On this page
- What the American curriculum looks like in Paris
- Top schools to consider
- Fees, intake stages and admissions timing
- AP courses, SAT prep and High School Diploma pathways
- Neighbourhoods and commute patterns
- How to choose between curricula in Paris
- Common pitfalls when shortlisting
- Frequently asked questions
- Bottom line for relocating families
What the American curriculum looks like in Paris
Paris's American-curriculum cluster is one of the most established in Europe. The American School of Paris (ASP), founded in 1946, is the flagship and one of the oldest US-style international schools in continental Europe. Around it sit Notre Dame International High School (NDIHS) at Verneuil-sur-Seine, a boarding-friendly American Catholic school in the western suburbs, and Marymount International School Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, an early-years through Grade 8 Catholic school that anchors many ASP-bound families. Together these three institutions form the spine of the US-track community in Paris.
The wider Paris international market is broad. The International School of Paris in central Paris is the principal IB Diploma route. The British School of Paris in Croissy-sur-Seine serves the Cambridge and A Level community. Bilingual French-English schools including the Active Bilingual School Jeannine Manuel and Ecole Jeannine Manuel are well established. International sections within French public lycees, including those at Lycee International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Lycee Honore de Balzac, are a popular choice for families with long Paris horizons. French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese curriculum providers cover their respective communities.
Two structural facts shape the Paris decision. First, the French school year runs September to early July, aligning with the US calendar and avoiding the mid-year transition challenge that hits families landing in southern-hemisphere cities. Second, Paris is geographically anchored, with established expatriate residential clusters in the western suburbs through Saint Cloud, Neuilly, Suresnes and Boulogne, plus central Paris (16th, 7th, 8th arrondissements) and the southern suburbs through Sevres, Meudon and Versailles. School choice and home choice are tightly linked, with ASP's Saint Cloud location anchoring much of the American expatriate community.
Top schools to consider
American School of Paris (ASP)
Paris's flagship American school, founded in 1946. ASP delivers a US High School Diploma to all graduates, with the choice of an IB Diploma, AP courses, a mix of IB and AP, or the US Diploma alone in upper school. Around 800 students from more than 50 nationalities on a purpose-built Saint Cloud campus. Middle States and IB accredited. Around one third of seniors complete the IB Diploma, with more than 90 per cent of upper-school students taking IB or AP courses each year. Strong placement record at selective US universities including the Ivy League, UK Russell Group institutions and French Grandes Ecoles. The default first choice for any US-track family in Paris.
Notre Dame International High School (NDIHS)
Notre Dame International High School, founded in 1956, is a Catholic American boarding school in Verneuil-sur-Seine, west of Paris. NDIHS delivers a US High School Diploma with AP courses across English, mathematics, social sciences, sciences and French. Around 200 students with a meaningful international boarding cohort. The only American school in the Paris region with significant boarding capacity, which makes it the natural choice for families with US-track children but irregular Paris residency.
Marymount International School Paris
Marymount International School Paris, founded in 1923, is a Catholic American school for ages 2 to 14 (early years to Grade 8) in Neuilly-sur-Seine. It runs a US elementary and middle-school curriculum with bilingual French-English delivery and the IB Middle Years Programme. Marymount does not run an upper school, so families progress to ASP or to French lycees at Grade 9. Included here as the principal US-track primary feeder, particularly for families based in central Paris and Neuilly.
The International School of Paris (Comparator)
The International School of Paris (ISP) is included here as the principal IB alternative. The school is not American, but its IB Continuum and US college counselling place students into selective US universities each year. ISP operates in the 16th and 7th arrondissements in central Paris, which makes it the practical choice for families based in central Paris who do not want a daily Saint Cloud commute.
The British School of Paris (Comparator)
The British School of Paris in Croissy-sur-Seine is included as the principal British comparator. Not American, but its IGCSE and A Level routes plus the IB Diploma serve a steady cohort of US-bound students. Frequently shortlisted alongside ASP by families with a UK-side anchor or mixed UK and US plans.
