Best International Schools in Nice: 2026 Guide for Families

Quick answer: What are the best international schools in Nice? The International School of Nice is the main English-medium IB option (EUR 11,700 to 25,884 a year in 2026-27). Mouratoglou International School in Biot offers a French and American dual diploma for secondary students, and ABC School runs a bilingual primary under state contract plus a private secondary.

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

The best international schools in Nice are not a long list, and that surprises many families who expect the Côte d'Azur to be packed with English-medium campuses. In reality the choice in and around Nice comes down to a handful of very different models: a full IB school taught in English, a French and American dual-diploma school in the Sophia Antipolis technology park, a bilingual primary that follows the French national programme, and the state international sections of the Valbonne area.

Which one is "best" depends on what your family needs: how long you will stay in France, how much French your children already speak, whether a French baccalauréat, an IB Diploma or a US high school diploma suits their plans, and how far you are willing to drive along the coast each morning. This guide compares the main options using the schools' own published information and the French education ministry's school directory.

Nice and the western Riviera: where families live and where the schools are

International families in the Nice area tend to arrive for jobs in Sophia Antipolis, the business park between Antibes, Biot and Valbonne, for posts at the airport and in tourism, or for remote work and a better climate. Many live in Nice itself, while others choose Antibes, Biot, Valbonne, Mougins or the hill villages behind the coast to be nearer the technology park.

Geography shapes the school run more than distance on a map suggests. The International School of Nice is at 15 Avenue Claude Debussy on the western side of the city, close to the airport and the Var valley, which makes it reachable from western Nice, Saint-Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-Mer. Mouratoglou International School is on Route des Dolines in Biot, inside Sophia Antipolis. ABC School's primary is on Boulevard Carnot, on the eastern side of Nice, just beyond the port.

The A8 motorway and the coastal road both clog at peak times, especially around the airport, the Var bridges and the Sophia Antipolis exits. A home in eastern Nice and a school in Biot can mean a far longer drive than the distance suggests on a bad morning. Check whether a school bus serves your area before you sign a lease.

Curricula available around Nice

International Baccalaureate (in English): the International School of Nice teaches the IB Primary Years Programme, its own ISN Middle School Programme, Cambridge IGCSEs in Grades 9 and 10, and the IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12.
French and American dual diploma: Mouratoglou International School combines the French baccalauréat with a US High School Diploma for secondary students.
French national programme with a bilingual approach: ABC School's primary operates under a state contract (contrat d'association), so it follows the French curriculum while presenting itself as bilingual.
French state international sections: the Lycée international de Valbonne is a public lycée that the ministry directory lists with an international section, an option for families whose children are already strong in French.

The main international schools in and around Nice

International School of Nice (ISN)

ISN is the area's established English-medium IB school. Its history page says it began as the American International School in 1977, moved into a purpose-built campus in 1987 and took the ISN name in 1999. It is accredited by the Middle States Association and the Council of International Schools, and the MSA accreditation lets students who do not take the full IB Diploma graduate with an ISN High School Diploma. The school is part of the Globeducate group and the ministry directory lists it as a private school outside the state contract (hors contrat).

ISN takes children from age 3 to 18, says it has more than 65 nationalities, and caps classes at 23. It reports an average IB Diploma score of 34 points for the Class of 2026, against a world average of 30.88 that the school quotes. Who it suits: globally mobile families who need continuity in English and an IB pathway that will transfer to the next country. Applications are accepted all year when places are available, and the school operates a waiting list, so early contact matters.

Mouratoglou International School (MIS)

MIS sits on a campus of more than 12 hectares in Sophia Antipolis and, according to its 2026 brochure, focuses on collège and lycée (middle and high school). Its signature programme is the Dual Diploma: from the French Year 10 equivalent (3e), students follow the French curriculum in class and complete six US credits remotely, including English, US History and US Government or Economics, to earn an American High School Diploma alongside the baccalauréat. The school says it holds CIS and MSA accreditation, and it reports average class sizes of about 15.

The school publishes its own results, including a 98% baccalauréat pass rate over nine consecutive years; treat these as the school's figures. Who it suits: bilingual teenagers, families working in Sophia Antipolis, and student athletes; the school says its courses are approved by the NCAA, the US college sports body. The Dual Diploma track is taught in French; the brochure also describes an American section from Grade 6, which is worth asking about if your child has little French.

