Columbia International School

Columbia International School is located at 153 Matsugo, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-0027, Japan. The campus sits in a nature-rich suburban area about 20 km northwest of central Tokyo (Shinjuku). The nearest rail access is Higashi-Tokorozawa on the JR Musashino Line, with travel times around 22 minutes from Omiya, 40 minutes from Shibuya, 45 minutes from Tokyo, and 64 minutes from Yokohama. A boarding dormitory is located about an eight-minute walk from the campus.

The school serves Kindergarten through Grade 12, with divisions for Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High.

Columbia International School is co-educational and offers a boarding option via a dormitory for boarding students (for both girls and boys).

All courses are taught in English by certified teachers; Japanese Kokugo lessons are offered daily up to Grade 8. The school provides ESL support to help students integrate into the curriculum.

The school follows the Ontario (Canada) curriculum, culminating in the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

There is no formal religious affiliation stated in the school materials.

A public daily timetable is not published on the site. The school offers After School Care (ASC) for younger students and operates a published school bus service with multiple routes and times. Boarding students receive breakfast and dinner on weekdays and weekends per the dormitory provisions.

The bus network includes routes to Omiya/Fujimino, Kawaguchi/Wako-shi, Tokorozawa, and Higashi Tokorozawa. Example morning and afternoon stops/times are published (e.g., Omiya: 7:10 pickup and 16:20 drop-off; Fujimino: 8:00 pickup and 15:45 drop-off; Columbia: 8:35 pickup and 15:10 drop-off).

Application and entrance charges

- Application / examination fee (検定料): JPY 25,000.
- Entrance fee (入学金) charged at enrolment: JPY 210,000 (applies to all programmes listed).

Tuition and related annual charges (by school division) — core components and per-term options

- Kindergarten (幼稚部):
- Entrance fee: JPY 210,000.
- Annual tuition: JPY 1,762,500 (per-term option shown as JPY 608,500 per term).
- PTSA annual fee: JPY 12,000 (per family, per academic year).
- Typical first-year total (components above): JPY 1,984,500. Subsequent-year total shown: JPY 1,774,500.

- Elementary (小学部, G1–G6):
- Entrance fee: JPY 210,000.
- Facility fee (初年度): JPY 420,000 (waived for siblings enrolling/attending simultaneously where indicated).
- Annual tuition: JPY 1,860,000 (per-term option shown as JPY 641,000 per term).
- Maintenance fee: JPY 150,000 per year (JPY 60,000 per term when paid by term).
- PTSA annual fee: JPY 12,000 (per family).
- Typical first-year total (components above): JPY 2,652,000. Subsequent-year total shown: JPY 2,022,000.

- Middle school (中等部, G7–G9):
- Entrance fee: JPY 210,000.
- Facility fee (初年度): JPY 420,000.
- Annual tuition: JPY 1,935,000 (per-term option shown as JPY 666,000 per term).
- Maintenance fee: JPY 150,000 per year (JPY 60,000 per term).
- PTSA annual fee: JPY 12,000 (per family).
- Typical first-year total (components above): JPY 2,727,000. Subsequent-year total shown: JPY 2,097,000.

- Senior / High school (専修学校・高校課程, G10–G12):
- Entrance fee: JPY 210,000.
- Facility fee (初年度): JPY 420,000.
- Annual tuition: JPY 1,935,000 (per-term option shown as JPY 666,000 per term).
- Maintenance fee: JPY 150,000 per year (JPY 60,000 per term).
- PTSA annual fee: JPY 12,000 (per family).
- Typical first-year total (components above): JPY 2,727,000. Subsequent-year total shown: JPY 2,097,000.

