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
SGD 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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