American English Academy vs St. George International School & Preschool

	A American English Academy Sofia, Bulgaria	S St. George International School & Preschool Sofia, Bulgaria
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €55 - 15,600	Fees / year €11,467 - 19,313
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 2 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Advanced Placement (AP)	Curriculum EYFS (Early years foundation stage), Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE, Advanced Placement (AP)
Pupils	Pupils 200	Pupils 750
Typical class size	Typical class size 10	Typical class size 18
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Bulgarian	Instruction language English, Bulgarian
Opened	Opened 1992	Opened 1996
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Lozen Area, Sofia, Bulgaria; campus in the foothills outside the city near Lozen, with views toward the mountains.	Location 47 Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Blvd, 1407 Sofia, Bulgaria. The school is located in the city center of Sofia. The building moved to this site in 2016.
Stages	Stages Pre-kindergarten through Grade 12.	Stages Preschool 2–5 years; Primary 0–4th grade; Lower secondary 5th–7th grade; Cambridge IGCSE (8th–10th grade); Cambridge A-level (11th–12th grade)
School type	School type Day, coeducational international school.	School type Private international school and preschool in Sofia, Bulgaria. Cambridge International Education programmes (Cambridge Primary, IGCSE, and A-levels) are used. The official languages are English and Bulgarian.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix About 200 students from 35+ countries; 40% international, 60% local.	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation —	Country affiliation Bulgaria
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation No religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure The school day starts at 8:15 AM and ends between 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM, depending on age.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details Yes. The school works with a subcontractor that provides transport. It is available to children aged 3 and above and runs on school days from September 15 to May 31; transport is not offered during school holidays.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application and one‑time fees - Application fee: EUR 450, due upon student application; this fee is non‑refundable (siblings of current AEA students are exempt from the application fee). - Wait‑pool registration (when applicable): EUR 55. - Capital fee (new students only): EUR 1,950, payable with the contract signing; this is a one‑time fee and is non‑refundable. The capital fee covers educational materials (books, models, etc.) for the student's entire period at AEA. Annual tuition fees (school year 2026/27) and standard term breakdown All tuition figures are stated per academic year. The school uses a standard payment plan of three installments (50% / 30% / 20%) with due dates shown in the Billing section below. Per‑installment amounts shown here follow that split. - Kindergarten K3–K5: Annual tuition EUR 10,500. Installments: Payment 1 (50%) EUR 5,250; Payment 2 (30%) EUR 3,150; Payment 3 (20%) EUR 2,100. - Advanced Kindergarten (K6): Annual tuition EUR 12,200. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 6,100; Payment 2 EUR 3,660; Payment 3 EUR 2,440. - Grade 1–7, International Program: Annual tuition EUR 14,500. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 7,250; Payment 2 EUR 4,350; Payment 3 EUR 2,900. - Grade 1–7, Dual Language Program: Annual tuition EUR 15,600. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 7,800; Payment 2 EUR 4,680; Payment 3 EUR 3,120. - Grade 8: Annual tuition EUR 14,600. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 7,300; Payment 2 EUR 4,380; Payment 3 EUR 2,920. - Grades 9–10: Annual tuition EUR 12,200. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 6,100; Payment 2 EUR 3,660; Payment 3 EUR 2,440. - Grades 11–12: Annual tuition EUR 13,400. Installments: Payment 1 EUR 6,700; Payment 2 EUR 4,020; Payment 3 EUR 2,680. Billing schedule and payment terms - Standard payment plan: three installments — 50% due by March 31, 30% due by June 30, and 20% due by December 15. Returning students' first installment is scheduled for March 31. New students' first installment is due within one month after enrollment. - For more than one child enrolled, the family receives a 5% discount on the fee with the lower amount. All fees listed are VAT inclusive. Boarding fees - AEA is a day school (coeducational day international school); there are no boarding services or boarding fees. Other costs and optional services (typical annual fees) - School meals (breakfast and lunch): K6–Grade 3: EUR 1,656; Grades 4–7: EUR 1,808; Grades 8–12: EUR 1,992. A lunch‑only option is available: K6–Grade 3: EUR 1,368; Grades 4–7: EUR 1,532; Grades 8–12: EUR 1,700. A 10% discount applies if the full school‑meals program is prepaid for the entire academic year. - Transportation (annual): round‑trip EUR 2,570 per student (fee is updated annually); one‑way EUR 1,740 per student. - After‑school activities: charged separately; fees are set according to the activity and local Sofia market rates. - AP exam costs and