Lycee International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Comparator)
The Lycee International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a French public lycee with an American section running OIB (Option Internationale du Baccalaureat) preparation. Not an American school in the conventional sense, but an established and lower-cost route for families with long Paris horizons who want their children integrated into the French system while retaining US-track subjects. Included as a comparator only.
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Fees, intake stages and admissions timing
Paris American-curriculum fees sit between EUR 22,000 and EUR 35,000 per year by Grade 12 for ASP, with the upper end reflecting the dual US Diploma plus IB Diploma pathway. NDIHS day fees sit at the lower end of that range, with boarding adding around EUR 20,000 to 25,000 per year. Marymount fees range from EUR 18,000 to EUR 28,000 by Grade 8. Headline tuition typically excludes transport, lunches, capital levies, books and trips, which together add 8 to 15 per cent to the all-in cost. ASP charges a one-off enrolment fee at first admission, which should be modelled into the relocation budget.
The French school year runs early September to early July. ASP has known waitlists for entry in Grades 6 and 9 at twelve months or more, particularly for the September intake. Applications for September entry typically open between October and February of the previous academic year, with assessments and offers running January to May. NDIHS and Marymount generally accept rolling enrolment subject to space. For a structured fee picture across the French market, see our international school fees in Paris guide. Families combining a relocation budget with school fees should also try the relocation cost calculator.
AP courses, SAT prep and High School Diploma pathways
AP provision in Paris is broad at ASP, with a catalogue spanning English Literature, US History, World History, European History, Calculus AB and BC, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science and the major modern languages including French and Spanish. NDIHS runs a focused AP catalogue across the core subjects. Marymount Paris does not run AP, since it stops at Grade 8. ASP's upper school is unusual in offering all three pathways (US Diploma alone, US Diploma plus AP, or US Diploma plus IB Diploma) in a single school, which is one of its principal selling points. AP exams are administered at ASP and NDIHS each May.
SAT and ACT testing centres operate widely in Paris with multiple sittings per year and the testing infrastructure is reliable. SAT and ACT preparation is widely available through ASP, NDIHS and Paris's mature test-preparation market, with online providers serving the wider European expatriate community. Recognition of the US High School Diploma in France is workable for English-medium programmes at Sciences Po (some routes), INSEAD (graduate), the American Business School Paris and the IESEG School of Management. French public universities will generally require additional documentation. US, UK, Canadian and Australian universities apply their standard admissions frameworks.
Counselling at ASP is mature and one of the most experienced in Europe, with students placed each year into selective US universities including the Ivy League, UK Russell Group institutions, French Grandes Ecoles and competitive European destinations. The school's college counsellors support the Common App, UCAS, French and other European university applications in parallel. NDIHS provides strong counselling tailored to its smaller cohort. Families pursuing the most selective US universities frequently combine school counselling with external counselling.
Neighbourhoods, campus locations and commute patterns
Paris's American schools sit in the western and central parts of the metropolitan area. ASP's Saint Cloud campus is in the inner-western suburbs, just outside the Boulevard Peripherique, with major expatriate residential clusters in Saint Cloud, Neuilly, Suresnes, Boulogne and the 16th arrondissement. NDIHS is further west in Verneuil-sur-Seine, accessible by RER. Marymount Paris is in Neuilly-sur-Seine, on the western edge of central Paris. ISP operates from the 16th and 7th arrondissements in central Paris. The British School of Paris is in Croissy-sur-Seine, also accessible by RER.
Paris's road and rail networks are extensive and the RER A reaches Saint Cloud, Neuilly and Verneuil from central Paris. Rush-hour traffic on the Boulevard Peripherique, the A86 and the A13 can extend road journeys significantly. Families based in Saint Cloud, Neuilly or the 16th arrondissement reach ASP in fifteen to twenty-five minutes. Families based in central Paris reach ISP within thirty minutes by metro. ASP operates a school bus network that covers the principal expatriate residential clusters in the western suburbs, which materially widens viable housing options.
