How many French schools in Mexico City
Mexico City has 2 schools delivering the French national curriculum in 2026, the Lycee Franco-Mexicain and the smaller Petite Ecole Bilingue Mexique. The Lycee Franco-Mexicain is the anchor and is part of the AEFE (Agence pour l'Enseignement Francais a l'Etranger) network, the French government's worldwide school authority. It runs two campuses: the main Polanco campus serving maternelle through to terminale (ages 3 to 18), and the smaller Coyoacan campus in the south of the city serving maternelle through to college (ages 3 to 15). Total enrolment across both campuses is around 2,200 pupils, making it the largest French school in Latin America after the Lycee Francais Sao Paulo and the Lycee Louis Pasteur Bogota.
The cluster is small but deep. Around 80 per cent of pupils at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain are Mexican nationals enrolled in the French baccalaureate stream as a route to French and European universities. The remaining 20 per cent are children of French expatriate families, dual French-Mexican families, and a smaller cohort from other Francophone communities including Lebanese, Belgian, Swiss and Canadian-Quebec families. Mexico City does not have a separate French international school outside the AEFE network, which simplifies the choice for French families but limits flexibility on fees and approach.
AEFE network and the Bac pathway
The Lycee Franco-Mexicain is fully homologated by the French Ministry of Education, which means pupils sit the brevet at the end of college (age 15) and the baccalaureat at the end of terminale (age 18), with results recognised across the entire French and European university system. The Bac stream at the Polanco campus runs the post-2021 reformed baccalaureat with the specialty subjects model: pupils choose three specialties at the end of seconde (Grade 10) and then narrow to two at the start of terminale. The strongest specialty combinations at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain are mathematiques, physique-chimie, sciences economiques et sociales and histoire-geographie geopolitique. Bac results in 2025 ran at 99 per cent pass rates, with 78 per cent of candidates achieving mention bien or higher.
University destinations split into three streams. Around 35 per cent of bachelier graduates apply through Parcoursup and enrol in French universities or grandes ecoles preparation classes (CPGE). Around 30 per cent enrol in Mexican universities (UNAM, ITAM, Tec de Monterrey, Universidad Iberoamericana). The remaining 35 per cent split between US, Canadian and other European universities. The French Bac is recognised under Mexican SEP rules for revalidacion to the Mexican Bachillerato, which keeps Mexican university applications open. Our curriculum options guide sits alongside this French hub for families weighing French versus English versus IB pathways.
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Illustrative example schools
The two schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each is part of the AEFE-recognised French education network in Mexico City.
Lycee Franco-Mexicain runs two campuses. The main Polanco campus serves maternelle (ages 3 to 6) through to terminale (age 18). The Coyoacan campus in the south of the city serves maternelle through to college (age 15). Both campuses are fully AEFE homologated. Total enrolment around 2,200 pupils across both sites, with around 200 bachelier graduates a year. The Polanco campus has a stronger upper school cohort and a wider Bac specialty offering; the Coyoacan campus suits families based in the southern delegaciones.
Petite Ecole Bilingue Mexique in Lomas de Tecamachalco is a smaller bilingual French-Spanish primary school serving maternelle and elementary (ages 3 to 11). The school does not deliver college or lycee; pupils typically transfer to the Lycee Franco-Mexicain Polanco campus at sixieme (age 11). A useful option for younger French families based in the Lomas corridor who want a smaller, more intimate early-years setting.
Fees and the AEFE bourses scholarships
French school fees at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain run MXN 130,000 to MXN 220,000 a year, which converts to roughly EUR 6,000 to EUR 10,000 at the 2026 exchange rate. The fee scale is lower than the British or American international school tier because the AEFE network is subsidised by the French government, with detached teachers paid through the AEFE budget rather than through tuition. Maternelle tuition is the lowest tier (around MXN 130,000); terminale tuition is the highest (around MXN 220,000). The Petite Ecole Bilingue Mexique fee is positioned at MXN 110,000 to MXN 150,000 for maternelle and elementary tuition. Annual exam, materials and registration fees of MXN 8,000 to MXN 14,000 are typically charged on top.
French nationals enrolled at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain are eligible to apply for the AEFE bourses scolaires, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship for French children abroad. The bourses can cover up to 100 per cent of tuition depending on family income, with the assessment based on a family's revenu fiscal de reference. Around 18 per cent of French families at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain receive a partial or full bourse in 2026. Non-French families are not eligible. See our Mexico City fees guide for the full all-in cost picture once transport, lunches and uniforms are factored in.
Where French families live
French families in Mexico City cluster around two residential corridors that mirror the Lycee Franco-Mexicain campus distribution. Polanco, Lomas de Chapultepec and Lomas de Tecamachalco host the largest French expatriate cluster, anchored on the main Polanco campus. Polanco itself is the highest-density French neighbourhood in the city, with French embassy housing, the Alliance Francaise and a substantial French-owned restaurant and bakery scene along Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Coyoacan, San Angel and Tlalpan in the south host the secondary cluster, anchored on the Coyoacan campus. These southern neighbourhoods suit families wanting a quieter, leafier lifestyle with closer proximity to the UNAM campus.
Admissions and the AEFE calendar
The Lycee Franco-Mexicain runs the French academic calendar from late August to early July, which differs from the Mexican SEP August to June calendar by about a month. Applications for the August 2026 intake opened in October 2025 and close for priority assessment in January 2026. Priority is given to French nationals and dual French-Mexican children, then to children of AEFE-network families transferring from another Lycee Francais worldwide, then to other applicants. Year-on-year continuity through the network is a significant advantage for families on French diplomatic or corporate postings, as the Lycee Franco-Mexicain accepts in-network transfers without standard entrance assessment. Non-network applicants sit a French language assessment in maternelle and elementary, and a fuller subject assessment from college onwards.
Frequently asked questions
How many French schools are there in Mexico City?
Mexico City has 2 schools delivering the French national curriculum in 2026: the Lycee Franco-Mexicain (Polanco and Coyoacan campuses, total enrolment around 2,200) and the smaller Petite Ecole Bilingue Mexique in Lomas de Tecamachalco serving maternelle and elementary only.
Is the French Bac recognised in Mexico?
Yes. The French Bac is recognised by the Secretaria de Educacion Publica for revalidacion to the Mexican Bachillerato, allowing French Bac graduates to apply to UNAM, ITAM, Tec de Monterrey and the wider Mexican university system. Around 30 per cent of Lycee Franco-Mexicain bachelier graduates enrol in Mexican universities.
How much does the Lycee Franco-Mexicain cost?
Fees run MXN 130,000 to MXN 220,000 a year, roughly EUR 6,000 to EUR 10,000. Maternelle is the lowest tier (around MXN 130,000); terminale is the highest (around MXN 220,000). Fees are lower than the British or American tier because the AEFE network is subsidised by the French government, with detached teachers paid through the AEFE budget.
Can my child get an AEFE scholarship?
French nationals enrolled at the Lycee Franco-Mexicain are eligible to apply for AEFE bourses scolaires through the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bourses can cover up to 100 per cent of tuition depending on family income, assessed against the revenu fiscal de reference. Around 18 per cent of French families at the school receive a partial or full bourse in 2026. Non-French families are not eligible.
When should I apply to the Lycee Franco-Mexicain?
Applications for the August intake open in October the previous year and close for priority assessment in January. Priority is given to French nationals, then dual French-Mexican children, then in-network transfers from other AEFE schools worldwide, then other applicants. Plan 9 to 12 months ahead of the target start date.
