81

This paper intends to document the public debate on the relevance of students’ choice (of a field of education) with respect to “society’s needs”. In French speaking Belgium, in particular, this debate is sometimes characterized by ill-supported positions. This paper develops a thorough analysis, based on detailed statistics, of diverse dimensions of the issue at stake: the transition of young graduates from university to the labour market; the evolution of the study choice of the new entrants into university; an international comparison, in a benchmarking perspective, of these study choices. The conclusions of this study, which are at variance with some generally accepted ideas, should allow a more informed public debate. JEL classification codes: I21, I28, J24