American International School of Bucharest vs International School of Bucharest

	A American International School of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania	I International School of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year RON 7,810 - 29,600	Fees / year RON 9,847 - 17,663
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 2 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)	Curriculum British Curriculum, Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, IB (DP)
Pupils	Pupils 852	Pupils 500
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 20
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1962	Opened 1996
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location The American International School of Bucharest is located north of the center of Bucharest, near the Henri Coanda (Otopeni) Airport. The address is 196 Pipera Boulevard, Voluntari, Ilfov County, 077190 Romania. The campus sits on a 10-hectare site.	Location —
Stages	Stages AISB caters for students from EC2 to Grade 12 and is divided into three divisions: Early Learning Center (EC2 to Kindergarten) for ages 2 to 6, Elementary School (grades 1–5), and Secondary School (grades 6–12). The Secondary School uses the IB Middle Years Programme in grades 6–10 and the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11–12.	Stages —
School type	School type not-for-profit organization	School type —
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix Students represent more than 60 nationalities; the community comprises around 900 students.	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support The school has Student Support Services with a dedicated Student Support Services Coordinator.	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation The school has a U.S. affiliation; it was founded in 1962 by the U.S. Embassy to serve the educational needs of the diplomatic community.	Country affiliation —
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure The timetable for the secondary program uses an eight-day rotation with four class blocks per day; Grade 6–10 must arrive by 08:00. The eight-day cycle determines which classes meet on which days.	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application and registration fees - Application fee: EUR 250 (payable when the application is filed; non‑refundable). - Registration fee: - EC2 & EC4: EUR 800. - Kindergarten–Grade 12: 1st child EUR 3,500; 2nd child EUR 2,000; 3rd child EUR 1,000; 4th/5th child EUR 0 (sibling discounts apply as listed). - Building fee: Kindergarten–Grade 12 EUR 1,000 per year (yearly recurring; non‑refundable). Tuition fees by year group (academic year 2026/27) — annual and per financial semester - EC2 (Early Childhood 2) - Half day: EUR 7,810 per year — EUR 3,905 per financial semester. - Full day: EUR 13,600 per year — EUR 6,800 per financial semester. - EC3: EUR 13,600 per year — EUR 6,800 per financial semester. - EC4: EUR 13,600 per year — EUR 6,800 per financial semester. - Kindergarten (KG): EUR 24,850 per year — EUR 12,425 per financial semester. - Grades 1–5: EUR 26,040 per year — EUR 13,020 per financial semester. - Grades 6–8: EUR 26,270 per year — EUR 13,135 per financial semester. - Grades 9–10: EUR 28,050 per year — EUR 14,025 per financial semester. - Grades 11–12: EUR 28,050 per year — EUR 14,025 per financial semester. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is organised on a two‑financial‑semester basis; fees are charged and assessed by financial semester. Payments are due on the invoice due date. - Currencies accepted: EUR for non‑residents and RON for Romanian residents; no other currencies are accepted. (RON payments are converted using the BNR exchange rate on the date of payment as indicated on invoices.) - Installment plan: available only to families paying personally (not available to corporate payers); a service charge of EUR 1,000 applies to the installment plan. - Late payment: a penalty of 0.3% per day is applied to overdue invoices; persistent non‑payment may result in suspension of the student at the school director's discretion. - Mid‑year / partial‑year charging: for a given financial semester, students who attend fewer than 17 school days are charged a daily rate for that semester; students who attend 17 school days or more are charged the full semester fee. For students entering during the school year, school fees are due on the last business day before the student's start date. - Additional administrative charge for late enrolment during the academic year: EUR 1,500 payable when a student is enrolled after the school year begins. Boarding fees - AISB operates as a day school and does not provide boarding facilities; there are no boarding fees. Other costs and typical additional charges - PE uniform: students do not wear a full school uniform; parents are expected to purchase a PE uniform for students in Grades 1–5 (cost borne by parents). - Lunch: the school operates a full‑service cafeteria run by a caterer; parents pay the caterer directly for meals. - Transport: the school does not operate its own bus service; families may use private bus providers and will incur separate charges from those providers. - Learning support / special educational services: the school provides Learning Support for