International School Ruhr vs ISR International School on the Rhine
International School Ruhr and ISR International School on the Rhine are both in Dusseldorf, about 37 km apart. Both schools offer IB and Cambridge IGCSE programmes, and ISR International School on the Rhine also offers German. Published annual fees are €12,250 - 19,000 at International School Ruhr and €14,140 - 21,050 at ISR International School on the Rhine, which puts ISR International School on the Rhine roughly 13% higher. Both take pupils from 3 to 18.
ISR is located in the Düsseldorf/Neuss area of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany. The main campus is Konrad-Adenauer-Ring 2, 41464 Neuss. An international Kindergarten operates in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel and a German-speaking Kindergarten in Meerbusch-Büderich, extending ISR's reach across the region. The campus is accessible by car and public transport, and a school bus service operates across Düsseldorf–Neuss–Meerbusch.
Stages
Stages
Early Years; Primary Years; Secondary Years
Stages
The school has an international Kindergarten, an international primary school, and an international middle and upper school.
School type
School type
Private international English-language day school
School type
The school is a private English-speaking international school.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
Over 30 nationalities represented.
Pupil nationality mix
Over 1100 children from 60 countries attend ISR.
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
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Additional learning support
The school provides individualized support for students based on their abilities.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
Germany
Country affiliation
Affiliated with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and recognized as a private school.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
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Religious affiliation
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School day structure
School day structure
Early Morning Care starts at 7:30 and ends at 8:15. After School Activities run until 17:00 every day.
School day structure
ISR is a full-day school.
Bus service details
Bus service details
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Bus service details
Four bus companies provide school transport across the Düsseldorf–Neuss–Meerbusch region. Partners include Zweelo and Wabbels; the service is emission-free and serves approximately 90 children on 12 routes.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Annual tuition and one-time fees (2025/2026 academic year)
- Early Years (EY1–EY3, ages 3–6): EUR 12,250 per year. Additional care options: - Early morning care (07:30–08:00): EUR 675 per year. - After-school care (15:30–17:00; Wednesdays 12:30–16:00): fee depends on booked activities (amounts not listed).
- Primary School (Grade 1–5): EUR 17,300 per year. Additional care options: - Early morning care (07:30–08:00): EUR 675 per year. - After-school care (15:30–17:00; Wednesdays 12:30–16:00): fee depends on booked activities (amounts not listed).
- Secondary School: - Grades 6–8: EUR 17,650 per year (08:15–15:35; Wednesdays until 12:35). - Grades 9–10: EUR 17,650 per year (08:15–15:35; Wednesdays until 12:35). Exam fees: charged separately according to published IGCSE exam fees. - Grades 11–12 (IB Diploma Programme): EUR 19,000 per year (08:15–15:35; Mondays + Thursdays coaching until 16:00). Exam fees: charged separately according to published IB exam fees.
- The published annual tuition amounts include online course books and materials, access to teaching and learning software, subsidies towards some school field trips, and pastoral support included within the school fees.
- Exam fees for external examinations (IGCSE and IB) are not included in the annual tuition and are charged according to the examination bodies' published rates.
- After-school activity charges are billed separately where applicable; specific per-activity amounts are not shown in the published fee schedule.
Boarding
- The school operates as a co-educational day school; no boarding fee line items are published.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- The published 2025/2026 school-fee document lists annual tuition amounts but does not specify a billing schedule, instalment options, invoice timing, or late-payment terms in the published fee overview. (The school calendar for 2025/26 shows an academic structure with a first-semester end date of 30 January 2026 and 180 school days, but that calendar does not define fee instalment dates or payment deadlines.)
Other costs not itemised with amounts in the published fee document
- No explicit amounts for school uniform, transport/bus fees, catering/meals (if charged separately), insurance, or specific extracurricular activity fees are shown in the published 2025/2026 fee summary. Exam and certain activity fees are listed as charged separately.
Refunds
- A refund policy (for example, pro-rata refunds on withdrawal, refund deadlines, or conditions for refund of the admissions fee) is not specified in the published 2025/2026 fee document.
