
International schools in San Francisco Bay Area
23 international schools in San Francisco Bay Area. Every number comes from what schools publish and from official sources.
This city at a glance
Living
Each item shows its source and the date we checked it. Check the source again before you move.
Housing and rent
Rent: San Francisco 2-bedroom median $6,020 (Jul 2026)
Zumper's July 2026 data, as reported by Hoodline, put the median asking rent for a two-bedroom in San Francisco at $6,020 a month, up 25.9% year on year; San Jose was $3,590 and Oakland $2,640. These are asking rents.
- SF 2-bed $6,020/month
- San Jose $3,590, Oakland $2,640
- Asking rents, Jul 2026
Source:HoodlineDataChecked 2026-10-30
Safety
The San Francisco Bay Area is under level 1 (exercise caution)
Korea's foreign ministry page for the US (checked 2026-10-30) shows level 1 everywhere except Hawaii. It warns that car break-ins are frequent anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area, so leave nothing at all in a parked car, even briefly.
- Level 1 outside Hawaii
- Frequent car break-ins
- Leave nothing in the car
Source:외교부 해외안전여행Official sourceChecked 2026-10-30
Schooling
Education: US grades 1-12, rules vary by state and district
The US State Department's overview says schooling runs from grade 1 to 12, usually starting around age 6; grade bands and the compulsory-schooling age are set by state and district rules. As of 2026-10-30 our directory lists 23 schools in this city (still growing).
- Grades 1-12
- Rules vary by state and district
Source:U.S. Department of State (USINFO)Official sourceChecked 2026-10-30
Family life and climate
Climate: warmest-month high 21.2°C, coolest-month low 7.6°C
Normals from the US National Weather Service on the WMO World Weather Information Service (1981-2010): the warmest month (Sep) averages a high of 21.2°C, the coolest (Jan) a low of 7.6°C, and yearly rainfall is about 601 mm. No month averages more than 150 mm of rain. These are older normals and may differ from today's climate.
- Sep average high 21.2°C
- Jan average low 7.6°C
- About 601 mm of rain a year
Source:World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service)Official sourceChecked 2026-10-30
Airport and travel
Airport transport: BART from SFO to downtown San Francisco in 25-30 min
BART says its SFO station is at International Terminal G and the trip to four downtown San Francisco stations takes 25-30 minutes, with 3-4 trains an hour (every 15-20 minutes). Weekday departures from SFO run 5:28am to 11:54pm; weekend service starts later. Fares are not listed on the page.
- 25-30 min downtown
- Every 15-20 min
- Weekdays 5:28am-11:54pm
Source:Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)Official sourceChecked 2026-10-30
Prices and living conditions in United States
Price examples
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Hamburger (McDonald's Big Mac) · Single item | US$6.22 |
| Bulgogi bibimbap (Washington DC) · 1 serving | US$13.99 |
| Cereal (Supermarket, Lowest Price) · 1 Box | US$2.99 |
| Shin Ramyun (Korean grocery delivery platform) · 1 pack (4 bags) | US$6.49 |
| Coffee (Starbucks Americano) · 1 cup | US$4.25 |
| Bottled water (supermarket, lowest price) · 3L | US$1.34 |
| Soft drink (US BLS CPI data) · 2L | US$2.23 |
| City bus fare (Washington, DC) · Base Fare | US$2.25 |
| Subway fare (Washington, DC) · Base Fare | US$2.25 |
| Taxi fare (Washington, DC) · Base Fare | US$4 |
Local prices surveyed by KOTRA trade offices, in US dollars. They vary by city and shop. Source: KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), data.go.kr · 2026-11-01
Living conditions
- People using safe drinking water
- 100%
- 2022
- Tuberculosis cases
- 3.2
- per 100,000 people · 2024
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea, data.go.kr
In numbers
Yearly tuition range
USD 3.6K – USD 64.7K
Based on 13 schools that publish fees · latest fee year 2026-27
Lowest to highest amount in the school currency. Fees vary by grade and programme, so check the grade-by-grade fees on each school page.
Curriculum mix
- IB11 · 48%
- American (AP)10 · 43%
- French6 · 26%
- Japanese / Chinese / Taiwanese3 · 13%
- German2 · 9%
- Montessori / alternative2 · 9%
A school that runs several curricula is counted for each.
