Initially implemented for people with few or no diplomas, the accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) has considerably changed since 2002. Although this way to get a degree is still modest in French universities, its implications for the development of lifelong learning are significant. In this context, our article examines APEL patterns at the university. It tries to find out if the paths of candidates applying for APEL procedure at the university have specificities compared to other APEL paths, in terms of admissibility, drop-out and validation. Econometric analysis, carried out on longitudinal administrative data of APEL candidates in a major French university between 2009 and 2018, show that APEL at the university differs in several ways: the profile of candidates, the stages at which the selection or self-selection of candidates is carried out, and the determinants of the jury’s validation decisions, whether they concern individual characteristics or diploma.