certain examination or exam‑preparation fees: AP courses and some AP exam administration are included in the weekly schedule for high‑school students, but additional fees apply if students self‑prepare for more than the mandatory AP exams. Field trips, ski trips, and certain overseas trips are charged separately. - Uniforms, textbooks, and educational materials are provided as part of the tuition/capital fee coverage; parents are not charged a separate standard uniform fee. Specific optional personal or replacement items remain the parents' responsibility. Partial‑year enrolment and early withdrawal (refund treatment and pro‑rata) - Tuition for partial‑year enrolment or early withdrawal is calculated on a prorated basis according to the enrollment quarter: students enrolled in the 1st quarter are charged the full annual tuition; 2nd quarter enrolment is charged 75% of the annual tuition; 3rd quarter enrolment 50%; 4th quarter enrolment 25%. Application and capital fees are non‑refundable. Payment methods and billing notes - Admissions procedures reference payment by bank transfer (bank transfer receipts) or cash receipt for application and capital fee payments; bank transfer is the standard method documented in admissions steps. The school issues invoices and schedules payments according to the standard plan. No general credit‑card acceptance for tuition is specified in the published admissions/fee documents. VAT and inclusions - All listed fees are VAT inclusive. The tuition fee is described as all‑inclusive for educational provision (access to facilities, tests, selected exam administration, student insurance, counseling, and provision of uniforms/textbooks/materials), while optional non‑pedagogical services (meals, transport, after‑school activities, trips) are charged in addition.	Fee details Application / admission fee - The admission fee is a one-off, non-refundable payment due when parents express a desire to apply. The admission fee covers document review, the candidate's trial day (including food), the entry exam and related administrative processing. The admission fee is not charged for applicants to Grade 5 and Grade 8. Guarantee deposit - A guarantee deposit of EUR 1,000 is payable when signing the tuition contract. This is a one-off payment that secures the student's place and may be used to cover damage or late payment; any remaining balance is refundable after completion of tuition. Tuition fees (annual / per-term information and instalment rules) - Annual tuition fees are quoted in euro and are shown as annual amounts when paid in a single (one‑off) instalment. When parents select staggered payment plans, additional charges apply: paying in 2 instalments adds 3%, in 3 instalments adds 8%, and in 10 instalments adds 10% to the tuition total. For the 10-instalment plan the first instalment amount is specified (EUR 4,000 for full‑day CIE students; EUR 2,500 for half‑day Bulgarian-diploma students) and the remainder is split into nine equal payments. New students pay their first instalment within 7 days of signing the contract; returning students' first instalment for the following year is due by 31 May. Deadlines for the 2026/27 payment-plan options include 31 May (single instalment) and a schedule of dates for 2, 3 or 10 instalments (for example: 31 May, 10 Nov, 10 Mar or monthly dates when 10 instalments are selected). Tuition fees by year group (per-grade amounts / per-term breakdown) - The school publishes a grade-by-grade table of annual tuition fees (amounts shown in euro for single-payment settlement). The protected fee table itself was not accessible for extraction while preparing this overview, so specific per-grade numeric tuition amounts (per term or per year group) cannot be reproduced here. The school's published fee structure confirms that the listed annual amounts are the reference figures and that instalment surcharges and the first-instalment rules above apply when parents choose staggered payments. Billing schedule and payment terms (how and when fees are billed and due)n- Payment plans available: one, two, three or ten instalments. Instalment surcharges apply as above (2/3/10 instalments = +3% / +8% / +10%). - Typical due dates shown for the 2026/27 plan: 1 instalment: 31 May; 2 instalments: 31 May and 10 Nov; 3 instalments: 31 May, 10 Nov and 10 Mar (dates shown in the published payment plan); 10 instalments: 31 May then successive 10th-of-month dates across the academic year. New-student first instalment due within 7 days of contract signature; returning-student first instalment due by 31 May for the next academic year. Additional charges and rules (penalties) are set out in the school's general terms. Boarding fees - No boarding fees are listed because the school's published materials do not show a boarding provision; transport, meals and day-school extras are described as separate, optional services. Boarding fees are therefore not applicable. Other compulsory or additional costs - Educational resources fee: set annually, payable with the first instalment according to the chosen payment plan; paid separately from tuition and not refundable. This covers subscriptions to online platforms, textbooks, basic stationery packs and devices where specified (a personal tablet is provided for students in certain grades). - Exam fees: determined annually, payable