In this guide
How the IB works in Paris
The International Baccalaureate runs as four programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 3 to 12), the Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11 to 16), the Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16 to 19) and the Career-related Programme (CP). Most expat families discussing the IB in Paris are thinking about the Diploma, which is the two-year sixth-form qualification recognised by every major university worldwide. A handful of Paris schools run the full continuum (PYP through DP), while several others offer only the Diploma, layered onto a different lower school curriculum such as the American AP track or the French national curriculum.
Paris is one of only two cities in France with a dense IB market (the other is Lyon, on a smaller scale). The Paris cluster has grown over the past two decades, and most of the current schools have settled into a stable cohort average between 33 and 37 points, well above the global mean of around 30.5. For programme structure and how the Diploma compares with national alternatives, the IB curriculum hub provides the full reference.
What is distinctive about the Paris IB market is the bilingual layer that sits underneath several of the schools. EIB Monceau, EIB Etoile and the Lycee International all teach in French and English from the earliest years, and the IB Diploma at sixth form is offered as one of two parallel pathways alongside the French baccalaureate. Children at these schools effectively spend their entire lower and middle school years on a bilingual programme before choosing the IB or the bac at age 16. That is rare globally and gives families with longer postings a path the standard English-medium international circuit cannot match.
The other distinctive feature is the relationship between the IB and the French state. France recognises the IB Diploma as equivalent to the baccalaureate for entry to French universities, which means a child holding 36 points from ISP can apply to Sciences Po, the engineering Grandes Ecoles preparatory route and the major French universities on the same footing as a French bac holder. That equivalence is not automatic in every country, and it removes a meaningful constraint for families weighing the IB against a national alternative.
The seven IB schools in Paris
International School of Paris (ISP)
The only dedicated IB continuum school in central Paris and the longest-running IB school in the city. Cohort size in the Diploma year is small (around 65 to 75), which produces close teacher to student ratios and strong university counselling. Three-year cohort average in the 36 to 37 range. Particularly strong on Theory of Knowledge teaching and the Extended Essay. Located on a compact urban campus near La Muette in the 16th, with the Bois de Boulogne and the Jardin du Ranelagh in walking distance.
American School of Paris (ASP)
The flagship American international school in Paris, running both AP and the IB Diploma in the senior years. Around 30 to 40 percent of the Year 12 cohort takes the IB Diploma, with the remainder on the AP pathway. The campus sits in Saint-Cloud west of the city and is set on green grounds with strong sports facilities. Particularly suited to American families who want US-style high school while keeping the IB option open for European or global university applications.
EIB Monceau (Ecole Internationale Bilingue)
The bilingual flagship of the EIB group. Children follow a 50:50 French-English programme from Maternelle through to Premiere, and choose either the French baccalaureate or the IB Diploma in the final two years. A growing share of the cohort now opts for the IB. Strong outcomes in both pathways, and the bilingual foundation produces students who can pivot easily between French and English-speaking university systems.
EIB Etoile
Sister campus to EIB Monceau, sitting close to the Etoile and the Champs-Elysees. Similar bilingual programme through to Premiere with the choice of French bac or IB Diploma at sixth form. A smaller cohort and more central location than Monceau. Suits families based in the 8th and 16th who want the EIB programme without crossing the Parc Monceau every morning.
Marymount International School Paris
The Catholic-foundation international school west of the Bois de Boulogne. Diploma cohort is among the smallest in Paris (around 25 to 40 students), which produces very close pastoral support but limits the range of subject combinations. Strong primary and middle school. The Diploma cohort has averaged 33 to 34 over recent years.
Lycee International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
One of France's oldest and largest international lycees, with a long-established Anglophone section and a more recent IB Diploma stream. Fees are a fraction of the private market because the school operates under a contract with the French state. Admissions is competitive and the school typically requires assessment in both French and English. Suits families committing to a longer Paris posting and willing to take on a more demanding application process.
British School of Paris (IB option)
The long-established British school in western Paris, recently expanding the IB Diploma alongside its core A-Level offer. The Diploma cohort is still small and growing, with the first sittings producing solid results in the 33 to 35 range. Suits British-curriculum families who want the option of the IB without leaving the UK foundation.
