Cheongna Dalton School vs Yongsan International School of Seoul

	C Cheongna Dalton School Seoul, South Korea	Y Yongsan International School of Seoul Seoul, South Korea
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year ₩28,092,463 - 31,592,463	Fees / year ₩29,685,516 - 34,785,516
Age range	Age range 4 - 18 years	Age range 5 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum	Curriculum American Curriculum, Christian Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 1,560	Pupils 975
Typical class size	Typical class size 20	Typical class size 13
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 2011	Opened 2006
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Cheongna Dalton School is located at 344 Cheomdandong-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea. It sits in the Cheongna area within the Incheon Free Economic Zone and serves both Korean families and expatriate residents. The campus is about 25 minutes east of Incheon International Airport and is near the Cheongna International City subway station.	Location The school is located at 285 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04347, South Korea. It sits in the heart of Seoul's international community, with convenient access to public transport via a nearby subway stop and bus routes. The campus is in the Itaewon/Hannam-dong area, close to landmarks such as Grand Hyatt Seoul and Namsan Tower.
Stages	Stages CDS offers Preschool through Grade 12 (Pre-K to 12). It is organised into the First Program (Elementary), Middle School, and High School on a single campus.	Stages YISS offers a K-12 program, organized into Elementary School, Middle School, and High School.
School type	School type CDS is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational school that operates as both a day and boarding school for students from Pre-K through Grade 12. Boarding is available to middle and high school students.	School type YISS is a private, co-educational day international school with a Christian identity. It is affiliated with the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS).
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Counseling services are offered; Korean language instruction is provided for certain grades; the High School offers AP courses and college counseling.	Additional learning support The School Learning Support (SLS) program provides specialized assistance for students with learning differences and for English language learners. Services include collaborative instruction, targeted academic support, and small-group instruction.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation There is no formal country affiliation; CDS follows an American curriculum.	Country affiliation South Korea. YISS is officially recognized by the Republic of Korea, Ministry of Education.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation CDS is secular with no religious affiliation.	Religious affiliation Christian. YISS is part of the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS).
School day structure	School day structure School day starts at 8:00. Kindergarten to Grade 4 finish at 15:40; Grades 5 to 12 finish at 16:00. The school provides lunches.	School day structure The school day runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Bus service details	Bus service details A school bus service is available.	Bus service details Bus transportation is available. The fleet includes about 20 buses servicing a wide region of Seoul; routes are revised annually to reflect changes in student populations. Students spend about 25–30 minutes on the bus on average. For route information, contact transportation@yisseoul.org.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fee - One-time application fee: KRW 300,000. This fee is payable at application and is non‑refundable as part of the admissions steps. Tuition fees by year group (annual amounts; currency components shown where published) - Pre‑Kindergarten (Pre‑K): KRW 18,000,000 per year. - Elementary (approximately Kindergarten / Grades 1–5): KRW 18,030,000 per year plus a USD component of USD 6,000 per year (tuition is expressed as a KRW portion plus a USD portion). - Lower Secondary (approximately Grades 6–8): KRW 19,780,000 per year plus a USD component of USD 6,000 per year. - Upper Secondary (approximately Grades 9–12): KRW 21,330,000 per year plus a USD component of USD 6,000 per year. - Examples of full annual totals (KRW converted totals published for the 2025/2026 academic year): - Kindergarten / lower primary total (example): ~KRW 28,342,448 per year (this figure reflects the combined KRW and converted USD portions as published for that academic year). - Middle school combined total (example): ~KRW 30,142,448 per year. - Secondary combined total (example): ~KRW 31,842,448 per year. One‑time and annual additional fees - Capital (admission/development) fee: KRW 4,000,000 one‑time (payable at entry). - Technology fee: KRW 200,000 per year. - Boarding fee (where boarding is applicable): KRW 11,000,000 per year (boarding is offered). - Sibling discount: A younger‑sibling discount is published (example: a 30% discount on the younger sibling's tuition as listed by third‑party fee