similar among those who had attended a French-language or bilingual postsecondary institution (68%) and among those who had attended an English-language institution (67%). However, the proportion differed by region.

In New Brunswick, the employment rate for young graduates who had studied at a French-language or bilingual institution (58%) was lower than for those who had studied at an English-language institution (72%).^Note  The opposite was observed in Ontario (75% and 64%, respectively) and in the western provinces and the territories (78% and 73%, respectively).

There can be a number of reasons for the discrepancies observed, including the employment situation in the specific regions of residence of these young adults.

Overqualification

Overqualification refers to the education requirements of a job being lower than a person’s level of education. Young graduates are more likely to be overqualified since they are at the beginning of their career, but this may only be temporary.^Note  In this study, overqualification refers to the proportion of postsecondary graduates working in jobs that do not require a postsecondary education,^Note  according to the National Occupational Classification.^Note  Among young graduates who were employed in 2021, overqualification rates were slightly lower among graduates who had attended a French-language or bilingual institution (34%) than among those who had attended an English-language institution (41%). Similar differences were observed among both college graduates (34% and 42%) and university graduates (34% and 38%).

Use of French at work

Among young graduates who were employed in 2021, those who had attended a French-language or bilingual postsecondary institution were much more likely to use French most often at work (54%) than young adults who had attended an English-language institution (10%). These proportions were higher in New Brunswick. In the province, 84% of young graduates who had attended a French-language or bilingual postsecondary used French most often at work, compared with under half (46%) of those who had attended an English-language institution.

Data table for Chart 4.1

Data table for Chart 4.1
Table summary
The information is grouped by Place of residence in 2016 (appearing as row headers), Language of instruction at the postsecondary institution the graduate attended, French or bilingual and English, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

Place of residence in 2016	Language of instruction at the postsecondary institution the graduate attended
	French or bilingual	English
	percent
Notes: Among young graduates aged 18 to 30 years in 2021 who attended a French-language high school and who first enrolled at a postsecondary institution in Canada outside Quebec between the 2016/2017 and 2020/2021 academic years. Includes only graduates who were employed during the 2021 Census reference week. Sources: Statistics Canada, integrated data from the Postsecondary Students Information System and the 2021 Census of Population. Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
Canada outside Quebec	54	10
New Brunswick	84	46
Ontario	38	8
Western provinces and the territories	34	4

Other postsecondary studies

Some young adults continue their postsecondary studies in another program after earning their first postsecondary credential. The proportion of young graduates who enrol in a second program of study at a postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is the same as at their first institution is slightly higher among those who had attended an English-language institution (94%) than among those who attended a French-language or bilingual institution (89%). This difference was observed among both college and university graduates.

5. Conclusion

The availability of postsecondary courses and programs in French varies by region in Canada outside Quebec. The results of this study showed that after attending a French-language high school, the postsecondary paths of young adults vary based on their region of residence and field of study.

Outside certain regions of New Brunswick (North, Southeast) and Ontario (North, East), well under half of young adults who attended a French-language high school enrolled at a French-language or bilingual postsecondary institution. Moreover, young adults who did college studies were less likely to choose a French-language or bilingual institution than those doing university studies, except in northern New Brunswick.

Young adults who studied in a STEM field were less likely to have enrolled at a French-language or bilingual university than those in other fields of study.^Note  Conversely, young adults studying in a field geared toward services to people and other trades (such as health, education and law) were more likely than the average to choose a French-language or bilingual institution.

On one hand, the differences observed can be due to the regional differences in the proximity of French-language or bilingual postsecondary institutions and in the availability of French-language programs. In fact, the unavailability of French programs is the main reason cited by French-speaking adults who do their postsecondary studies in English.

On the other, the linguistic characteristics of young adults who went to a French-language high school and enrolled at their first postsecondary institution also varied from one region to another. Generally speaking, the regions where high proportions of young adults chose to study at a French-language or bilingual postsecondary institution were also the regions where high proportions of young adults had French as their mother tongue or language spoken at home (Table A.1 in the appendix). Therefore, we cannot dismiss the link between the linguistic characteristics of young adults and their choice of postsecondary institution, especially since identity and being more comfortable studying in French are among the main reasons given by French-speaking adults who do postsecondary studies in French.

Considering the importance of French-language education in Canada outside Quebec to train workers who can work in French and to preserve official language minority communities, the results of this study help to identify the regions and fields of study where young adults who have just completed high school are less likely to choose a French-language or bilingual institution. This information may be used to guide the development of new programs in French in these fields of study and these regions, in order to enable young adults who wish to pursue postsecondary education in French to do so, and, after graduation, to work in French.

6. Appendix