mild to moderate needs; any specific additional fees for individual support services are handled through Student Support/Business Office arrangements (not listed as fixed annual tuition items). Refund information - Application fee is non‑refundable. Building fees are non‑refundable. Refunds are not provided when tuition is paid only to hold a place for a student who then does not attend. Partial‑year charging rules (daily rate vs. full semester as noted above) apply to mid‑term attendance. Fee payment channels and practical payment handling - Accepted currencies are EUR (non‑residents) and RON (Romanian residents); invoices specify due dates and payment instructions. The Business Office manages invoicing and payment processing; the Admissions or Business Office can provide the invoice‑specific payment instructions included on each invoice. Installment requests and other account matters are handled by the Business Office. Notes: all figures and policies above are the school's published fees and standard terms for the 2026/27 academic year as presented in the school's tuition and admissions information.	Fee details Application fees - Registration (one-time): EUR 1,000. This fee is non‑refundable. Tuition fees by year group (annual; published for 2025/2026) - Early Years (ages 2–5): EUR 9,847 per year. Early‑bird reduced rates: EUR 8,599 if paid by 20 February; EUR 9,200 if paid by 20 April. - Primary School (Key Stage 1–2, Years 1–6): EUR 15,879 per year. Early‑bird reduced rates: EUR 14,258 if paid by 20 February; EUR 15,119 if paid by 20 April. - Secondary (Key Stage 3, Years 7–9): EUR 16,685 per year. Early‑bird reduced rates: EUR 15,081 if paid by 20 February; EUR 15,879 if paid by 20 April. - Secondary (Key Stage 4/5, Years 10–13): EUR 17,663 per year. Early‑bird reduced rates: EUR 15,974 if paid by 20 February; EUR 16,809 if paid by 20 April. Per‑term illustration (inference) - The school publishes annual tuition amounts. If those annual figures are divided evenly across a conventional three‑term school year, the per‑term amounts would be approximately: - Early Years: EUR 3,282 per term (EUR 9,847 ÷ 3). (Early‑bird examples: EUR 2,867 and EUR 3,067 per term.) - Primary: EUR 5,293 per term (EUR 15,879 ÷ 3). (Early‑bird examples: EUR 4,753 and EUR 5,040 per term.) - KS3: EUR 5,562 per term (EUR 16,685 ÷ 3). (Early‑bird examples: EUR 5,027 and EUR 5,293 per term.) - KS4/5: EUR 5,888 per term (EUR 17,663 ÷ 3). (Early‑bird examples: EUR 5,325 and EUR 5,603 per term.) - Note: these per‑term figures are calculated by dividing the published annual tuition by three to provide a term‑level illustration; they are not an official ISB billing schedule. The school's published materials state there are flexible payment options and early‑bird deadlines but do not publish a fixed public instalment calendar in the 2025/2026 fee materials. Billing schedule and payment terms - The school publishes annual tuition rates and explicit early‑bird discount deadlines (20 February and 20 April for the 2025/2026 schedule). Flexible payment options are available through the school's Finance Department; specific invoice/instalment dates and detailed public billing calendars are not listed in the published 2025/2026 fee materials. The registration fee is charged once at enrolment and is non‑refundable. Sibling discounts are offered: 5% for a second sibling and 10% for three or more siblings. Boarding fees - Not applicable. International School of Bucharest operates as a day school (no boarding programme). Other costs and typical additional fees - ESL / SEN support fee: an additional EUR 2,000 per year applies for students placed in ESL programmes or enrolled in the school's special needs programme. - Charges that may be additional to tuition include: uniform costs, external examination fees, certain extracurricular activities, residential trips, lunch, and transport (lunch and transport are optional services and are not included in the tuition). Refund information - The registration fee is explicitly non‑refundable. The published 2025/2026 fee materials do not include a publicly detailed tuition refund schedule for mid‑year withdrawal or the exact pro‑rata refund mechanics; no specific tuition refund percentages or deadlines were published in the fee documents located for 2025/2026. Fee payment options - Bank transfer is documented as an accepted payment route in the school's enrolment materials. The published fee information states that flexible payment options are available via the Finance Department; specific public lists of accepted card types or alternate payment channels were not included in the 2025/2026 fee documents located. Families typically receive invoice and bank details from the school Finance Office when completing enrolment. Summary of key points - Annual tuition for 2025/2026 (published): Early Years EUR 9,847; Primary EUR 15,879; KS3 EUR 16,685; KS4/5 EUR 17,663. Early‑bird discounts reduce those annual figures if payment is completed by the stated early‑bird deadlines. Registration fee: EUR 1,000, non‑refundable. ESL/SEN supplement: EUR 2,000 per year. Boarding is not offered. Flexible payment arrangements are available through the Finance Department; detailed instalment dates are not published in the publicly available 2025/2026 fee materials.
