Lycée Français

“Rooted in California, Open to the World”

AKA: LFSFSunsetIndependent

Lycée Français de San Francisco

“Rooted in California, Open to the World”

AKA: LFSF, Lycée FrançaisSunsetIndependent

Students: ~180
Ratio: 9:1
Tuition: $59k

Base tuition as published for 2026–27.

Admissions

Application due: Rolling (decisions from March)
First decisions released: March

admissions@lelycee.org

Visit admissions site

Enrollment: ~180
Student:teacher: 9:1est.
Base tuition: $58,900; 2026–27 school year
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

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

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, UCLA, NYU, Pomona, Williams, McGill, University of St Andrews, Sciences Po, Boston College

See the full list

Athletics, arts & activities

Athletics · CIF San Francisco Section

BasketballCross CountryTrack & FieldVolleyball

Arts

TheaterMusicVisual ArtsDanceFilm

Clubs & activities · 24+

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

Admissions

Application due: Rolling (decisions from March)
First decisions released: March

admissions@lelycee.org

Visit admissions site

The application

The Lycée Français admits through its own application on Veracross — no entrance test. It asks for report cards, a short student introductory video, and a virtual meeting with the applicant and parents; applicants from outside the French system also take a French-level evaluation. Admission is rolling, with decisions from March.

Application requirements

Application via Veracross ($150 fee)
Report cards
Student introductory video (2–3 min)
Virtual meeting with applicant and parents
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

Often on the same list

International High School

Independent

Lick-Wilmerding High School

Independent

University High School

Independent

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
Admissions Results — college matriculation
Wikipedia — Lycée Français de San Francisco — founding, history
California Private School Affidavit 2024-25 | CDE — Ortega (upper-school) campus, where the high school sits: 317 students, 22 full-time + 23 part-time teachers; student:teacher ratio estimated at ~9:1 (≈33.5 FTE, part-timers at half). CDS 38684786939664. The school publishes no high-school-specific figure.

Last reviewed July 2026