Edited by Nik Higgins · Co-founder & CEO
Costa Rica has 3 international schools matching the sen / special education category, offering families genuine choice across different price points and locations.
Compare 8 SEN / Special Education international schools in Costa rica. Filter by curriculum, fees (average CRC 5,825), location, and more to find the right international school now.
Franz Liszt Schule is an international private school in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, offering education from ages 3 to 18. It is affiliated with Germany's Auslandsschulwesen and follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in its upper grades. The school describes a tri-lingual program in German, English and Spanish and weaves music throughout the curriculum. Music education is supported by the Conservatorio de Música and ensembles such as the Franz Liszt Choir and Franz Liszt Orchestra. The program spans Preschool through IB DP; Primary and Secondary emphasize academic and emotional development and mastery of English and German to prepare for a globalized world. The IB DP aims to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and time management, promoting an international and environmental mindset. They also present a music curriculum with instruments including piano, guitar, singing, violin, viola, cello, bass, percussion, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, French horn and trombone, with program emphasizing holistic development.
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.
American International School of Costa Rica (AIS) is a private, co-educational, non-profit day school serving ages 3 through 18 in Heredia, near San José. The school follows an American curriculum with Advanced Placement courses and offers both U.S. and Costa Rican high school diplomas, enabling students to pursue college paths in the United States or locally. Beginning in high school, students prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT, with some taking honors and AP courses. AIS emphasizes critical thinking, writing, creativity, physical activity, leadership, and global mindedness across its programs. Complementary offerings include Music, Art, Drama, MakerSpace, Life Skills, Phys-Ed, Science Lab, and Model UN, plus Learning Support, SSL, and ESL. Facilities emphasize technology integration and hands-on learning, with a small campus that includes a MakerSpace, Science Lab, and a soccer field. The school has a longstanding, international community, supported by college counseling and a non-profit, service-minded culture for global opportunities.
Berkeley Academy Costa Rica is a private K–12 international school in Santa Ana, established in 2013. It delivers a U.S.-based high school program alongside the Costa Rican National Baccalaureate, awarding diplomas for each track. Instruction is English for U.S. required courses and Spanish for Costa Rican requirements, following a North American two-semester calendar. The curriculum includes the U.S. High School program grounded in UC/CSU A-G Requirements and more than 25 AP courses plus 20 Honors courses, with exams such as AP, PSAT variants, and the SAT. The school promotes bilingualism and multicultural perspectives, supported by comprehensive college counseling. A forthcoming state-of-the-art campus will feature a fully-equipped gym, a regulation soccer pitch, a semi-Olympic pool, an amphitheater, multiple auditoria, four student-research laboratories, four library centers, an art studio, and 60 classrooms. A Senior Thesis in Grade 12 (15 pages, 20 pages for honors) is required, defended under faculty supervision, along with internships and a Global Service program.
Montessori Learning Center in Curridabat provides specialized early childhood education for children aged three months to six years. The center is organized into three specific environments: Nido for infants, Comunidad Infantil for toddlers, and Casa de Niños for older children. Each space is designed with proportional furniture and materials to facilitate autonomy and independence. The curriculum follows the Montessori method, emphasizing practical life skills, sensorial development, and language acquisition in both Spanish and English. A unique feature of the school is the "Montessori in a Box" initiative, a signature program that provides curated materials for families to support their child's development at home. The school is led by Eugenia Acuña, a certified Montessori trainer, ensuring that classroom guides adhere to international standards. Families can view student progress through the "Obras de Arte" gallery, which showcases the creative outputs of the children throughout their developmental stages in a peaceful learning environment.
Academia Teocali is a private educational institution in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, founded in 1982 as the first bilingual school. The campus delivers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in a bilingual English–Spanish environment, serving students from preschool through grade 12. The school is recognized by the Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education and accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization, enabling the IB Diploma and meeting national diploma requirements. The program emphasizes inquiry, research, teamwork, and the development of thinking skills, with a strong focus on critical and global thinking, problem solving, communication, and autonomous learning. Core values include integrity, harmonious coexistence, honesty, solidarity, and social sensitivity. English and Spanish are taught in most classes, fostering intercultural understanding and linguistic proficiency. In grade 11–12, students undertake the Diploma Programme after a selective process in grade 10. The school aims to prepare graduates for university study and international opportunities within a rigorous framework.
Colegio Saint Clare is a private non-profit school with over 65 years of history in Costa Rica. It provides preschool through secondary with an inclusive special education programme called 'Everyone Matters Here'. Languages include English, Spanish, and French with international exchanges to France, England, and Singapore.
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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