American School of Paris: admissions, pathways and 2026–27 fees

The American School of Paris (ASP) is an independent, non-profit international school at 41 rue Pasteur, 92210 Saint-Cloud. It educates pupils from K3 to Grade 12, usually ages 3–18.

Early Childhood, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School share one campus of more than 12 acres. The school is co-educational and non-denominational. It is a day school, with no boarding house.

ASP suits families seeking an English-medium American education with flexible senior qualifications. It does not teach the French national curriculum or prepare pupils for the French baccalauréat.

School structure and curriculum

ASP divides the school as follows:

Division	Grades	Published ages	Main approach
Early Childhood	K3–Grade 1	3–6	Play-based and outdoor learning, followed by a gradual move into the standards-based curriculum
Lower School	Grades 2–5	7–10	Reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies within an American standards framework
Middle School	Grades 6–8	11–13	A broad American curriculum with subject teaching and interdisciplinary work
Upper School	Grades 9–12	14–18	American diploma requirements, with IB, AP and college-preparatory course choices

The principal teaching language is English. All pupils also study French, but ASP does not describe itself as a bilingual school.

French occupies about 30 minutes daily in Early Childhood and 40–50 minutes daily in Grades 1–5. Middle School receives about 70 minutes every other day.

Upper School French usually runs for 75–85 minutes every other day. Spanish can be available later, depending on the timetable. Strong bilingual pupils may qualify for the IB bilingual diploma.

Qualifications and senior choices

Every pupil who meets ASP’s graduation requirements receives the American High School Diploma. The latest dated Upper School profile, for 2025–26, sets a minimum of 24 credits.

That profile is not a promise for a later cohort. A 2027 entrant should request the current credit and subject requirements before choosing courses.

Upper School pupils can take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the full IB Diploma Programme, or individual IB courses. The school also permits combinations of IB and AP within the American diploma timetable.

The full IB Diploma is a two-year Grades 11–12 route. It includes six subjects, Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity and Service.

Individual IB courses lead to subject results, not the full IB Diploma. AP courses also produce separate external examination results. Neither replaces ASP’s own diploma requirements.

ASP’s live IB/AP page says about one third of seniors pursue the full IB Diploma. It also says more than 90% take at least one IB or AP course during Upper School.

Course availability matters. The school warns that particular IB and AP classes can fill, and some courses depend on enrolment or prerequisites.

2027 entry: what is published

As of 4 September 2026, ASP has not published a separate 2027–28 deadline calendar. It says applications for the following school year open in October and are then reviewed on a rolling basis.

This means the 2027–28 cycle should open in October 2026, but the school has not published an exact opening day. Current-year applications can also be considered when a place exists.

ASP advises families to ask about availability before beginning. It does not publish current capacity by grade, and it warns that many grades and some senior courses fill quickly.

Once an application is complete, the Admissions Committee aims to respond within 10–15 working days. Follow-up questions or assessment can lengthen the process.

The school creates a waiting pool when a grade reaches capacity. Its policy considers the completed-file date and gives stated priority to these groups:

• Siblings of current or newly admitted pupils who are not already placed locally
• Pupils from expatriate international families
• Pupils from French host-country families
• Pupils from former ASP families

ASP also reserves the right to prioritise expatriate families over local residents who have a viable local alternative. Admission is never automatic.

Application file and assessment

Applications are submitted online. The exact checklist changes by age, but every complete file includes the required documents and the €1,450 application fee.

For Early Childhood and Grade 1, ASP asks for available preschool reports, confidential school forms, developmental information, photographs and passport copies. The school also requests parent or guardian passport pages.

For Grades 2–5, it asks for the current or most recent report and the previous two years. Teacher, school and parent forms are also required.

For Grades 6–12, it requests the same academic record plus confidential English, mathematics and counsellor references. The pupil completes a questionnaire and autobiography.

Records must have an English translation. A file does not reach the committee until every required item and the application fee have arrived.

ASP may administer an English assessment to applicants in Grades 6–12. The public process describes no universal entrance examination for every applicant.

Mid-year arrivals remain in the grade they were attending for the rest of ASP’s school year. The school applies the same principle to pupils arriving from calendar-year systems.

The live 2026–27 placement chart uses a 1 September age cut-off from K4 upward. Its K3 row covers a wider birth range. No 2027–28 chart was available on the research date.

An important English-entry conflict

Two current ASP pages do not agree about English eligibility.

The application FAQ says Grades 1–3 accept pupils at every English level. It says Grade 4 onward requires recent English-medium schooling or a minimum result in an English assessment.

The admissions policy says pupils may enter with no prior English through Grade 5. It also says Grades 6–8 can admit pupils with lower proficiency and provide extra English or Social Studies support.

EAL is only published for Grades 1–8. Upper School applicants may still be assessed, but the school does not advertise EAL provision for Grades 9–12.