ABC School International

ABC School is a Nice institution with two separate establishments in the ministry directory. The primary school at 72 Boulevard Carnot, open since 1988, is under a contrat d'association for all classes, meaning it teaches the French national programme with state-paid teachers. The secondary school on Rue Gioffredo, in central Nice, opened in 1993 and is registered as private outside contract.

The school presents itself as bilingual in French and English, but because the primary is under state contract, the French programme sets the framework. Who it suits: families planning to stay in France who want their children integrated into the French system while keeping strong English, at a lower price than a fully independent school. It is not an IB or British school, so ask exactly how many hours a week are taught in English at each level.

Fees on the Riviera: what is published and what is not

ISN is the only school in this group that publishes a full fee table. Its 2026-27 annual tuition is EUR 11,700 for Young Explorers, EUR 14,900 for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, EUR 18,315 for Grade 1, EUR 24,455 for Grades 9 and 10 and EUR 25,884 for Grades 11 and 12. Two tables on the same fee page give different figures for Grades 2 to 8 (one lists EUR 21,900 and EUR 24,455, the other EUR 18,840 and EUR 21,900), so ask the finance office for the binding invoice for your child's grade. The school's own first-year estimate for new families ranges from EUR 14,390 to EUR 32,074 once one-off fees are added.

Mouratoglou does not publish its tuition in its 2026 brochure, so request the current schedule. ABC's contracted primary will generally cost less than an independent school, because the state pays teacher salaries in contracted schools, but confirm the exact family contribution with the school.

Extras published by ISN, useful as a checklist for every school:

Application fee: EUR 690.
One-time admission fee: EUR 3,500 from Grade 1 (none for Young Explorers to Kindergarten).
Excellence Fund contribution: EUR 2,000.
Canteen: EUR 1,348 to 1,947 a year depending on grade.
EAL support: from EUR 3,092 per semester; individual learning plans through the REACH Centre start at EUR 1,900.
Uniforms, laptops and exams: uniforms to Grade 10, a school laptop from Grade 6, and IGCSE and IB exam fees are all billed separately.
Transport: a private bus network covering Cannes, Monaco, Vence and Nice, priced by distance.

One rule applies to every family, whatever the passport. In France, school attendance is compulsory from age 3, starting from the rentrée of the calendar year in which the child turns 3, and the official Service Public guidance states that these rules apply regardless of nationality. French schools group children by calendar year of birth, while ISN places them by age on 1 September, so a child born in the autumn can land in a different year group depending on the system you choose.

Choosing in Nice: three things to settle first

Be honest about language and length of stay. For a two or three-year posting with children who speak little French, an English-medium IB school such as ISN removes most of the risk. For a long-term move, a French-track or bilingual option such as Mouratoglou or ABC may give your children a stronger footing in the country, and a state international section can be a lower-cost route if their French is already good.

Map the commute before the house. Visit at 8 am on a weekday. The difference between living in Biot or Valbonne and living in eastern Nice is not obvious from a map but becomes very clear on the A8. ISN's bus network and the location of each campus should shape where you rent.

Ask for the whole bill. On the Riviera, one-off admission fees, development contributions, canteen and EAL can add several thousand euros to the first year. Ask each school for a written breakdown, the annual increase in recent years, sibling reductions and the notice period for withdrawal.

See the national ranking

For a wider view, including schools elsewhere in France, see our ranking of the best international schools in France, then shortlist two or three schools near Nice to visit in person.

More guides to schools in Nice

Frequently asked questions

Is there an IB school in Nice?

Yes. The International School of Nice, on Avenue Claude Debussy in western Nice, teaches the IB Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma in English, with IGCSEs in Grades 9 and 10. Its 2026-27 tuition for Grades 11 and 12 is EUR 25,884, and students who do not take the full Diploma can graduate with an MSA-accredited high school diploma.

Can my child join an international school in Nice mid-year?

Often, yes. The International School of Nice accepts applications all year and says a student can join mid-semester if a place is free, using its online form for in-year 2026-27 entry; applications for September 2027 open in November 2026. Classes are capped at 23, so popular grades may have a waiting list.

Do children in France have to start school at age 3?

Yes. Under French rules, school is compulsory from age 3, starting from the rentrée of the calendar year in which the child turns 3, whatever the family's nationality. Families arriving with a three-year-old must therefore enrol the child in a state, contracted or private school, or obtain authorisation for home education.