Edited by Nik Higgins · Co-founder & CEO
If you're researching international schools in Costa rica offering British Curriculum, this page lists every school we know of and lets you sort, filter and compare them — without school marketing in the way. The most common curriculum is Cambridge IGCSE, taught by 3 of the schools below. Schools range from new openings to long-established names like The British School of Costa Rica (opened 1981).
Compare 3 British Curriculum international schools in Costa rica. Filter by curriculum, fees, location, and more to find the right international school now.
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Tree of Life International School (TOLIS) is a private, non-denominational institution in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, serving students aged 3 to 18. The Cambridge curriculum guides IGCSE, AS Levels, and A Levels, with Cambridge English exams in grades 5, 10 and 11 and Mandarin proficiency exams (YCT/HSK). The school runs a trilingual program—Spanish, English and Mandarin—embedded across age-appropriate classes. Learning is project-based and organized in multi-age cohorts to foster collaboration, problem solving and peer mentoring. Technology features across subjects, including programming, robotics and 3D printing, culminated in an annual Maker's Day. Leadership development is central: TOLIS is the first Franklin Covey Leadership School in Latin America, applying the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and offering an annual leadership camp. Other strengths include nutrition in meals, semi-annual project fairs, a high-school trip to China, and a diverse community representing 25+ nationalities. This combination supports curious, globally aware learners every day.
International St. Jude School is a private day school in San José, Costa Rica, offering international education for ages 0 to 18. The curriculum blends the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) in early years, Cambridge Primary and Cambridge IGCSE in the middle years, Cambridge Secondary, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, plus a Bespoke Curriculum to tailor learning. English and Spanish are the languages of instruction, with French introduced from Preschool onward, resulting in a bilingual IB diploma for graduates. The campus sits in a forested setting with green spaces, and modern facilities support hands-on learning: a robotics lab, a computing lab, a science lab, a gym and a 25-metre heated pool, plus a chapel. Students access a wide range of ISP-led programs (Artists, Changemakers, Chess Masters, Cultural Exchange, Scientists, Filmmakers, MUN) and diverse clubs. The school emphasizes community service, leadership development, and global perspectives through multilingual education and exchanges.
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.
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