summaries). Billing schedule and payment terms (available information) - Tuition is published as two components (a KRW portion and a USD portion) and the school's published fees and third‑party fee summaries present combined annual totals that reflect both currency components. Families are expected to satisfy both currency components of published tuition. - The school requires payment of the application fee at application (wire/transfer is the instructed method for the application fee). Specific published deadlines, installment dates, or term‑by‑term billing amounts were not located in the publicly available fee summaries queried. Other costs or typical additional charges - Known, published additional charges include the capital fee and technology fee listed above. Other common school costs—such as uniform, transport/bus fees, lunches, optional extracurricular activity fees or sports trip charges—were not found as itemized published amounts in the fee summaries reviewed. Parents should anticipate that such charges may exist but specific amounts were not located in the available fee publications. Refund information - Admissions paperwork referenced in application guidance includes a required "Refund Policy Agreement" form as part of the admissions documentation. A detailed, published refund schedule (exact refundable amounts by withdrawal date or prorated refund table) was not present in the fee summaries and public pages consulted. The application fee is described in admissions guidance as non‑refundable. Fee payment options (methods reported in available sources) - The published application instructions indicate payment of the application fee by wire/bank transfer. No authoritative public listing of all accepted payment channels (for example: full school policy on bank transfer, credit card acceptance, online gateway, or local direct debit) was found in the fee summaries reviewed.	Fee details Application and Registration Fees - Application Processing Fee: KRW 500,000 (non-refundable). - Registration Fee: KRW 1,000,000 (non-refundable). Capital Development and Technology Fees - Capital Development Fee (new students): KRW 4,500,000 (one-time, non-refundable). - Capital Development Fee (returning or alternative rate shown): KRW 1,000,000. - Technology Fee: Elementary KRW 300,000; Middle/High KRW 600,000 (non-refundable). Tuition — annual and per-term (2025–2026 academic year) Note: Tuition is split into a Korean-won portion and a U.S. dollar portion; both currency portions must be paid in their respective currencies. Quarterly (term) amounts below reflect the KRW portion divided into four equal installments as shown in the fee schedule. - Elementary (Kindergarten–Grade 5): - KRW tuition (annual): KRW 23,650,000. KRW tuition (quarterly): KRW 6,210,000 per term. - USD tuition (annual): USD 4,200. - Middle School & High School (Grades 6–12): - KRW tuition (annual): KRW 28,450,000. KRW tuition (quarterly): KRW 7,470,000 per term. - USD tuition (annual): USD 4,200. - Representative full-year totals (combined KRW + USD converted to KRW as published by a school-fees aggregator) for the 2025/2026 year (useful for quick per-grade comparisons): - Kindergarten 3 / Grade K3 and Grades 1–5: approx. KRW 31,070,406 per year. - Grades 6–12: approx. KRW 36,170,406 per year. Billing schedule and payment terms - Annual/quarterly due dates shown in the published schedule for the 2025–2026 year: registration fee due Feb 21, 2025; 1st quarter tuition due May 10, 2025; 2nd quarter due Oct 10, 2025; 3rd quarter due Dec 10, 2025; 4th quarter due Mar 10, 2026. Both KRW and USD portions follow the published timetable. - Both the KRW and USD portions must be paid in their respective currencies. The school's published instruction shows KRW payments by wire transfer to Industrial Bank of Korea and provides separate account numbers for KRW and USD collections. (KRW account listed: 855-004352-04-184; USD account listed: 855-004352-56-00711; account name: Yongsan International School of Seoul; bank: Industrial Bank of Korea). The business office email for payment correspondence is business.office@yisseoul.org. Cash is not accepted in the business office for KRW tuition payments. For USD payments the published schedule indicates options that include personal US check or US dollar cash in the USD column of the payment instructions. - Late-payment fees: a percentage surcharge is applied based on days overdue — 1–10 business days: 5%; 11–15 business days: 10%; 16–20 business days: 15%; 21–25 business days: 20%; 26+ business days: 25%. Late fees are assessed when the business office has not been contacted in writing requesting an extension. Boarding fees - Yongsan International School of Seoul does not provide boarding facilities. There are no boarding fees. Other fees and additional charges - Transportation (school bus): KRW 3,300,000 per year (optional; listed as an annual fee). - Student Learning Services (SLS) fee (where applicable): KRW 2,500,000. - ELL and SLS services (alternative periodic amount shown): KRW 867,000 (quarterly) where applicable. - Senior fee (Grade 12): KRW 300,000 (non-refundable). - Uniforms and school clothing: a school uniform is required (polo shirts and uniform-style