Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel

CEGEP (/seɪˈʒɛp/ say-ZHEP or /ˈsiːdʒɛp/ SEE-jep; French: Cégep; also CÉGEP, Cegep or Cégep [seʒɛp]) is a publicly funded pre‑university college in the province of Quebec's education system. Originally a French acronym for Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, sometimes known in English as a "General and Vocational College", it is now considered a word in itself. It refers to the public post-secondary education collegiate institutions exclusive to the education system in the province of Quebec in Canada. It is a loanword from French.

Although all colleges in Quebec are colloquially referred to as CEGEPs, only public colleges are officially referred to by that name. Both public (CEGEPs) and private colleges have the same function in Quebec. Although they may occasionally be compared to junior colleges or community colleges, CEGEPs differ in that a Diploma of College Studies (or Diplôme d'études collégiales, DEC) is required for university admission in Quebec unless a student enters as a mature student which typically means a minimum age of 21 with other requirements. Pre-university programs are typically two years in duration, which explains why secondary school and undergraduate degrees are both one year shorter in Quebec relative to elsewhere in Canada. A student in Quebec cannot enter university with a secondary diploma from Quebec alone. Technical programs are typically three years in duration with specialization in courses leading to a career right after graduation. Depending on the university, students with DEC diplomas from a technical program can continue their studies at a higher education.

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