Fee payment options
- The published fee overview for 2025/2026 does not specify accepted payment methods (bank transfer, SEPA, credit card, direct debit, or other).
Brief note on gaps in the published fee information
- The school's published 2025/2026 fee overview provides clear annual tuition figures by year group and a one-time admissions fee, and it lists early-morning-care pricing where applicable. The published document does not supply per-term instalment amounts, a formal billing schedule, payment-method options, a detailed list of extras (uniform, transport, meal plans) with prices, nor a stated refund policy; exam fees and after-school activity fees are indicated as payable in addition to tuition but specific amounts are not given.
Fee details
Application fees - No fixed, publicly listed application, assessment or one-time registration fee amount is published; the school requires completion of an applicant questionnaire and provides the specific admission-related charges after the application is processed.
Tuition fees (by year group, per term and per year) - ISR does not publish a public, grade-by-grade fee table showing exact per-term and per-year amounts. Fees vary by grade level and campus. - Third-party listings report typical annual tuition ranges for ISR in the region at approximately EUR 13,000 to EUR 20,000 per year depending on the student's grade/program; those listings do not provide an official per-term breakdown from the school. Use the listed annual range only as an indicative guide because no official per-term/per-grade schedule is published publicly.
Billing schedule and payment terms - No standard public billing schedule (for example fixed invoice dates or a published instalment calendar) is provided in the school's publicly available fee materials. The school states that tuition funds all operations and that specific fee amounts are communicated to families through the application/admissions process.
Boarding fees (if applicable) - The school's public fee information does not include a published boarding programme fee schedule. Some external listings include boarding figures (for example one third-party listing shows an annual boarding amount for older grades), but there is no boarding fee table published in the school's public fee materials.
Other costs and typical additional charges - Additional costs commonly associated with attendance that are referenced in public materials and third-party summaries include: school meals/catering, school-bus transport, textbooks and learning materials, examination fees (external examinations where applicable), extracurricular activity fees, and school uniform or merchandise. Specific prices for these items are not presented in a public fee table. - Summer-school and short programme charges are published for those separate programmes; a published past Summer School contract shows programme fees by package and a stated enrollment cancellation fee of EUR 50 for that programme. These programme charges are separate from standard tuition.
Refund information - No public, detailed refund or withdrawal schedule for regular tuition (percent refunds by notice period) is published in the school's publicly available fee material. A published Summer School contract includes a specific small cancellation fee for that programme, but a comprehensive tuition refund table is not published in the publicly available fee pages.
Fee payment options - The school's public fee pages do not publish a definitive list of accepted payment channels (for example which credit cards, electronic payment portals or the exact bank-transfer details are used). Payment methods and invoicing arrangements are provided to families through the admissions/accounting process.
Summary statement for database use - ISR operates on tuition funding that varies by grade and campus; the school does not publish a public, grade-by-grade per-term and per-year fee schedule. Approximate annual tuition ranges reported by third-party sources are EUR 13,000–EUR 20,000, and some third-party listings include separate boarding figures for older grades. Specific application, instalment, refund and payment-method details are communicated to applicants through the school's admissions/accounting process rather than in a public fee table.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
IS Ruhr is an IB World School offering education from early years to the IB Diploma Programme. Primary Years follow the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for ages 3–11, with inquiry-based and transdisciplinary learning. Grades 6–8 follow an inquiry-based approach and IS Ruhr is a candidate school for the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). Grades 9–10 follow the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). Grades 11–12 pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). Mittlere Reife is recognised after grade 10 via IGCSE, and Internationales Abitur after grade 12, while the IB Diploma entitles graduates to study at universities worldwide.
Curriculum details
ISR offers an international, college-preparatory curriculum. English and German are core; from Grade 6 a third language is offered (French, Spanish, Japanese or Chinese). In Grades 9–10, students take IGCSE courses; in Grades 11–12 most students begin the two-year IB Diploma Program. To graduate, students earn 26 credits in Grades 9–12 to obtain the ISR High School Diploma. The Cambridge Pathway underpins the upper school curriculum and guides preparation for universities worldwide.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
Over 1,000 students and around 160 teaching staff, giving an approximate student-to-teacher ratio of about 6:1.