Build a shortlist of two or three to visit
Use the side-by-side comparison tool to weigh ISP, ASP, EIB Monceau and the others on fees, cohort size, location and curriculum scope. The full Paris ranking is at best international schools in Paris. Talk to our team if you need an honest steer between the top three for your family situation.
Side-by-side comparison
| School | Programmes | Diploma cohort | 2025 average | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International School of Paris | PYP, MYP, DP | 65 to 75 | 36.8 | 16th |
| American School of Paris | DP and AP | 180 to 220 | 35.0 | Saint-Cloud |
| EIB Monceau | Bilingual + DP option | 80 to 100 | 35.5 | 17th |
| EIB Etoile | Bilingual + DP option | 40 to 60 | 34.4 | 8th |
| Marymount International | Primary, MYP and DP | 25 to 40 | 33.7 | Neuilly |
| Lycee International Saint-Germain | French bac + DP section | 50 to 80 | 35.2 | Saint-Germain |
| British School of Paris | A-Level + DP | 15 to 30 | 33.8 | Croissy-sur-Seine |
How to choose between them
The decision usually narrows to three factors: how long the family is staying, the children's current language profile and the parents' preferred university path. Families on a two or three year posting from a fully English-medium background almost always default to International School of Paris or American School of Paris. The continuum is in English from the first day, no French is needed at admission and the school carries the social weight of the established expat community. Families on a longer posting, particularly those open to genuine French acquisition, tend to look at EIB Monceau, EIB Etoile or the Lycee International.
The university path matters more than parents often realise. The Diploma is universally recognised, but the marginal advantage of one school over another depends on destination. For UK universities, ISP and ASP have the deepest counselling network. For US universities, ASP's combination of AP and IB plus its established US college pipeline is hard to match. For French Grandes Ecoles, the Lycee International is structurally advantaged because its students leave with a full French baccalaureate alongside the international stream.
Cohort size is the third lever. ISP, EIB Monceau and ASP run Diploma cohorts of 65 to 220 students, which supports a wide subject menu and several Higher Level options in every major discipline. The smaller schools (Marymount, British School of Paris) run cohorts of 20 to 40, which produces strong pastoral care but restricts the choice of subjects, especially in the sciences and the less-taught languages. For children with niche subject preferences (Higher Level Latin, Higher Level Mandarin, Music as a Diploma subject), the larger cohorts almost always win.
The campus environment matters in ways parents underestimate before visiting. ISP runs from a compact urban building near La Muette with no playing fields on site; sport is at external venues. ASP and the Lycee International sit on green campuses with their own sports facilities and the feel of a small American or English independent school. EIB Monceau and EIB Etoile occupy elegant Haussmann-era buildings in central Paris with limited outdoor space. The choice depends on what kind of school day the family wants the children to walk into.
Admissions, waitlists and assessment
Paris IB schools admit in two cycles: the main September intake (applications opening November to January) and a smaller January intake at some schools. The leading schools (ISP, ASP, EIB Monceau) hold waitlists for Year 6, Year 7 and Year 11 entry that often run 9 to 18 months at peak. Reception and Maternelle places are easier to come by, though still competitive at the top tier.
The assessment requirements vary. ISP and ASP run a short interview and an academic review, often via the previous school's references plus a current school report. The bilingual EIB schools require a French-language assessment for entry to most year groups. The Lycee International runs a competitive entrance examination in both French and English for its international sections. None of the schools demand the parents speak French. The international school fees in Paris piece covers the cost line in detail.
Cohort destinations
Over the past three graduating years, the Paris IB cohorts have placed strongly across UK, US, French and continental European universities. ISP and ASP have sent students to all of Oxford, Cambridge, the London medical schools, the Ivy League, the leading US liberal arts colleges and the top of the French Grandes Ecoles pipeline. The bilingual schools (EIB, Lycee International) more often place students into the French system (Sciences Po, the engineering Grandes Ecoles, the top business schools), with a meaningful minority going abroad. Marymount and the British School of Paris cohorts have placed across the UK Russell Group, several US universities and the Dutch and Irish English-medium universities.
The decision rarely turns on raw cohort averages. A 36.8 average and a 33.7 average can both produce excellent individual outcomes when the school fits the child. What matters more is the depth of the subject offer, the quality of counselling, the cohort culture and the practical question of how the family will get to and from the school every day.