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The British School of Costa Rica

Costa Rica, San Jose

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Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Spanish
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 715
Type Co-educational
Opened 1981
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum IEYC (International Early Years Curriculum), IPC (International Primary Curriculum), Bespoke Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, IB (DP)
Taught languages English, Spanish, French
Typical class size 19
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Early Years, Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction

The British School of Costa Rica is an independent day school for students aged 3 to 18, delivering IEYC and IPC in the primary years, a bespoke middle-years curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE in Years 9–10, and the IB Diploma Programme in Years 11–12. The Diploma is a bilingual English/Spanish two-year programme. The school is bilingual throughout, with most classes in English and the remainder in Spanish (or French), and aims for bilingual proficiency before Year 3. Founded in 1981, it is NEASC-accredited, recognized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education, and authorised as an IB World School and Cambridge assessment centre. The 2.2-hectare campus includes an Early Years block, 46 general classrooms, five senior science labs, two Makerspaces, an Art Salon, and a 300-seat Auditorium/Theatre plus a 1,200 m2 gym and on-site sports fields. Extracurriculars feature Model United Nations and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, alongside broad arts and sports offerings.

XV28+2HJ, Av. 37, San José, Santa Catalina, Costa Rica

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

The British School of Costa Rica has 715 pupils, typical class sizes of 19, instruction in English, Spanish.

Location
The British School of Costa Rica is located in San José, Costa Rica. The address is From the end of Rohrmoser Boulevard, 125 m north, Pavas, San José 10109, Costa Rica.

Stages
Early Years; Primary; Secondary. Early Years starts at 3 years of age; Primary starts at 6 years of age; Secondary starts at 11 years of age.

Type
The school is an independent day school. It offers education from Early Years 1 (3 year-olds) to Year 12 (12th Grade).

School day structure
School Day starts at 8:00 am for all year levels. Early Years and Years 1–4 finish at 2:00 pm; Year 5 and Secondary finish at 3:00 pm. School Office hours are 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Bus service
The School Bus Service is managed by TRANOSYS.
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees
Application / Admission fees

- Admission quota (one-time, paid by the family): CRC 610,000 (plus 13% VAT).
- Annual matriculation (matrícula) fee (applies per student) for the period 1 January 2026 to 31 October 2026, by year group:
- Early Years 1: CRC 350,000.
- Early Years 2: CRC 507,000.
- Early Years 3: CRC 516,000.
- Years 1–2: CRC 573,000.
- Years 3–5: CRC 582,000.
- Years 6–8: CRC 684,000.
- Years 9–12: CRC 738,000.

Tuition fees (by year group and payment frequency) — academic year 2026

- Annual tuition (single payment) by year group:
- Early Years 1: CRC 4,004,022.
- Early Years 2: CRC 5,793,480.
- Early Years 3: CRC 5,901,210.
- Years 1–2: CRC 6,547,590.
- Years 3–5: CRC 6,643,350 (level marked with includes a Chromebook).
- Years 6–8: CRC 7,816,410.
- Years 9–12: CRC 8,438,850.

- Semester tuition (two payments per year; 2% service charge included in the amounts listed) by year group:
- Early Years 1: CRC 2,042,050.
- Early Years 2: CRC 2,954,675.
- Early Years 3: CRC 3,009,615.
- Years 1–2: CRC 3,339,270.
- Years 3–5: CRC 3,388,110.
- Years 6–8: CRC 3,986,370.
- Years 9–12: CRC 4,303,815.

- Monthly tuition (paid over 12 months) by year group (monthly amounts shown):
- Early Years 1: CRC 350,000 per month.
- Early Years 2: CRC 507,000 per month.
- Early Years 3: CRC 516,000 per month.
- Years 1–2: CRC 573,000 per month.
- Years 3–5: CRC 582,000 per month.
- Years 6–8: CRC 684,000 per month.
- Years 9–12: CRC 738,000 per month.

