Notes / Paris
International Schools in Paris Under EUR 20,000
The EUR 20,000 ceiling in Paris opens up a distinctive set of schools: state-funded international sections, German and bilingual private schools, and a few smaller English-track options. Here is what fits inside the bracket and how the schools differ.
# International Schools in Paris Under EUR 20,000
Paris · Fees & Costs
The EUR 20,000 ceiling in Paris produces a specific shortlist. The famous full-fee names (ISP, Marymount, EaB Jeannine Manuel at the top of its range, ASP) sit above this line. What fits underneath is a more interesting mix: state-funded sections internationales charging only a few thousand euros, a handful of established bilingual private schools, and a German-system Auslandsschule.
This is the bracket most non-package families in Paris actually use. Differences between schools here are larger than the fee gaps suggest, and entry routes vary from competitive language testing for the lycées internationaux to straightforward private enrolment elsewhere.
Written by Mia Windsor · Originally published: 8 June 2026 · 7 min read
TL;DR - Nine schools in Paris keep their highest year-group fees under EUR 20,000 - Two are public lycées internationaux: fees under EUR 5,000, entry by language exam - One is a German Auslandsschule (Deutsche Schule Paris) running Abitur and AbiBac - The remaining six are private bilingual or international schools, EUR 8,000 to EUR 17,000 - Curriculum spread covers the French Bac with international sections, OIB / BFI, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels, Edexcel, AbiBac, US High School Diploma and Montessori - The strongest exam outcomes in this bracket sit at the Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye (IB average 38; 52% A*/A at A Level) and the Lycée International British Section (80% Mention Bien or Très Bien on the BFI)
Sections - The full table - What this bracket looks like in Paris - Schools that stand out - What separates the public and private routes - FAQs
The Full Table
Every school below keeps its most expensive year group under EUR 20,000. Sorted by high-end annual tuition, ascending.
| School | Location | Curriculum / Exit Quals | Fees (high end) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIS Paris Ouest | Hauts-de-Seine | Cambridge IGCSE / A-Levels (under development) | ~EUR 3,500 |
| Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye | Saint-Germain-en-Laye | French Bac with International Sections, OIB / BFI, IB, A-Levels | ~EUR 4,350 |
| International School Montessori Jeunes Pousses | Paris | Montessori (ages 2 to 12) | ~EUR 8,450 |
| Lycée International British Section | Saint-Germain-en-Laye | French Bac, British Section, BFI, IGCSE / A-Levels | ~EUR 9,100 |
| Cours Molière | Paris | French Bac, US High School Diploma | ~EUR 12,800 |
| Eurécole | Paris | Bilingual French programme to DNB | ~EUR 12,900 |
| Deutsche Schule Paris | Saint-Cloud | German Abitur, AbiBac | ~EUR 13,050 |
| Trillium International School | Yvelines | Bilingual English / French primary and secondary | ~EUR 13,570 |
| EIB Paris | 8e Arrondissement | French Bac, British Section, IGCSE / A-Levels | ~EUR 17,000 |
All figures approximate and reflect the highest year group. Verify directly with each school. France charges fees per trimestre; annualised totals are shown.
What This Bracket Looks Like in Paris
Paris is unusual among major capitals because the state pays for so much international education. Families looking for English-medium teaching, German Abitur, or any of the dozen-plus other languages offered through the sections internationales can do so inside the French state system at fees that would not cover a single term elsewhere. Two schools on this list sit in that public-funded space. Families pay for the "section" element through a parents' association, but headline numbers are EUR 2,500 to EUR 9,100 a year rather than EUR 25,000 to EUR 40,000.
Entry to the public lycées internationaux is competitive and language-based. Children sit an exam in the section's working language and either pass it or do not. The private market filters by capacity, fees, and sometimes a relaxed interview instead.
Outside the public sector, the bracket splits into three groups. Bilingual private schools (Eurécole, EIB Paris, Trillium, Cours Molière) run a French curriculum with significant English-language teaching, often layered with British examinations or American programmes; fees span EUR 12,000 to EUR 17,000. Single-system foreign schools are represented by the Deutsche Schule Paris, a full German Auslandsschule with Abitur and AbiBac. Smaller specialist providers include the International School Montessori Jeunes Pousses and SIS Paris Ouest, which serve specific audiences.
What this bracket does not include is the full-fee Anglophone tier. The International School of Paris, the American School of Paris, the British School of Paris, Marymount, Lennen Bilingual, and the senior end of EaB Jeannine Manuel all charge above EUR 20,000.
Schools That Stand Out
A few schools in this bracket deserve attention for specific reasons.
Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye. The largest and best-known of the French public lycées internationaux. Fourteen national sections, including British, American, Dutch, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Chinese, Russian and Japanese. Pupils follow the full French curriculum and add four to six hours a week of literature and history-geography in the section's language. 2024 results: IB Diploma average of 38 points, 52% A*/A at A Level. Fees EUR 2,500 to EUR 4,350. Entry is by competitive language exam.
