How many French curriculum schools in Cairo
Cairo runs four established French curriculum schools in 2026, anchored by the Lycée Français du Caire and supplemented by the Jesuit and lay French-language tradition that has shaped Cairene education since the late nineteenth century. The headline AEFE network school, Lycée Français du Caire, operates two campuses, one in Maadi and one in Zamalek, serving roughly 2,200 pupils from maternelle through terminale. Around it sit Collège de la Sainte Famille in Faggala, the venerable Jesuit collège founded in 1879, the Lycée Voltaire in New Cairo, and the older state-aligned Lycée El Horreya. The AEFE label matters: it signals that the curriculum, recruitment of expatriate teachers and inspections are coordinated with the French Ministry of National Education through the Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger.
The footprint is smaller than the Anglophone tier, but the network is deep and dense, and several Egyptian families pick French schools as a route into Bocconi, McGill, Sciences Po, the American University in Cairo, and the French Grandes Ecoles via Paris-based preparatory classes. For the broader curriculum context see our French curriculum hub.
Fees and the AEFE tier
French curriculum fees in Cairo sit in a tight band of USD 5,400 to USD 8,400 per year, much narrower than the American or IB ranges. The AEFE network school, Lycée Français du Caire, charges between USD 5,400 and USD 6,800 across the maternelle to terminale span, with separate registration fees and a one-off enrolment levy. Collège de la Sainte Famille tracks slightly lower for Egyptian-resident families and slightly higher for non-resident expatriates. Lycée Voltaire, as a private non-AEFE provider, prices closer to USD 7,400 to USD 8,400 with a more lavish facilities offer. None of the Cairo French schools sit in USD-denominated billing the way the Anglophone tier does; expect Egyptian pound invoicing with periodic recalibration, which makes a comparison against the broader Cairo fees landscape useful before you commit. The fees comparison tool shows where French Cairo pricing sits in the wider Middle East AEFE network.
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Illustrative example schools
The three schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each holds AEFE homologation or recognised equivalence with the French Ministry.
Lycée Français du Caire, with campuses in Maadi and Zamalek, is the AEFE flagship for Egypt. Founded in 1909, it serves roughly 2,200 pupils across maternelle, élémentaire, collège and lycée, with French Baccalaureate streams in S, ES and L. Teaching staff is a mix of French expatriate and locally recruited bilinguals, and the school has a steady record of placement at Sciences Po, Bocconi, McGill and AUC.
Collège de la Sainte Famille, founded by the Jesuits in 1879 in Faggala, central Cairo, is the heritage French-language collège. It is technically a private confessional school rather than an AEFE network member, but the curriculum follows French national programmes through the Brevet and Baccalauréat. Strong on Arabic-French bilingualism for Egyptian families.
Lycée Voltaire in New Cairo is the newer private alternative, opened to serve eastern Cairo families who could not commute to Maadi or Zamalek. It is not in the AEFE network but follows the French programme and prepares pupils for the Baccalauréat, with a modern villa-compound campus that suits the New Cairo lifestyle.
Where French families live
French expatriate families in Cairo cluster in two heritage neighbourhoods. Zamalek, the island in the Nile, is the historic French and embassy quarter. It places the Lycée Français Zamalek campus within walking distance, has the Institut Français d'Egypte at its centre, and supports the bookshops, bakeries and cafés that French parents expect. Maadi, leafier and quieter, suits French families who want a villa rather than an apartment, and feeds the Maadi campus of the Lycée Français directly. A smaller group of newer French arrivals choose New Cairo for proximity to Lycée Voltaire and the gated-compound lifestyle. The contrast with the broader expat picture in our best international schools in Cairo review is useful: French families weight neighbourhood identity heavily.
Admissions and the Baccalauréat question
Applications for the September 2026 rentrée opened across Cairo French schools between November 2025 and March 2026. The AEFE Lycée Français du Caire prioritises children of French nationals and of staff working for French companies, embassies, AEFE itself and the United Nations system. Egyptian and third-country families are admitted on a capacity basis, with entry interviews and a French-language assessment from the moyenne section upwards. The Baccalauréat is the assumed exit qualification, with results published in early July and feeding directly into the French Parcoursup university platform, the Belgian and Swiss universities, and increasingly Dutch and Italian English-taught programmes. Mid-year transfers into collège and lycée are accommodated only where capacity exists and where the prior school followed a French programme. For families weighing French against IB or American tracks, our Cairo IB hub and Cairo American hub give the comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How many French schools are there in Cairo?
Cairo has four established French curriculum schools in 2026. The AEFE network school is Lycée Français du Caire, with two campuses in Maadi and Zamalek. Collège de la Sainte Famille, Lycée Voltaire and Lycée El Horreya complete the picture, with around 3,500 pupils across the network in total.
Is Lycée Français du Caire part of the AEFE network?
Yes. Lycée Français du Caire is fully homologuée by the French Ministry of National Education and sits inside the AEFE international network. That means curriculum, teacher recruitment and inspections are coordinated with mainland France, and the Baccalauréat is sat under the same conditions as in Paris or Lyon.
How much do French schools in Cairo cost?
Annual fees range from USD 5,400 at Lycée Français du Caire maternelle to USD 8,400 at the private non-AEFE alternatives such as Lycée Voltaire. Pricing is invoiced in Egyptian pounds with periodic recalibration. There is also a registration fee and a one-off enrolment levy that varies by school.
Do Cairo French schools teach in Arabic and English too?
Yes, all four French schools in Cairo teach Arabic as a core subject throughout, and English from élémentaire upwards. Collège de la Sainte Famille and Lycée Voltaire offer extended Arabic-French bilingual streams that suit Egyptian families who want both languages at native level.
When should I apply for a French school in Cairo?
Cairo French schools open applications for the September 2026 rentrée between November 2025 and March 2026. Lycée Français du Caire prioritises French nationals and AEFE-affiliated staff first, then third-country expatriates, then Egyptian families. Entry tests in French language apply from moyenne section upwards.
