This page is a list of French education ministers.
A governmental position overseeing public education was first created in France in 1802. Following the various regime changes in France in the first decades of the 19th century, the position changed official status and name a number of times before the position of Minister of Public Instruction was created in 1828. For much of its history, the position was combined with that of Minister of Public Worship, who dealt with issues related to the Roman Catholic Church, except in instances where the Minister of Public Instruction was a Protestant. The position has also occasionally been combined with Minister of Sports and Minister of Youth Affairs. In 1932, the office's title was changed to Minister of National Education, although it was briefly changed back in 1940–1941, and was renamed Minister of Education during the presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981).
| Minister | Began | Ended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine François Fourcroy (Directeur général de l'Instruction publique) | 14 September 1802 | 17 March 1808 | |
| Louis de Fontanes (Grand maître de l'Université) | 17 March 1808 | 17 February 1815 | |
| Louis-François de Bausset (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) | 17 February 1815 | 20 March 1815 | |
| Bernard Étienne Germain de la Ville sur Illon (Grand maître de l'Université impériale) | 20 March 1815 | 9 May 1815 | |
| Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance (Grand maître de l'Université impériale) | 9 May 1815 | 15 August 1815 | |
| Pierre-Paul Royer-Collard (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) | 15 August 1815 | 1818 | |
| Frédéric Cuvier (Grand maître de l'Université) | 13 September 1819 | 1 November 1820 | |
| Élie Decazes (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) | 29 December 1818 | 21 February 1820 | |
| Joseph Jérôme, Comte Siméon (Président de la commission de l'Instruction publique) | 21 February 1820 | 4 October 1820 | |
| Joseph Louis Joachim Lainé (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) | 4 October 1820 | 21 December 1820 | |
| Joseph Louis Joachim Lainé | 21 December 1820 | 31 July 1821 | |
| Jacques Joseph Guillaume François Pierre Corbière (Président du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) | 31 July 1821 | 1 June 1822 | |
| Frédéric Cuvier (Président par intérim du Conseil royal de l'Instruction publique) | 1 June 1822 | 26 August 1824 | |
| Denis-Luc Frayssinous (Grand maître de l'Université royale) | 26 August 1824 | 1 February 1828 | |
| Denis-Luc Frayssinous (Ministre des Affaires ecclésiastiques et de l'Instruction publique) | 1 February 1828 | 10 February 1828 |
| Minister | Began | Ended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine François Henri Lefebvre de Vatimesnil | 10 February 1828 | 8 August 1829 | |
| Guillaume Isidore, comte de Montbel | 8 August 1829 | 18 November 1829 | |
| Martial, comte de Guernon-Ranville | 18 November 1829 | 31 July 1830 | |
| François Guizot | 31 July 1830 | 1 August 1830 | |
| Louis, baron Bignon | 1 August 1830 | 11 August 1830 | |
| Achille Léonce Victor Charles, duc de Broglie | 11 August 1830 | 2 November 1830 | |
