Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley

What Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley does

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (EB) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) independent school founded in 1977 in Berkeley, California, operating as the oldest and largest bilingual French/English immersion school in the East Bay. The school serves students from preschool through 8th grade across two campuses: an elementary campus at 1009 Heinz Avenue (Preschool through 5th Grade) and a middle school campus at 901 Grayson Street (6th through 8th Grade). Core academic offerings include Maternelle (Preschool/Kindergarten), Lower School, and Middle School, supplemented by the Accelerated French Program (AFP) for late-entry students at grades G1, G2, and G6, and the Section Internationale Américaine. Beyond academics, EB operates enrichment/aftercare, athletics (Jaguar basketball), and seasonal programs including Le Camp d'Été summer camp.

EB generates revenue primarily through tuition, which covers approximately 91% of annual operating budget, supplemented by an Annual Fund (~3%), the Spring Soirée/gala, Move-a-Thon, matching gift programs, and an endowment fund established in 2003. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; families engage directly with the Admissions office for tuition and tuition assistance. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via rolling admissions, school visits, community events, and word-of-mouth, supported by a website, blog, podcast (EB Podcast/Curiosity Pod on Positive Discipline), and active social media across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Operations are supported by MySchoolApp as the parent portal and school management platform. The school is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Head of School Sébastien Robert.

Name

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley

Legal name

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley

Website

https://eb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley is a private nonprofit K-8 bilingual immersion school in Berkeley, California, founded in 1977, delivering French/English instruction to preschool through 8th-grade families across two campuses in the East Bay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Bilingual Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools (EDACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Inclusion-Focused SEL for Diverse Learners (ECE) (EDACAOAK)

Keywords

• Bilingual immersion education
• Private K-8 schooling
• French language instruction
• Preschool through 8th grade
• Accelerated French program

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition: As a private independent school, tuition is the primary revenue stream, covering approximately 91% of the school's annual operating budget.
2. Annual Fund: Annual fund campaign supporting general operating budget including financial aid, professional development, facilities, and programs. Provides approximately 3% of operating budget.
3. Gala & Auction (Spring Soirée): Annual spring fundraising gala and auction event historically the largest single fundraiser of the year. Proceeds support tuition assistance programs.
4. Move-a-Thon: Student-centered peer-to-peer fundraising event promoting health and outdoor activity. Proceeds split with Parents' Association (2/3 to EB, 1/3 to PA), with portions supporting outdoor space enhancements.
5. Capital Campaigns & Endowment: Capital campaigns for major projects (e.g., Campus Campaign raised $2.8M in 2014) and endowment fund established in 2003 for long-term financial stability.
6. Matching Gift Programs: Corporate matching gift programs where employers double or triple employee charitable contributions to EB.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley is a private nonprofit bilingual immersion day school that delivers full French and English instruction to students from preschool through 8th grade across two Berkeley campuses. Core offerings include the Preschool & Kindergarten (Maternelle), Lower School, and Middle School academic programs, the Accelerated French Program for late-entry non-French speakers, and the Section Internationale Américaine international track, supported by enrichment, athletics, summer camp, and student development programs such as TEDxEB Youth.

Product overview

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley is a private preschool-8th grade bilingual immersion school offering comprehensive educational programs in French and English. The school operates with a core structure of grade-level programs (Maternelle/Preschool-Kindergarten, Lower School/Elementary, Middle School) supplemented by specialized programs including the Accelerated French Program (AFP) for late-entry students and the Section Internationale Américaine. Beyond academics, the school provides enrichment activities, athletics (including Jaguar basketball), summer camp (Le Camp d'Été), and signature cultural events such as EB Cinema Week and TEDxEB Youth. Administrative services include a Parent Portal (myschoolapp.com) for family engagement. Fundraising operations encompass an Annual Fund (covering ~3% of operating budget), Spring Soirée/Gala, Move-a-Thon, and endowment/capital campaigns for long-term financial stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preschool & Kindergarten (Maternelle) Early childhood bilingual immersion education for toddlers through kindergarten age children, with foundational language acquisition in French and English through play-based learning at the Heinz Avenue campus.
• Lower School (Elementary) Elementary school bilingual immersion education for grades 1-5, where students develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills in both French and English.
• Middle School Middle school bilingual education for grades 6-8 at the Grayson Street campus, preparing students for high school placement through rigorous academic curriculum in both languages.
• Accelerated French Program (AFP) Late entry program providing French language acquisition for students with no prior French exposure at G1, G2, and G6 grade levels, enabling fluency development and qualification for high school placement after 8th grade.
• Section Internationale Américaine International section program offering American curriculum content taught in conjunction with French language and cultural education.
• Enrichment & Extended Day (Aftercare) After-school enrichment programs and extended day care services for students requiring supervision beyond regular school hours.
• Athletics Program Competitive sports programs including Jaguar basketball and other athletic activities fostering teamwork and physical development.
• Le Camp d'Été (Summer Camp)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students develop bilingual proficiency in French and English by graduation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• CITRIS (Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026CITRIS sponsored the 11th annual TEDxEB Youth event in January 2026. As a research institute focused on technology for social benefit, CITRIS's sponsorship aligns with EB's emphasis on innovation and student-led ideas.
• Vigneron ImportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Vigneron Imports sponsored the 11th annual TEDxEB Youth event in January 2026. The wine importer's sponsorship contributed to the production of the student TEDx event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Head-Royce School: Oakland-based independent K-12 school serving East Bay families. Comparable independent school positioning and Oakland/Berkeley geographic overlap, though with broader grade span and a larger endowment, not bilingual.
• Marin Primary & Middle School: Independent K-8 school in Larkspur, CA serving North Bay families with a progressive, inquiry-based curriculum. Comparable size and independent school positioning, though not bilingual — competes for similar values-driven Bay Area families.
• The Nueva School: Independent K-12 school in Hillsborough, CA with a progressive, inquiry-based and SEL-rich curriculum. Competes for similar globally-minded Bay Area families, particularly those seeking differentiated educational models in the same regional market.
• Stratford School: Multi-campus Bay Area private preschool through 12th grade school operator. Competes for similar affluent East Bay/SF families but does not offer French immersion; primarily an academic-focused independent school with broader scale.

Direct peers

• Lycée Français de San Francisco: San Francisco-based French bilingual day school serving preschool through 12th grade, the most direct competitor to EB in the Bay Area French immersion market. Notably, EB's Head of School Sébastien Robert previously taught there.
• Chinese American International School: San Francisco-based Mandarin/English immersion school serving preschool through 8th grade. Operates a closely analogous bilingual immersion model targeting globally-minded Bay Area families, with similar SEL and signature cultural programs.
• German International School Silicon Valley: Mountain View-based German/English immersion school serving preschool through 12th grade. Comparable model as a European-language immersion alternative serving the same Silicon Valley globally-minded family demographic.
• French American International School (San Francisco): Independent French/English bilingual school in San Francisco offering preschool through 12th grade. Directly competes with EB for East Bay / SF bilingual families and offers a broader grade span including high school.
• International School of the Peninsula: Palo Alto-based bilingual immersion school offering both French/English and Chinese/English tracks from preschool through 8th grade. Comparable bilingual immersion model, though in a different immediate geography.

Broad incumbents

• Avenues: The World School: Large, multi-campus globally-focused private school with a flagship in NYC and Silicon Valley campus. Operates a multilingual curriculum (including French) and competes for globally-oriented Bay Area families, but at much larger scale and broader scope than EB.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ecolebilingue
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecolebilinguedeberkeley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecole-bilingue-de-berkeley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley