Why join for free?
Already have an account? Log In
South Korea, Gwangju
Let the school know you're thinking of applying — they can share their prerequisites and help you through the process.
It's best to ask — circumstances can change at any time.
Kwangju Foreign School is located at 106 Samso-ro, Geonguk-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, South Korea 61005. The campus sits behind the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) in Geonguk-dong, Buk-gu, placing it in the city's western outskirts near a major research campus. The site is accessible by local roads and bus routes serving central and northern Gwangju.
Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Elementary covers Pre-K through Grade 4; Middle School runs from Grade 5 to Grade 8; High School comprises Grade 9 to Grade 12.
Private, co-educational day school.
The school offers a Bridge Program for students whose first language is not English. The program provides long‑term English language development and core subject support, led by an ESL teacher.
No formal country affiliation is stated. The school operates as a private foreign school with an American curriculum and WASC accreditation.
No religious affiliation is indicated.
The school year runs about 180 days, from mid-August to mid-June, with holidays observed in Korea and internationally.
Bus transportation is available for a fee; routes cover major residential areas across Gwangju, with typical travel times capped at about one hour each way.
Application & enrolment fees
- Admissions Test Fee: KRW 100,000 — one-time, non-refundable.
- Registration Fee: KRW 300,000 — one-time, non-refundable.
- Entrance Fee (capital/development levy on entry): KRW 4,000,000 — one-time, non-refundable.
Annual tuition fees (2025–2026 academic year)
- Elementary School (Grades 1–4): KRW 22,500,000 per year.
- Middle School (Grades 5–8): KRW 24,200,000 per year.
- High School (Grades 9–12): KRW 25,800,000 per year.
Per-term breakdown and billing schedule
- The published fee summary provides annual tuition amounts but does not publish a per-term (term-by-term) tuition breakdown or specific billing dates in the public summary. The school provides a detailed Tuition Form that contains full payment information, terms, and conditions.
Optional and other recurring fees
- Bus (transportation) Fee: KRW 1,800,000 (optional).
- Lunch Fee: KRW 1,500,000 (optional).
- Development Fee: KRW 1,000,000 (recurring/annual).
- Yearbook Fee: KRW 70,000 (annual).
Boarding
- Kwangju Foreign School is a day school; there is no boarding programme and no boarding fees.
Uniforms and school dress
- KFS has a school uniform policy requiring official uniforms Monday through Thursday; Fridays are casual days. Uniform cost is not listed in the published fee summary.
Refund information
- The Admissions Test Fee, Registration Fee, and Entrance Fee are explicitly described as one-time and non-refundable.
- A detailed statement covering payment, withdrawal, and refund terms is part of the school's application documentation (Statement of Understanding on Payment/Withdrawal/Refund Policy); a specific public tuition refund schedule is not provided in the published summary.
Fee currency and payment terms
- All tuition and fees are payable exclusively in Korean Won (KRW).
- The public fee summary does not list the specific accepted payment methods (for example, which credit cards, electronic payment platforms, or bank transfer instructions). Those details are provided in the school's full Tuition Form and application documents.
Notes on information not published in the public fee summary
- The public fee summary gives annual amounts and the one-time/new-student fees listed above, but it does not publish a per-term tuition split, exact invoice/billing dates or instalment schedule, specific payment method options (bank account details or card acceptance), itemised uniform costs, or a full tuition refund schedule. These items are indicated to be covered in the school's detailed Tuition Form and in application paperwork; the tuition summary itself does not include those line-by-line details.
If you require these missing line-item details (per-term amounts, instalment dates, payment method instructions, uniform pricing, or the full refund schedule), those are included in the school's detailed Tuition Form and application documentation referenced in the school's admissions materials.
Kwangju Foreign School (KFS) is a private foreign school in Gwangju, South Korea, serving students from Pre-K through Grade 12. Opened in March 1999, the school follows an American-style program guided by Common Core and NextGen standards. It offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school. KFS claims to a 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio and an average class size of 7. Students can join activities such as Model United Nations, orchestra, chess, gardening and sports including futsal, basketball and volleyball. The school also describes “learning beyond the classroom,” including trips such as a middle-school visit to the DMZ.