Families applying to Grades 4 or 5 should resolve the contradiction in writing before paying. Upper School families should ask what English threshold applies when no EAL programme is available.

Learning support and admission limits

ASP describes its Learning Support Programme as suitable for mild to moderate learning differences. Support can include small groups, classroom interventions, co-teaching, targeted instruction and an Individualised Learning Plan.

The admissions policy expects about 15% of each grade to receive support. It describes 10–12% as mild needs and 2–3% as moderate needs.

The policy defines mild needs as attainment roughly one or two years above or below grade level. Moderate needs involve an identified disability and evidence of being at least two grade levels behind peers.

Capacity is decided by the divisional director and learning-support team. A recent psychoeducational assessment, completed within the last three years, may be required.

Families must disclose diagnoses and previous support. The school says withheld information can cause refusal, withdrawal of an offer, removal of a placement or non-renewal.

External specialists and assessments cost extra. The school cannot promise every support package simply because it lists an individual assistant or teacher fee.

2026–27 compulsory fees

The following figures come from ASP’s live 2026–27 fee page.

Charge	Amount	When it applies
Application fee	€1,450	Paid with each application; refunded only if ASP cannot offer a place
Tuition, K3–K5	€25,000	Annual
Tuition, Grades 1–5	€34,600	Annual
Tuition, Grades 6–8	€39,965	Annual
Tuition, Grades 9–12	€41,400	Annual
Capital assessment	€12,200	Once, in the first ASP year at Grade 1 or above; non-refundable
Security fee	€2,000	Annual for every pupil

K3–K5 pupils do not pay the capital assessment. A child who remains at ASP pays it upon entering Grade 1.

Before optional or assigned services, a new K3–K5 pupil therefore costs €28,450 in the first year. The comparable total is €50,250 in Grades 1–5.

It is €55,615 in Grades 6–8 and €57,050 in Grades 9–12. These totals combine application, tuition, security and any applicable capital assessment.

Assigned support and optional costs

Service	2026–27 amount	Status
EAL	€5,490	Annual and compulsory if assigned
Learning Support Programme	€6,695	Annual and compulsory if assigned
Full-time learning-support assistant	€44,000	Published individual-support charge
Full-time learning-support teacher	€88,000	Published individual-support charge
Bus, zone 1	€4,250	Optional annual charge
Bus, zone 2	€4,700	Optional annual charge

The fee page does not explain whether either full-time charge replaces or supplements the €6,695 programme fee. Families needing individual support should obtain a written costed plan.

Mandatory curricular trips are included in tuition. If one is cancelled, ASP reallocates the money to other educational purposes and gives no trip refund.

The school also publishes approximate costs for optional travel. Music festivals are about €800 each, while The Hague MUN is about €1,000.

Harvard Model Congress is about €600. Seasonal sports travel is about €230, and an ISST tournament about €300.

The London theatre trip is about €500. Environmental Science and the Romania service trip are each about €800.

These examples are not exhaustive. ASP bills optional trips separately when a family reserves them.

Lunch is also separate. K5–Grade 5 pupils can register for hot lunch or bring food, while older pupils buy items à la carte. Current meal prices are not public.

Refunds, withdrawal and unpublished liabilities

The application fee becomes non-refundable when ASP offers a place. It is refunded in full only when the school cannot offer admission.

The capital assessment is always non-refundable. ASP’s partial-year table otherwise applies to tuition and fees paid by new and returning families.

• Withdrawal before 1 June: all refundable tuition and fees paid are returned.
• Withdrawal from 1 June through 15 August: 50% of refundable tuition and fees is returned.
• Withdrawal after 15 August but before 31 December: 25% is returned only when Admissions receives notice by 15 November.
• A new pupil starting after 1 January pays 75% of full-year tuition and fees.
• A new pupil starting after 30 April pays 40% of full-year tuition and fees.
• The capital assessment remains payable in full for a late starter.
• ASP can hold a place when the family pays 100% of tuition and fees.

The public page states no refund for later withdrawal or a post-15 November notice. It also omits optional-trip cancellation terms and cafeteria-balance rules.

ASP publishes no acceptance deposit, payment instalments, invoice dates, late-payment charge or debt-collection terms. Ask for the enrolment contract and full payment schedule before accepting an offer.

Financial assistance is limited to current ASP families facing temporary difficulty. The school offers no need-based or merit scholarships to new applicants.

Day-school logistics

ASP has no boarding, school homestay or published residential guardian service. Applying from abroad is possible, but admission does not provide accommodation.

The school does not publish visa sponsorship or immigration support. Families should resolve French residence, visa and custodial arrangements independently and confirm any school documentation directly with Admissions.

The private bus network serves fixed routes in western Paris, including the 7th, 8th and 16th arrondissements. It also serves nearby western suburbs and includes a late bus after activities.

Routes, stops and capacity can change. Check a proposed home address with the transport office before signing a lease.

Use the Paris school-search guide for the wider local comparison and the France guide for national context.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.