Last verified: September 9, 2026. France’s PISA 2025 results show a difficult but nuanced picture. Average performance was lower than in 2022 in mathematics and reading, while science performance was broadly unchanged. France remained close to the OECD average in all three subjects.
The results were released by the OECD on September 8, 2026. Although many searches call them the “PISA 2026 rankings,” the assessment itself is PISA 2025; 2026 is the publication year.
France PISA 2025 results at a glance
- Science: 74% of students reached at least Level 2, equal to the OECD average. Seven percent were top performers, also equal to the OECD average.
- Mathematics: 64% reached at least Level 2, compared with 65% across the OECD. Five percent were top performers, below the OECD average of 8%.
- Reading: 67% reached at least Level 2, compared with the OECD average of 69%. Five percent were top performers, compared with 6% across the OECD.
The OECD says France’s 2025 results were among the country’s lowest ever measured in all three subjects. Compared with 2015, the share of low-performing students increased by 12 percentage points in mathematics, 11 points in reading and four points in science.
What PISA measures
The Programme for International Student Assessment evaluates how well 15-year-old students can apply knowledge and skills to real-world problems. It is not an examination of one national curriculum and it does not rank individual schools, colleges or universities.
More than 760,000 students across 91 participating countries and economies took part in PISA 2025. In France, 6,501 students from 289 schools completed the assessment, representing an estimated 768,200 15-year-olds in school.
Why the mathematics and reading results matter
Level 2 is treated as a baseline proficiency threshold. A student reaching this level can use core knowledge in familiar situations, such as interpreting a simple mathematical representation or identifying the main idea in a moderately long text.
France’s decline therefore matters for more than its position in a league table. A larger low-performing group can affect later participation in vocational training, university preparation and the labour market. At the same time, the results should not be used to predict the outcome of an individual student or judge one school.
Digital learning and classroom distraction
French students reported using digital devices at school for learning for an average of 1.1 hours per day, below the OECD average of 1.7 hours. They also reported 0.9 hours per day of device use at school for leisure.
About 26% said classmates were frequently distracted by digital devices during most or all science lessons, close to the OECD average of 28%. In France, students reporting this type of distraction scored 24 points lower in science after accounting for socio-economic profiles. This is an association in the OECD data, not proof that devices alone caused the score difference.
Does PISA affect admission or a France student visa?
No. PISA results are system-level education indicators. They do not change university admission requirements, tuition fees, scholarships or French student-visa rules.
International applicants should continue checking the official requirements of their chosen institution and the relevant French government visa portal. A university’s programme quality, accreditation, language requirements, graduate outcomes and total cost are more useful for an individual study decision than a national PISA score.
How France compares with Australia
Both France and Australia recorded weaker mathematics and reading performance than in 2022, with broadly stable science results. Australia nevertheless remained above the OECD average in the three main subjects, while France was close to the OECD average. Read our separate Australia PISA results guide for a country-specific comparison.
Official sources
Editorial note: This article explains national education data and is not an assessment of any individual school or student. Figures may be revised by the publishing authorities; use the linked official sources for the latest data.