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Chinese American International School

United States, San Francisco

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Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in Mandarin, English
Fees $0 - 46,300
Ages 2 - 14 years
Pupil numbers 571
Type Co-educational
Opened 1981
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Chinese Curriculum
Taught languages Mandarin
Typical class size 18
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Middle School

3250 19th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

Chinese American International School has 571 pupils, typical class sizes of 18, instruction in Mandarin, English.

Location
3250 19th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132. The main campus houses CAIS's Early Childhood, Lower School, and Middle School divisions. The campus is located in San Francisco, California.

Stages
Early Childhood: Preschool (ages 2-5) through Kindergarten; Preschool is full immersion in Mandarin; Kindergarten follows a 50/50 immersion model. Lower School: First through Fifth Grade, with two to three sections per grade and 50/50 immersion. Middle School: Sixth through Eighth Grade.

Type
Independent, coed
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees

Annual tuition at Chinese American International School ranges from up to USD 46,300 for 2026/27.

Application fee

- A non‑refundable application fee of USD 100 is due when submitting an application; payment may be made by credit card, debit, e‑check, or check.

Tuition (2026–2027) — by year group

- Preschool (Early Childhood): USD 42,900 per academic year.
- Kindergarten through Grade 8 (K–8): USD 46,300 per academic year.

Per‑term equivalents (arithmetic conversions)

- The school bills annual tuition as shown above. For budgeting or database display, the simple arithmetic equivalents are:
- K–8: semiannual (2) = USD 23,150 per term; three equal installments = USD 15,433.33 each; monthly (12) = USD 3,858.33 each (these are straight mathematical divisions of the annual amount and are not a formal statement of CAIS billing installments).

Billing schedule and payment terms

- A per‑student Tuition Deposit of USD 2,000 is required to complete enrollment; the deposit for the 2026–2027 year had a payment deadline published as February 13, 2026 (with alternate deadlines for families requesting adjusted tuition). The Business Office issues next steps after receipt of the deposit.
- Payment methods accepted for deposits and other school charges include: personal check (mailed or delivered to the CAIS Business Office), wire transfer / ACH (instructions available from studentbilling@cais.org), and online payments by credit card or ACH. Credit card transactions incur a processing fee of 2.9% + USD 0.30 per student; ACH transactions are assessed a processing fee (USD 5 per student on the deposit form).
- The school uses a separate Tuition Refund Insurance policy to manage mid‑year withdrawals (see below). Past‑due balances are not covered under the Tuition Refund Insurance policy.

Boarding fees

- Boarding is not applicable. CAIS operates as a day school (no boarding program).

Other costs and commonly billed items

- Extended Day (after‑school care): a prepaid Extended Day fee is published as USD 445 per month for K–8 and USD 470 per month for Preschool (program runs from the end of the school day through 6:00 p.m.; morning care before school is complimentary).
- Global programs, class trips and other program‑specific fees are billed separately and vary by grade and trip. Example: an 8th‑grade Guilin program listed a USD 1,500 deposit with a total program fee of USD 5,260 and a stated nonrefundable final payment date for that trip. Global program fees may carry their own deposit deadlines and refund rules.
- Activity/afterschool enrichment classes, international program fees and similar program charges are billed in addition to base tuition for families paying standard tuition; families approved for Adjusted Tuition may have these items included in their adjusted amount.
- Spirit wear and community merchandise are available through the CAIS Family School Alliance (FSA) shop; there is no mandatory uniform fee listed in admissions materials.

Refund information

- CAIS maintains a Tuition Refund Insurance policy to address withdrawals during the school year because the school cannot otherwise fully refund tuition or cancel unpaid obligations. For 2026–2027 the published cost of Tuition Refund Insurance was USD 425; the insurance must be purchased by the stated deadline and is mandatory for certain payment plans. Benefits under the policy are described as follows: medical absence/medical withdrawal — a 75% discount of tuition and fees corresponding to academic days to be foregone; withdrawals for other reasons — a 50% discount of tuition and fees corresponding to academic days to be foregone. Claims are initiated with the Business Office and medical withdrawals require certification by a qualified medical professional; claims must be filed within the published claim window. Past due balances are not eligible for coverage.

