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Despite their different histories as countries of immigration, Switzerland, France and Canada all have a sizeable immigrant population, some of which do experience obstacles in their educational and professional careers. However, both access rates of immigrant students as well as institutional routes to higher education vary remarkably between the three countries. On the one hand, France and Switzerland offer both academic and vocational routes to higher education, whereas academic routes prevail in Canada. On the other hand, immigrant students are underrepresented in Swiss and French higher education, while they generally seem to be much more successful in Canada. In this paper we wish to clarify not only if, but also how - through which institutional settings - higher education is accessed by students from vulnerable immigrant groups. We are primarily interested in the possible reinforcement or reduction of educational inequalities arising from country-specific educational policies designed to increase the enrolment in tertiary education, particularly the flow from upper-secondary vocational educational tracks to higher tertiary ones. Indeed, do vocational routes leading to higher education enhance the educational opportunities of the immigrant youths?

Parcours d'études favorisant l'accès à l'enseignement supérieur des jeunes d'origine immigrée en Suisse, France et au Canada - Les politiques éducatives des dernières décennies ont favorisé les poursuites d'études des élèves jusqu'aux niveaux post-secondaires. Ces politiques devraient contribuer à réduire certaines inégalités connues dans le système éducatif en améliorant la réussite scolaire des groupes défavorisés ou vulnérables tels les enfants d'origine immigrée ou de milieu social modeste. Dans cet article, nous cherchons à préciser non seulement si, mais aussi comment les parcours scolaires, permettent l'accès à l'enseignement supérieur des jeunes d'origine immigrée, en mobilisant trois enquêtes longitudinales. Quels sont leurs parcours ou cursus pour continuer des études supérieures ? Ces jeunes ont-ils les mêmes chances d'accès à l'enseignement supérieur dans les trois pays ?

Despite their different histories as countries of immigration, Switzerland, France and Canada all have a sizeable immigrant population, some of which do experience obstacles in their educational and professional careers. On the one hand, France and Switzerland offer both academic and vocational routes to higher education, whereas academic routes prevail in Canada. In this paper the authors clarify not only if, but also how - through which institutional settings - higher education is accessed by students from vulnerable immigrant groups. The results show that across the three countries, 1st and 2nd generation Northern African youths in France, Turkish or former Yugoslavian youths in Switzerland and Latino and Caribbean youths in Canada are respectively underrepresented in higher education. These differences are greatly reduced and even disappear when the socioeconomic background and educational performance in secondary school is controlled for.

International audience; Les auteurs explorent les politiques de différenciation des parcours scolaires conduisant à l’enseignement supérieur et ses effets sur l’égalité des chances et la mobilité sociale en France et en Suisse. Ainsi, le parcours professionnel réussit à compenser les inégalités sociales dans l’accès aux études postsecondaires, encore plus pour la population féminine, avant tout en France.