Additional recurring charges and optional items

- School lunch (給食費):
- Kindergarten: JPY 115,200 per year (JPY 38,400 per term if paid by term).
- Elementary / Middle / High: JPY 127,800 per year (JPY 42,600 per term if paid by term).
- Optional school enhancement donation (学校充実費): one unit JPY 200,000 (voluntary).
- Additional typical student costs (called out as not fully covered by tuition): school uniforms (shirts, polo, PE uniform, indoor shoes), workbooks, field trips by course, a laptop computer and peripherals, student council/activity costs, additional linens and hygiene/personal items.
- Specific activity charges called out for senior grades (examples): PE Trip (G10–G12): JPY 65,000; Ski Trip (G10–G12): JPY 20,000; OSSLT (required for OSSD for G10/G11/G12): JPY 50,000; GOT (Guidance Overseas Trip for G11): JPY 850,000 (listed as an additional required activity cost).

Boarding (student dormitory) fees and conditions

- Dormitory fees (shared-room with meals) — standard published rates:
- Annual payment option: JPY 1,200,000 per year.
- Per-term payment option: JPY 400,000 per term.
- Dorm fee covers: room charge, room equipment use, two meals per day (breakfast and dinner), linen rental, electricity (shared-room listing), bathing fee, general management and maintenance (details in dorm description). Additional utilities (individual electricity meters), phone, laundry and other incidental costs are charged at actual cost. Winter-break dorm stay is not available; summer/spring-break stays may be possible with additional charges.
- For international (VISA) students: an “International Student Fee” is called out (examples in the VISA fee schedule) that covers city registration, local bank account arrangements, national health insurance processing, annual health check, immigration-related costs, international wiring service charges, dorm residential activities, lunches and (rental Wi‑Fi upon request). That international fee is published as JPY 420,000 in the international student fee schedule.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Payment timing at acceptance: after admissions and issuance of invoice, required fees for enrolment must be paid in full within one week to the school's designated bank account unless another arrangement is explicitly provided. This applies to initial enrolment invoices.
- Payment frequency options: annual payment or per-term payment are presented in the published fee breakdowns; the site shows per-term amounts and per-year totals for families who choose term payments. The dormitory also offers annual or term payment options.
- Overseas applicants are responsible for any bank remittance fees charged by sending/receiving banks when paying from abroad.

Payment methods

- Domestic payment reference: the school requests payment by bank transfer to its designated account for enrolment invoices (振込 to the school's account is specified for payment of required fees).
- International / VISA students: an e‑payment option is offered through Flywire (the fee guidance for international students explicitly lists E‑payment by Flywire and includes a Flywire payment URL / QR guidance). Flywire payments and international remittances are referenced for overseas payments.

Discounts and sibling concessions

- Facility fee waiver: the facility fee (JPY 420,000) is waived if siblings enroll or are concurrently enrolled, as indicated in the published notes.
- Tuition sibling discount: if two students from the same family are enrolled at the same time, a 10% tuition discount applies; if three students are enrolled simultaneously, a 30% tuition discount applies (limitations and exclusions apply as published).

Refund and cancellation policy

- Domestic / general policy: once tuition or other fees are paid, they are not refunded for reasons including withdrawal or mid-term departure; the published statement indicates paid fees will not be repaid regardless of the reason for withdrawal.
- International (VISA) students — cancellation and refund specifics published for VISA applicants: the entrance fee (JPY 210,000) is charged for any cancellation before the first day of the intended entry term; if a study VISA is rejected, all paid fees except the entrance fee (JPY 210,000) will be refunded; no fees will be refunded after the first day of the intended entry term. GOT trip refund detail: a partial refund policy for GOT was noted (a stated JPY 700,000 refund if a VISA is rejected for that item).

Notes on scope and exclusions

- Tuition and listed fees do not cover every possible expenditure; additional costs such as uniforms, course-specific field trips, laptop and peripherals, personal items, and some overseas trip costs are called out separately and may be required for enrolment or particular courses. Some charges are optional or conditional on participation. The published fee schedules indicate that fees may be revised and that the listed amounts do not cover all expenditures in a school year.

The school has students from more than 21 nationalities. A large portion of the student body is Japanese, with many international students from Asia; the community includes returnees and dual-ethnicity families.