Ecole Jeannine Manuel, Paris

In Brief

If academic results matter most to you and your child can handle a genuinely bilingual, competitive environment, EJM is probably the strongest school in Paris on paper. The fee gap versus ISP and ASP is real - but so is the selectivity, so apply early.

EJM sits in a category of its own in Paris: a partially state-funded bilingual school that consistently produces the highest IB scores in France. A 38.1 average in 2025 puts it third in the EU and places it well above the world average of 30. The school has offered IB since 1982, alongside the French Baccalaureat International and a US High School Diploma, giving graduates flexibility for university applications in France, the UK, the US and beyond. Around 80 nationalities are represented across its three Paris campuses.

Primary fees at around EUR 9,935 are deliberately affordable - the partial state subsidy holds costs down in a way no private school in Paris can match. From the IB Foundation Year the price jumps sharply to EUR 24,865 and EUR 32,560 for the two Diploma years, which is more in line with peers. The Adaptation Program supports non-French-speaking children entering the school, which helps international families who haven't yet mastered French - but the school is fundamentally a French institution and children who struggle academically can find it tough going. No school bus operates in Paris, no uniform is required, and Wednesday afternoons are half-days for primary.

Admissions are genuinely competitive; places are limited and waitlists are common, particularly at primary level. Families who've been through the process report that teachers focus their energy on the strongest students, and children in the middle of the ability range can feel less supported. The three-campus setup in the 15th means your child may move buildings as they progress through the school. Families coming from a more pastoral British or American model should visit and talk to current parents before deciding.