The International School of San Francisco
🇺🇸 San Francisco Bay Area · Founded 1962 · IB / National · Ages 2-18
Reviewed by Priscilla Han · 2026-07-23
San Francisco's oldest and largest bilingual (French–English) independent day school, offering a distinctive dual-track IB and French Baccalaureate pathway from age 2 through Grade 12.
Curricula
IB, National
Age range
2-18
Languages of instruction
English, French
Annual fees
USD 45,168–63,621
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
WASC, CAIS, CIS, NAIS, AEFE
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
The International School of San Francisco (until 2023 the French American International School) is a PK2–12 co-educational independent day school built on full French–English bilingual immersion. It was the first school in the city to offer the International Baccalaureate and today runs a dual diploma track — IB and the French Baccalaureate — across two campuses in Hayes Valley (150 Oak Street) and the Maternelle on Page Street.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
The United States has no national graded schools inspectorate, so BrightKey caps US schools at tier A regardless of quality signals. The school shows recognised accreditation/affiliation marks (WASC, CAIS, CIS, NAIS, AEFE) and long-standing IB authorisation, which is consistent with the A cap. No independent graded inspection band exists to justify a higher tier.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Genuine bilingual immersion from age 2, with continuity through Grade 12
- Dual-track diploma choice: International Baccalaureate or French Baccalaureate
- First school in San Francisco to offer the IB (fourth in the US), indicating a mature programme
- Recognised by both US independent-school bodies (WASC, CAIS, NAIS) and the French AEFE network
Trade-offs
- High tuition places it among the most expensive independent options in the city
- The school does not publish current total enrollment, class sizes, or graduate placement data on its site
- French-forward model may not suit families seeking a purely English-medium environment
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Families wanting sustained French–English bilingualism from early years onward
- ✓Internationally mobile families valuing both IB and French Baccalaureate recognition
- ✓Students continuing within the AEFE / French education network
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families seeking an English-only curriculum
- ✕Those needing published, verifiable exam-results or university-placement data before applying
- ✕Budget-sensitive families (annual tuition exceeds USD 45,000)
Curriculum
Dual-track: International Baccalaureate and the French Baccalaureate, delivered through French–English bilingual immersion. The French national programme is recorded here as “National” per BrightKey's curriculum taxonomy; French is a language of instruction, not a listed curriculum tag.
Fees
2026–27 tuition (advance-payment plan): PK2–Grade 8 USD 45,168; High School USD 63,621. A one-time enrollment fee of USD 2,000 and a 5% tuition deposit apply. Figures are school-published; the monthly TenPay plan is slightly higher.
Admissions
Rolling independent-school admissions with a tuition deposit and one-time enrollment fee due at signing. Specific entry-point requirements are not detailed on the public site; contact admissions directly.
Campus Life
Two campuses: the main Hayes Valley building at 150 Oak Street (K–Grade 12) and the Maternelle at 1155 Page Street (preschool, from age 2). Urban San Francisco setting with a multilingual, multinational community.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
University-placement and graduate-outcome data are not published on the school's site (school-reported, unverified) — request directly from admissions.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- ISSF — Home · 2026-07
- ISSF — Tuition & Financial Assistance · 2026-07
- ISSF — Our Story · 2026-07
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