| Joseph Mérilhou | 2 November 1830 | 27 November 1830 | |
| Félix Barthe | 27 November 1830 | 13 March 1831 | |
| Marthe Camille Bachasson, comte de Montalivet | 13 March 1831 | 30 April 1832 | |
| Louis Gaspard Amédée, baron Girod de l'Ain | 30 April 1832 | 11 October 1832 | |
| François Guizot | 11 October 1832 | 10 November 1834 | |
| Jean-Baptiste Teste | 10 November 1834 | 18 November 1834 | |
| François Guizot | 18 November 1834 | 22 February 1836 | |
| Privat Joseph Claramont, comte Pelet de la Lozère | 22 February 1836 | 6 September 1836 | |
| François Guizot | 6 September 1836 | 15 April 1837 | |
| Narcisse Achille de Salvandy | 15 April 1837 | 31 March 1839 | |
| Narcisse Parant | 31 March 1839 | 12 May 1839 | |
| Abel-François Villemain | 12 May 1839 | 1 March 1840 | |
| Victor Cousin | 1 March 1840 | 29 October 1840 | |
| Abel-François Villemain | 29 October 1840 | 1 February 1845 | |
| Narcisse Achille de Salvandy | 1 February 1845 | 24 February 1848 | |
| Hippolyte Carnot | 24 February 1848 | 5 July 1848 | |
| Achille Tenaille de Vaulabelle | 5 July 1848 | 13 October 1848 | |
| Alexandre Pierre Freslon | 13 October 1848 | 20 December 1848 | |
| Alfred Frédéric, comte de Falloux | 20 December 1848 | 31 October 1849 | |
| Marie Louis Pierre Félix Esquirou de Parieu | 31 October 1849 | 24 January 1851 | |
| Charles Giraud | 24 January 1851 | 10 April 1851 | |
| Marie Jean Pierre Pie Frédéric Dombidau de Crouseilhes | 10 April 1851 | 26 October 1851 | |
| Charles Giraud | 26 October 1851 | 3 December 1851 | |
| Hippolyte Fortoul | 3 December 1851 | 7 June 1856 | |
| Gustave Rouland | 13 August 1856 | 23 June 1863 | |
| Victor Duruy | 23 June 1863 | 17 July 1869 | |
| Louis Olivier Bourbeau | 17 July 1869 | 2 January 1870 | |
| Émile Alexis Segris | 2 January 1870 | 14 April 1870 | |
| Maurice Richard | 14 April 1870 | 15 May 1870 | |
| Jacques Philippe Mège | 15 May 1870 | 10 August 1870 | |
| Jules Louis Joseph Brame | 10 August 1870 | 4 September 1870 | |
| Jules Simon | 5 September 1870 | 17 May 1873 | |
| William Henry Waddington | 18 May 1873 | 25 May 1873 | |
| Anselme Batbie | 25 May 1873 | 26 November 1873 | |
| Oscar Bardi de Fourtou | 26 November 1873 | 22 May 1874 | |
| Arthur de Cumont | 22 May 1874 | 10 March 1875 | |
| Henri-Alexandre Wallon | 10 March 1875 | 9 March 1876 | |
| William Henry Waddington | 9 March 1876 | 17 May 1877 | |
| Joseph Brunet | 17 May 1877 | 23 November 1877 | |
| Hervé Faye | 23 November 1877 | 13 December 1877 | |
| Agénor Bardoux | 13 December 1877 | 4 February 1879 | |
| Jules Ferry | 4 February 1879 | 14 November 1881 | |
| Paul Bert | 14 November 1881 | 30 January 1882 | |
| Jules Ferry | 30 January 1882 | 7 August 1882 | |
| Jules Duvaux | 7 August 1882 | 21 February 1883 | |
| Jules Ferry | 21 February 1883 | 20 November 1883 | |
| Armand Fallières | 20 November 1883 | 6 April 1885 | |
| René Goblet | 6 April 1885 | 11 December 1886 | |
| Marcellin Berthelot | 11 December 1886 | 30 May 1887 | |
| Eugène Spuller | 30 May 1887 | 12 December 1887 | |
| Léopold Faye | 12 December 1887 | 3 April 1888 | |
| Édouard Lockroy | 3 April 1888 | 22 February 1889 | |
