International Schools in Paris: Admissions Guide for Expat Families

Families relocating to Paris with children face two decisions that are tightly connected but are almost always handled as if they were separate: choosing a school and finding a home. In a city where a 15-minute gap on a map can translate into a 45-minute school run in peak traffic, getting that order wrong is one of the most common and costly errors in a corporate or diplomatic move.

Paris has one of the deepest international education markets in Europe. More than 40 schools across Île-de-France offer English-medium, bilingual, or foreign-national curricula, serving families on two-year postings and those planning a decade in the city with equal seriousness. The range is genuinely exceptional. But the admission timelines, fee structures, and housing decisions that follow are more complex than the school directories and ranking sites tend to convey.

This guide covers what families arriving in 2026 need to know: the four categories of international schools in Paris, what real costs look like beyond the headline tuition, which arrondissements pair with which school clusters, what schools actually require for admission, and how to manage applications and a housing search inside the same narrow window.

Paris does not have one type of international school. It has four, and the differences between them shape both the educational outcome and the housing decision in ways that matter from the day you arrive.

At a glance, the four types are:

1. Fully international IB and English-medium schools (ISP, ASP, BSP, ICS Paris): instruction almost entirely in English, suited to families on two-to-four-year assignments or those targeting US, British, and international university tracks. Highest fees, real waiting lists.
2. Bilingual French-English private schools (EJM, BISP, Lennen): 50-60% English instruction alongside the French national curriculum, lower fees due to partial Ministry of Education funding, suited to longer stays and families building French proficiency.
3. Embassy-affiliated and national curriculum schools (German International School, Japanese School of Paris, others): follow a specific national curriculum, generally restricted to families with nationality or diplomatic affiliation to that country.
4. French public schools with sections internationales: subsidised bilingual education in the French public system, available in several languages, competitive entry via exam, no fees beyond standard public school contributions.

Fully international IB and English-medium schools

The International School of Paris (ISP), across three campuses in the 16th arrondissement, is France's first IB World School to offer the full PYP, MYP, and Diploma Programme continuum from nursery to grade 12. The American School of Paris (ASP) in Saint-Cloud delivers the AP curriculum and the IB Diploma across a 4-hectare campus with around 800 students. The British School of Paris in Croissy-sur-Seine follows the English National Curriculum from Reception to Year 13. ICS Paris, in the 15th arrondissement, is an IB school with over 500 students from 50 nationalities.

These schools deliver instruction almost entirely in English, with French taught as a second language. They suit families unlikely to stay in France beyond three or four years, or whose children need to remain on the American, British or international university track. Waiting lists are real, and the application window closes earlier than most families expect.

Bilingual French-English private schools

École Jeannine Manuel (EJM), with its Paris campus in the 15th arrondissement, is the most academically selective bilingual school in the city. The Bilingual International School of Paris (BISP) in the 17th arrondissement and Lennen Bilingual School in the 16th both deliver genuine 50-50 French-English instruction from the early years. These schools follow the French national curriculum with substantial English-language teaching. Fees are lower than fully international schools because several operate under a partial contract with the French Ministry of Education.

For families planning to stay in France for four years or more, or whose children have any French-language base to build on, bilingual schools offer both academic rigour and real linguistic integration. EJM accepts children without French in their first year through an adaptation programme, but it carries an additional fee and its own competitive entry process.

Embassy-affiliated and national curriculum schools

Several embassies in Paris sponsor schools that follow a specific national curriculum: the German International School in Saint-Cloud, the Japanese School of Paris, and a number of smaller embassy-linked institutions. Admission is generally restricted to families with a direct connection to the country in question, through nationality, diplomatic posting, or employer affiliation. If your assignment or passport qualifies your family, these schools offer curriculum continuity that international schools cannot fully replicate.

French public schools with sections internationales

The sections internationales programme runs inside French public lycées and collèges and offers subsidised bilingual education across several languages, including English, German, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese. For families who qualify and whose children have the French foundation to pass the entrance test, it is genuinely worth considering. The full breakdown is in the dedicated section below.

Choosing between international schools in Paris becomes much easier when the main decision factors are clear: curriculum, location, admissions stage, school run, and total first-year cost.

The profiles below cover schools frequently shortlisted by relocating families. Fees can change annually and may not include application fees, registration fees, capital contributions, lunch, transport, learning support or exam costs. Always confirm the latest schedule with the school before applying.

