Technical training and pre-university education
College studies in Québec are divided into two program tracks: technical training and pre-university education. Both program tracks lead to an official diploma issued by the Ministère de l'Éducation du Loisir et du Sport (Department of Education, Recreation and Sports), known as the diploma of college studies (diplôme d’études collégiales/DEC). College-level courses are taken after your secondary studies have been completed. Colleges are the initial level of post-secondary education; universities are the next level.
Programs are offered in public colleges (known as collèges d’enseignement général et professionnel/CEGEPs) or private colleges. The college network currently consists of:
- 48 public institutions (CEGEPs) located throughout Québec
- 11 institutions falling under the jurisdiction of another government department
- 61 private institutions
CEGEPs are only found in Québec. They play a transitional role between secondary school and university or the labour market.