| Armand Fallières | 22 February 1889 | 17 March 1890 | |
| Léon Bourgeois | 17 March 1890 | 6 December 1892 | |
| Charles Dupuy | 6 December 1892 | 4 April 1893 | |
| Raymond Poincaré | 4 April 1893 | 3 December 1893 | |
| Eugène Spuller | 3 December 1893 | 30 May 1894 | |
| Georges Leygues | 30 May 1894 | 26 January 1895 | |
| Raymond Poincaré | 26 January 1895 | 1 November 1895 | |
| Émile Combes | 1 November 1895 | 29 April 1896 | |
| Alfred Rambaud | 29 April 1896 | 28 June 1898 | |
| Léon Bourgeois | 28 June 1898 | 1 November 1898 | |
| Georges Leygues | 1 November 1898 | 7 June 1902 | |
| Joseph Chaumié | 7 June 1902 | 24 January 1905 | |
| Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin | 24 January 1905 | 14 March 1906 | |
| Aristide Briand | 14 March 1906 | 4 January 1908 | |
| Gaston Doumergue | 4 January 1908 | 3 November 1910 | |
| Maurice Faure | 3 November 1910 | 2 March 1911 | |
| Théodore Steeg | 2 March 1911 | 14 January 1912 | |
| Gabriel Guist'hau | 14 January 1912 | 21 January 1913 | |
| Théodore Steeg | 21 January 1913 | 22 March 1913 | |
| Louis Barthou | 22 March 1913 | 9 December 1913 | |
| René Viviani | 9 December 1913 | 9 June 1914 | |
| Arthur Dessoye | 9 June 1914 | 13 June 1914 | |
| Victor Augagneur | 13 June 1914 | 3 August 1914 | |
| Albert Sarraut | 3 August 1914 | 29 October 1915 | |
| Paul Painlevé | 29 October 1915 | 12 December 1916 | |
| René Viviani | 12 December 1916 | 20 March 1917 | |
| Théodore Steeg | 20 March 1917 | 12 September 1917 | |
| Charles Daniel-Vincent | 12 September 1917 | 16 November 1917 | |
| Louis Lafferre | 16 November 1917 | 27 November 1919 | |
| Léon Bérard | 27 November 1919 | 20 January 1920 | |
| André Honorrat | 20 January 1920 | 16 January 1921 | |
| Léon Bérard | 16 January 1921 | 29 March 1924 | |
| Henry de Jouvenel | 29 March 1924 | 9 June 1924 | |
| Adolphe Landry | 9 June 1924 | 14 June 1924 | |
| François Albert | 14 June 1924 | 17 April 1925 | |
| Anatole de Monzie | 17 April 1925 | 11 October 1925 | |
| Yvon Delbos | 11 October 1925 | 28 November 1925 | |
| Édouard Daladier | 28 November 1925 | 9 March 1926 | |
| Lucien Lamoureux | 9 March 1926 | 23 June 1926 | |
| Bertrand Nogaro | 23 June 1926 | 19 July 1926 | |
| Édouard Daladier | 19 July 1926 | 23 July 1926 | |
| Édouard Herriot | 23 July 1926 | 11 November 1928 | |
| Pierre Marraud | 11 November 1928 | 21 February 1930 | |
| Jean Durand | 21 February 1930 | 2 March 1930 | |
| Pierre Marraud | 2 March 1930 | 13 December 1930 | |
| Camille Chautemps | 13 December 1930 | 27 January 1931 | |
| Mario Roustan | 27 January 1931 | 3 June 1932 |
| Minister | Began | Ended | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anatole de Monzie | 3 June 1932 | 30 January 1934 | |
| Aimé Berthod | 30 January 1934 | 8 November 1934 | |
| André Mallarmé | 8 November 1934 | 1 June 1935 | |
| Mario Roustan | 1 June 1935 | 7 June 1935 | |
| Philippe Marcombes | 7 June 1935 | 13 June 1935 | |
| Mario Roustan | 17 June 1935 | 24 January 1936 | |
| Henri Guernut | 24 January 1936 | 4 June 1936 | |
| Jean Zay | 4 June 1936 | 10 September 1939 | |
| Yvon Delbos | 13 September 1939 | 21 March 1940 | |