| schools | % | |
|---|---|---|
| IB | 11 | 32% |
| American (AP) | 10 | 29% |
| French | 6 | 18% |
| Japanese / Chinese / Taiwanese | 3 | 9% |
| German | 2 | 6% |
| Montessori / alternative | 2 | 6% |
Source: our data · checked 2026-11-05
| schools | % | |
|---|---|---|
| IB | 11 | 32% |
| American (AP) | 10 | 29% |
| French | 6 | 18% |
| Japanese / Chinese / Taiwanese | 3 | 9% |
| German | 2 | 6% |
| Montessori / alternative | 2 | 6% |
Source: our data · checked 2026-11-05
| schools | n |
|---|---|
| USD 0 – USD 12K | 2 |
| USD 12K – USD 24K | 0 |
| USD 24K – USD 36K | 4 |
| USD 36K – USD 48K | 6 |
| USD 48K – USD 60K | 1 |
Source: our data · checked 2026-11-05
| date | events |
|---|---|
| 2026-11-08 | 1 |
| 2026-11-14 | 1 |
| 2026-12-05 | 3 |
| 2027-01-05 | 1 |
| 2027-01-09 | 1 |
| 2027-01-15 | 1 |
Source: our data · checked 2026-11-05
Schools with the most complete information
- The International School of San FranciscoIB · FrenchFrom USD 46.3K a year
Stanford Online High SchoolFrom USD 6.38K a year
American International Montessori SchoolMontessori / alternative · Ages 1–12From USD 26.5K a year
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademyAmerican (AP) · Japanese / Chinese / Taiwanese · Ages 3–14From USD 3.6K a yearChinese American International SchoolAmerican (AP) · Japanese / Chinese / Taiwanese · Ages 2–14From USD 42.9K a year
Convent & Stuart HallIB · Ages 4–18From USD 46.3K a year- East Bay German International SchoolIB · American (AP) · German · Ages 2–18From USD 28.5K a year
- Ecole Bilingue de BerkeleyAmerican (AP) · French · Ages 2–14From USD 38.1K a year
Map
Pins with a dashed ring show an approximate location.
Upcoming info sessions and open days
Dates confirmed on each school's own page. Check the school page again before attending.
- Nov8SunOpen dayAll day
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademySan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-28
Check on the school's page - Nov8SunOpen day10:00 GMT-8 (local time)
Open House
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademySan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-30
Check on the school's page - Nov14SatOpen dayAll day
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademySan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-28
Check on the school's page - Nov14SatOpen day10:00 GMT-8 (local time)
Open House
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademySan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-30
Check on the school's page - Dec5SatOpen dayAll day
Bertrand D. Hsu American & Chinese Bicultural AcademySan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-28
Check on the school's page - Dec5SatFair09:00 GMT-8 (local time)
Middle School Fair, grades 6-8
Escuela Bilingüe InternacionalSan Francisco Bay AreaChecked 2026-10-30
Check on the school's page
Guides and sources for United States
- F-1 Students and US Public Schools: The Limits, Grade by GradeAccording to the US State Department and Homeland Security, F-1 students cannot attend public schools in grades K-8 and may attend public high school for at most 12 months. This guide separates that rule from the one for dependants and lists enrolment steps and questions for schools.
- When parents move home and the child stays: visas and guardiansWhen a parent's visa ends, a dependant child's status usually ends too, so staying on means a student visa and guardian arrangements. Here are the official rules by country.
- US public schools: districts, attendance zones and state ratingsIn the US, your address decides your public school. Check the assigned school on the district site before renting, and read state ratings such as Texas A-F or the California Dashboard.
- US L-1/L-2 assignments: what about the children's school?The US State Department says public-school limits apply to F-1 students, not to children of foreign workers. Here are the basics from official sources.
Texas: emergent bilingual identification and reclassification changes for 2026-27
Official sourceTexas Education AgencyChecked 2026-11-04
New York: enrolment documents and proof of residency (NYSED)
Official sourceNew York State Education Department, Office of CounselChecked 2026-11-04
How State Department education allowance rates are set: at post vs away from post
GuideAmerican Foreign Service Association (Foreign Service Journal, June 2017)Checked 2026-11-04
California: the Home Language Survey and the Initial ELPAC
Official sourceCalifornia Department of EducationChecked 2026-11-04
Texas public school enrolment: who and with what
Official sourceTexas Education AgencyChecked 2026-11-04
Texas enrolment eligibility and document rules (TASB summary)
GuideTexas Association of School BoardsChecked 2026-11-04
US State Department education allowance (DSSR 270): what it covers
GuideAmerican Foreign Service Association (Foreign Service Journal, June 2017)Checked 2026-11-04
New Jersey: what districts may not require at enrolment (NJDOE 2025)
Official sourceNew Jersey Department of EducationChecked 2026-11-04
AI panel discussions
The AI panel is a fictional panel built from parents' public experiences and official sources · not a review of any school
- AI panelUS public school by district, or a private international school?Once a US move is set, home and school have to be decided together. Public schools are assigned by address; private schools take applications. Please share how you decided.
- AI panelThe first year for a child with little EnglishMany children start international school with almost no English. The first year can shake both child and parent. Let's hear how families handled English and kept their home language.
- AI panelShould our child stay on when we return home? Boarding and guardiansMany families facing the end of a posting wonder whether their high-schooler should stay at the current school. It is a decision that involves visas, guardians and daily life, not only study. Let's hear from families who have faced it.
Local partners
RecruitingWe are recruiting local partners to help families in San Francisco Bay Area. Only people who complete our checks are introduced.
Apply as a partnerPublic school districts
Public schools in English-speaking countries are mostly assigned by home address. Check the district's official rating and school list.
Ask Sam
Tell us your child's age, curriculum and budget, and we will narrow down schools in San Francisco Bay Area with our data.