How much do international schools cost in the United States in 2026?

Day and boarding international schools in New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and Miami often publish annual tuition from the mid five figures upward for K–12 programmes, with lower bands in smaller cities and higher peaks at established IB or British-curriculum campuses. Many contracts bill in installments, not one annual wire.

Capital campaigns, technology fees, lunch plans, uniforms, and bus routes commonly add thousands per year beyond headline tuition. Application and assessment fees apply even when a seat is not offered. Sibling discounts exist at some schools but rarely erase the second-child problem: Childcare costs for younger siblings run in parallel.

US public schools are funded by local districts and are tuition-free at point of use for residents in the assigned zone, but assignment rules tie addresses to specific schools. A cheaper apartment can land in a district newcomers did not research. English learner support varies by state law and district budget: Enrol in public school and Children in school without English.

Families on short assignments often pay international tuition for curriculum continuity and predictable transfers. Dual citizens sometimes split years between public and private tracks; plan the switch before high-school transcript deadlines.