bottoms). Uniform purchases and incidental uniform costs are the responsibility of families; the school community runs used-uniform sales at low prices. Meal plans and incidental costs (books, supplies, extracurricular activity fees) are additional and billed or paid separately when applicable. Non-refundable items - The published fee schedule identifies the following as non-refundable: Application Processing Fee, Registration Fee, Capital Development Fee, Technology Fee, Senior Fee, and amounts paid for quarterly tuition and fees that are listed as non-refundable. Refunds and early withdrawal - Refunds for annually paid tuition (both KRW and USD portions), transportation, ELL fees, and SLS fees follow the published early-withdrawal schedule and require proper written notice submitted at least ten (10) days in advance to the Business Office. The published refund schedule for the 2025–2026 year is: 100% refund prior to August 4, 2025; 75% refund prior to October 17, 2025; 50% refund prior to December 19, 2025; 25% refund prior to March 13, 2026; no refund available after March 13, 2026. If an event such as war, civil strife, labor unrest, or extreme weather necessitates closure and evacuation of staff, no portion of tuition or fees will be refunded. Fee payment options (summary) - KRW tuition: wire transfer to the Industrial Bank of Korea KRW account provided by the school (wire-transfer payment is the published method; cash is not accepted for KRW tuition at the business office). - USD tuition: the published instructions show a USD account and indicate USD payment options (USD account, and USD payment methods such as personal US check or US dollar cash are shown in the USD column of the payment instructions). Both KRW and USD portions must be paid in their respective currencies. Notes about applicability - Several fees (transportation, ELL, SLS, senior fee) apply only if those services are used or if the student's program requires them. The capital development fee is charged on admission as noted above; recurring capital charges differ for new versus returning students in the published schedule.
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 Cheongna Dalton School teaches an American curriculum in English, implemented through the Dalton Plan (House, Assignment, Laboratory), and is accredited by WASC, with a boarding program available for middle and high school students. The school serves Pre-K through 12, organized into the First Program (Elementary), Middle School (Grades 4–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). Korean language study is required for Korean nationals in the lower grades, while middle- and high-school students study world languages such as Spanish or Chinese; Korea-path students complete about 102 hours of Korean history and Korean language study to access Korean universities. AP coursework is offered, including AP English Language and Composition, with counseling services to support college placement. Daily schedules follow the Dalton Plan's House, Lab, and Silent Sustained Reading, and the school emphasizes the 6Cs—Character, Curiosity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Community.	Curriculum details YISS offers an English-language, American-based K–12 curriculum with dual accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and recognition by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE). In Elementary School (Kindergarten through 5th grade), core subjects are Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Bible/Character education, with Mandarin and Korean offered as Specials. In Middle School, core classes include Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Bible or Philosophy, with required Arts, Physical Education, Technology, and World Languages, plus Exploratory options in STEM, Art, Music, etc. In High School, students follow a college-preparatory program centered on Advanced Placement (AP) courses; in 2025, 459 AP exams were taken with 87% scoring 3 or higher, the average AP score was 3.9, and the average SAT was 1380. Spiritual and character education are integrated through the NICS program, alongside chapel, service-learning, and biblical instruction as part of the ESLR framework.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
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 1. Step 1 — Eligibility check and initial inquiry. To enroll at Cheongna Dalton School, the student must meet a key eligibility condition: at least one parent must hold a foreign passport, or the student must have been out of Korea for at least 1,095 days at the time of enrollment. This requirement shapes eligibility before you begin formal steps, so families should confirm whether they meet the condition before proceeding. It is helpful to have clarity on grade level and start date so admissions can guide next steps. 