| Albert Sarraut | 21 March 1940 | 5 June 1940 | |
| Yvon Delbos | 5 June 1940 | 16 June 1940 | |
| Albert Rivaud | 16 June 1940 | 12 July 1940 | |
| Émile Mireaux (Minister of Public Instruction) | 12 July 1940 | 6 September 1940 | |
| Georges Ripert (Minister of Public Instruction) | 6 September 1940 | 13 December 1940 | |
| Jacques Chevalier (Minister of Public Instruction) | 13 December 1940 | 23 February 1941 | |
| Jérôme Carcopino | 25 February 1941 | 18 April 1942 | |
| Abel Bonnard | 18 April 1942 | 19 August 1944 | |
| René Capitant | 19 August 1944 | 21 November 1945 | |
| Paul Giacobbi | 21 November 1945 | 26 January 1946 | |
| Marcel Edmond Naegelen | 26 January 1946 | 12 February 1948 | |
| Édouard Depreux | 12 February 1948 | 26 July 1948 | |
| Yvon Delbos | 26 July 1948 | 5 September 1948 | |
| Michel Tony-Révillon | 5 September 1948 | 11 September 1948 | |
| Yvon Delbos | 11 September 1948 | 2 July 1950 | |
| André Morice | 2 July 1950 | 12 July 1950 | |
| Pierre-Olivier Lapie | 12 July 1950 | 11 August 1952 | |
| André Marie | 11 August 1952 | 19 June 1954 | |
| Jean Berthoin | 19 June 1954 | 1 February 1956 | |
| René Billères | 1 February 1956 | 14 May 1958 | |
| Jacques Bordeneuve | 14 May 1958 | 1 June 1958 | |
| Jean Berthoin | 1 June 1958 | 8 January 1959 | |
| André Boulloche | 8 January 1959 | 23 December 1959 | |
| Michel Debré | 23 December 1959 | 15 January 1960 | |
| Louis Joxe | 15 January 1960 | 23 November 1960 | |
| Pierre Guillaumat | 23 November 1960 | 20 February 1961 | |
| Lucien Paye | 20 February 1961 | 15 April 1962 | |
| Pierre Sudreau | 15 April 1962 | 15 October 1962 | |
| Louis Joxe | 15 October 1962 | 28 November 1962 | |
| Christian Fouchet | 28 November 1962 | 6 April 1967 | |
| Alain Peyrefitte | 6 April 1967 | 30 May 1968 | |
| François-Xavier Ortoli | 30 May 1968 | 10 July 1968 | |
| Edgar Faure | 10 July 1968 | 23 June 1969 | |
| Olivier Guichard | 23 June 1969 | 7 July 1972 | |
| Joseph Fontanet | 7 July 1972 | 28 May 1974 | |
| René Haby (Minister of Education) | 28 May 1974 | 5 April 1978 | |
| Christian Beullac (Minister of Education) | 5 April 1978 | 22 May 1981 | |
| Alain Savary | 22 May 1981 | 19 July 1984 | |
| Jean-Pierre Chevènement | 19 July 1984 | 20 March 1986 | |
| René Monory | 20 March 1986 | 12 May 1988 | |
| Lionel Jospin | 12 May 1988 | 2 April 1992 | |
| Jack Lang | 2 April 1992 | 29 March 1993 | |
| François Bayrou | 29 March 1993 | 4 June 1997 | |
| Claude Allègre | 4 June 1997 | 28 March 2000 | |
| Jack Lang | 28 March 2000 | 7 May 2002 | |
| Luc Ferry | 7 May 2002 | 31 March 2004 | |
| François Fillon | 31 March 2004 | 2 June 2005 | |
| Gilles de Robien | 2 June 2005 | 15 May 2007 | |
| Xavier Darcos | 18 May 2007 | 23 June 2009 | |
| Luc Chatel | 23 June 2009 | 16 May 2012 | |
| Vincent Peillon | 16 May 2012 | 31 March 2014 | |
| Benoît Hamon | 2 April 2014 | 25 August 2014 | |
| Najat Vallaud-Belkacem | 26 August 2014 | 17 May 2017 | |
| Jean-Michel Blanquer | 17 May 2017 | 20 May 2022 | |
| Pap Ndiaye | 20 May 2022 | 20 July 2023 | |
| Gabriel Attal | 20 July 2023 | 9 January 2024 | |
| Amélie Oudéa-Castéra | 11 January 2024 | 08 February 2024 | |
| Nicole Belloubet | 08 February 2024 |