International School of Paris (ISP)

• Curriculum: Full International Baccalaureate pathway, including PYP, MYP, and the IB Diploma Programme. ISP serves students from Nursery to Grade 12 across its Ranelagh, Cortambert, and Beethoven campuses in the 16th arrondissement.
• Location: 16th arrondissement, with campuses near Ranelagh, Rue Cortambert, and Rue Beethoven.
• Annual tuition 2026-2027: €25,500-39,000, depending on year group. New families should also budget for a €1,200 non-refundable application fee and a €10,000 first-year entry fee for new students in Grades 1-12.
• Best for: Families on two- to four-year assignments who want a globally recognised IB pathway and strong preparation for international, US or UK university routes.
• Housing zone: 16th arrondissement, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Boulogne-Billancourt.

American School of Paris (ASP)

• Curriculum: American-style curriculum with AP courses, the IB Diploma Programme and an American High School Diploma pathway. ASP serves students aged 3 to 18.
• Location: Saint-Cloud, on a large western-suburb campus close to Paris.
• Annual tuition 2026-2027: €25,000 for K3-K5, €34,600 for Grades 1-5, €39,965 for Grades 6-8 and €41,400 for Grades 9-12. Families should also factor in the €1,450 application fee, €12,200 one-time capital assessment from Grade 1 and a €2,000 annual security fee.
• Best for: US-curriculum families, students targeting American universities, and families who want a broad academic and extracurricular offer in English.
• Housing zone: Saint-Cloud, Suresnes, Vaucresson, Boulogne-Billancourt. For ASP, living in the western suburbs can make the school run significantly easier.

British School of Paris (BSP)

• Curriculum: British curriculum, including GCSE and A Level pathways. BSP is the only UK government-accredited British School Overseas in France, according to its own school profile.
• Location: Croissy-sur-Seine, west of Paris. The Senior School is on Quai de l’Écluse, with the Junior School also located in Croissy-sur-Seine.
• Annual tuition: Current fee information should be checked directly with BSP before publication. The school publishes an Annual Fees List for 2025-2026, but the exact fee table was not available as readable text in the crawled page.
• Best for: British-curriculum families targeting UK university pathways, especially those who want continuity with the English education system.
• Housing zone: Croissy-sur-Seine, Le Vésinet, Chatou, Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

ICS Paris

• Curriculum: International curriculum with IB pathways, including MYP and the IB Diploma Programme, plus IGCSE in Grades 9 and 10. ICS Paris teaches largely in English and is located in the 15th arrondissement.
• Location: 15th arrondissement, near Convention.
• Annual tuition 2026-2027: €20,994 for Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten; €24,759 for Grades 1-5; €28,959 for Grades 6-8; €32,475 for Grades 9 and 11-12; and €32,976 for Grade 10, including five IGCSE examinations. New families should also budget for a €750 application fee, a €3,000 registration fee from Grade 1, and a €3,750 school development fund.
• Best for: Families who want an IB-oriented international school in central Paris, particularly those living in the 15th, 14th, or 7th arrondissement.
• Housing zone: 15th, 14th and 7th arrondissements.

École Jeannine Manuel (EJM)

• Curriculum: French national curriculum with bilingual French-English instruction, often considered one of the most academically selective bilingual options in Paris.
• Location: 15th arrondissement for the Paris campus.
• Annual tuition: Verify directly with the school before publication. Do not publish a fixed 2026 fee unless confirmed from EJM’s official admissions or finance documentation.
• Best for: Families staying in Paris for four years or more who want strong French integration, bilingual academic rigour and a pathway that remains compatible with international higher education.
• Housing zone: 15th, 16th and 7th arrondissements.

Bilingual International School of Paris (BISP)

• Curriculum: French-English bilingual education, particularly relevant for younger children and families seeking a smaller bilingual environment.
• Location: 17th arrondissement.
• Annual tuition: Verify directly with BISP before publication. Avoid using estimated figures unless they are confirmed by the school.
• Best for: Families based in the 17th, 8th or Levallois-Perret who want bilingual primary education with a close-knit school environment.
• Housing zone: 17th and 8th arrondissements, Levallois-Perret.

