Paris International School Intelligence Report 2026

Comparison table

Paris · Market Report

Paris carries a structural feature absent from most relocation cities: a deep, near-free public alternative to private international education. The Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Cité Scolaire Honoré de Balzac, and the international sections embedded in selected lycées and collèges provide bilingual, foreign-language-section schooling at registration costs measured in low four-figure euros. Around this public spine sits a dense ring of sous-contrat bilingual schools, anglophone privates, and a smaller cluster of full international schools running IB, American or British programmes at fees that climb past EUR 40,000.

The result is a 40-school market with the widest fee spread of any European capital. Private headline fees run from roughly EUR 3,500 to EUR 41,400 at the American School of Paris. Curricula split across the French Baccalauréat with section internationale, the Brevet Français International (BFI, formerly OIB), the IB Diploma, IGCSE plus A-Level, and AP. Which lane a family chooses matters more in Paris than in almost any comparable city, because the public option is genuinely competitive at the academic top end.

Market overview

Paris hosts 40 schools recognised in this dataset, distributed across three structural tiers. The fully private international tier accounts for roughly a quarter of listings and concentrates most of the premium fee band. A second tier of sous-contrat (state-contracted) bilingual privates handles the largest share of expatriate enrolment in the EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000 range. The third tier is the public network of sections internationales, where families pay annual contributions of EUR 2,500 to EUR 9,000 for selective access to bilingual public schooling.

Geographically, the market clusters in three places. Western Paris and the Hauts-de-Seine corridor (Neuilly, Saint-Cloud, La Défense) carry the densest concentration of premium and mid-tier schools, including Marymount, the Deutsche Schule, EIB Paris and the European School. The Yvelines belt around Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Maisons-Laffitte hosts the major public international option, the Ermitage, the British School of Paris in Croissy, Forest International and EIB de La Jonchère. Inside the péripherique, the 7th, 8th, 15th and 16th arrondissements carry ISP, ICS Paris, EaB Jeannine Manuel, EIB Paris and Lennen Bilingual.

Founding dates distribute across a long arc. The oldest active listing is Hattemer (1885), with Notre Dame International (1929), Cours Molière (1926) and several EIB network schools (1954) reflecting the post-war anglophone wave. The most recent entries are Union School (2022), Ellipse Montessori Academy (2017) and Trillium International (2017), with the European School of Paris-La Défense launching in 2019.

Premium tier

Five schools define the top of the Paris market by fee level and by depth of programme.

American School of Paris in Saint-Cloud carries the highest published fees in the city at EUR 25,000 to EUR 41,400. Founded in 1946, ASP runs an American diploma alongside the IB Diploma, with approximately 760 students aged 3 to 18 and dual MSA CESS and CIS accreditation. Recently published results show a 100% IB Diploma pass rate, an IB average of 34.6, and an 86% AP pass rate at 3+. ASP is the natural choice for families on US corporate packages or targeting US university admissions through a familiar transcript system.

International School of Paris in the 16th arrondissement is the only school in Paris running the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) from age 3 to 18. Fees of EUR 25,500 to EUR 39,000 sit just below ASP. With around 900 students and CIS plus NEASC accreditation, ISP holds the IB-only positioning in central Paris. The published IB Diploma average of 32 points (2025) and a 92% pass rate (2024) are solid against the global IB benchmark of around 30. ISP carries the most internationally diverse student body of the central Paris schools.

Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris is the structural anomaly. A bilingual French-English school running the French Baccalauréat alongside the IB Diploma, it carries fees of EUR 10,260 to EUR 32,560, an enrolment of around 1,600, and the strongest published academic data in the city: an IB Diploma average of 38.1 in 2025 and a #1 IB ranking in France. The school's selectivity is comparable to the most competitive public sections internationales.

Marymount International School Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine runs an American programme for ages 2 to 14 at fees of EUR 23,250 to EUR 38,500. With approximately 360 students and CIS plus MSA CESS accreditation, Marymount fills the early years and primary slot for American families.

EIB Paris in the 8th arrondissement carries a different premium positioning. As the flagship of the EIB network, it runs a French-British bilingual programme for ages 3 to 18 across roughly 3,000 students network-wide. Headline fees of EUR 14,100 to EUR 16,995 sit below the fully international tier, but the network's published outcomes (98% Bac with honours, 100% Brevet pass rate) and CIS accreditation place it in a premium bilingual category of its own.

Mid-tier

The mid-tier carries the largest share of expatriate enrolment and the broadest curriculum range.

