As U.S.-China relations become strained, there appears to be a waning interest in learning Chinese across the United States. However, San Francisco is an interesting anomaly in this trend. While public schools are seeing a drop in Mandarin language courses, the number of private Chinese immersion schools is on the rise. This growth includes both newly established institutions and those planning to open their doors in 2026, providing families with a range of educational options.
Most of these Chinese schools primarily focus on teaching Mandarin, but some also give prominence to Cantonese, reflecting San Francisco’s sizable Cantonese-speaking population.
The San Francisco Unified School District is facing budget cuts that have led to the closure of some Chinese language schools and the discontinuation of several language programs. Currently, only two bilingual elementary schools and one bilingual middle school offer Chinese language instruction, serving a combined total of 384 students.
For families unable to enroll their children in public schools yet who can afford private education, options like Presidio Knolls School and Chinese American International School provide a bilingual curriculum. Tuition at Presidio Knolls School is $45,000 per year, while Chinese American International School charges $42,000.
In a recent interview, Lydia So, a city planning commissioner in San Francisco, explained her decision to send her daughter to Presidio Knolls School. She emphasized the importance of maintaining cultural roots and the cognitive advantages associated with multilingual learning.
Situated in the South of Market (SoMa) district, Presidio Knolls School offers K-8 immersive bilingual education, allowing students to learn both Chinese and English side by side, facilitating natural language acquisition without relying on traditional teaching methods.
Chris Livaccari, the school principal, shared in an interview with the San Francisco Standard that, contrary to the national trend of declining interest in Chinese language learning, their enrollment has actually increased over the past five years, growing from 300 to over 400 students.
Chinese American International School, founded in the 1980s, holds the distinction of being the first school in the U.S. to implement Chinese immersion education. It currently serves 550 K-8 students and is in the process of relocating to a larger campus in the western part of San Francisco to accommodate continued growth.
Additionally, the newly opened Bertrand Hsu Academy began accepting students in 2023, while Hiba Academy, expected to launch in 2026, aims to enroll 400 students. The Wellington (China) Group, which has established several Hiba schools in China, has invested $23.5 million to acquire facilities in San Francisco. The group’s founder, Qiao Ying, expressed enthusiasm about launching the first Hiba school in the U.S. in a city known for its diversity and strong connections to China and the Pacific region.
While Mandarin programs in the San Francisco Unified School District are declining, there remain 1,375 openings for Cantonese bilingual courses and 1,269 spots for immersive learning, which underscores the city’s unique cultural ties to Guangdong province. Although private institutions often focus on Mandarin, some prioritize Cantonese immersion.
One example is the Chinese Immersion School at De Avila, which was founded in 2009 and currently serves 400 K-5 students. School administrators note that while Mandarin is the dominant dialect in many Chinese-speaking communities, the majority of San Francisco’s Chinese population speaks Cantonese, with 75% identifying it as their primary language. They also highlight that “Cantonese has six tones while Mandarin has only four. Once students master Cantonese, learning Mandarin becomes significantly easier.”