with the first instalment; paid separately from tuition and non-refundable. External and Cambridge examination fees (Checkpoint, IGCSE, AS/A‑Level) and additional exam-related practical component charges (where applicable) are charged in addition to tuition. - Food / catering: calculated and billed separately from tuition. For full‑day students (CIE): food with first‑morning breakfast is shown at EUR 13.90 per school day for Primary (Grades 1–4) and EUR 15.30 per school day for Lower/Upper Secondary (Grades 5–12). Food without the first morning breakfast is shown at EUR 12.80 per day for Primary and EUR 14.20 per day for Grades 5–12. Fresh juice (optional) is charged (EUR 2.30 per day). Food may be paid annually or in two instalments; a year‑end recalculation reimburses unused food fees for medically documented absences. A mandatory small morning snack for certain grades is charged as an annual fee (Grade 1: EUR 230; Grades 8–9: EUR 255). - Transport: provided by an independent licensed company; the transport fee is calculated and billed separately and parents contract directly with the carrier. - Extracurricular activities (sports, music, applied / performing / fine arts, technology, design etc.): charged separately and are non‑refundable once paid; enrolment and payment follow an additional schedule through the school's electronic platform. - School uniform: required for Grades 1–10; uniform items are charged separately and are not covered by tuition or discounts. Discounts and sibling policy - Sibling discounts on the tuition fee: second child from one family receives a 5% tuition discount; each subsequent child receives a 10% discount; for twins, a 15% discount is applied to one twin. Discounts do not apply to the guarantee deposit, admission fee, educational resources fee, exam fees, school trips, uniform, food, transport, or extracurricular blocks outside the compulsory programme. Refunds and termination / leave before end of year - If parents terminate a tuition contract with the required one-month notice before the end of the school year, the tuition fee is reimbursed according to the school's published schedule: leave dated from 15 September to 30 October – 25% (reimbursement basis shown); from 1 November to 31 January – 20%; from 1 February to 31 March – 15%. The educational resources fee, admission fee and exam fees are not refundable. The general terms also set a contractual penalty in specific withdrawal windows (an amount of EUR 2,500 is referenced in the school's general terms for certain unilateral contract terminations in the period between signing a payment plan and the start of lessons; this penalty may be partially deducted from the guarantee deposit up to the smaller amount). Fee payment options - Accepted payment methods include bank transfer and card payments at a POS terminal; payments may also be made by debit or credit card and by bank transfer to the account specified in the tuition contract. Fees are payable to the school account details shown on invoices and in the payment plan enclosed with the tuition contract. Brief note on unavailable per‑grade numeric tuition amounts - The school's published 2026/27 fees page indicates a grade-by-grade tuition table (annual amounts in euro) and the instalment and billing rules, but the numeric tuition table itself could not be extracted from the published page during this check (the page presents the fee table as protected content). Specific per-grade tuition figures and per‑term breakdowns therefore could not be reproduced in this overview. The school's published materials do, however, set out the guarantee deposit, instalment surcharges, payment deadlines, food charges, educational resources and exam fees, sibling discounts and the refund / termination schedule summarized above.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details The American English Academy offers a U.S. standards-based program from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12, with instruction in English. The curriculum follows U.S. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and mathematics, and includes literacy in history, science, and technical subjects. The program is organized by grade level: Middle School (5th–7th), 8th grade, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, with core courses across English, math, science, social studies, and electives including Art, Music, IT, and Physical Education, plus after-school activities. An optional Dual Language Program for Bulgarian students (Pre-school to Grade 12) is taught in Bulgarian and English and provides double certification after each grade, aligning with both U.S. and Bulgarian standards. The school is an official Advanced Placement (AP) center; students may prepare for up to five AP exams during high school.	Curriculum details The school follows the Cambridge International Education programme for Primary and Lower Secondary education, preparing students for IGCSE, AS, and A-level certificates, in addition to the State Educational Standards of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio 1:4 teacher-student ratio; average class size is 12 students.	Student teacher ratio Class sizes range from 15 to 18 in the primary stage and up to 22 in higher levels. The school has about 715 students and around 190 teachers and supporting staff.