British School of Paris in Croissy-sur-Seine occupies the British niche at fees of EUR 20,684 to EUR 34,065. Founded in 1954 with around 650 students and COBIS Patrons membership, BSP runs the English National Curriculum through to A-Level. Published 2025 outcomes show *28% A\/A at A-Level and 67% grade 9-7 at GCSE**.

ICS Paris in the 15th arrondissement runs an IB plus IGCSE plus A-Level model at fees of EUR 20,994 to EUR 32,976. Multi-year published averages run between 32 and 35.5 with a 2024 top score of 44 points. Around 600 students across ages 2 to 18.

Ermitage International School in Maisons-Laffitte is the major IB-bilingual option in the Yvelines belt at fees of EUR 7,500 to EUR 28,950. Founded in 1941, around 1,500 students, combining French Bac with IB Diploma. A 2025 IB average of 34, a 100% French Bac pass rate, and a #3 IB ranking in France put Ermitage near the top of the city's published-results table.

Forest International and Malherbe International in the Yvelines, Lab School Paris in the 11th, Lennen Bilingual School in the 7th, and EIB de La Jonchère cover the EUR 10,000 to EUR 27,000 range. Deutsche Schule Paris in Saint-Cloud runs the German Abitur and AbiBac at EUR 10,684 to EUR 13,054.

The sous-contrat bilingual cluster (EIB Paris, EIB Grenelle, EIB de La Jonchère, Hattemer Bilingue, La Tour, Cours Molière, Eurécole, College Sevigne) provides the largest absolute share of bilingual capacity, with most positioning at fees between EUR 8,000 and EUR 17,000.

Fee analysis

Paris fees split into three clean bands.

The fully private international band runs EUR 23,000 to EUR 41,400 for upper secondary. ASP, ISP, Marymount, EaB Jeannine Manuel upper years, and ICS Paris populate this range. The premium uplift over the mid-tier sits at roughly EUR 8,000 to EUR 15,000 per year at secondary level.

The mid-tier bilingual and international band sits at EUR 10,000 to EUR 22,000. This is where most expatriate families on standard relocation packages end up enrolling, particularly through the EIB network, Ermitage at the lower fee tiers, Forest International, and Lab School.

The public-adjacent band runs from registration-only at sections internationales to roughly EUR 9,090 at the Lycée International British Section. The Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye lists EUR 2,558 to EUR 4,348 for its section internationale; SIS Paris Ouest in the Hauts-de-Seine lists EUR 2,611 to EUR 3,464. These price points are unique among Western European capitals at this level of academic selectivity.

Fee inflation in the private tier has tracked at approximately 3% to 5% annually since 2022, with the premium tier compressing slightly against the mid-tier in real terms. The Lycée International band has held closer to flat in real terms because association contributions track French inflation rather than international market pricing.

Curriculum trends

The Paris curriculum landscape carries more variety per capita than any comparable city.

The French Baccalauréat with section internationale is the single largest pathway by enrolment, anchored by the Lycée International, Cite Scolaire Honoré de Balzac, and partner public schools across the city. The Brevet Français International (BFI), which replaced the OIB in 2022, is now the standard certification at the end of the section-internationale track.

The IB Diploma is offered in depth by ASP, ISP, ICS Paris, EaB Jeannine Manuel, Ermitage, EIB Grenelle, EIB de La Jonchère, Lab School, Open Sky International and Ellipse Montessori Academy. ISP is the only full PYP-MYP-DP continuum school in central Paris.

IGCSE plus A-Level runs at the British School of Paris, ICS Paris, EIB Grenelle, EIB de La Jonchère and Kingsworth International. The British pathway is narrower in Paris than the IB pathway, with BSP holding the only full British school positioning in the western belt.

AP and US high-school diploma routes run at ASP, Marymount, Notre Dame International High School, EIB Grenelle, EIB de La Jonchère and Cours Molière. The American tier is concentrated in Saint-Cloud and Neuilly.

Montessori secondary is an emerging niche, with Ellipse Montessori Academy running IGCSE plus IB DP for ages 15 to 18, an unusual combination for the format.

Admissions pressure

Two pressure points define the Paris admissions calendar.

Section internationale entry is the harder of the two. Public-school sections internationales test in both French and English, accept fixed cohort sizes, and operate on calendar timelines set by the Académie de Versailles or Paris. The British, American, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese and Portuguese sections at the Lycée International each carry their own selection process. Refusal rates at the British and American sections run reportedly above 70% in competitive year groups. Entry points at maternelle and at sixième (Year 7 equivalent) are the most contested.

