Most popular international schools in San jose

Located in Tres Ríos near San José, Lycée Franco-Costaricien is a bilingual French international school for ages 2 to 18. It is homologated by the French Ministry of National Education and AEFE and is managed in tripartite collaboration with the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and the AFCE. The school offers a cross-border curriculum that combines the French national program with the Costa Rican system, from Maternelle to Terminale, and enables a double diploma: the Costa Rican baccalaureate and the French baccalaureate. Diplomas include the Diplôme National du Brevet (DBND), the Baccalauréat, Costa Rican diplomas, and DELF–DALF. The Terminale year includes a 20‑minute oral exam and orientation toward higher education with personalized guidance via Parcoursup France. The American Section strengthens English and US history and literature and supports the International French Baccalaureate (BFI). The campus offers on-site dining (Grill & Fresh), lodging with host families, and door-to-door transport across 25 routes. Two libraries—the BCD for primary and the CDI for secondary—support reading and research, with project-based learning across sciences, arts, music and the environment.

GSD International School Costa Rica is part of GSD cooperative network and serves students from 1 to 18 years old, offering Pre‑school to Secondary. It is authorized to deliver the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), with two DP years, six subjects from the IB groups, and core Theory of Knowledge, CAS and the Extended Essay. The DP groups include Language and Literature (Literature), Language Acquisition (English B), Individuals and Societies (Business Management), Sciences (Chemistry), Mathematics (Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation), and Arts (Music). The school emphasizes technology in learning and aims to foster international inquiry and higher education. Opened in 2018, the campus spans 30,000 m2 and features science, computing and robotics laboratories, a pool, football pitch, a sports center, auditorium and green spaces. Extracurricular activities include GSD Sports, GSD Music and Dance, and GSD Culture. A Mandarin immersion program partners with Greentown Yuhua School Hangzhou and Keystone Academy Beijing.

Marian Baker School (MBS) is a private international school in Costa Rican Central Valley serving students aged 2 to 18. The campus overlooks San José and offers English-dominant instruction with Spanish taught across all grades and French introduced early. The school provides the IB Diploma Programme alongside the Cognia High School Diploma and the Costa Rican high school diploma, enabling graduates to pursue colleges worldwide, including the United States and Costa Rica. In addition to the bespoke curriculum and American-style options, MBS emphasizes bilingual literacy and prepares students for diverse paths. Facilities include a gym, a library, a cafeteria, and modern classrooms for middle and high school, with dedicated spaces and campus spaces for efficient movement. Extracurriculars feature Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Student Government, and AASCA sports; arts electives include drama, band, and cinematography. The school is nut-free and promotes wellness through nutrition and physical education for all.

Anglo American School in Costa Rica is a private day school offering the International Baccalaureate across the full range of grades from 0 to 18. The curriculum includes IB PYP, MYP, and DP, with a emphasis on student-centred inquiry and global-minded learning. The school provides bilingual education from preschool through secondary in a fully bilingual environment, with a total English immersion program. The bilingual program begins at 11 months of age. In 2017 the school was accredited to offer the IB Diploma, and it celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2019. Facilities include wide green spaces designed for early years, a Library and Resource Center with print and Destiny online catalogs, and high-level science laboratories and Design and Technology spaces for practical experiments, robotics, and programming. After-school services and clubs extend learning, including Actividades optativas such as dance, swimming, football, basketball, and taekwondo. Language clubs and Olympiads round out the program.

Country Day School, Costa Rica (CDS) is a US-accredited private day school serving an international community from ages 1 to 18. Founded in 1963, it joined Nord Anglia Education in 2018, strengthening its offerings through collaborations with Juilliard, MIT, and UNICEF. The curriculum follows US frameworks: Elementary and Middle School use Common Core standards; High School leads to the US high school diploma alongside the Costa Rican Bachillerato, with more than 25 AP courses and the AP Capstone Diploma. Students prepare for university with mathematics built on Harvard Pure Math, Harvard Engineering, and MIT curricula, and Mandarin is available as a high school elective. The campus in San Rafael de Alajuela is LEED-certified, solar powered, and designed to save water and energy. It features 81 classrooms, seven STEAM spaces, arts and athletic facilities, and outdoor areas. Global Campus connects students with peers, enabling field experiences, international trips, and cross-cultural collaboration.