Marymount International School Paris

• Curriculum: International curriculum with an American-influenced approach. Marymount serves students from early years through Grade 8 and has a Catholic affiliation.
• Location: Neuilly-sur-Seine.
• Annual tuition: Verify directly with the school before publication. Current fee data was not available in the official page content reviewed.
• Best for: Pre-K to Grade 8 families looking for a long-established international school community in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
• Housing zone: Neuilly-sur-Seine, 17th arrondissement, western Paris suburbs.

Lennen Bilingual School

• Curriculum: French-English bilingual education for nursery and primary years.
• Location: 16th arrondissement.
• Annual tuition: Verify directly with the school before publication. The official site was accessible, but the fee data was not found in the crawled page content.
• Best for: Families in the 16th arrondissement who want a bilingual foundation from the early years, with a practical school run inside western Paris.
• Housing zone: 16th arrondissement.

The sections internationales programme is the most underused option in the Paris international school landscape, and it is often dismissed too quickly.

These sections run inside standard French public schools, including some of the most academically rigorous lycées in the region. Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is the best-known example and serves a well-established international community with English, German, and other language sections. The academic standard is high. Fees are minimal compared to any private alternative. And unlike most private schools, the sections internationales lead directly to the French Baccalauréat with an international mention, which carries strong university recognition in France and increasingly abroad.

The official admission process for collège sections is managed through the Académie de Paris. Families apply via the dedicated Académie de Paris platform for sections internationales au collège, with a language test and motivational dossier review. The lycée process follows a separate Académie de Paris calendar for sections internationales au lycée. Application deadlines fall in late winter, with test sessions typically in April and decisions by June.

The tradeoff is entry. Places are limited. The written and oral language tests are competitive, and children who arrive in Paris with no French cannot access this route from day one. Families waiting on a public offer also face a tighter housing search window, since decisions come later in the cycle than private school offers. For a family arriving mid-year or with a child at a transitional year group, the private school routes described above are almost always the more practical immediate option.

The headline tuition at a Paris international school is rarely the full cost. Once one-off entry charges, annual extras and transport are included, the realistic first-year total almost always runs significantly higher than the published annual figure.

Tuition bands by school category

Based on 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 published fee schedules:

• ISP (16th arrondissement): Annual tuition of approximately €20,595-31,260 by year group, per ISP's published fee schedule. First-year total including enrolment deposit and capital levy: approximately €36,700 (2026-2027).
• American School of Paris (Saint-Cloud): Tuition of €25,000 (K3-K5), €34,600 (Grades 1-5), €39,965 (Grades 6-8) and €41,400 (Grades 9-12) per year, per the ASP 2026-2027 published fee schedule. Capital assessment (one-time, from Grade K5): €12,200.
• École Jeannine Manuel (primary, Paris campus): Base tuition of €9,935 per year (2025-2026). Children entering without French add an adaptation programme at €3,895, per the EJM fee schedule at international-schools-database.com. Registration fee: €1,650 per child, charged once.
• Average across 104 international and bilingual schools in France: €13,753 per year, which reflects how significantly the bilingual and public-contract schools lower the overall average.

The costs families usually miss

Beyond tuition, several charges consistently catch families off guard:

• Capital levy or development fund: €4,000-12,200 at premium schools, charged once per child and non-refundable. Often outside the employer education allowance cap, which matters for corporate relocations. Worth negotiating before accepting an assignment, not after.
• School bus: €2,500-4,500 per year, depending on route.
• Lunch (cantine): €1,500-3,000 per year.
• EAL or language support: €3,000-8,000 per year if recommended, which happens more often than families expect at bilingual entry when a child arrives with limited French.
• Application fee: €1,000-1,500 at fully international schools, non-refundable.

The realistic combined monthly cost for a family with one child at a mid-tier international school in Paris, including housing in a school-compatible arrondissement, typically runs between €3,000 and €8,500. That range is wide because the school and the neighbourhood drive the number together, not independently.

School location should drive the housing search. In Paris, this is not a general principle but a practical constraint. The city's metro and RER network is dense, but school buses do not cover the entire region. A 15-minute gap on a map can become a 45-minute daily commitment in peak-hour traffic, and that difference matters enormously for a family with a young child and a school gate that opens at 8:30 am.

