Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Choosing a school for one’s children is undoubtedly one of the most sensitive decisions for a family living in Peru, whether Peruvian or expatriate. Behind the phrase The Best International Schools in Peru lies an educational landscape that is surprisingly dense, structured, and… expensive. More than 35 international schools operate in the country today, primarily in Lima, but also in Arequipa, Cusco, Trujillo, Cajamarca, and Chiclayo. They attract both local elites and foreign families seeking bilingual or multilingual education, international programs—especially the International Baccalaureate—and more personalized support than in the public sector.
This article details the international education system parallel to Peru’s, covering its context, the types of programs offered, tuition fee ranges, and presents several renowned institutions like Casuarinas International College, Colegio Franco Peruano, Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt, San Silvestre School, Markham College, Hiram Bingham, Newton College, and Colegio Peruano Británico.
Peruvian Education: Why International Schools Have Become So Important
To understand the appeal of international schools, one must first look at the general level of the Peruvian educational system. The country has made notable efforts and significantly increased its public investment in education, but results remain mixed. In the OECD’s PISA tests for 15-year-olds, Peru ranked 65th in mathematics, science, and reading, placing it among the lowest-scoring countries in the study. At the same time, nearly 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger: a young country, with strong demographic pressure on school infrastructure.
The state guarantees free schooling from ages 5 to 16. The educational path includes one year of preschool, six years of primary school, and five years of secondary school. Instruction is mostly in Spanish, with programs in minority languages in some regions. The upper secondary level offers academic and technical tracks lasting three years, leading to university or professional institutes.
Despite these efforts, the public sector remains affected by funding problems, uneven infrastructure quality, and pedagogical support. In this context, families who can afford it—and almost all expatriates—spontaneously turn to private schools, and even more so to international schools, perceived as more academically demanding, better equipped, and more open to the world.
A Highly Structured Network of International Schools
Peru currently has over 35 explicitly “international” schools, in addition to private bilingual schools very close to this model. Most are in Lima, but they are also found in Arequipa, Cusco, Trujillo, Cajamarca, Huaraz, Ica, and Chiclayo. Almost all are day schools (no boarding) and coeducational, although several prestigious institutions remain single-sex (boys’ or girls’ schools).
The programs offered reflect the country’s migration history and its ties with various educational powers. The main types are:
The international education system in Peru offers a diversity of institutions, each providing a specific curriculum and a distinct pedagogical approach.
Schools offering an American program, often complemented by the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in the final years.
Schools following the British National Curriculum, with IGCSE and then the International Baccalaureate.
Schools offering French, German, Italian, or Swiss programs, combined with the local Peruvian curriculum.
Catholic or Protestant schools, integrated into international Christian networks like the Association of Christian Schools International.
All are legally required to integrate the Peruvian curriculum in one way or another, because the Ministry of Education must recognize the secondary school graduation diplomas. This is an obligation that overlays the foreign programs, notably in French, German, Italian, or Swiss high schools, but also in Anglo-Peruvian schools.
The Central Role of the International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB) largely dominates the international school scene in Peru. There are 78 IB World Schools; 77 are authorized to offer the IB Diploma, and 8 offer the complete “continuum,” meaning the trio of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP).
Some schools have even built their identity around this IB continuity, like Casuarinas International College or Hiram Bingham, which are part of the select group of institutions certified for the full suite of IB programs and regularly evaluated by the organization.
The program offers pedagogical continuity from kindergarten (starting at age 3) through the end of secondary school. It is structured around transversal skills, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary projects. At the Diploma level, it specifically includes writing a research essay and completing a CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) project.
Quality Standards Reinforced by Accreditation
Several international bodies oversee school quality: AdvancED (now Cognia), the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Middle States Association for some American schools, or regional networks like the Latin American Heads Conference (LAHC). The best international schools in Peru often hold several accreditations, which facilitates recognition of their diplomas abroad and reassures expatriate parents.
Some also belong to prestigious international networks, like Nord Anglia Education or the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning (GAIL), or participate in specialized national groups (British Schools of Peru, ADCA for German schools, etc.).
