In Paris, a bilingual school follows the French national curriculum with a reinforced English strand and leads to the French baccalauréat, including the BFI international option introduced in 2022. An international school teaches a complete foreign curriculum (IB, American or British) and leads to a foreign diploma. The price gap is structural: at École Jeannine Manuel in 2026-2027, the French bilingual track costs 10,275 EUR per year while the IB track runs 24,865 to 32,560 EUR, and a public international section costs 0 EUR in tuition.
One question, two school systems
Families comparing schools in Paris often treat "bilingual" and "international" as interchangeable labels. They are not. A bilingual school anchors the child in the French national curriculum, teaches a substantial share of the week in English, and leads to the French baccalauréat, since 2022 with the option of the Baccalauréat Français International (BFI), whose specific components weigh about 40 percent of the final grade (éduscol, July 2026). An international school teaches a complete foreign curriculum, most often the International Baccalaureate, an American programme with Advanced Placement, or the English National Curriculum leading to A-Levels, and delivers a foreign diploma.
The financial consequence is measurable inside a single institution. At École Jeannine Manuel in Paris 15e, the 2026-2027 French bilingual track costs 10,275 EUR per year while the IB track costs 24,865 to 32,560 EUR, a multiple of 2.4 to 3.2 for the same address. Between the American Section of the public Lycée international de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (6,750 EUR per year in the final years at the 2026-2027 family rate) and the International School of Paris at 39,000 EUR for Grades 10-12 plus a 10,000 EUR entrance right (2026-2027), the spread widens to roughly six times; a purely public international section, at 0 EUR in tuition, removes the fee line altogether. Our companion guide details the international side of that equation: the best international schools in Paris and their verified fees.
What "bilingual" actually means in France (and what it does not)
In the French landscape, "bilingual" describes an intensity of language exposure grafted onto the French programme, not a separate system. The proportion varies widely and is worth checking school by school:
- At EIB Paris (École Internationale Bilingue, Globeducate network, about 3,000 pupils of more than 70 nationalities across 8 campuses), English represents 25 to 50 percent of teaching time depending on the campus (school documents, 2025-2026).
- At Lennen Bilingual School in the 7e, immersion is a strict 50/50 French-English split with two native-speaker teachers per class, from age 2 to 11 (school documentation, 2026-2027).
- At La Petite École Bilingue in the 17e, children work in English from ages 2 to 4, then move to a 50/50 rhythm from Grande Section, following both the French programme and the British National Curriculum.
- At Malherbe International School in Le Vésinet, the balance tilts the other way: an English National Curriculum core with reinforced French, two to three half-days per week.
Scale is the other structural difference. The French system counts 1,044 international sections across 659 establishments in 18 languages at the rentrée 2025, a total that includes French schools abroad; roughly 650 of those sections sit in France itself (ministry open data), many of them free public classes. By contrast, France counts only 25 IB World Schools, of which 23 offer the Diploma Programme (IBO register, 2025 snapshot). Bilingual education in France is a broad, regulated avenue; full international curricula remain a narrow, mostly private one.
Fees and models compared: bilingual and international schools in Paris
The table below places the leading private bilingual schools next to two international reference points, using the most recent officially published fees. Ranges cover the youngest to the oldest year groups; entry fees are excluded unless noted.