The most consistent school-to-neighbourhood pairings for families relocating in 2026:

• ISP (16th arrondissement): The 16e itself, Neuilly-sur-Seine, and Boulogne-Billancourt all work well. A furnished two-bedroom in the 16e typically runs €1,800-2,500 per month; a three-bedroom family apartment runs €3,500-6,000.
• American School of Paris (Saint-Cloud): Families attend from Saint-Cloud, Suresnes, and Vaucresson. Living in central Paris and commuting west is viable for adults on occasional trips, less practical once the school bus cutoff and morning traffic are considered.
• British School of Paris (Croissy-sur-Seine): Croissy itself, Le Vésinet and Chatou are the natural zones. These are suburban towns, not Paris arrondissements, and that shifts the housing format and budget significantly.
• École Jeannine Manuel (15th arrondissement): The 15e, 16e and 7e are all within a workable school run. The 15e offers the better size-to-cost ratio for families; a furnished three-bedroom there runs €2,800-4,500 per month, versus €4,500-6,500 in the 7e.
• BISP and Marymount International (17th arrondissement, Neuilly-sur-Seine): The 17e, 8e and Levallois-Perret are all practical options.
• ICS Paris (15th arrondissement): The 15e, 14e and 7e are within range.
• Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye: The RER A corridor works well: the 16e, Neuilly-sur-Seine, or western inner suburbs such as Le Chesnay and Versailles.

For a full breakdown of rental prices by arrondissement, the average rent in Paris guide covers the current market in detail.

Admission at Paris international schools is more structured than many families expect, particularly those coming from the US or UK, where the process can feel lighter on documentation.

Most schools require a similar core dossier:

• Last two to three years of school reports, translated into English or French if the originals are in another language.
• Reference letters from the current head teacher and at least one academic teacher, particularly for secondary entry.
• Passport copies for the child and the enrolling parents.
• Proof of the family's relocation timing (visa, employer letter, or confirmation of transfer) — many schools use this to prioritise places for families with confirmed arrival dates.
• A written or oral language assessment, required at all fully international and bilingual schools, is typically scheduled in January or February for September entry.
• A family interview, conducted in person or by video, at most schools.

The language assessment matters more than families sometimes assume. At ISP, ASP, and BSP, children with no English are not admitted. At bilingual schools such as EJM, children without French are assessed for the adaptation programme, which has its own evaluation and a separate fee. Children at transitional ages (entering Grade 6, the IB Middle Years, or the IB Diploma) face more competition for places than younger entrants.

One practical note: schools in Paris do not generally hold places beyond a short confirmation window. Once an offer is issued, families typically have two to three weeks to accept and pay the enrolment deposit. That window often coincides with exactly the period in which the housing search needs to begin. Coordinating both is not optional; it is the only way to avoid losing either the school place or the apartment.

For the official admission framework for public sections internationales, the eduscol reference page on sections internationales covers regulatory conditions and criteria.

The school application timeline and the Paris housing search window overlap almost entirely, and the order in which families manage them determines how much choice they retain on both sides.

For a September 2026 start, the timeline runs like this:

• October-December 2025: Priority application windows open at ISP, ASP, BSP, Marymount and EJM. This is the point to apply, not the point to start thinking about it.
• January 2026: The most competitive year groups, particularly nursery entry, Grade 6 and IB Diploma Year 1, are typically closed or nearly full.
• January-February: Schools run assessments and family interviews.
• March-April: School offers are issued. This is the first confirmed data point that establishes exactly where you need to live.
• April-June: Housing search begins with a clear school location and a real brief. Well-priced furnished three-bedroom apartments in school-compatible arrondissements are rarely available for more than a few days on public platforms.
• August-September: Move-in and school start, ideally within a two-week window.

The problem is structural. Families who have not started housing preparation in parallel with school applications are entering the Paris rental market late and without a confirmed location brief. Running both processes simultaneously is not instinctive, but in Paris, it is the only way to keep all options open.

One conversation with the school's admissions office, before a lease is signed, can prevent weeks of logistical difficulty later. Most Paris international schools are willing to share the information below, and all of it should be in hand before any lease is committed to.