How to choose between curricula in Paris
Paris offers strong curriculum optionality across American, IB, British and French. The American cluster, anchored by ASP, NDIHS and Marymount, is one of the deepest pure-US offerings in Europe. The IB cluster, including ISP and ASP's IB Diploma pathway, is a globally portable framework. British provision is led by the British School of Paris. French international sections through the Lycee International network are a popular long-horizon option. For an IB-first read on the same city, see our companion piece on the best IB schools in Paris.
American provision in Paris is the strongest fit for families with a US-side anchor: American expatriates, returning French-American families and French nationals specifically targeting US universities. The IB Diploma is the more flexible global credential if university destinations are uncertain. ASP's three-way pathway (US Diploma alone, US Diploma plus AP or US Diploma plus IB) keeps all options open into Grade 11. For deeper curriculum comparison see our American curriculum overview and the Paris American-curriculum hub, which lists every recognised provider with their pathway and accreditation.
Common pitfalls when shortlisting American schools in Paris
The first pitfall is choosing between ASP and NDIHS on prestige rather than fit. ASP is the larger, longer-established school with the deeper AP and IB catalogue. NDIHS is the more intimate boarding-friendly Catholic alternative. The right answer turns on whether the family needs boarding, the religious ethos preference and the geographic anchor. The second pitfall is missing the application window. ASP has waitlists at upper-primary and middle-school entry that fill twelve to eighteen months in advance for the September intake.
The third pitfall is overlooking the Marymount-to-ASP transition at Grade 9. Marymount stops at Grade 8, so Marymount families need an upper-school plan a year ahead. Most progress to ASP, some to ISP, some to French lycees, and a few to UK boarding. The fourth pitfall is choosing ASP without testing the Saint Cloud commute from central Paris. The RER reaches Saint Cloud reliably, but families based in the eastern arrondissements or southern suburbs will find the daily journey demanding. For wider context see the Paris city guide and use the compare tool when narrowing a shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the leading American school in Paris?
The American School of Paris (ASP) is the flagship American school in France. Founded in 1946, ASP delivers a US High School Diploma to every graduate, with the choice of an IB Diploma, AP courses, or both in upper school. It is the default first choice for US-track families relocating to Paris.
Does ASP offer AP courses?
Yes. ASP offers a broad AP catalogue alongside the US Diploma. Around one third of seniors take the IB Diploma, and more than 90 per cent of upper-school students take IB or AP courses, often combining the two.
Are AP exams available in Paris?
Yes. AP exams are administered at ASP and NDIHS each May. SAT and ACT testing centres also operate widely in Paris with multiple sittings per year and the testing infrastructure is reliable.
Can my child board at an American school in Paris?
Yes, at Notre Dame International High School in Verneuil-sur-Seine, which is the only American school in the Paris region with significant boarding capacity. ASP and Marymount are day schools only.
What about Catholic American schools in Paris?
NDIHS and Marymount Paris are both Catholic American schools. ASP is non-denominational. Families wanting a Catholic ethos within a US-track framework typically prefer NDIHS for upper school and Marymount for primary.
How early should I apply?
Apply twelve months ahead for the September intake at ASP, particularly for Grade 6 and Grade 9 transition years where waitlists are deepest. NDIHS and Marymount generally accept rolling enrolment subject to space, although high-demand year groups can close earlier.
Bottom line for relocating families
Paris's American-curriculum cluster is mature and well established, with ASP at Saint Cloud as the flagship, NDIHS as the boarding-friendly Catholic alternative in Verneuil, and Marymount as the central-Paris primary feeder in Neuilly. For most relocating families the right answer is ASP for upper school, with Marymount as a logical primary route for families based in central Paris and Neuilly. Plan applications twelve months ahead for ASP, model capital levies into the total budget, and consider NDIHS specifically if boarding capacity or a Catholic ethos is important to the family.