- Surcharges and notes on payment frequency:
- The school publishes that tuition can be paid annually, by semester (2% surcharge) or by month (5% surcharge). Semester figures shown include the 2% service charge. Monthly payment detail on the fees page also shows a fixed surcharge statement of CRC 12,000 per month for the monthly option.
- Annual tuition payments cover, where appropriate by level, official trips and excursions, most external exams, school photos, a yearbook (e-book), textbooks and most workbooks, equipment and materials; Chromebook is provided at specified levels.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Payment frequency options: annual (single payment), semester (two payments per year), or monthly (12 equal monthly payments). Semester and monthly options are subject to the surcharges noted above. Monthly payments are shown as paid over 12 months.
- When a place is offered, parents have a short reservation period to pay the reservation fee (admissions process states parents have two weeks to pay the reservation fee after admission is confirmed).

Boarding fees

- Boarding is not applicable: the school operates as an independent day school. No boarding fees are published.

Other costs and recurring charges

- Textbooks and equipment deposit (per student):
- Primary (Years 1–5): CRC 100,000.
- Secondary: CRC 120,000.
- Student medical insurance (accident cover): approximately CRC 22,000 per year per student.
- After School Care / special classes: the school may charge for special classes and After School Care at CRC 2,500 per hour.
- School bus: school bus service pricing is managed by a separate, independent company (Tranosys); bus fees and routes are handled by that company rather than in-school billing.
- Uniform: a 2026 uniform guide is provided for primary and secondary students (uniform items are defined in the published uniform guide). Costs for uniform items are set out in the uniform guide.

Refund information

- The school's published fees and the Terms and Conditions pages do not set out a specific, detailed refund policy for tuition, matriculation, reservation or other fees. No separate, explicit refund schedule is published on those fee and terms pages. For matters requiring an exception or clarification, direct contact with the school's admissions or finance office is the operational route.

Fee payment options (methods accepted)

- Online payment platform: the school uses Placetopay to process online payments. Placetopay accepts Visa and MasterCard credit cards and also allows payment via debit accounts (savings and current accounts) through the electronic payment flow; online payments may be made 24/7 through the payment platform.

- Additional notes on payment processing:
- The school's published materials indicate electronic payments are processed through the virtual store and the Placetopay gateway, which issues transaction receipts to the payer's email address. For questions about payment confirmations the school lists specific contacts.

(End of fees overview.)
Academics

The British School of Costa Rica teaches IEYC (International Early Years Curriculum), IPC (International Primary Curriculum), Bespoke Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, IB (DP) for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
IGCSE in Years 9–10 (most of this programme is taught in English) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Years 11–12. The Upper Secondary curricula have been developed by Cambridge Assessment International Examinations and the International Baccalaureate Organization, and the IB Diploma is a bilingual English/Spanish two‑year programme.

Student Teacher Ratio
Class sizes are capped at a maximum of 22 students per teaching class (20 in Early Years) with an average of 19+; the school is bilingual with most classes taught in English and the remainder in Spanish (or French); teaching staff comprises about 14% international, 23% British, and 63% Costa Rican teachers; in secondary levels the ratio of international to national teachers is approximately 50/50.

Exam Results
IB Diploma: 2020–2024 pass rates include 2020: 31/31, 2021: 35/36, 2022: 32/33, 2023: 28/32, 2024: 43/45; notable IB results include best Latin American region performance (1998) and best world individual score (45 points) in 1998. IGCSE: defined pass rate as the percentage of students passing at least five subjects with grade C or higher; 2020–2021: 100% (students took only 2 subject exams due to Covid), 2022: 88%, 2023: 73%, 2024: 75%; historical notes include top Australian/UK/world results in certain years (e.g., 1996 best individual world result; 2009 best world results in French and Spanish).

Higher Education Progression
Graduates have enrolled at universities worldwide, including University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Calgary, Carleton University, York University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and other Canadian institutions; in the United States, institutions such as MIT, Harvard University, Duke University, New York University (including NYU Abu Dhabi), and Johns Hopkins University are listed among destinations; in the United Kingdom, the University of Cambridge and other UK universities are represented; graduates have also progressed to universities in other countries and locally at institutions such as EARTH and Universidad de Costa Rica.
Wellbeing
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Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
Admissions are welcome year round. Complete the official Admissions Form. An admissions officer will arrange a virtual meeting with the relevant coordinator. The school will arrange an evaluation of the child, conducted virtually with the parents. Results are sent to the parents within the following week. If a place is offered, the parents have two weeks to pay the reservation fee. Evaluations are scheduled only if there is space available. The school serves Early Years (3 to 6 years), Primary (6 to 11 years) and Secondary (11 to 18 years).
School Events
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