Notes / Paris
Best Secondary Schools in Paris
How Paris secondary works: French collège and lycée, the IB anchor at ISP, the American anchor at ASP, A Level and French Bac routes.
The brief
- The anglophone anchors carry most international demand at 11 to 18: ASP, ISP, BSP, ICS Paris and Ermitage.
- French collège runs ages 11 to 15, lycée 15 to 18, with the Brevet at the end of collège and the Baccalauréat at the end of lycée.
- Ecole Jeannine Manuel leads France on IB results, 2025 DP average 38.1. The Lycée International matches it on the BFI and IB at near-state fees.
- ASP is the only school in France offering both AP and the IB Diploma, IB average 34.6, 100% pass rate.
- A Level remains rare. BSP is the only Paris school at scale running A Level as the principal Sixth Form exit.
Paris secondary divides differently from primary. The senior end is where curriculum locks in. A child sitting Cambridge IGCSE and A Level at Croissy is on a different track from one taking the IB Diploma in the 16th, or the BFI at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Around a dozen international or bilingual schools carry students from 11 to 18 with a recognised exit. The field splits four ways: full IB at the anchors, A Level at BSP, AP plus IB at ASP, and the French Bac with international option (the BFI, formerly the OIB) at the bilingual and section-internationale lycées.
The top tier
American School of Paris
Saint-Cloud. Ages 3 to 18. Fees EUR 25,000 to 41,400. Founded 1946. MSA-CESS and CIS accredited. Around 760 pupils.
The only school in France offering both AP and the IB Diploma, on a four-hectare campus in Saint-Cloud. Grades 9 to 12 choose full IB DP, AP courses, or a mix. 2025: IB average 34.6, 100% pass; AP pass rate (3+) 86%. US-format transcripts.
International School of Paris
16th Arrondissement. Ages 3 to 18. Fees EUR 25,500 to 39,000. Founded 1964. CIS and NEASC accredited. Around 900 pupils.
The only three-programme IB World School in France. MYP from age 11 into the IB Diploma at 16. 2025 IB DP average 32, 2024 pass rate 92%. IB-accredited since 1982. Central-Paris inside the Périphérique.
British School of Paris
Croissy-sur-Seine. Ages 3 to 18. Fees EUR 20,684 to 34,065. Founded 1954. COBIS Patrons member. Around 650 pupils.
The British-curriculum mainstay in the Paris region. English National Curriculum at KS3 and KS4 to Cambridge IGCSE, then Sixth Form on A Levels, the only Paris school at scale running A Level as the principal exit. *2025: 28% A\/A at A Level, 55% A\-B, 67% 9-7 at GCSE.*
ICS Paris
15th Arrondissement. Ages 2 to 18. Fees EUR 20,994 to 32,976. Founded 2003. Operated by Globeducate. Around 600 pupils.
Full IB continuum inside Paris, with Cambridge IGCSE and A Level alongside the IB DP at the senior end. 2025 IB DP average 32.7, top score 41; 2024 average 33.8, top 44. The IB plus Cambridge combination in one school is unusual at this scale.
Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris
15th Arrondissement. Ages 6 to 18. Fees EUR 10,260 to 32,560. Founded 1954. CIS and NEASC accredited. Around 1,600 pupils.
Ranked #1 IB school in France, 2025 DP average 38.1. French-English bilingual through to lycée, exit on the IB Diploma. Selective entry, long waitlists. Non-profit foundation; fees sit materially below the anglophone anchors.
Ermitage International School
Maisons-Laffitte. Ages 3 to 18. Fees EUR 7,500 to 28,950. Founded 1941. NEASC accredited. Around 1,500 pupils.
Ranked #3 IB school in France, 2025 DP average 34, French Bac pass rate 100%. International stream to the IB DP and French stream to the French Bac. Day and boarding, rare at this fee point in the region.
Strong mid-tier
Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Ages 5 to 18. Fees EUR 2,558 to 4,348 plus section fees. Founded 1952. CIS accredited. Around 3,000 pupils.
