Schools in Paris: French public school, American sections and international schools for US kids

Paris gives American parents a real choice: a free French public education that starts at age 3, a handful of schools that teach in both languages, and private American and international schools with stateside-style diplomas. The right pick depends on how long you're staying and where your kids will go to college.

The short version

• French school is compulsory from age 3 and public school is free [1][2]. Enrollment starts at your mairie (town hall), then the school.
• Sections internationales with an American track exist in several Paris-area schools and lead to the BFI (baccalauréat français international), the option that replaced the OIB [3].
• Bilingual and international schools such as École Jeannine Manuel in the 15th arrondissement teach in French and English [4].
• The American School of Paris in Saint-Cloud offers an American curriculum, AP courses, the IB Diploma and an American high school diploma, from age 3 to 18 [5].
• US colleges know the French bac, and American kids in France apply through the same Common App and FAFSA as everyone else.

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163) [6].

How French school is organized

The French system will feel familiar in shape and strange in detail. Grades count down in collège and lycée, the school day is long, and Wednesday afternoons are often free for younger kids.

At the end of collège, students take the brevet. At the end of lycée, the baccalauréat (the bac), which doubles as the university entrance qualification.

French public school

Enrolling

The French government says parents must enroll children in school from age 3 [1]. For public school, you go through the mairie of your arrondissement first:

1. Register at the mairie. Bring ID for you and your child (passport or birth certificate), and a recent proof of address [2]. The mairie gives you a certificat d'inscription naming the assigned school.
2. Register at the school with that certificate and your child's vaccination record [1][2].
3. Mind the calendar. Registration usually opens in March and should be done by June for a September start [1]. If you arrive mid-year, go anyway; schools take new arrivals year-round.

Your address decides your school (the sector system), much like school districts back home. Asking for a different school takes a dérogation, which isn't automatic [2]. That's one reason Paris families sometimes pick an apartment by school sector.

Kids who don't speak French yet

Children under 6 simply join a regular maternelle class, and most pick up French astonishingly fast. Children 6 and older are assessed and placed either in a regular class or in a UPE2A, a support unit for newly arrived students who don't yet speak French [1].

What many American parents notice: a more formal classroom than many US schools, less emphasis on praise, lots of handwriting, and a lunch break that's an actual meal in the cantine. Lunch and after-school care are billed by the city on a sliding scale, but the teaching itself costs nothing.

Sections internationales and the BFI

If your kids are fluent in English and you want French school without giving up English, look at the sections internationales. Students follow the French curriculum, plus extra hours of literature and history taught in English by the American section.

In lycée, these sections lead to the baccalauréat français international (BFI), an option of the French bac that replaced the older OIB (option internationale du baccalauréat) [3]. Students in a section internationale in seconde move into the BFI track automatically [3].

Schools listed with an American section in the Paris region include [3]:

That list comes from a compiled source, so confirm with each school and with the académie that the American section is open at the grade you need. Admission to sections internationales is selective: expect a test of English level and, often, of French too. Apply early; the deadlines for September usually fall in winter or early spring.

Bilingual, international and American schools

École Jeannine Manuel

A French, bilingual and international private school at 70 rue du Théâtre in the 15th, taking students from moyenne section in maternelle through terminale [4]. Its site highlights its IB results alongside the French track [4]. Fees aren't published on its home page; ask admissions.

The American School of Paris

The closest thing to a US school in Paris sits just west of the city at 41 rue Pasteur in Saint-Cloud [5]. It teaches an American-style curriculum from age 3 to 18, with AP courses, the IB Diploma and an American high school diploma, and students from more than 60 countries [5].

It's priced like a top US private school. The fee page we found still showed figures from 2020–21 and 2021–22, including a non-refundable €1,400 (about USD 1,560) application fee for 2021–22 and annual tuition well into five figures in euros [7]. Those are old numbers, so ask the school for the current schedule.

Who pays?

Many families at international schools have tuition covered as part of a corporate or diplomatic package. If you're negotiating a move to Paris, put school fees on the table before you sign. If you're paying yourself, a bilingual or French private school under contract with the state (sous contrat) usually costs far less than an international school, because the state pays teachers' salaries.

Choosing: a quick comparison

Applying to US colleges from Paris

American students in France apply to US colleges the same way students in Ohio do: the Common App, essays, recommendations and, at some schools, SAT or ACT scores. A few things to plan for:

• The French bac is well known to US admissions offices, but your counselor (or you) should explain the grading scale, since a 14 out of 20 is a strong mark in France.
• Test centers for the SAT and ACT operate in the Paris region; register early, because seats go fast.
• FAFSA is open to US citizens wherever they live. You report foreign income in dollars, so keep records of your French income and taxes.
• In-state tuition depends on the state's residency rules. Many states won't treat a family living abroad as residents, even if you still own a home there. Check with the college.
• EducationUSA, the State Department's network of advising centers, provides official information on accredited US colleges [8].

Advice on which schools have space mid-year comes up all the time in our community group for Americans in France.

Sources

1. Service-Public.fr: Enrolling a child in school after arriving from abroad
2. Service-Public.fr: Inscrire son enfant à l'école élémentaire
3. Wikipedia (French): Baccalauréat français international
4. École Jeannine Manuel
5. The American School of Paris
6. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
7. The American School of Paris: Tuition and fees
8. EducationUSA, US Department of State

Keep reading

• Learning French in Paris and the DELF
• Renting in Paris
• Registering a child born abroad: the CRBA
• Student loans while living abroad