A High Cost: Understanding the Fee Structure
Excellence and the international dimension come at a price. In Peru, international schools are at the very top of the price scale. The financial model is generally based on:
– a significant ‘cuota de ingreso’ (entry fee) paid once
– monthly tuition fees over 9 to 11 months
– additional costs: uniforms, transportation, cafeteria, materials, external exams, trips, etc.
The entry fee for some international schools can reach 18,500 US dollars.
To provide a comparative overview, the table below summarizes the order of magnitude for some emblematic institutions among the “best international schools in Peru”:
| International School | Type | Entry Fee (approx.) | Monthly Tuition (approx.) | Grades Covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt | American-IB | 18,500 USD | 1,437 – 1,628 USD (10 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| Casuarinas International College | IB continuum | 17,500 USD | 1,180 – 1,480 USD (9 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| San Silvestre School | British + IB, girls | 16,500 USD | 920 – 1,060 USD (9 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| Markham College | Anglo-Peruvian + IB | 17,500 USD | 1,180 – 1,480 USD (9 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| Colegio Peruano Británico | Anglo-Peruvian + IB | up to 14,000 USD (varies by grade) | ≈ 4,094 PEN (secondary) / ~1,100 USD* | Pre-K–Secondary |
| Newton College | Anglo-Peruvian + IB | ≈ 6,800 USD | ≈ 490 USD (10 months) | Ages 2–18 |
| Colegio Franco Peruano (Lycée Franco Péruvien) | French + Peruvian | ≈ 8,100 USD | ≈ 600 USD (10 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| Colegio Pestalozzi (Swiss school) | Swiss + IB | 8,780 USD (Peruvians) / 900 USD (Swiss) | ≈ 818 USD (10 months) | Primary–Secondary |
| Hiram Bingham | IB continuum | 13,500 USD | 545 – 890 USD (11 months) | Ages 3–18 |
| International Christian School of Lima | American, Christian | 9,750 USD | 1,020 – 1,180 USD (10 months) | K–12 |
Amounts may vary slightly from year to year, but the order of magnitude remains stable: tuition at these schools is far above average Peruvian incomes. This explains why the clientele is composed mainly of local affluent classes and expatriate families benefiting from employer support.
How to Choose Among the Best International Schools in Peru?
Families facing this choice encounter several constraints: budget, language of instruction, recognition of diplomas in their home country, the child’s profile, place of residence in Lima or in the provinces. Most major schools have a search engine or online admission forms, and all recommend contacting their admissions teams directly to understand specific requirements: entrance tests, academic records, interviews, capacity limits, possible waitlists.
Several criteria recur in parents’ decisions:
To choose an international school in Peru well, analyze these six key aspects: the primary language of instruction (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish); the type of academic program (IB, foreign national curriculum, mixed Anglo-Peruvian, etc.); the level of effective bilingualism, indicated by the number of subjects taught in each language; the social and cultural environment, notably the percentage of Peruvian versus foreign students and social diversity; class size and the school’s overall student body; and finally, the offer of extracurricular activities (sports, arts, music, theater, community service).
The following sections explore the profiles of some schools that consistently dominate rankings and recommendations when discussing the best international schools in Peru.
Casuarinas International College: The IB as the Backbone
Casuarinas International College stands as a pioneer in the Peruvian IB landscape. The school was one of the first in the country to be fully certified for the complete International Baccalaureate continuum, from PYP through the Diploma. It welcomes students from ages 3 to 18 in a fully coeducational setting, with Spanish-English bilingual instruction.
Casuarinas School organizes classes of 18 to 25 students, allowing for individualized follow-up and pedagogical differentiation. It aims to develop in each student a sense of agency and a passion for continuous learning, aligning its practice with the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate (IB), which promotes autonomy, critical thinking, and student engagement.
Extracurricular activities are numerous, ranging from team sports to arts, including more specialized clubs. In practice, Casuarinas caters to families seeking:
– a comprehensive and coherent IB framework
– strong Spanish-English bilingualism from an early age
– moderate class sizes
– an international community yet solidly anchored in the Peruvian context.
