· updated monthly
The five schools San francisco parents researched most this year, chosen from the 28 international schools in the city. Ranked by how many families opened each school’s profile and spent time reading it between July 2025 and June 2026, then the full picture on curricula, class sizes and fees.
The 2026 ranking
Ranked purely by parent interest — the number of families who opened each school’s profile and spent time reading it between July 2025 and June 2026.
Convent & Stuart Hall is an independent Catholic K-12 school in San Francisco with two campuses, Broadway and Pine-Octavia, serving students from ages 5 to 18. The school is part of the Sacred Heart Schools network and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the high school, alongside a comprehensive K-12 curriculum that emphasizes serious study and social responsibility. Students engage with humanities, mathematics, sciences and the arts, and study digital literacy and design integrated with core disciplines. Signature programs include K-12 Research-Based Literacy Programs, an Emotional Literacy Program, and a Structured Literacy Program. The Siboni Arts & Science Center houses science labs, art spaces, music rooms and a theatre, supporting on-campus performances through the Syufy Theatre. Athletics use on-campus facilities and external venues. A service ethos is expressed through the Heart to Heart program, international exchanges, and service-learning trips, complemented by a range of arts, language and leadership opportunities.
AEON School is a global private school with online global classrooms and an on-campus option at Mission College in Santa Clara, California. It serves students aged 10 to 18, with in-person classes for grades 5–12 and flexible scheduling to fit athletic and artistic commitments. The Bespoke curriculum centers on Great Works, a four-year interdisciplinary core uniting English, social studies, science, and the arts through Great Books and projects tied to local and global issues. Math is taught through Math Inquiry, a problem-based pathway inspired by Phillips Exeter Academy, with an Institute for Advanced Mathematics for exceptionally talented students. Global Passport teaches nine languages, including Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. The school is NEASC accredited and offers NCAA-approved courses. Facilities include the Design Lab and partnerships with USA Fencing and US Sailing, plus Signature Experiences such as kayaking, visits to SFMOMA, and cultural events. AEON graduates attend top universities worldwide. This blended approach supports flexible learning, strong community, and preparation for global university study, while emphasizing wellbeing and personal growth.
Bertrand D Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural Academy is a nonprofit private school serving TK–8 in San Francisco. Located at 455 Arkansas Street in Potrero Hill, campus provides a day program for ages 3–14 with class sizes under 20. The bespoke curriculum blends East and West, combining Chinese discipline and academic rigor with American creativity and independence. English, math, and Chinese are core subjects taught by teachers, with younger students learning math and science in Chinese and older students studying Chinese culture in English. Daily Mandarin instruction accompanies immersion in Chinese history, philosophy, poetry, and calligraphy. The school emphasizes project-based and AI-enabled practice and personalized support. Facilities include a garden for gardening and cooking classes, weekly field trips to parks and museums, and visits to Florence Fang Community Farm, and a 3-day nature ranch retreat. The founder and Head of School is Ann Hsu; it operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Lycée Français de San Francisco (LFSF) is an international school serving PreK–12 with two bilingual tracks: a French Track aligned to the French Ministry of National Education, and an International Track powered by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Students aged 2 to 18 benefit from continuous education across three campuses: Ashbury (Preschool–Grade 5) in San Francisco, Sausalito (Preschool–Grade 5) in Marin, and Ortega (Middle–High School) in San Francisco. The International Track follows the IB Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10) and the IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12). The school is accredited by the French Ministry and CAIS and is part of the AEFE network. Across campuses sustainability is embedded: Eco-Delegates, solar aquaponics, water cisterns, living green walls, and an organic Cantine kitchen. LFSF hosts a diverse community of around 50 nationalities and offers strong arts, athletics, and language programs, enabling bilingual French–English instruction and a wide range of extracurricular activities for families.
American International Montessori School (AIM) is a bilingual Montessori day school serving toddlers to elementary students on two Berkeley/Oakland–area campuses. Founded in 2009 by Ernest Mahr, AIM offers three Montessori programs: Infant Community (18–36 months), Children's House (3–6 years), and Elementary (1st–6th). Language immersion is embedded across all divisions, with toddler tracks in Japanese and Mandarin, and elementary bilingual options in English/Chinese or English/Japanese. Immersion is 100% in the target language for younger children, with English introduced in the afternoon for older students; elementary classrooms maintain all-day language immersion. Classrooms emphasize authentic Montessori materials and native-speaking teachers. Two campus sites host distinct language tracks, with Montessori-trained staff across every classroom. The campus features bright, natural-light rooms, child-sized furnishings, two large play yards, and abundant outdoor and garden activities. After-school enrichment includes sports, art, and dance—most notably Yosakoi Japanese dance—and annual cultural events like Setsubun, broadening students' world awareness and curiosity.
What’s on offer
The mix of programmes and teaching languages across all 28 schools. Many offer more than one curriculum, so totals run higher than the school count.
Number of schools teaching each curriculum.
Number of schools teaching in each language.
Size & classes
School size and class size shape day-to-day experience as much as curriculum does.
Schools grouped by total enrolment.
Average school size is 506 students · based on the 13 schools that report enrolment.
Schools grouped by typical class size.
Average class size is 15.3 students · based on the 13 schools that report it.
What it costs
Fees shown are one year for a 12-year-old (or the closest age available), excluding one-time enrolment costs.
Across the 23 schools that publish a price for a 12-year-old. All figures in USD.
How many schools sit in each annual-fee range.
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