| School | Model | Diplomas | Annual fees (year) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EIB Paris (Globeducate) | Bilingual, 25 to 50% English on the French curriculum | French bac with BFI or European section options; IB DP at Lycée Étoile | 9,840 to 17,400 EUR (2025-2026); IB DP2 up to 19,695 EUR | 8 campuses: Paris 7e, 8e, 16e, 17e and Bougival (78) |
| École Jeannine Manuel | Bilingual immersion on an enriched French curriculum | BFI, or IB DP via a Foundation Year | 10,260 to 32,560 EUR (2026-2027) | Paris 15e |
| Lennen Bilingual School | 50/50 French-American immersion, ages 2 to 11 | Feeds bilingual and international secondaries | 10,700 to 20,700 EUR (2026-2027) | Paris 7e, two campuses |
| La Petite École Bilingue (Stewart International School) | English immersion ages 2 to 4, then 50/50; French and British curricula | Through Year 6 / CM2 | On request; approx. 10,170 EUR per a third-party directory (2026-2027, to confirm with the school) | Paris 17e |
| Malherbe International School | English National Curriculum with reinforced French; Montessori nursery | Through Year 6 | 14,600 to 18,500 EUR self-funded rate; 20,800 to 27,000 EUR standard rate (2025-2026) | Le Vésinet (78) |
| Ermitage International School | Dual track: French bilingual, or IB in English | French bac, or IB DP | French track 7,500 to 8,300 EUR; IB track 16,200 to 28,950 EUR (2026-2027) | Maisons-Laffitte (78) |
| International School of Paris (reference) | Full IB continuum in English | IB DP | 25,500 to 39,000 EUR (2026-2027) | Paris 16e |
| American School of Paris (reference) | American curriculum with AP; IB DP option | US High School Diploma, AP, IB DP | 25,000 to 41,400 EUR (2026-2027) | Saint-Cloud (92) |
Entry costs follow the same logic. EIB charges a 300 EUR application fee plus 900 to 1,800 EUR of registration depending on the level and year; Lennen asks 500 EUR per application and a one-time 2,500 EUR family entrance right; Malherbe's standard plan adds a one-time 7,300 EUR development fund. On the international side, entrance rights of 10,000 EUR at ISP set the tone. A structurally bilingual education in Paris therefore starts around 7,500 to 10,700 EUR per year at current published rates, roughly a third of a full international programme.
The free option few expatriate families are shown: public international sections
Relocation brochures rarely mention that the French public system runs its own bilingual pathway at zero tuition. Île-de-France alone hosts 189 international sections in 112 public establishments at the rentrée 2025 (49 in primary schools, 82 in collèges, 58 in lycées), about 29 percent of the roughly 650 sections in France, in 17 languages; English dominates with 71 British and American sections (ministry open data, rentrée 2025). Tuition in a public establishment is 0 EUR, a principle set by the laws of 16 June 1881 and 31 May 1933.
Admission is selective and calendar-driven. Entry follows two regulated phases, a written eligibility test then an oral test in the section language, with final admission pronounced by the academic authority (DASEN). For the September 2026 intake in Paris lycées, the académie set the online file deadline at 10 March, written tests on 18 and 19 March, orals from 7 April to 13 May and results on 30 June (ac-paris.fr, updated January 2026); families should expect a comparable calendar for September 2027 and count a full school year of lead time.
One economic nuance: at the Lycée international de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, section teaching is carried by parent-run associations that charge fees. The American Section costs 5,100 to 6,750 EUR per year at the family rate (10,090 to 13,320 EUR when an employer sponsors) for 2026-2027; the British Section publishes 4,051 to 5,746 EUR at the family rate. Even then, the cost remains three to eight times below a private international school in Paris.
Which model fits which family project
A posting of two to four years, then another country
When the family expects to leave France and continue in English-speaking systems, curriculum continuity usually outweighs price. The IB Diploma, AP results and A-Levels are the native currency of UK and US admissions, and an international school spares the child two curriculum transitions. Budget accordingly: at 2026-2027 rates, three years of upper school at ISP (39,000 EUR per year) or ASP (41,400 EUR) represent 117,000 to 124,200 EUR per child before entry fees.
Settling in France for the long term
For families building a durable life in France, the bilingual route carries advantages that fee tables do not show. The French bac and its BFI option give access by right to Parcoursup, the national gateway to French higher education, while the IB has had no automatic equivalence in France since 2003 and is assessed case by case by universities, often via an ENIC-NARIC attestation. Re-entry also matters: a child leaving a fully private international curriculum for the French public system must pass an admission examination, whereas a pupil in a bilingual school or an international section moves within the French system without one. Over a full schooling, the arithmetic is significant: a gap of 20,000 EUR per year between tracks adds up to 200,000 EUR per child across a decade, at constant published rates.