A state lycée with fifteen section internationale strands, including the British Section, American, German and twelve others. Students sit the Brevet at the end of collège and the French Bac with international option (the BFI) at lycée. *2024 IB DP average 38, A Level A\/A 52%, BFI Mention Très Bien/Bien 80%. The British Section adds dedicated fees of EUR 3,746 to 9,090 on top of the state base. Unique in France at this scale.**
EIB Paris
8e Arrondissement and western suburbs. Ages 3 to 18. Fees EUR 14,100 to 16,995. Founded 1954. CIS accredited. Around 3,000 pupils across the group.
Eight bilingual French-English campuses across Paris and the western suburbs, Globeducate since 2012. French national programme with a structured English strand, leading into French Bac, BFI, IB Diploma or A Level. Brevet 100% pass, Bac 98% with honours. EIB Grenelle posts a 2024 IB DP average of 31.7.
Deutsche Schule Paris
Saint-Cloud. Ages 4 to 18. Fees EUR 10,684 to 13,054. Founded 1958. ZFA and NOB accredited. Around 332 pupils.
The German school in the Paris region, same Saint-Cloud cluster as ASP. Exit on the German Abitur and the AbiBac, recognised in German and French university systems. 100% pass rate.
Lab School Paris
11th Arrondissement. Ages 5 to 18. Fees EUR 15,600 to 23,500. Founded 2015. Around 130 pupils.
A small bilingual lycée running the French national programme with English alongside, exit on the IB Diploma. Research-affiliated with EHESS. 130 pupils total means narrower subject availability at lycée than ISP, ASP or Ermitage.
Best for A Levels
Pure A Level is rare in Paris; most senior pathways run the IB or the French Bac.
- British School of Paris is the only Paris school at scale running A Level as the principal Sixth Form exit. *2025: 28% A\/A, 55% A\-B.*
- ICS Paris runs Cambridge A Level alongside the IB DP; narrower subject list given the smaller cohort.
Best for IB DP
- Ecole Jeannine Manuel leads France, 2025 average 38.1.
- Lycée International posts 2024 IB average 38 alongside the BFI, at near-state fees.
- ASP runs IB DP alongside AP. 2025 average 34.6, 100% pass.
- Ermitage International, #3 IB in France, 2025 average 34. Day and boarding.
- ICS Paris holds a five-year average above 33, top scores at 44 and 45.
- ISP, the only three-programme IB World School in France. 2025 average 32.
Best for American HS and AP
- American School of Paris is the only credible AP route at scale. AP pass rate 86%, US transcript, plus IB DP.
- Cours Molière offers a US high school diploma layer over the French national programme, smaller and lower-fee.
Best for French Bac, BFI and dual
- Lycée International British Section runs the BFI inside the French national curriculum. 2024 Mention Très Bien/Bien 80%.
- Ermitage International runs the French Bac alongside the IB DP. 100% Bac pass.
- EIB Paris runs French Bac, BFI, IB and A Level. 98% Bac with honours.
- Deutsche Schule Paris runs the AbiBac, a recognised dual French-German Bac.
At a glance
| School | Curriculum | Ages | Fees range (EUR) | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American School of Paris | American, AP, IB | 3 to 18 | 25,000-41,400 | Saint-Cloud |
| International School of Paris | IB (PYP, MYP, DP) | 3 to 18 | 25,500-39,000 | 16th |
| British School of Paris | British, IGCSE, A Level | 3 to 18 | 20,684-34,065 | Croissy-sur-Seine |
| ICS Paris | IB, IGCSE, A Level | 2 to 18 | 20,994-32,976 | 15th |
| Ecole Jeannine Manuel | Bilingual, French Bac + IB | 6 to 18 | 10,260-32,560 | 15th |
| Ermitage International | IB, French Bac | 3 to 18 | 7,500-28,950 | Maisons-Laffitte |
| Lab School Paris | French + IB | 5 to 18 | 15,600-23,500 | 11th |
| EIB Paris | Bilingual, French Bac + British | 3 to 18 | 14,100-16,995 | 8th, suburbs |
| Deutsche Schule Paris | German, Abitur, AbiBac | 4 to 18 | 10,684-13,054 | Saint-Cloud |
| Lycée International British Section | French + Cambridge, BFI | 3 to 18 | 3,746-9,090 | Saint-Germain-en-Laye |
| Lycée International | French + International Sections | 5 to 18 | 2,558-4,348 | Saint-Germain-en-Laye |
Fees are 2025/26 indicative annual top-of-band figures. Verify current figures with each school before applying.