Lycée International British Section. A separate parents' association running the British strand at the same school complex in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Pupils take IGCSEs and A-Levels alongside the French curriculum, and many sit the Bac Français International (BFI). The 2024 BFI cohort scored 80% Mention Bien or Mention Très Bien, which is a strong outcome. Higher headline fees (up to about EUR 9,100) reflect the additional British-section provision.
Deutsche Schule Paris. Run on the German Auslandsschule model, with Abitur and AbiBac as exit qualifications. ZFA-accredited and NOB-recognised, with a 100% Abitur / AbiBac pass rate in recent years. The Saint-Cloud campus is well placed for families in the western suburbs. The obvious choice for German-speaking families; a serious bilingual option for non-German speakers if children start young.
EIB Paris. A French-British bilingual school in the 8e arrondissement, CIS-accredited, with the Brevet and the French Bac (international section) as exit qualifications. Published outcomes are strong: 100% Brevet pass rate, 98% of Bac candidates with honours. At EUR 17,000 it is the most expensive school on this list and the closest to a conventional international school experience inside the EUR 20,000 ceiling.
Cours Molière. A French private school in Paris offering both the French Bac and a US High School Diploma. The dual exit route is rare in this price bracket. Published results: 100% baccalaureate pass rate, 80% of pupils receiving honours, and a 100% success rate through Parcoursup. Fees around EUR 12,000 to EUR 13,000.
Eurécole. A small bilingual school running from age 2.5 to 18 in central Paris. 2024 DNB results: 100% pass, 87.5% honours. Useful for families wanting bilingual French / English teaching in a small-school setting.
Trillium International School, SIS Paris Ouest, and International School Montessori Jeunes Pousses round out the bracket. Trillium runs a bilingual French / English programme in the Yvelines and posts 100% entrance-exam success in 2025 and 2026. SIS Paris Ouest is the cheapest school on this list at around EUR 3,500, with a developing Cambridge track in Hauts-de-Seine. Jeunes Pousses is a Paris Montessori covering ages 2 to 12 at a flat EUR 8,450.
What Separates the Public and Private Routes
For families looking at Paris with a EUR 20,000 ceiling, the main fork is between the public sections internationales and the private bilingual market.
Cost. Public-route schools charge EUR 2,500 to EUR 9,100. Private bilingual schools charge EUR 12,000 to EUR 17,000.
Entry. Public schools select by language exam. Private schools select by interview, capacity, and sometimes academic record. If a child does not pass the language test, the private route remains open. If a child passes it, the public route offers a strong academic environment at a fraction of the cost.
Curriculum balance. The sections internationales are French schools first. Pupils follow the French national curriculum in French and take four to six hours a week of literature and history-geography in the section's language. Private bilingual schools weight the two languages more evenly.
Exit qualifications. Public route: French Bac with international option, OIB / BFI, sometimes A-Levels and IB. Private bilingual: French Bac, BFI, IGCSE, A-Levels, US Diploma, Abitur, AbiBac.
Geography. The two main public lycées internationaux sit in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, roughly 25 minutes on the RER from central Paris. Private bilingual schools are more dispersed: central Paris (EIB, Eurécole, Cours Molière, ISM Jeunes Pousses), Saint-Cloud (Deutsche Schule), Hauts-de-Seine (SIS Paris Ouest), and Yvelines (Trillium).
The strongest schools in this bracket on published exam outcomes are the Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye (IB 38, A Level A*/A 52%), EIB Paris (98% Bac with honours), and the British Section at the Lycée International (80% BFI honours). The first is dramatically cheaper than the second and third.
FAQs
Are the public sections internationales really under EUR 5,000? Yes. The lycée itself is free as a French public school. The "section" provision is funded through a parents' association charging EUR 2,500 to EUR 4,500 a year depending on the section. The British Section runs up to about EUR 9,100.
How competitive is entry to the Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye? Competitive. Children sit a language exam in the section's working language and must demonstrate strong reading, writing, and oral skills. Native or near-native fluency is generally expected.
Are any of these schools CIS-accredited? Two. EIB Paris and the Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye both hold CIS accreditation. The Deutsche Schule Paris holds the German ZFA accreditation, the equivalent quality mark for German schools abroad.
Which schools take an IB Diploma route? The Lycée International de St-Germain-en-Laye offers the IB Diploma alongside the French Bac. None of the others on this list run the IB Diploma. Families wanting a pure IB pathway will need the next tier up (the International School of Paris is the main IB World School in central Paris and sits well above EUR 20,000).
What if we need a US-system school? Cours Molière offers a US High School Diploma alongside the French Bac, which is unusual in this price bracket. The American School of Paris and Marymount sit above the EUR 20,000 ceiling.
What about French-language support? Most schools on this list assume children either speak French or will pick it up through immersion. The private bilingual schools build French teaching into the timetable from the youngest year groups. The public sections internationales expect a working level of French from secondary entry onwards.
Ready to explore?
All fees approximate and reflect the highest published year-group fee at each school. French private schools typically bill per trimestre; annualised totals are shown. Verify directly with each school before applying.
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