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 International School of Bucharest offers an International Baccalaureate (IB) programme across all grades. The Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) are part of the curriculum. MYP is taught in Grades 6 through 10, and DP in Grades 11 and 12; all students participate in the IB programme, either through the DP or IB courses. AISB is authorized to offer the MYP and the DP, and is NEASC-accredited to award a U.S. High School Diploma to students who meet the required credits. The MYP uses eight subject groups within a concept-based inquiry framework. Graduation pathways include the DP and a U.S. High School Diploma depending on credit completion.	Curriculum details The Primary School follows the English National Curriculum for children aged 2–11, delivered in a child‑centred, challenging and well‑balanced programme. In Key Stage 3, English, Mathematics and Science follow the Cambridge Secondary Lower Curriculum, with the National Curriculum for England used as the framework for History, Geography, ICT, Music, Art, Drama, PSHE and Physical Education. Modern Foreign Languages include Spanish and French, with Romanian studied as a First or Foreign Language and Turkish taught as a First Language. In Key Stage 4, most courses lead to Cambridge IGCSE qualifications. In Key Stage 5, all students follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. ISB is an IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme. The language of instruction is English.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio 7:1
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results Cambridge IGCSE examinations are offered to students in Years 10–11, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is offered in Years 12–13. In 2025, ISB reported Romania's strongest IB results.
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Graduates pursue higher education at universities in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with the United States and Canada also among common destinations. AISB provides College Counseling to assist with university research and applications.	Higher education progression ISB's Career Counseling Service guides students toward universities worldwide. In Year 9, students receive career guidance through MyFirstChoices; in Year 11, through MyCareerChoices to plan IB options; in Year 12, through MyUniChoices to create a university shortlist. ISB also runs on‑campus and online university fairs and offers internship opportunities to support progression to higher education.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented The school does not have a Gifted and Talented program per se. The IB programmes extend learning for advanced learners. Extended Learning (EL) is available in Elementary, and Learning Support (LS) teams work across the school to differentiate instruction and support a range of needs.	Gifted and talented Gifted and talented students have access to visual arts courses as well as music and a variety of instrumentals.
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 Step 1: Inquiry/Book a tour. Families are welcomed to explore AISB by arranging a campus visit. During the visit, families meet with staff, receive detailed information, and meet with principals or faculty members to address questions; a follow-up email provides application details and next steps. Step 2: Applications Checklist. All applications are submitted online through the Admissions Portal. Required documents include a recent passport-style photo of the applicant, copies of the applicant's and parents' IDs, a non-refundable €250 application fee, vaccination records, birth certificate, and reports from previous schools. Two completed recommendation forms must be submitted via AISB's Admissions Portal: Elementary (EC2–G5) forms from the principal or counselor and the homeroom teacher; Secondary (G6–12) forms from the principal or counselor, English teacher, and Mathematics teacher. Legal Custody Documents must be provided if applicable. Step 3: Admission Assessment. After the checklist is complete and space is available, admissions testing is conducted. ELC and KG/Early Learning applicants meet with the Principal, Pedagogical Coordinator, or ELC Pastoral Lead to discuss the application and meet the student; in Romania, EC4/KG applicants may have in-person assessments with an Early Intervention Specialist, while outside Bucharest online assessments may be used. Elementary applicants take English proficiency tests and literacy/math assessments; Secondary applicants take English and Math tests and may have an IB meeting as needed. Step 4: Admissions Review Process. Final admission decisions are made by the School Director based on recommendations from the ELC, Elementary, and Secondary Principals. The review considers factors such as potential to benefit from AISB's IB programs, capacity to support the applicant's educational and behavioral needs, attendance, behavior, finances, health, international diversity, language proficiency, current schooling, and wellbeing needs. Additional meetings or testing may be required for certain applicants, particularly those with learning or language needs or overseas transfers. Step 5: Acceptance Process. The Admissions Office notifies parents with one of three outcomes: Acceptance with a starting date; Conditional Acceptance with specific terms and a timeframe; or Not Accepted, with possible placement in a waiting pool. AISB provides feedback on the reasons for non-acceptance; information about the waiting pool is described in the FAQ. Step 6: Enrollment & Re-enrollment. Upon acceptance, families sign online Enrollment Steps and Policies and the AISB Parent Code of Conduct; a contract is issued and must be returned signed within two weeks. Re-enrollment invitations are sent in early February for the upcoming school year, with a February 15 deadline to complete the online process. The school may deny re-enrollment for overdue invoices or failure to meet behavioral or other requirements, and may require a student to repeat a year if readiness is not demonstrated.	Admissions —
Scholarships	Scholarships The objective of the AISB Scholarship Program is to provide qualified students of any nationality who are unable to afford AISB full access to a challenging international education.	Scholarships The school offers a Scholarship Programme providing full or partial scholarships to eligible students who cannot meet the expense of ISB education. Following acceptance into the programme, a contract is signed between the school and the parents and the ISB admission procedure is completed. The Programme is overseen by the Director, Head of Primary School/Secondary School, Finance Manager, PTA members and the Admissions and Communications Manager.
Waitlist	Waitlist Not Accepted: Students who are not accepted may be placed in a waiting pool if parents express continued interest. AISB provides feedback on the reasons for non-acceptance; information about the waiting pool is described in the FAQ.	Waitlist —
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