Edited by Nik Higgins · Co-founder & CEO
Costa Rica has 10 international schools matching the affordable category, offering families genuine choice across different price points and locations.
Compare 3 Affordable international schools in Costa rica. Filter by curriculum, fees (average CRC 9,902), location, and more to find the right international school now.
Journey School of Costa Rica is an international, bilingual day school serving ages 2–18 across two campuses: Tamarindo (the flagship) and Jacó. The school offers a dual-language PreK–12 program aligned with the IB Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) frameworks, with instruction in English and Spanish. A transdisciplinary, project-based approach unites mathematics, science, language, and the arts, anchored by a Reggio Emilia-inspired ethos and the idea of the '100 Languages of Children' to support expression through multiple modalities. Social-emotional learning is woven into daily life via Conscious Discipline and restorative justice. Tamarindo carries IB accreditation and national approvals (MEP, Dirección de Educación Privada) as well as Middle States Association, while Jacó pursues similar accreditations. The community includes students from 35 countries, speaking 27 native languages. After-school options span sports, arts, robotics, culture, and service, reinforcing inquiry, well-being, and global citizenship. Students benefit from a collaborative, international community that supports curiosity, kindness, and discovery.
Berkeley Academy Costa Rica is a private K–12 international school in Santa Ana, established in 2013. It delivers a U.S.-based high school program alongside the Costa Rican National Baccalaureate, awarding diplomas for each track. Instruction is English for U.S. required courses and Spanish for Costa Rican requirements, following a North American two-semester calendar. The curriculum includes the U.S. High School program grounded in UC/CSU A-G Requirements and more than 25 AP courses plus 20 Honors courses, with exams such as AP, PSAT variants, and the SAT. The school promotes bilingualism and multicultural perspectives, supported by comprehensive college counseling. A forthcoming state-of-the-art campus will feature a fully-equipped gym, a regulation soccer pitch, a semi-Olympic pool, an amphitheater, multiple auditoria, four student-research laboratories, four library centers, an art studio, and 60 classrooms. A Senior Thesis in Grade 12 (15 pages, 20 pages for honors) is required, defended under faculty supervision, along with internships and a Global Service program.
Founded in 1989 by Miss Anne Aronson, The European School in San José, Costa Rica, serves preschool through high school across 14 levels and about 540 students. It is an IB World School offering the Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12 and is accredited by Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Education and the International Baccalaureate Organization. The curriculum uses integrated teaching that unites literature, history, geography and art under central themes, with typical class sizes around 20. The school day runs from 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with Wednesdays as half days, and a calendar featuring short vacations every nine to ten weeks. Facilities emphasize the arts and languages, with violin instruction leading to a string orchestra in primary. Meals are provided daily, including a balanced lunch with vegetables, many organic, served family‑style. The campus prioritizes sustainable practices and aims to develop mature, globally engaged graduates who contribute as responsible citizens.
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