Exam results	Exam results 100% of graduates are admitted to university or college.	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression All graduates are admitted to university or college. The AP program supports college readiness and offers on-site AP exams.	Higher education progression Graduates attend universities worldwide, including Edinburgh, Oxbridge, Kings College, UCL, St. Andrews, Hong Kong University, Stanford, Durham, EPFL, Sofia University Kliment Ohridski, Medical University Sofia, and others.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented The school offers full or partial scholarships for upper-secondary students with demonstrated talents in sports, music, mathematics, or the arts.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions The American English Academy operates a selective admissions policy and evaluates all applicants for Grades 1-12 with an entrance interview and English language skills assessment. Admissions are based on the school's ability to meet the educational needs of the applicant and the applicant's potential to benefit from the education, with consideration of language support, special needs, class size and demographics. All admissions are subject to availability; if the designated grade level is full, students may be placed in the wait pool upon parental request. Priority of admission is given to: children with siblings currently studying at AEA; children who have studied in other international schools; children of parents with international citizenship; and children of Bulgarian citizens. AEA accepts students throughout the school year; applications are reviewed individually with possible statuses of “approved”, “rejected”, or “continued for further assessment”. Approved candidates are enrolled after signing an Agreement for educational services, and the full process typically takes 10–15 days if documents are complete. Admissions are based on the chronological order of application submission, acceptance, and registration. New student grade placement is determined by previous educational experience and age; generally students should be no more than twelve months older or younger than the average age for their grade.	Admissions Admission and enrollment information is provided to help parents and students make an informed decision about St. George International School and Preschool; information meetings with the Admission and Communication department are organized. Admission begins with filling in the online application. For the 2024-2025 school year, admission exams are required for students entering preparatory, first, fifth, or eighth grade. Fees are published on the school's website and updated annually by March; tuition differs for returning and new students, and there are additional costs such as a guarantee deposit, educational resources, exams, meals, uniforms, transportation, and other charges. Scholarships may be available for upper secondary education, with opportunities for full or partial scholarships for students with demonstrated talents in sports, music, mathematics, and/or the arts who may not have the means to pay regular tuition. Admissions for the next academic year take place in January, February, and March according to a schedule set by the school; admissions during the current academic year are possible depending on availability, with an individual examination session. The admission procedure lasts about 20 days from the admission date. Informational tours are regularly organized, with contact numbers and email addresses provided for admissions. Preschool admissions for children aged 2 to 5 are year-round and subject to available places; the preschool operates in English, with Bulgarian used in Bulgarian contexts; group sizes in preschool and school settings are published, and uniforms are available for all age groups. The school is located at 47 Nikola Y. Vaptsarov Blvd, 1407 Sofia.
Scholarships	Scholarships AEA Scholarship Program offers limited partial scholarships for new high school enrollees joining after February 1, 2020. Priority is given to high-achieving international or local students with exceptional academic records whose sponsoring agencies do not provide full tuition. Applicants must submit: standard AEA Admission Application; a scholarship request letter from parents; academic records; a teacher recommendation; letters from parents and the applicant detailing motivation; proof of financial need (i.e., a letter from the embassy or employing company); and evidence of satisfactory behavior and a willingness to participate in Advanced Placement exams. Scholarship applicants must also undergo the standard entrance assessment; funding is for one school year and may continue in subsequent years based on yearly reviews of academic/behavioral performance and financial situation. Only students not currently enrolled at AEA or who have not previously been enrolled at AEA are eligible to apply for a scholarship. The scholarship program is funded by Markan Holding AD and approved by the AEA Scholarship Committee; applicant's Admission Application must be submitted online and all other documentation sent by email to admissions@aeasofia.com.	Scholarships Scholarships are available for upper secondary education; there are opportunities for full or partial scholarships for students with demonstrated talents in sports, music, mathematics, and/or the arts, who may not have the financial means to pay regular tuition.
Waitlist	Waitlist If a grade level is full, a student may be placed in the wait pool upon parental request.	Waitlist —
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