Lycée Français

“Rooted in California, Open to the World”

Independent · Sunset · AKA: LFSF, Lycée Français

Lycée Français de San Francisco

“Rooted in California, Open to the World”

Students: ~140
Ratio: 8:1
Tuition: $59k

Enrollment: ~140
Student:teacher: 8:1est.
Base tuition: $58,900
Real cost: $63k–$64k
Flexible tuition: ~24%

What makes this school special

The City's French school since 1967; middle and high schoolers share the Ortega campus in the Outer Sunset
Two tracks: the famously rigorous French Bac, and a newer IB-powered International Track with no French required
Graduates earn dual diplomas and join the AEFE network of nearly 500 French schools worldwide, which means built-in portability if your family ever relocates
Runs its own shuttle program between its three campuses (including one in Sausalito)

Academics

Curriculum

French Baccalauréat & IB Diploma; bilingual

What's the IB?

World languages

French, English, Spanish

Signature programs

French Baccalauréat (French Track)
IB Diploma (International Track)
Bilingual dual-track curriculum
Four-year college counseling
Global Learning trips

College matriculation

UC Berkeley, Duke, Harvey Mudd, McGill, Sciences Po, Parsons School of Design, Concordia, Cal Poly SLO

See the full list

UC admissions

In fall 2025, 35 students applied to the UC system from this school; 31 were admitted to at least one campus, and 9 enrolled.

See UC’s data

What these numbers can and can’t tell you

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · CIF San Francisco Section

Basketball (boys)Cross CountryTrack & FieldVolleyball

Arts

TheaterMusicVisual ArtsDanceFilm

Clubs & activities

Girls Who CodeModel UNDebateLFSF RadioMaths en JeansFilm ClubArt ClubLGBTQ+ ClubCoalition of Black Students and AlliesWomen's Rights CommitteeiLab ClubMusical TheaterLFSF Gazette (newspaper)Healthy Habits

See all clubs

Life there

Tuition includes

Lunch
Global Learning trips

Food

Lunch (included in tuition)

Learning support

Daily study hall and four-year college counseling

Applying

Key dates

Applications open: Late August
Application due: Mid-January, then rolling
First decisions released: March
Decisions released: Mid-to-late March

The application

The Lycée Français admits through its own application on Veracross — no entrance test. Applicants from outside the French system also take a French-level evaluation over Zoom. Applications are due mid-January, with first decisions in March and rolling review after that.

Application requirements

Application via Veracross ($150 fee)
Report cards
Student introductory video (2–3 min)
Parent interview (optional for sibling applicants)
French-level evaluation (for applicants outside the French system)

Testing

Test-free

Getting there

1201 Ortega Street

Transit

28 19th Avenue, 7 Noriega at the door
6 Haight/Parnassus
N Judah Metro

Transit directions

Contact the school

admissions@lelycee.org Visit the admissions site

Still thinking about Lycée Français?

Save it to your shortlist and come back anytime.

Often on the same list

The International School of San Francisco

Independent

Lick-Wilmerding High School

Independent

University High School

Independent

Stuart Hall High School

Catholic (boys)

Convent High School

Catholic (girls)

Sources

LFSF — At a Glance — founding, enrollment, nationalities, coed
Our Campuses — high-school (Ortega) campus, neighborhood
Applying MS/HS — admissions, deadlines, test policy, requirements
Tuition & Other Fees — tuition, fees, food, trips
Financial Assistance — aid percent
International Track — IB Diploma, academic model
French Track — French Baccalauréat
Athletics — sports, league
Clubs & Activities — clubs, arts
Class of 2026 — college matriculation
Wikipedia — Lycée Français de San Francisco — founding, history
California Private School Affidavit 2025-26 | CDE — Ortega (upper-school) campus, where the high school sits: 308 students in grades 6–12 (136 in grades 9–12), 40 full-time + 2 part-time teachers; student:teacher ratio estimated at ~8:1 (308 ÷ ≈41 FTE, part-timers at half). CDS 38684786939664. The school publishes no high-school-specific figure.

Details checked August 2026