• What are the current school bus routes and pickup points? Ask for the route map, not just a general area. A pickup point two streets away from an available apartment can make a neighbourhood viable or unworkable.
• What time do the gates open in the morning and close in the afternoon? Gate times vary between campuses. For families with two working parents, the difference between a 7:45 am and an 8:30 am gate can affect which commute is manageable.
• What is the realistic door-to-gate time from [specific arrondissement or suburb]? Schools near expat communities often know the common commute combinations. Ask for peak-hour estimates, not off-peak.
• Do you accept rolling admissions for mid-year entry? Some schools have mid-year intake windows; others do not. For families whose assignment is confirmed late, this changes the shortlist.
• Is there a waiting list for this year group, and how long does it typically take? A school may offer a waitlist place rather than a confirmed place. Families should not sign a lease based on a waitlist offer they cannot yet count on.
• What are the bus fees and canteen fees for next year? These are not always on the published fee page and can add €4,000-7,000 per year to the total cost.

This information exists at every Paris international school and costs nothing to request. Not asking it before choosing a neighbourhood is one of the most preventable errors in a family relocation.

Signing a Paris lease before the school offer is confirmed is the most common timing error in a family relocation. It makes sense emotionally: the rental market feels pressured on arrival, a lease in hand feels like progress, and the school process can feel slower and less controllable.

But it locks a family into a location before the single most important variable in the housing decision is known. That distinction matters enormously.

The timing problem most families don't see coming

School offers at ISP, ASP and EJM arrive in March and April. Furnished family apartments in western Paris arrondissements and the inner suburbs are most plentiful between May and July, listed by owners who know the September academic year is the dominant move-in window. Families who sign in February to feel settled are, in most cases, signing for apartments before the school has confirmed where the family actually needs to be.

What happens when the lease and the school offer don't align

A concrete example: a family signs a lease in the 7th arrondissement in February, drawn by the elegant neighbourhood and a well-priced three-bedroom. In March, the school offer arrives from ASP in Saint-Cloud. The journey from the 7th to Saint-Cloud by public transport runs roughly 50 minutes in the morning. On occasional days, that is manageable. As a daily school run for a seven-year-old, it is not sustainable. Renegotiating or exiting a French furnished lease carries financial consequences and rarely happens on the family's preferred timeline.

The right sequence — and why it moves faster than expected

The correct order is:

• Apply to schools in October-December, before the housing search begins.
• Build a property brief around the school shortlist, not a confirmed address.
• Start parallel property research from January, so the market is understood when the offer arrives.
• Once the school offer is in hand in March-April, move to active search with a confirmed location brief.
• With off-market access and a ready dossier, the search can close in two to three weeks.

This sequence is faster than it looks when written out. The constraint is not the search itself; it is having the right brief before entering the market. Our moving to Paris checklist for expats covers the full pre-arrival sequence, including which administrative steps should run in parallel with school applications rather than after them.

Families with children face a relocation challenge that is structurally different from a professional relocating alone. The school decision shapes the housing decision, the housing decision shapes the timeline, and the timeline shapes every administrative step that follows. Managing all three at the same time, in a foreign language, in one of the most competitive rental markets in Europe, is a genuinely difficult coordination problem.

Starting with the school, not the apartment

Relocation in Paris structures apartment searches specifically around the school a family is applying to or has confirmed. The property brief is built with the school location as the primary constraint. That means the arrondissement, the commute mode, the apartment size and the lease timing are all set before the active search begins, not after.

Off-market access to furnished apartments in the 15th, 16th, 17th, Neuilly-sur-Seine and the inner western suburbs means the search does not depend on public listing platforms, where well-maintained three-bedroom apartments at reasonable rents are typically claimed within two to three days of appearing. In a market where the gap between school offer and move-in date is often short, that speed matters practically.

Dossier preparation for international families

The rental file preparation is where families from the US, UK or outside France most often encounter difficulty. Non-French payslips, corporate employment letters and international income documentation need to be structured in a way that is immediately legible to Parisian landlords and letting agents. A file that is technically complete but not clearly presented to French market standards is one of the most common reasons an otherwise strong application is delayed or rejected.

Relocation in Paris structures the dossier before the search begins, so the file is ready the moment a property becomes available. The guide to renting in Paris as a foreigner explains what landlords expect and how international profiles are typically assessed.

Guarantor support for families without a French guarantor

Almost every international family arrives in Paris without a French guarantor, and most Paris landlords require one. Relocation in Paris is an official GarantMe partner. A guarantor solution can be confirmed within 24 hours of application and integrated directly into the rental file, removing one of the most frequent causes of application rejection.

For families whose employer has a corporate lease arrangement, the process is different and often simpler. The guide to guarantor solutions in Paris covers all three routes, with the current 2026 eligibility criteria and costs for each option.