International School Fees in Paris: Real 2026 Cost Guide

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Anyone comparing international school fees in Paris quickly finds that the headline tuition figure tells only part of the story. The same city offers a bilingual school at about 10,000 euros a year and an IB school at three times that, and both sets of parents may be buying something entirely reasonable for their child. This guide sets out what three well-established schools publish for 2026-27, what sits on top of tuition, and how to budget over several years.

All figures below come from the schools' own fee schedules, read in October 2026. They are in euros, and they change every year, so treat them as a starting point for your own conversation with admissions rather than a quote.

Why Paris fees vary so widely

Paris is unusual among expat cities because three different school models coexist. There are English-medium international schools following the International Baccalaureate (IB), such as ICS Paris in the 15th arrondissement. There are French bilingual schools that teach the national curriculum plus an enriched English programme, which is the model École Jeannine Manuel follows for most of its pupils. And there are hybrids, like Ermitage in Maisons-Laffitte, which runs a French bilingual pathway and an IB pathway side by side on one campus.

Geography matters too. ICS Paris and École Jeannine Manuel both sit in the 15th arrondissement, on the left bank near the Seine, so families living in the 15th, 7th or 16th can reach either by Metro. Ermitage is about twenty minutes from central Paris by the school's own description, in the western suburb of Maisons-Laffitte, which suits families house-hunting in the Yvelines rather than inside the périphérique. Commute and rent often shift the real cost of a school more than a thousand euros of tuition.

One legal point shapes every budget. According to the French Ministry of Education, schooling has been compulsory in France from age 3 since the 2019 school year, so a child who starts at nursery level is in the system, and paying fees, for roughly fifteen years rather than twelve.

Tuition by school and stage

École Jeannine Manuel

This non-profit school, founded in 1954, publishes separate fee sheets for each cycle. For 2026-27 the annual tuition in Paris is 10,260 euros for primary, 11,185 euros for middle school and 10,275 euros for the French-bilingual high school (the BFI programme). Students who take the IB Diploma pay 32,560 euros a year in Grades 11 and 12, and the one-year Foundation programme before it costs 24,865 euros.

The jump at the IB stage is the single biggest step in the fee structure and is worth planning for if your child might switch from the bilingual track in the final two years. Newcomers who do not speak French can join an adaptation programme, which adds 4,295 euros; the school says this can be waived in full for children of visiting professors, researchers, diplomats and military personnel posted in France.

ICS Paris

ICS Paris teaches the IB from nursery to Grade 12 in English, with a bilingual and multilingual learner programme for English support. Its 2026-27 annual tuition is 20,994 euros for Nursery, Pre-K and Kindergarten, 24,759 euros for Grades 1 to 5, 28,959 euros for Grades 6 to 8, and 32,475 euros for Grades 9, 11 and 12. Grade 10 is 32,976 euros because it includes five IGCSE examinations.

The school describes tuition as all-inclusive: it covers the STEAM programme, library and digital resources, pastoral care and an annual class trip for Grades 1 to 11. That bundling makes ICS Paris easier to budget than schools that bill each activity separately. If your child joins mid-year, tuition is prorated by month of arrival.

Ermitage International School Paris

Ermitage publishes the widest spread of any of the three because of its two pathways and boarding. On the French bilingual programme, annual tuition for 2026-27 is 7,500 euros in primary, 7,600 euros from the sixth grade to the second year of lycée, and 8,300 euros for the final two baccalauréat years. On the IB pathway, the PYP costs 16,200 euros, MYP years 1 to 3 cost 24,950 euros, MYP years 4 and 5 cost 27,900 euros, and the Diploma years cost 28,950 euros.

Boarding, open to students aged 11 and over, is priced as a package. A five-day boarder on the French programme pays roughly 26,900 to 28,500 euros, while IB five-day boarding runs from 42,700 to 46,800 euros. Seven-day boarding costs more again. For a family relocating without a fixed Paris address, that all-in figure can compare well with renting near a city school.