Colegio Franco Peruano: The Franco-Peruvian Path to Top Universities
Among the best international schools in Peru, Colegio Franco Peruano – Lycée Franco Péruvien – holds a special place. Founded over 70 years ago, it embodies the classic model of a homologated French lycée, with a bicultural program approved by both the French Ministry of National Education and the Peruvian Ministry.
From kindergarten through high school, the program prepares students for the French Baccalaureate while meeting Peruvian requirements. The institution hosts over 20 nationalities, offering an international Francophone and Hispanophone environment. Focused on academic excellence and a sense of responsibility, it enables over 90% of its graduates to enter some of the world’s best universities.
The typical organization is that of the AEFE network (Agency for French Education Abroad): instruction mostly in French for core subjects, Spanish as the language of local schooling, and openness to other modern languages, notably English. For Francophone or Francophile families stationed in Peru, Franco Peruano is logically one of the first names on the list.
The following table illustrates the combination of characteristics that make it a reference:
| Characteristic | Colegio Franco Peruano |
|---|---|
| School Type | Coeducational, Franco-Peruvian bicultural |
| Grades | Kindergarten to High School (Ages 3–18) |
| Curriculum | French + Peruvian |
| Primary Languages of Instruction | French and Spanish |
| Diversity | > 20 nationalities |
| Post-Secondary Orientation | > 90% to top global universities |
Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Major American-IB Hub in Lima
Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt, often simply called “Roosevelt” or “The American School of Lima“, is probably one of the most well-known international schools in the country. Founded by the American community of Lima in the 1940s, it now welcomes approximately 1,400 to 1,600 students from ages 3 to 18 on a large campus in La Molina.
Roosevelt offers an American-style curriculum, combined with a solid IB program at the secondary level. Students can thus earn an IB Diploma, an American diploma, and, if they meet the conditions, a recognized Peruvian certificate. The school emphasizes its mission: to form lifelong learners and socially responsible citizens. Concretely, this translates into:
– instruction primarily in English, with mandatory Spanish courses
– a strong focus on university preparation for the US, Peru, and elsewhere
– a wide portfolio of activities: arts, sports, global citizenship programs, community service
– support systems for students with special educational needs, including English as a Second Language support.
With entry fees close to 18,500 dollars and monthly tuition that can exceed 1,600 dollars, Roosevelt is at the very top of the price hierarchy. But the trade-off is a highly structured academic environment, accredited by both the Peruvian Ministry of Education and American bodies.
For American families or those wishing for university studies in the United States, this school remains one of the most obvious choices when discussing the best international schools in Peru.
San Silvestre School: Excellence for Girls
San Silvestre School is a unique institution in this landscape: it is one of the very few major international schools in the country exclusively for girls. Located in Miraflores, it enjoys a reputation forged over more than eight decades, to the point of being considered one of the most prestigious girls’ schools in Peru.
San Silvestre combines three pedagogical frameworks: the British curriculum, the International Baccalaureate, and the Peruvian program. Instruction is bilingual Spanish-English from the start, with options to add languages like French, Italian, or Mandarin. The infrastructure and methods are specifically designed for girls, emphasizing the development of self-confidence, leadership, and autonomy.
A striking fact illustrates the academic level: 100% of graduates are admitted to the best Peruvian universities, confirming the solidity of the preparation. Beyond the numbers, San Silvestre focuses on:
– a close-knit community atmosphere among students, teachers, and families
– a very rich cultural and artistic offering
– numerous team sports, interschool competitions, and educational trips.
Families seeking a high-level international education in an exclusively female environment find it difficult to find an equivalent in Lima.
Markham College, Newton College, Colegio Peruano Británico: The Anglo-Peruvian Trio
Lima is home to several Anglo-Peruvian schools that stand out among the best international schools in Peru, notably Markham College, Newton College, and Colegio Peruano Británico. All three combine a strong British heritage and roots in the Peruvian system, with pathways oriented towards IGCSE and the International Baccalaureate.
