Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley - Elementary School Campus vs Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega
Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley - Elementary School Campus and Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega are both in San Francisco, about 20 km apart. Both schools offer American and French programmes, and Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega also offers IB. Published annual fees are close, at $38,150 - 43,200 for Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley - Elementary School Campus and $28,000 - 58,900 for Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega. Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley - Elementary School Campus takes pupils from 2 to 11, and Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega from 2 to 18.
French Curriculum, IB (MYP), IB (DP), American Curriculum
Pupils
Pupils
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Pupils
998
Typical class size
Typical class size
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Typical class size
18
Instruction language
Instruction language
French, English
Instruction language
French, English
Opened
Opened
1977
Opened
1967
Bus service
Bus service
No
Bus service
No
Essentials
Essentials
Location
Location
Two Berkeley campuses: Elementary School Campus at 1009 Heinz Ave., Berkeley, CA 94710 and Middle School Campus at 901 Grayson Street, Berkeley, CA 94710. The school serves preschool through 8th grade. Both campuses are located in Berkeley, California.
Location
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Stages
Stages
Preschool & Kindergarten; Lower School; Middle School. An Accelerated French Program (AFP) offers late-entry points in Lower School (G1 and G2) and in Middle School (G6).
Stages
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School type
School type
Private bilingual day school
School type
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Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
More than 60 nationalities represented in the school community.
Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
Lower School offers French as a Foreign Language (French as a Second Language) for students who need it; bilingual teachers support each student linguistically and academically.
Additional learning support
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Country affiliation
Country affiliation
American International Section (Section Internationale Américaine) integrated into EB's primary program.
- Non-refundable application fee: USD 75 due when submitting the application form.
Enrollment deposit / reservation fee
- A non-refundable enrollment/reservation deposit equal to 10% of the annual tuition is required to finalize enrollment; this deposit is due within 10 days of acceptance. The 10% deposit is applied toward the annual tuition balance.
Tuition fees by school year (annual amounts for 2026–2027)
- Preschool & Kindergarten (annual): USD 38,150. - Grades 1–5 (annual): USD 39,015. - Grades 6–8 (annual; includes Middle School Accelerated French Program): USD 43,200.
Installment / per-payment detail (options available for the annual tuition above)
- Option 1 — One payment: - One payment due in June. - Early-payment discount: USD 100 off the annual tuition (school pays the Blackbaud annual fee for this option). - Example: Preschool/K: USD 38,150 − USD 100 = USD 38,050 (one-time June payment).
- Option 2 — Two equal payments: - Two equal payments due in June and September (payer may choose the 5th or the 20th of the month). - A Blackbaud Tuition Management annual administrative fee of USD 50 applies. - Example: Preschool/K: USD 38,150 ÷ 2 = USD 19,075 per payment (plus the USD 50 Blackbaud fee for the plan).
- Option 3 — Four equal payments: - Four equal payments due in June, July, August and September. - A Blackbaud Tuition Management annual administrative fee of USD 50 applies. - Example: Preschool/K: USD 38,150 ÷ 4 = USD 9,537.50 per payment (plus the USD 50 Blackbaud fee for the plan).
- Option 4 — Twelve equal monthly payments: - Twelve equal monthly payments between June and May of the following year. - A 5% per annum interest charge applies to this plan (reduced to 1.50% per annum for families receiving Tuition Assistance or Bourses Scolaires). - A Blackbaud Tuition Management annual administrative fee of USD 50 applies. - Example (base monthly before interest): Preschool/K: USD 38,150 ÷ 12 ≈ USD 3,179.17 per month (the actual monthly amount will be slightly higher when the 5% annual interest is applied).
Additional program and grade-specific fees
- Lower School Accelerated French Program (G1–G3): additional annual program fee of USD 2,860.
Required and optional fees and typical other costs
- One-time enrollment fee (Preschool and Lower School only): USD 1,950 (required at enrollment). - Tuition refund insurance: 1.4% of tuition (mandatory for a family's first year at the school, optional thereafter). - Extended Day Package (optional; unlimited morning and afternoon care during school days for the year): USD 2,250. - Extended Day drop-in rate (optional): USD 14.04 per hour. - School Breaks Package (optional; day camps during Fall, Winter and Spring breaks for the school year): USD 1,250. - Hot lunch (optional; price per meal): USD 6.75 to USD 7.25 (subject to change). - Optional overnight field trips (Grades 5, 7 and 8): approximately USD 2,650. - Required overnight field trips (Grades 3, 4 and 6): ranges from USD 695 to USD 1,370. - After-school activities: costs vary by activity.
- Note on uniform: no separate uniform fee is listed among the school's required or optional fees.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- Enrollment: accepted families must return a signed enrollment agreement and pay the 10% non-refundable deposit within 10 days of acceptance to secure the student's place. - Balance payment: after the deposit, families choose one of the four payment options described above (one, two, four, or twelve payments); specific due months are June (one-payment option) or the months listed for the multi-payment options. Two-payment plan pay dates may be either the 5th or the 20th of the designated month. The four-payment schedule runs June–September; the twelve-payment schedule runs June–May. - Administrative fees and interest: Option 1 carries no Blackbaud fee (school covers it) and a USD 100 early-payment discount; Options 2–4 incur a USD 50 Blackbaud annual fee; the 12-month plan incurs a 5% per annum interest charge (1.50% for families receiving financial aid).
Boarding
- Boarding fees: Not applicable. Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley is a preschool through grade 8 bilingual day school and does not operate a boarding program.
Refund information
- The enrollment/reservation deposit (10% of annual tuition) is non-refundable. - Tuition refund insurance is offered (1.4% of tuition) and is mandatory for families in their first year at the school; this insurance is the mechanism the school lists for managing tuition refunds.
Fee payment options and accepted payment method
- The school's tuition and fee payment system is Blackbaud Tuition Management. Blackbaud Tuition Management accepts credit card payments; administrative fees for using Blackbaud vary depending on the payment plan selected.
Fee details
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Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The school offers a bilingual English-French curriculum from Preschool through 8th grade, with language development at the core of instruction in both languages. A co-teaching model supports students at their language and academic levels, with French as a Second Language support and learning specialists, and Etude after-school homework help. In Lower School, the balance of instruction shifts from French immersion to bilingual: Grades 1–2 are 80–20, Grade 3 65–35, and Grades 4–5 50–50. Vers le Pacifique begins in Preschool and Kindergarten and continues through Grade 2; Grades 3–5 focus on conflict resolution and identity. Middle School maintains bilingual and biliterate instruction across language arts, science, history, and math, with students choosing a third language (Spanish or Mandarin) and continuing content in both languages. The science program aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards and the French program; math blends Singapore Math and Eureka Math in a bilingual setting, and field trips, arts, and service learning are integrated.
Curriculum details
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Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
Average class size is 17 students. The school maintains a low student-to-teacher ratio.
Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
High School placement: 95% of students applying to private high schools get their top choice.
Exam results
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Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
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Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
Accelerated French Programs are available at Lower School and Middle School for motivated, high-achieving students, providing small class sizes and advanced bilingual learning.