What to budget on top of tuition

The one-off costs at admission are where schools differ most, and they are the part families most often overlook when comparing annual figures. Here is what each school publishes for new students in 2026-27:

• École Jeannine Manuel: a first-time registration fee of 1,650 euros, plus a deposit equal to one third of annual tuition (and boarding where relevant) to confirm the place.
• ICS Paris: a non-refundable application fee of 750 euros, a registration fee of 3,000 euros from Grade 1, and a school development fund of 3,750 euros, which falls to 1,000 euros after the first year.
• Ermitage: an application fee of 300 euros (French programme) or 500 euros (IB), an enrolment fee of 600 euros on the French pathway, and a development fee of 3,500 euros on the IB pathway.
• Lunch: École Jeannine Manuel sells annual plans of 1,217 euros for four days and 1,508 euros for five days; ICS Paris and Ermitage price lunch separately.
• Exams and devices: ICS Paris asks for a refundable 400 euro iPad deposit in Grades 5 to 8 and bills extra examinations at roughly 90 to 100 euros each.
• Language support: Ermitage charges extra for intensive English support, set at 4,500 euros for the intensive option and 1,250 euros for the lighter one, depending on assessment.
• Other: a small security fee at Ermitage, damage deposits for boarders, and visa support services for non-EU families.

At ICS Paris, the application, registration and development fund together come to 7,500 euros per new child from Grade 1, so ask each school for a first-year total, not just the tuition line.

Payment terms matter as well. École Jeannine Manuel allows ten monthly direct debits from September to June or three termly payments on 20 September, 20 December and 20 March, and states that late payments carry interest at 12 per cent a year. ICS Paris invoices in three instalments on 10 July, 10 September and 10 December for September starters. Neither arrangement is unusual, but the early July bill at ICS Paris catches families off guard if they are still relocating.

How to budget and compare

Compare like with like. A 10,000 euro bilingual school and a 25,000 euro IB school are not substitutes for every child. Start from the curriculum you need: if your child will return to a French system, a French bilingual track keeps that door open; if the family moves every three years, the IB offers continuity across countries. The IBO describes the PYP as covering ages 3 to 12, the MYP ages 11 to 16 and the Diploma ages 16 to 19, which helps you check where a school's stages begin and end.

Plan for fee increases. Fee schedules are republished every year, and a family that enrols a five-year-old today will see a different schedule by the time that child reaches middle school. Ask for the previous two years' fees to see the pattern, and check whether the school guarantees places for siblings.

Ask about employer support. If an employer contributes, ask what exactly it covers. ICS Paris, for example, lets a company pay the application fee directly if you tick that option on the form. Confirm the arrangement before you pay a non-refundable fee yourself.

See how the schools rank

For a wider view of French options beyond these three, browse the best international schools in France ranking on International School Advisor.

More guides to schools in Paris

• How to choose an international school in Paris
• Bilingual schools in Paris
• best international schools in France

Frequently asked questions

How much does an international school cost in Paris?

For 2026-27, published annual tuition runs from roughly 7,500 euros on Ermitage's French programme to over 32,000 euros for IB years at ICS Paris and École Jeannine Manuel. Boarding packages at Ermitage run from about 27,000 to 54,000 euros. New families should add one-off registration and development fees of roughly 1,650 to 7,500 euros.

Are there extra fees besides tuition at Paris international schools?

Yes. New students typically pay application and registration fees, and some schools add a development fund, such as 3,750 euros at ICS Paris. Lunch, devices, extra exams and English support can be billed separately, for example École Jeannine Manuel's lunch plans at 1,217 or 1,508 euros a year.

Can you pay Paris school fees monthly?

Some schools allow it. École Jeannine Manuel offers ten monthly direct debits from September to June or three termly payments, while ICS Paris invoices in three instalments on 10 July, 10 September and 10 December for September starters. Ask each school about deposits, which can equal a third of annual tuition.