In a context where French and English do not have the same weight globally and locally, and language policies regulate educational avenues in Quebec (law 101), our article aims to identify reasons why some French speaking Quebecers pursue college studies in English. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 37 interviews to understand why Francophones choose Anglophone CEGEP. Through a typology inspired by Dubet’s action logics (1994, 2017), our results reveal that three types of choices emerge from our data. The strategic choice is based on a calculation of the costs and benefits of doing college studies in English. The personal development choice, which dominates our study, shows that choosing an English-speaking CEGEP is rooted in considerations of personal achievement related to the desire to learn languages, take up a challenge and be open to other cultures. The default choice shows that the selection of an English-speaking CEGEP is primarily made for reasons unrelated to the English language. Our results reveal that the choice of an English-speaking CEGEP cannot simply be reduced to a strategic choice based on the market value of languages.