College… in France, EVERYBODY goes to college… by law!
How come?
If you’re from the USA or Canada – excuse me for the other anglophone countries, I don’t know your scholar system – your “college” isn’t the same as the French’s.
The French scholar system is the following :
Entry in the “production line” at age 6.
Primary school: 5 years
Then College: 4 years. Normally, it takes you to the legal age for schooling, that is 16.
Then High School: 3 years… optional 
You also can go into less intellectual apprenticeships for a few years.
Then… it’s up to you, directly University or Preparation classes (1 to 3 years) to – hopefully – make it into some very high class teachings.
Your US or Canadian College would be like our first cycle in a French University (2 years).