Markham College: The School of “Markhamians”
Markham College, founded by British immigrants, defines itself as a Peruvian bilingual school with a British heritage. An independent, non-denominational, coeducational day school, it enrolls about 2,000 students ages 3 to 18 across several sites in Miraflores and Santiago de Surco. It has also opened a new primary campus in Monterrico.
Markham sees education as a “lifelong journey” and emphasizes a few central principles: belonging, opportunity, responsibility, and trust. The Latin motto Studiis et rebus honestis summarizes the desire to form young people with fertile imaginations and solid ethics. Academically:
Students follow the Peruvian curriculum while preparing for Cambridge IGCSE exams. A majority then continue their studies with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. In parallel, all students take recognized English certifications: PET, then FCE, and finally CAE for those not in the IB program.
The school offers over 150 extracurricular activities, numerous social service projects, and internal competitions organized through a house system (Cochrane, Guise, Miller, Rowcroft), in a very British spirit. The high entry fees and significant monthly tuition make it an institution reserved for families with comfortable incomes, but the combination of academic rigor and community life largely explains its place among the best international schools in Peru.
Newton College: Rigor, Environment, and Diversity
Newton College presents itself as a Peruvian-British school, located on a green campus with a lake in La Molina. It was the first institution in the country to adopt the IB Diploma in the mid-1980s. It played an important role in the recognition of this diploma by Peruvian universities.
Today, Newton combines:
– bilingual Spanish-English instruction
– the IB at the Diploma level, and the PYP for primary
– a school culture strongly oriented towards environmental awareness and cultural diversity.
Classes have about 25 students, ensuring a manageable learning environment. The institution is a member of the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning, facilitating exchanges and collaborative projects with other innovative schools worldwide.
Colegio Peruano Británico: Bilingualism at the Heart of Monterrico
Located in Monterrico, in the Santiago de Surco district, Colegio Peruano Británico is another reference in the Anglo-Peruvian model. It welcomes students from Asia, the Americas, and Europe, in a bilingual Spanish-English environment strongly inspired by the British educational tradition.
The school emphasizes high academic standards and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving. It offers the International Baccalaureate and, at the secondary level, follows a structure close to that of the British system. Its entry fees vary by grade (higher for kindergarten and early primary, then relatively lower for secondary), and tuition is paid in soles over nine months, placing it in the upper part of the market while remaining slightly below giants like Roosevelt or Markham.
Hiram Bingham: The IB Continuum on a Human Scale
Hiram Bingham, The British International School of Lima, was founded in 1980 and has built its reputation on a promise of quality in a more family-like setting. The school deliberately limits class sizes to a maximum of 50 students per grade, for a total of about 700 students, to preserve an atmosphere of proximity.
Authorized in 2003 to offer all three programs (PYP, MYP, DP) and first evaluated on the entire IB continuum in 2022, its goal is to form autonomous learners, open to the world, and determined to build a better future.
Hiram Bingham, first triple-program IB institution in Peru
English-Spanish bilingualism is at the heart of the project, with a strong requirement in English. The school participates in many international events, like LAHC arts camps or sustainability summits, exposing students to exchanges with peers from other Latin American countries.
Again, the entry and tuition fees place it in the high-end segment, but its more intimate format and clearly IB-focused positioning attract families who prioritize a less massive environment than some large schools while remaining at the top of the international offering.
Other Key Hubs: German, Italian, Swiss, Christian
Beyond this “hard core” Anglo-American and Franco-Peruvian group, The best international schools in Peru also include institutions linked to other European systems.
Several institutions offer multilingual instruction and recognized diplomas. The German school Alexander von Humboldt teaches in German and Spanish, with English and French as foreign languages, and offers the International Baccalaureate. Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi follows a curriculum in Italian and Spanish. The Swiss school Colegio Pestalozzi applies a homologated Swiss program, with German and Spanish as primary languages and IB at the secondary level. Finally, schools like the International Christian School of Lima offer an American curriculum in a faith-based setting.