Fee payment options and transaction handling

- Accepted payment forms: check (mailed or dropped off at the Business Office), wire transfer/ACH (contact studentbilling@cais.org for instructions), and online payment by credit card or ACH. Credit card processing is charged per transaction; ACH transactions carry a processing charge as indicated on CAIS payment pages. Some program payments (for trips, etc.) list slightly different processing fees depending on the payment method and program; checks typically do not incur processing fees.

Notes (presentation‑only)

- Tuition amounts above are the published annual figures for CAIS for the 2026–2027 academic year. Payment schedules, installment plans, due dates for installments, and the Business Office's billing instructions are handled directly by CAIS Business Office once the enrollment deposit and enrollment paperwork are complete (the deposit amount and the Business Office contact for billing are provided above).
Academics

Chinese American International School teaches American Curriculum, Chinese Curriculum for students aged 2 to 14.

Curriculum
Preschool is full Mandarin immersion. Kindergarten follows the 50/50 immersion model. Lower School (1st-5th) follows the 50/50 immersion model. Middle School (6th-8th) uses a hands-on, minds-on, interdisciplinary curriculum. Global Programs include the Fifth Grade Taiwan Exchange, Seventh Grade Guilin, and Eighth Grade Sichuan programs, which provide immersive experiences in Chinese language and culture.

Exam Results
ERB results for 4th-7th graders show CAIS students outpace monolingual peers in English reading, verbal reasoning, writing mechanics and skills.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates go on to independent high schools and colleges in the United States.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
The school has not added this information
Facilities
The school has not added this information
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has not added this information
Languages
The school has not added this information
Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
Limited spaces are open in select grades. Eligibility for the 2026-2027 school year: Preschool P2 requires two on or before September 1, 2026; Preschool P3/P4 requires three or four on or before September 1, 2026; Kindergarten requires five on or before September 1, 2026; 1st Grade requires adequate oral and aural proficiency in Mandarin; 2nd–5th Grade requires adequate Mandarin and English proficiency with Mandarin proficiency demonstrated prior to application; 6th–8th Grade offers Mandarin Immersion requiring both Mandarin and English proficiency, while the Mandarin World Language Pathway does not require Mandarin proficiency, only English proficiency. Step 2: Begin by filling out the online inquiry form to stay informed about events and the admissions process. Step 3: Experience campus in person with CAIS 101, Tours for Preschool Applicants, Tours for K-5th Applicants, Tours for 6th-8th Grade Applicants, and Face-to-Face with CAIS later in the season; tour dates fill up quickly. Step 4: Request an application; you'll receive a link to open your online portal; the application includes an evaluation form. Preschool applicants' schools should email the Preschool–K Student Evaluation Form or mail it to 3250 19th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132; First–Eighth Grade Student Evaluation Form is used for older applicants. Applications for 2026-2027 are due January 16, 2026; supporting documents (including evaluation forms) are due February 11. CAIS follows the Principles of Good Practice in Admissions.

Scholarships
Tuition for 2026-2027 is $46,300 for K–8 and $42,900 for Preschool. Adjusted Tuition is a need-based program determined by Clarity and the Adjusted Tuition Committee; applying does not influence the admissions decision. The Adjusted Tuition decision covers tuition, extended care, and International Program fees; the family's Adjusted Tuition is reviewed annually and the CAIS School Code is 5119. The Adjusted Tuition process uses Clarity data and requires an annual application; questions should be directed to adjustedtuition@cais.org. In 2025–2026, 22.5% of families (representing 23.6% of students) paid Adjusted Tuition. Morning care is complimentary; after-school care costs $400/month; August and June are free for families enrolled in extended care from September to May.
School Events
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