Exam results
Exam results
IB Diploma results since 2020 surpass the world average. The Diploma Programme is described as a preparation for university worldwide.
Exam results
IB results are well above world and German averages; graduates have gone on to study at top universities worldwide and in Germany. In the past three years, 100% of students who wished to enter German universities did so by meeting German IB requirements for the Allgemeine Hochschulreife.
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
Graduates have access to top German and international universities through the dual Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma programmes. The IB Diploma is generally recognised as a school-leaving certificate in Germany and is widely accepted by universities worldwide.
Higher education progression
ISR graduates have studied at top universities around the world and in Germany; the program prepares students to meet the entry requirements of universities in the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and other regions.
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
IS Ruhr welcomes new students year-round. Entry is possible at any time, provided age and academic requirements are met. To begin the process, complete the enquiry form on the online platform MySchool; an admissions team member will contact you to continue. During online admission, upload a confidential recommendation from your child's current school (Grades 1–12), three years of previous school reports, a copy of the child's passport, and the immunization record against measles. Admissions by stage: Early Years 1–3 accepts entrants at any time if age and academic requirements are met; Primary Years 1–5 can start at any time if space is available, with all documents received and up to three trial days in the potential class before a final decision; Secondary Years 6–12 can start at any time if places are available, after a placement test in English and Mathematics, followed by trial days and, for Grades 9–12, an interview with the Head of Secondary Years. The final stage is signing the contract and being informed of the start date. Apply now—limited places available. There is a Parent Referral Programme; for 2025–26 there are waiting lists in the Primary Years, so the Early Years Centre is the best route to secure a place.
Admissions
The ISR International School on the Rhine is an English‑speaking private school serving kindergarten through grade 12 in the Neuss–Düsseldorf region of North Rhine‑Westphalia. Enrollment is possible at any time during the academic year, and virtual meetings and assessments are available. Placement into a grade is determined by academic attainment, with age acting as a limiting factor; kindergarten has no academic requirements but children must be three by June 30 to start in August and must be able to speak and follow simple instructions and be toilet-trained. Students in grades 1–2 meet with the Elementary School Head and complete worksheets. The admission process is personal and informative and includes the following steps: 1. Applicant's Questionnaire (families may apply year‑round; starting in late winter or early spring for the following school year is recommended due to space availability); 2) Campus Tour at ISR Neuss (to learn about the curriculum and meet admissions staff); 3) School Records (transcripts, assessment results from the previous two years, and any psychological/neurological evaluations); 4) Knowledge Check (grades 3–11 take tests in English, Mathematics, and German; grades 10–11 also test in Social Science and General Science and may have a third language; grades 8+ are interviewed by the School Director and/or Academic Head; durations range from about 30 minutes for grades 1–2 to 3 hours for grades 3–9; 10–11 may take one to two days); 5) Offer of Placement (provided after review of knowledge checks, academic background, social and emotional development, and aptitude); 6) Enrollment Contract (enrollment is possible year‑round).
Scholarships
Scholarships
Scholarships/Financial Assistance is available only for students entering Grades 1–12 (not for Early Years). Applications for the 2026/2027 academic year are welcome from December to 31 January 2026. Applicants submit an Application Form, a confidential recommendation from their current school (for new students), full academic reports from the past two years, a personal statement, and family tax/financial documentation as requested. Short-listed candidates are invited to an interview at school and must complete an English proficiency test; final offers will be communicated by mid-March 2026. Scholarships/Financial Assistance are reviewed annually and are not guaranteed beyond the first year. Applications must be submitted in English.
Scholarships
ISR regularly offers scholarships to applicants who have achieved very good academic standards and/or are from low‑ to middle‑income families. Qualification is determined by means of an entrance knowledge check that is taken after a preliminary evaluation on the basis of documents (school reports, recommendations, etc.). The decision about the number of new scholarships and possible modifications to the scholarship requirements is made annually in April/May for the following school year. Download ISR's scholarship application packet.
Waitlist
Waitlist
There are waiting lists in the Primary Years; Early Years has spaces, making the Early Years Centre the best way to secure a place.