This page has been developed as an informal resource for American students and scholars who are applying for the Fulbright Program in Luxembourg and are looking for additional guidance and resources.
The Luxembourgish school system is very different from most schools in the United States. Students who choose to attend lycées classiques begin their high school studies in septième, or “seventh year,” at the age of 12 or 13. The numbers decrease with age; therefore, students in their final year of high school study are called premiers. Students in Luxembourgish high schools take their classes primarily in German and French and begin studying English in their second year (sixième). Schools in Luxembourg begin in mid-September. In addition to the occasional public holiday, students receive long breaks for Toussaint (one week at the beginning of November), Christmas (two weeks at the end of December), Carnival (one week at the beginning of February) Easter (two weeks in March/April), and Pentecost (one week in May). Note that the University of Luxembourg does not follow this schedule.
While several other higher learning institutions existed in the country prior to its establishment, the University of Luxembourg stands as the first and only official university in the country. Established in August 2003, the university prides itself on its capacities for significant research and international reach despite its small size. Its size, with eleven Bachelors and twenty-seven Masters degrees offered, just over 6000 students, and three campuses, is reflective of Luxembourg itself, and it is precisely for this reason that the University has seemed to intentionally keep the institution within certain bounds despite its ongoing and rapid growth.
For more information about Luxembourg, please consider the following resources: