The best international schools in Jakarta

• first, children of US, British and Australian embassy staff and of JIS staff
• then families arriving from abroad
• then children moving from another Jakarta school

Those last can only start in August. In Grades 10 and 11 they also pay a one-off charge of about IDR 300 million on top of the fees.

Teachers are less happy than parents. Those who have worked there recently describe cuts to pay, housing and training, complaints about senior leadership, and colleagues leaving sooner than they used to.

Australian Independent School (AIS Indonesia)

Pejaten, South Jakarta · Australian Curriculum, IB Diploma

Fees: USD 5,610–24,700 a year

Founded in 1996, AIS follows the Australian Curriculum to Year 10 and the IB Diploma in the last two years. It runs on the Australian calendar, so its school year goes from January to December, and it takes applications all year.

Parents describe a mix of Indonesian and expat families. One long-time expat parent says its reputation is strongest in the primary years, up to about Grade 5 or 6. It offers four full scholarships to Indonesian students.

Where most Indonesian families look

These are the schools Indonesian parents name when asked for a real international school outside the top four. Most of their pupils are Indonesian and most of the teaching is in English. Alongside the IB or Cambridge, Indonesian pupils take the subjects the law requires at every international school, JIS included: religion, civics and Bahasa Indonesia.

Parents say they pay for teaching that asks children to understand rather than memorise, and for confidence. Local alumni say international-school pupils now dominate debating and public-speaking competitions. The worries are Bahasa that slips, and children who only ever mix with other wealthy families.

The figure parents compare is often the joining fee, the uang pangkal or development fee, which can pass IDR 100 million on top of the yearly fees. Muslim families who want an international curriculum with Islamic teaching have their own options, such as Mutiara Harapan in Bintaro.

Schools for a home curriculum

Families who expect to go home, or on to another posting in the same system, often choose their own country's school. Many European diplomats' children go to the French and German schools. Korean and Japanese families each have a school teaching their national curriculum in their own language, and Indian families often name Gandhi Memorial. Families who want Mandarin alongside English look at Singapore-style schools such as Jakarta Nanyang in BSD.

French School Jakarta

Cipete, South Jakarta · French national curriculum, French International Baccalaureate (BFI)

Fees: USD 5,460–16,600 a year

Founded in 1967 and known for decades as the Lycée Français, it took its current name in 2024. It is run by its parents' association and accredited by AEFE, the French state's agency for schools abroad, so pupils move easily between French schools worldwide. A bilingual French and English track lets children who don't yet speak French join. Since 2025 an American section has led to the French International Baccalaureate.

Fees depend on who pays: French and Indonesian families pay the least, other nationalities more, and company-paid places the most. New pupils from primary up also pay a one-off registration fee of about IDR 50 million. Fees are set against the euro and move with it.

Deutsche Schule Jakarta (German School)

BSD City, South Tangerang · German curriculum, German International Abitur (DIA)

Fees: USD 2,830–14,600 a year

Founded in 1956 and in BSD since 1998, a non-profit with a parent-elected board and about 330 pupils. Children who don't speak German join its International Programme, taught in English and Indonesian with German phased in. From Grade 5 the two programmes merge and lead to the German International Abitur.

A German-Indonesian parent recommends it. Another family who toured it noticed Korean families and fees well below JIS and BSJ. That holds in the early years, when primary costs about IDR 134 million a year. The price more than doubles at Grade 5, and a one-off fee of up to IDR 140 million is due from Grade 7.

Also on shortlists

Three more schools come up when families ask, each with a catch.

Nord Anglia School Jakarta

Cilandak, South Jakarta · English National Curriculum, International Primary Curriculum (IPC)

Fees: USD 6,770–21,700 a year

A small early-years and primary school for children from 18 months to 12. It opened in 1967 as the Netherlands Inter-community School and has been part of the Nord Anglia group since 2017. An expat parent calls it a small community school their family is really enjoying, and a large housing compound sits next to it. The catch is the age limit: at 12, children have to move school.

Sinarmas World Academy (SWA)

BSD City, South Tangerang · IB Middle Years Programme, IB Diploma, Cambridge

Founded in 2008 and owned by the family behind the Sinar Mas group, on a large campus in BSD, with Mandarin taught alongside English. Most of its pupils are Indonesian.

Its history puts some families off. In 2016:

• more than 30 foreign teachers and the head of school were dismissed
• about 200 pupils were withdrawn
• fees roughly doubled, from about IDR 100 million to 200 million a year
• parents asked the education minister to step in

Teachers describe a top-down, family-run school. We found nothing from parents either way since 2016.

FAQ

What is the best international school in Jakarta?

Expat parents and teachers name the same four first: JIS, ISJ, BSJ and AIS. Indonesian families also name SPH, Global Jaya, BINUS, Mentari and Highscope.

Is Jakarta International School the same as Jakarta Intercultural School?

Yes: Jakarta Intercultural School was called Jakarta International School until 2014, when Indonesia stopped schools using "international" in their names. Most people still call it JIS.

How hard is it to get into JIS or BSJ?

JIS admits in three lanes. Children of US, British and Australian embassy staff and of JIS staff come first, then families arriving from abroad, then children moving from another Jakarta school, who can only start in August. BSJ assesses applicants from Year 3 up and has a waiting list for Years 8 and 9 in 2026/27.

What is the most expensive international school in Jakarta?

Of the schools we list, JIS, at up to about USD 35,300 a year for the oldest pupils. British School Jakarta comes next, at up to about USD 31,300.

What is the cheapest international school in Jakarta?

For the oldest pupils, the Japanese and Korean schools cost least in this guide, at up to about USD 4,110 and USD 6,780 a year, but they teach in Japanese and Korean. Of the schools that teach in English, Gandhi Memorial and Global Jaya cost least, at up to about USD 12,000 and USD 13,400.

How much do international schools in Jakarta cost?

The schools in this guide charge from about USD 2,830 a year for the youngest children to about USD 35,300 for the oldest. Fees for every school we list are on our Jakarta page.

What do the fee figures include?

Tuition plus compulsory yearly charges, such as building or development levies, for a pupil already at the school. One-off costs on joining are extra.

How much is the joining fee?

JIS charges about IDR 300 million once to Grade 10 and 11 pupils joining from another Jakarta school, and the French School about IDR 50 million to new primary and secondary pupils. Many schools Indonesian families favour also ask for a development fee up front: Global Jaya's is IDR 27 million a year, or 113 million for six years paid on joining.

Can Indonesian children attend international schools in Jakarta?

Yes. Most international schools in Indonesia are licensed as SPK schools, which may not turn away Indonesian applicants. Indonesian pupils also study religion, civics and Bahasa Indonesia, as national rules require.

What is the best British school in Jakarta?

BSJ and ISJ are the British schools parents name first. BSJ teaches the British curriculum in primary and the IB from Year 7. ISJ is British throughout, up to GCSEs and A-Levels. Nord Anglia School Jakarta follows the English National Curriculum, but only to age 12.

Which international schools in Jakarta teach the IB?

For the IB at every stage from primary to the Diploma: Global Jaya, BINUS Simprug, Mentari, SPH Lippo Village, NJIS and Gandhi Memorial. JIS, BSJ, AIS, SPH Kemang Village and SWA teach the IB Diploma in the last two years.

Which are the best international schools in South Jakarta?

JIS in Cilandak, Pattimura and Pondok Indah, ISJ in Pondok Indah and AIS in Pejaten. South Jakarta also has SPH Kemang Village, BINUS Simprug, Mentari, Nord Anglia, the French School, ACG School Jakarta in Pasar Minggu and the New Zealand School.

Which international schools are in Central Jakarta?

Few: Gandhi Memorial and Universal School are in Kemayoran, and SPM's primary is in Menteng. Most families living centrally use the schools in South Jakarta.

Are there international schools in North Jakarta?

Yes: NJIS in Kelapa Gading is in this guide. We also list SPH Pluit Village in Pluit, Beacon Academy and Penabur Intercultural School in Kelapa Gading, and Tzu Chi School and Bina Bangsa School in Pantai Indah Kapuk.

What are the top international schools in West Jakarta?

None of the schools in this guide is in West Jakarta. We list Bina Bangsa School and Raffles Christian School in Kebon Jeruk, IPEKA Integrated Christian School in Meruya and Springfield School in Permata Buana.

Which international schools are in East Jakarta?

JIKS in Cipayung is in this guide. We also list ACS Jakarta in Cilangkap and Singapore Intercultural School at Jakarta Garden City in Cakung.

Compare international schools in Jakarta

Fees, ages and admissions for every Jakarta school we list.

All schools British IB