The age labels and exit points
The French collège runs ages 11 to 15: Sixième, Cinquième, Quatrième, Troisième. At the end of Troisième students sit the Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB). Free and compulsory.
The French lycée runs ages 15 to 18: Seconde, Première, Terminale. In Première students pick three specialités, narrowing to two in Terminale. The Baccalauréat at the end of Terminale is the gateway to university via Parcoursup and to the grandes écoles preparatory route.
The Baccalauréat français international (BFI), formerly the OIB, is a French Bac variant with examined subjects in a second language. The Lycée International runs the BFI inside fifteen sections; the Cambridge English Section was rebranded in 2022 under the BFI reform.
Sous contrat versus hors contrat. Most French private schools are sous contrat: state-funded teachers, French national programme, local-stream. The schools above are either fully international, partly hors contrat with a serious international layer, or a state lycée with section internationale.
How to choose between them
The exit qualification. IB DP at ISP, ICS, Jeannine Manuel and Ermitage. A Level at BSP. AP plus IB at ASP. BFI at the Lycée International. Mixing schools mid-cycle is hard.
French exposure. Full-English anchors keep French as a daily subject. Bilingual lycées (Jeannine Manuel, EIB, Lab School) keep French as a working language. Section internationale sits a child inside a French school day with a strong second-language section attached.
Selectivity. Jeannine Manuel is genuinely selective. ISP, ASP and BSP fill places through sibling priority and continuing enrolment. The Lycée International runs a competitive section-language entry test.
Cohort scale and subject breadth. BSP, ASP and Ermitage carry the broadest A Level and IB DP option lists. Lab School (130 total) and ICS (600) run narrower option lists at 16+. Confirm the subject combination before signing.
Location. ASP (Saint-Cloud), BSP (Croissy), Ermitage (Maisons-Laffitte) and the Lycée International (Saint-Germain-en-Laye) sit in the western suburbs. ISP, ICS Paris, Jeannine Manuel, EIB and Lab School are inside Paris. School-bus mornings of 45 to 60 minutes are normal from central addresses.
Related reading
- Best international schools in Paris (pillar)
- Best primary schools in Paris
- IB vs A Levels
- British vs IB vs American curriculum
FAQs
IB, A Level or French Bac at lycée, which is best? None is inherently stronger. The IB Diploma guarantees breadth (six subjects plus TOK, EE, CAS). A Level allows three or four subjects in depth, the most direct route into UK universities. The French Bac with BFI is the strongest route into French universities and the grandes écoles preparatory classes. Pick by destination.
Can a child switch from a French lycée to an international one at 15 or 16? Possible but harder than at primary. The IB MYP and DP assume a track record in the IB framework. Switching into BSP for A Level at Year 12 is more common and well-managed.
Is the OIB still called the OIB or the BFI? The OIB was rebranded the BFI in 2022 as part of a wider Bac reform. Same qualification in substance: French Bac plus examined components in a second language taught by native-speaking teachers.
Which Paris school is best for Oxbridge and Russell Group? BSP for the most direct fit: A Levels, predicted grades, UK university counselling. ASP, ISP, ICS, Ermitage and Jeannine Manuel produce IB Diplomas accepted at the same universities.
Which is best for US universities? ASP for the most direct route: US transcript, AP scores, college counsellors with American university relationships. IB Diplomas from ISP, ICS, Ermitage and Jeannine Manuel are well understood by US admissions.
Sources: Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale (collège, lycée and Baccalauréat français international framework), school fee schedules and admissions pages, IB Organisation programme listings and DP statistical bulletins, Council of International Schools and NEASC accreditation records, MSA Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, COBIS Patrons membership directory, Cambridge International Education centre listings, Lycée International section internationale documentation.