The Paris fee landscape
Paris is one of Europe's larger international school markets, anchored by the American School of Paris, the British School of Paris, EAB Bilingue and several IB-pathway schools. Premium tier sits at EUR 28,000-38,000 per year. meaningfully higher than Madrid or Lisbon and closer to top London independent fees. The mid-tier offers strong value at EUR 18,000-28,000. Crucially, Paris also offers the lycee international option. a state school system with bilingual sections delivering rigorous French academic outcomes at minimal fees, a genuinely viable alternative for many international families.
2026 fee tiers (Paris)
| Tier | Annual fee range (EUR) | Annual fee range (USD) | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | EUR 28,000 - 38,000 | USD 30,500 - 41,500 | American School of Paris (ASP), British School of Paris, International School of Paris (ISP), EIB Etoile/Monceau |
| Upper-mid | EUR 18,000 - 28,000 | USD 19,500 - 30,500 | EAB Bilingue, Marymount, Notre Dame International, Eurecole, several smaller bilinguals |
| Mid | EUR 11,000 - 18,000 | USD 12,000 - 19,500 | Smaller bilingual privados, certain religious-foundation schools with international sections |
| Lycee international | EUR 1,500 - 4,500 | USD 1,650 - 4,900 | Lycee International Saint-Germain-en-Laye, lycee Honore de Balzac, lycee Lakanal (international sections) |
The hidden extras
Paris schools charge transparently but extras add 12-18% to the headline fee. Largest line items: enrolment/inscription (EUR 1,500-3,500 one-time), cantine (school lunch. EUR 1,500-2,500 per year, near-compulsory at the international schools), school bus where offered (EUR 2,000-3,500), uniform where required (EUR 400-900), trips (EUR 800-2,500), exam entries (EUR 700-1,500 in IGCSE/IB years), books and materials (EUR 200-500). Lycee international has substantially lower extras. cantine and books, no transport at school cost.
Year-on-year fee inflation
Paris school fees rose 4.5% on average across 2025-26, ahead of French CPI of 2.4%. Premium schools tracked 4.5-5.5%; lycee international increases were minimal (state-controlled). Budget 4.5-5% annual inflation in your forward planning.
The lycee international option
This is unique to Paris among European capitals. Lycee International (St-Germain-en-Laye), lycee Honore de Balzac (Paris 17), and lycee Lakanal (Sceaux) operate "international sections". bilingual streams within state lycees that deliver the French baccalaureate alongside a national language curriculum (English/American, British, Spanish, German, etc.). Fees are minimal (EUR 1,500-4,500 per year for participation in the international section, on top of the otherwise free state school placement). Academic outcomes are excellent. Admission is competitive but open to international families.
Trade-off: students must develop strong French alongside their other language; outcomes lead to the French baccalaureate (highly portable internationally) rather than IB or A-Level. For families with longer Paris time horizons (4+ years) this is often the strongest value choice.
Paris vs. London: a working comparison
An IB Diploma place at International School of Paris runs about EUR 32,000-37,000 per year. The post-VAT London equivalent at top independents is GBP 33,000-44,000 (roughly EUR 38,500-51,500). Paris is now meaningfully cheaper than London at the premium tier, partly due to the VAT shock. Pre-VAT the two were comparable.
Sibling discounts
Most Paris international schools offer 5-10% sibling discounts; some larger groups offer 15% on third+. Lycee international has no sibling discount (already nominal fees). See our full sibling discount table.
Currency exposure
Paris quotes in EUR. USD-paid families have moderate multi-year currency risk; GBP-paid families relatively neutral. Annual prepayment usually offers a small discount.