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Curriculum IB (DP), American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages Spanish, French
Typical class size 20
Strengths Sport, Visual and Creative Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Leadership and Professional, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction
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.
La Unión, De la iglesia de San Ramón, 300 m este, 300 m sur, Cartago, Costa Rica
The Essentials
Marian Baker School has 212 pupils, typical class sizes of 20, instruction in English, Spanish.
Location
The Marian Baker School is located in Cartago, in the San Ramón area of Tres Ríos. The campus sits 200 meters east and 200 meters south of the Catholic Church of San Ramón. The school serves Pre-K through 12th grade on a single campus and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
Stages
Early Childhood; Elementary; Middle School; High School / IB Diploma Programme
Type
Private
Additional learning support
The School provides learning support and social‑emotional arrangements through the Student Support Department. Services include remedial assistance, collaboration with families and outside professionals, progress monitoring, and accommodations for IB and Ministry programs.
Country affiliation
Costa Rica
School day structure
The campus opens for all students at 7:30 a.m. Pre-K half-day ends at 12:30 p.m., and full-day dismissal is at 3:08 p.m. Bus transportation is available with defined drop-off and pick-up procedures.
Bus service
Bus transportation is provided with designated drop-off and pick-up areas; students board under supervision and the bus attendant assists with seating and safety. Arrangements and transportation details are typically coordinated through admissions/transport forms.
Fees
Application fees - No publicly posted application or enrollment (matrícula) fee amount is available for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years. Searches of the school's published contact pages and third‑party school directories did not reveal a specific application fee figure.
Tuition fees by school year / term - No itemized tuition schedule (per term or per year group) for 2026/27 or 2025/26 is publicly available. There are no published per‑grade or per‑term tuition amounts located in the school's online listings or in major Costa Rica school directories consulted. As a result, exact tuition figures by year group or term cannot be provided here.
Billing schedule and payment terms - No published billing schedule, payment due dates, installment options, or standard payment‑term conditions were found for the requested academic years. There is no publicly available statement of whether tuition is billed monthly, by term, or annually, nor of late‑payment penalties or discount policies.
Boarding fees (if applicable) - No boarding program or boarding‑fee schedule is published. The school is referenced as a bilingual day school in multiple directories; no boarding or residential accommodation fees were identified. If a boarding option exists, no public fee schedule for it was found.
Other costs and fees (uniforms, materials, transport, extracurriculars) - No published, specific amounts for uniforms, textbook/materials fees, technology fees, transportation, extracurricular activities, examination fees, or capital/registration surcharges were located. Typical categories (uniforms, materials, transport) were not accompanied by quantitative fee details in the sources checked.
Refund information - No publicly posted refund policy or details about refunds for withdrawn students, deposits, tuition refunds, or pro‑rata adjustments were found for 2026/27 or 2025/26. No specific refund terms could be documented.
Fee payment options (credit card, bank transfer, cheque, etc.) - No published information specifying accepted payment methods (for example, bank transfer, credit card, cheque, or cash) was located. Payment‑method details are not publicly listed in the directories and contact pages consulted.
Summary of findings and limitations - A direct review of the school domain (mbs.ed.cr) and multiple Costa Rica school directories and listings identified the Marian Baker School and its location and programme type but did not produce a public fee schedule or numerical fee amounts for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years. Because no authoritative, up‑to‑date tuition numbers, application fees, billing schedules, boarding fees, or payment‑method details were publicly available in the sources consulted, precise fee figures cannot be supplied here.
Wellbeing
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
MBS fosters social and emotional learning through engaged families and counselor-led life-skills topics. Communication and cooperation between school and home are vital to each child's education, and parental support promotes emotional well-being. Life-skills and health topics, including study skills, time management, conflict resolution, and healthy habits, are addressed during advisory periods. The school promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making, and includes Zones of Regulation as part of SEL.
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school provides Special Education Services in the Early Childhood program and supports students with learning and language needs.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school provides strong bilingual literacy, with high literacy in English and Spanish and exposure to French as the third language. All students take Spanish or SSL (Spanish as a Second Language), English, and/or ELL according to their language proficiency. Students who master Spanish take advanced Spanish (MEP/PDBI) and Costa Rica Social Studies (CRSS).
Mental Wellbeing
Emotional well-being is promoted through family engagement and counseling; communication between school and home is essential to learning. Life-skills and health topics are addressed in advisory periods; the school teaches critical thinking and healthy habits to foster resilient, ethical decision-making.
Safeguarding
The school follows all guidelines from Costa Rica's Health and Education Ministries and works to create a respectful, safe, and friendly school environment; health, illness, and injury procedures are in place to support student safety.
Admissions
Admissions
1. Initial Documentation. An applicant and the parents submit an application form and Applying Parent Questionnaire, plus a passport-sized photo, the applicant's birth certificate or passport for non-Costa Rica citizens, IDs for both parents (including mother's maiden name), and a copy of residency status or permit. They also provide formal transcripts from last attending school (minimum of three years) and any evaluations by a specialist if needed. After review of the initial documentation by the Admissions Committee, applicants are notified whether they may continue to Step 2. A $275 application fee must be paid to advance; the fee is deducted from the first tuition payment if the applicant is accepted.
FAQs
What age range does Marian Baker School serve?
The school serves students from age 2 to 18.
Is the school co-educational?
The school is described as co-educational.
How many students attend Marian Baker School?
The school has approximately 212 students.
Where is Marian Baker School located?
The Marian Baker School is located in Cartago, in the San Ramón area of Tres Ríos. The campus sits 200 meters east and 200 meters south of the Catholic Church of San Ramón.
Who leads Marian Baker School?
The school is led by Gerardo Arroyo.
Does the school provide learning support for students with special educational needs?
The school provides Special Education Services in the Early Childhood program and supports students with learning and language needs.
What languages are used for instruction?
The school is an English-speaking international school that educates preschool through secondary. The school provides literacy in English and Spanish.
How do I apply to Marian Baker School?
1) Initial Documentation.
What extracurricular activities are available?
Special classes include Art, Music, Physical Education, Drama, French, Band, and Computers and Technology. Marian Baker School fosters creative expression through art, music and theatre. Band is offered as part of the curriculum.
Is there a school bus service?
Bus transportation is provided with designated drop-off and pick-up areas; students board under supervision and the bus attendant assists with seating and safety.