The honest answer is that neither model is superior in the abstract. The right choice follows the family's horizon: expected years in France, the next likely country, the languages the child already carries, and whether French universities are on the map.
How Al Qantara Institute approaches school placement
We map each child's academic profile against admission calendars, curricula and realistic capacity across bilingual, international and public-section options, then manage applications and school visits as part of the family's wider installation in France. The method is described on our schools and education service page, and the fee landscape in detail in our guide to international school fees in Paris. To discuss a specific family situation, contact the Institute.
Fees and school facts verified in July 2026 against each school's official published fee schedules and terms (EIB Paris campus fee PDFs 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, Lennen Bilingual School 2026-2027 grid, Malherbe International School 2025-2026, Ermitage, Jeannine Manuel, ISP and ASP 2026-2027). Public-section data recalculated from the French Ministry of Education open dataset fr-en-sections-internationales (rentrée 2025); admission rules and calendars from eduscol and ac-paris.fr (updated January-June 2026); BFI weighting from éduscol (July 2026); IB school counts from the IBO register (2025 snapshot). La Petite École Bilingue publishes no fees; the 10,170 EUR figure is a third-party directory estimate (ISD 2026/2027) to confirm with the school. Saint-Germain-en-Laye section fees from the American Section 2026/2027 fees PDF and the British Section tuition page (consulted 17 July 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bilingual and international schools in Paris?
A bilingual school follows the French national curriculum with a reinforced English strand (25 to 50 percent of teaching time at EIB Paris, 50/50 at Lennen) and leads to the French baccalauréat, with the BFI option since 2022. An international school teaches a full foreign curriculum (IB, American, British) leading to a foreign diploma. At École Jeannine Manuel in 2026-2027, the bilingual track costs 10,275 EUR per year versus 24,865 to 32,560 EUR for the IB track.
How much do bilingual schools in Paris cost?
At current published rates, private bilingual schooling in Paris runs from about 7,500 EUR per year (Ermitage French track, 2026-2027) and 9,840 EUR (EIB collège and lycée, 2025-2026) to 20,700 EUR (Lennen Grades 3-5, 2026-2027) and up to 32,560 EUR for the IB track at École Jeannine Manuel (2026-2027). Application and entrance fees add roughly 300 to 3,000 EUR at most schools; the main outlier is Malherbe's employer-sponsored standard plan, which adds a one-time 7,300 EUR development fund on top of annual registration.
What are the best bilingual schools in Paris?
The most established names are EIB Paris (8 campuses, about 3,000 pupils, fees 9,840 to 17,400 EUR in 2025-2026), École Jeannine Manuel in the 15e (BFI or IB, 10,260 to 32,560 EUR in 2026-2027), Lennen Bilingual School in the 7e (ages 2 to 11, 10,700 to 20,700 EUR in 2026-2027), La Petite École Bilingue in the 17e, and, west of Paris, Malherbe International School and Ermitage International School. The right fit depends on age, arrondissement and the family's time horizon in France.
Are there free bilingual school options in Paris?
Yes. Public international sections charge 0 EUR in tuition, and Île-de-France counts 189 of them in 112 public establishments at the rentrée 2025, 71 of which are British or American sections. Admission is selective: a written test then an oral in the section language. For the September 2026 lycée intake in Paris, the file deadline was 10 March 2026, and a comparable calendar is expected each year. At the Lycée international de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, parent associations charge 4,051 to 6,750 EUR per year at family rates.
Is the IB recognized in France?
The IB Diploma has had no automatic equivalence with the French baccalauréat since 2003. French universities assess IB holders case by case, often supported by an ENIC-NARIC attestation, whereas the French bac and its BFI option give access by right to Parcoursup. Internationally, the IB remains a standard credential for UK and US admissions.
Can my child switch from an international school back to the French system?
Yes, but the path differs by school type. A pupil in a bilingual school or a public international section already sits inside the French curriculum and moves without an examination. A child leaving a fully private foreign-curriculum school for the French public system must pass an admission examination to be placed at the appropriate level.