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Costa Rica, San Jose
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The school follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP), with six subject groups and the DP core (Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Activity, Service, and the Extended Essay). The school offers the full IBDP in Spanish with a bilingual diploma option. The school provides one-on-one Future Pathways & University Counseling to guide university applications, gap years, or entering the workforce, and supports scholarships through the Davis Foundation for UWC Costa Rica students at over 100 universities in the United States. Experiential Days extend IB learning beyond the classroom with one-day field trips and activities related to IB subjects across Costa Rica.
The school provides arts opportunities through CAS Experiences, including Music Ensemble, Art Appreciation, Film Production, Creative Writing, and Content Creation, among other creative activities. The A Learning Adventure Beyond the Classroom article describes a workshop with Costa Rican artist Maf E Tulá for music and art, linking creativity to social and environmental activism. The IB curriculum also includes Group 6 The Arts as part of the Diploma Programme.
The school offers the Diploma Programme with a bilingual diploma option (Spanish and English). The Conociendo Costa Rica initiative provides off-campus outings for learning about Costa Rica's social, cultural, and historical contexts. The Thematic Weeks are student-led immersive experiences exploring diverse cultural themes (e.g., Central American, Queer, Asian, European, Black History, Women's, Afro-Caribbean Weeks).
The school's Co-Curricular Program offers CAS Experiences across Creativity & Sustainability, Physical Activities, and Social Service & Community, including activities like Greenhouse, Eco-Bricks, Music Ensemble, Film Production, Creative Writing, Content Creation, Chess, Afro-dance, Urban/Contemporary Dance, and more. CAS Experiences support student exploration of interests and talents beyond the classroom. Model United Nations (MUN) is hosted on campus as part of the co-curricular calendar.
Community Action Week (CAW) coordinates off-campus projects enabling thousands of hours of volunteering across diverse Costa Rican communities. The Co-Curricular Program also emphasizes social service and community engagement through initiatives such as Lifting Hands, Global Issues, Healthy Masculinities, Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, and the College Newspaper. Model United Nations (MUN) fosters diplomacy and global citizenship as part of community engagement.
Model United Nations (MUN) builds diplomacy, global citizenship, teamwork, and creativity. Agents of Change (AoC) Camp offers one-day experiences where students choose paths in social entrepreneurship, STEM, or activism/advocacy to ideate projects with potential real-world impact. The Thematic Weeks are student-led immersive experiences that cultivate leadership through community-driven learning.
Residential Life centers on community living with eight on-campus residences and a staff team that includes Residence Coordinators, night coordinators, and wellness professionals to support students' physical and mental well-being. Wellness supports cover emotional support, transition and adaptation spaces, and one-on-one or group wellness programs. Medical support includes on-campus nurses and a doctor, with access to nearby hospitals for emergencies, ensuring a safe and healthy campus life.
United World College Costa Rica is a two-year residential IB Diploma Programme school for students aged 13 to 18. It delivers the full IB DP in Spanish with a bilingual diploma option (Spanish and English) and emphasizes experiential learning through Experiential Days across Costa Rica. The campus moves from Santa Ana to San Isidro, Heredia, on 40 hectares of nature reserve to support nature-based inquiry. The college operates as a foundation with an Executive Board and a Board of Trustees, and a Board of Directors was established in 2013. The IB DP core includes Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, and Service across six subject groups. Co-curricular initiatives such as Agents of Change, Thematic Weeks, and CAS Experiences extend learning beyond the classroom. Eight residences host students with wellness support and vegetarian and vegan dining. One-on-one university counseling helps students pursue global destinations, with Davis Foundation scholarships for UWC Costa Rica students at over 100 U.S. universities. Arts opportunities include Music Ensemble, Art, Film Production, and CAS activities.