2. Step 2 — Submit application and first‑year fee information. Submit the application form along with the required documents for your child. An application fee is charged (publicly listed as 300,000 KRW). First‑year, one‑time charges include a capital fee of 4,000,000 KRW and a technology fee of 200,000 KRW, in addition to the annual tuition which varies by grade. Total first‑year costs are typically presented as a combined figure and are cited by third‑party fee references as around the 32,642,448 KRW range for a first year. Plan for these upfront costs when budgeting for the year. 3. Step 3 — Admissions testing or documents by grade level. For elementary applicants, the process is document‑centric and involves an interview. Middle and high school applicants must complete Math and English entrance tests. Public sources also note that Korean language coursework may be required for students with Korean nationality or background in grades 1–8, depending on the specifics of enrollment. Prepare accordingly for your child's grade level. 4. Step 4 — Admissions decision and notification. Following the assessment of materials and tests (where applicable), the school provides an admissions decision to the family. If admitted, families receive enrollment instructions and proceed with the next steps provided by the admissions team to finalize enrollment. While timelines can vary, decisions are communicated as part of the standard admissions workflow. 5. Step 5 — Enrollment, confirmations, and start of the program. After an offer is accepted, families complete the enrollment process as directed by the school, and students prepare to begin the program in the indicated year. This typically includes agreeing to any terms of enrollment and submitting any required documents or deposits as instructed by admissions. 6. Step 6 — Practical considerations and language of instruction. Cheongna Dalton School operates as an English‑language, American‑curriculum environment. Families should plan for the language of instruction, support needs, and any language support or orientation that may be offered as part of the transition into CDS.	Admissions Step 1 — Inquire. Start by contacting the Admissions team to learn more about YISS and the programs offered. Campus visits and admissions events are available, with daily tours and Admissions Open House events scheduled periodically. An Open House example is the Admissions Open House for families with children entering Kindergarten and 1st Grade in August 2026, which provides a chance to see the campus and ask questions. Step 2 — Check Eligibility and Gather Required Documents. To be eligible, an applicant must live with a parent or legal guardian; YISS does not host exchange students, offer boarding services, or sponsor student visas. Valid eligibility documents must be updated every year during re-enrollment. Review the eligibility requirements and collect the documents specified for your child's grade level before applying. Step 3 — Online Application. When you are ready, complete the online application. The school provides an online portal to submit the application after confirming eligibility and gathering documents. Step 4 — Admissions Testing and Timeline. After submitting documents, the Admissions team will contact you if any documents are missing. Selected applicants applying for kindergarten or 1st grade may undergo an initial screening, and 2nd–12th graders may be asked to provide recent standardized test results (MAP, ISEE, TerraNova, etc.) or English proficiency assessments if needed. Decisions can be an offer or placement in a wait pool, and the wait pool is not chronological and lasts only for the applying year. Step 5 — Offer, Acceptance, and Enrollment. If an offer is made, you will receive an offer letter via OpenApply and must respond within two business days; tuition arrangements must be made within five business days. The non-refundable Application Processing Fee of ₩500,000 is charged upon acceptance, and applicants required to sit for interviews or tests may be charged this fee even if not accepted. There is a capital development fee as part of the fees, and a comprehensive list of tuition and fees is published for review.
Scholarships	Scholarships Cheongna Dalton School does not publish scholarship or financial‑aid policies in publicly available sources. There is no CDS‑specific, publicly documented need‑based or merit‑based scholarship program described for Korea. By contrast, the Dalton network in the United States offers need‑based financial aid at its own schools, which is separate from Cheongna Dalton School. Families considering aid should inquire directly with admissions for the latest guidance on any potential assistance options or levies, and note that funds and policies may differ from those of other Dalton campuses.	Scholarships Scholarships: YISS does not offer scholarships at this time. This applies across the student body and is stated in the admissions FAQ.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist Wait Pool (not a formal waitlist): When space is not available, qualified applicants are placed in a wait pool and will be considered if spaces become available. The wait pool is not in a fixed order and applies to the applying year only; applicants should update or upload new documents to keep their file current. If a student remains in the wait pool and a mid-year vacancy opens, decisions can be made quickly based on complete and current files. For subsequent years, applicants must reapply.
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