Premium private waitlists concentrate at ASP, ISP, Marymount and EaB Jeannine Manuel. ASP and ISP both run rolling admissions but practice cohort capping at popular year groups, with Year 1, Year 7 and Year 9 the typical pinch points. EaB Jeannine Manuel runs a structured admissions cycle with academic and language assessment.

Mid-tier sous-contrat schools carry shorter waitlists but still operate with academic and language entry assessment at most age groups.

New developments

The most material recent developments sit at the lower premium and Montessori-secondary edges of the market.

The European School of Paris-La Défense opened in 2019 in the Hauts-de-Seine and runs a European Schools-aligned programme for ages 3 to 18, with around 110 students currently enrolled. Capacity expansion through 2027 is planned. This is the only European Schools-network presence in the Paris region.

Union School (2022), Ellipse Montessori Academy (2017) and Trillium International (2017) mark a wave of smaller, founder-led entrants targeting niche pedagogical positioning rather than the mainstream international market.

The EIB network has expanded through EIB Grenelle and EIB de La Jonchère adding IB Diploma and US high-school diploma options to the traditional French-British bilingual model, a structural shift in the sous-contrat tier toward dual-certification at upper secondary.

No major new premium international school has launched in Paris since the European School. Capacity expansion at ASP, ISP and EaB Jeannine Manuel is constrained by site rather than demand.

Regional context

Paris versus London: Paris private fees sit roughly 20% to 30% below comparable London international schools at the top end. The structural difference is the public alternative: London has nothing comparable to the Lycée International at the academic top end.

Paris versus Brussels: the closest structural comparator. The European Schools network in Brussels provides the public-international spine that the Lycée International provides in Paris, with private fees in the two cities sitting within a similar band. Brussels carries deeper European Schools capacity; Paris carries deeper private and bilingual variety.

Paris versus Madrid: Madrid private international fees sit roughly 30% below Paris at the premium tier, but Madrid carries no equivalent to the section internationale model. Madrid is a price-driven market; Paris is a programme-driven market.

Outlook

Fee growth in the Paris private tier looks set to continue at 3% to 5% annually through 2027. Capacity at the top five schools will remain constrained, with admissions pressure at primary entry points unlikely to ease.

The sous-contrat bilingual tier is the segment most likely to absorb growth, with EIB Grenelle and EIB de La Jonchère already extending into IB DP and US high-school diploma territory. Expect the mid-tier to broaden, not deepen, over the next 24 months.

The public sections internationales will hold their position as the most academically selective entry point in Paris. The European School of Paris-La Défense is the school to watch for cohort expansion. If it scales toward 500 students by 2028, it becomes a meaningful third public-international option alongside the Lycée International and Honoré de Balzac.

FAQs

How many international schools operate in Paris in 2026? The dataset for this report covers 40 schools across fully private international, sous-contrat bilingual and public sections internationales categories. The exact count varies depending on whether short-cycle Montessori primaries and partial-bilingual partner schools are included.

Are sections internationales free? Registration is nominal but families typically pay association contributions of EUR 2,000 to EUR 5,000 annually plus enrichment levies. The Lycée International British Section publishes fees of EUR 3,746 to EUR 9,090 depending on age group.

Which Paris school has the strongest published IB results? Ecole Jeannine Manuel publishes a 2025 IB Diploma average of 38.1 and a #1 IB ranking in France. Ermitage publishes a 2025 average of 34. ICS Paris publishes multi-year averages between 32 and 35.5.

Is the American School of Paris the most expensive school in the city? Yes, headline fees of EUR 25,000 to EUR 41,400 are the highest published private fees in Paris in this dataset. ISP at EUR 25,500 to EUR 39,000 sits closest behind.

What is the BFI and how does it differ from the OIB? The Brevet Français International (BFI) replaced the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB) in 2022 as the section-internationale leaving certification. It carries similar weight in French and international university admissions and is the standard end-point of the section-internationale track.

Can non-French nationals access sections internationales? Yes, sections internationales operate on academic and language selection rather than nationality. Entry tests assess proficiency in French and the section language. Families relocating mid-year face calendar constraints set by the Académie.

Which curriculum carries the best UK university outcomes? The IB Diploma at EaB Jeannine Manuel, ICS Paris and Ermitage carries the strongest published results profile for UK admissions. The BFI is well recognised by UK universities. The British School of Paris A-Level pathway provides direct UK-style progression.

Are waitlists genuinely long at the premium schools? Yes, particularly at Year 1, Year 7 and Year 9 entry at ASP, ISP, Marymount and EaB Jeannine Manuel. Families relocating to Paris typically apply 12 to 18 months ahead of the academic year for these schools.