This extremely diverse landscape allows families from many countries to find an environment that matches their cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical expectations.
Cities Outside Lima: A Growing Offer
Even though Lima concentrates the vast majority of international schools, the offering is gradually expanding to other urban centers. In Cusco, Andino Cusco International School combines the Peruvian curriculum, IB programs, and English instruction, while incorporating Quechua language to reflect the Andean context. In Cajamarca, Davy College operates as a strongly English-oriented bilingual school with an IB focus, serving as a regional reference. Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Ica, and Huaraz also have bilingual or international schools that replicate, on a smaller scale, the Lima model.
For expatriate families assigned outside the Peruvian capital, it is no longer mandatory to school children in Lima or in a boarding school abroad to offer them an international curriculum.
Admissions: Tests, Files, and Official Recognition
Entry into the best international schools in Peru is not without selection. Most impose rigorous procedures, combining:
– detailed application form
– non-refundable application fees
– academic or aptitude tests, often in mathematics, languages, and reasoning
– interview(s) with the administration or admissions director
– evaluation of prior academic records, sometimes for two or three years
– specific Peruvian administrative documents (certificates of studies, certificates of good conduct, absence of school debts, etc.).
For foreign students, the validation or revalidation of studies by the Peruvian Ministry of Education is necessary. Procedures are simplified for countries with agreements (e.g., Andrés Bello Agreement, Argentina). Otherwise, certificates must be legalized/apostilled, then translated by a sworn translator in Peru.
The final objective, for the family, is to ensure that the secondary school graduation diploma is recognized as a Certificado oficial de estudios – educación básica regular, nivel de educación secundaria, essential for access to local higher education.
Why Do These Schools Rank Among the Best International Schools in Peru?
Beyond the names, several common elements explain why institutions like Casuarinas, the Franco Peruano, Roosevelt, San Silvestre, Markham, Newton, Hiram Bingham, or Colegio Peruano Británico consistently dominate comparisons.
First, academic quality: these schools show high rates of access to higher education, including top universities in Peru and abroad. Working in English or other major languages, preparation for international exams (IB, IGCSE, AP, French Baccalaureate, etc.), and individualized support enhance the competitiveness of their graduates.
The school stands out for a diversity of nationalities among its students, exchange programs, participation in conferences and competitions abroad, and integration into global educational networks. The concept of ‘global citizenship’ is put into practice through academic programs, projects, and the school culture.
Finally, the consideration of the child as a whole: numerous sports, artistic, and community service activities, psycho-pedagogical support, leadership programs, attention to emotional and social well-being. Schools like Casuarinas and Colegio Altair clearly express this intention to cover students’ intellectual, physical, emotional, and social needs through personalized education.
A Strategic Decision for Families
Faced with such a rich offering, selecting the “ideal” school remains a deeply personal decision, going beyond the simple question of ranking. For many families, the first question is that of language and continuity: should they follow the system of their home country (French, German, Italian, American, British) to facilitate a potential return, or choose a more universal curriculum like the IB, recognized on all continents?
Several factors should be considered when choosing a school in Lima: type (coeducational or not, secular or faith-based), size (large institution or family structure). Geographic location is also crucial, as commutes can be very long during peak hours due to dense traffic in the metropolis.
Finally, the budget imposes trade-offs. Between a very expensive American-IB school like Roosevelt and IB or bilingual schools with more moderate entry fees, the total cost gap over the entire schooling can be considerable. Some parents prefer to invest primarily in the final years of secondary school, betting on a transfer to an IB school or one with high symbolic capital at the crucial moment of university orientation.
Before making any decision, it is essential to contact the targeted institutions directly, visit campuses, talk with families already in place, and analyze in detail the local administrative constraints, particularly regarding the recognition of studies and diplomas.
The best international schools in Peru offer real educational opportunities, perfectly comparable to the best in the region and, sometimes, beyond. But they also require families rigorous planning, significant financial investment, and deep reflection on the kind of global citizens they want to help their children become.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
