International schools in Chile

Are you looking for an international school in Chile? You can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page. Use the search filters to select only girls' or boys' schools, prep schools, senior schools or sixth forms; or you can search for schools that offer a particular curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate, the UK or US national curriculum or the International Primary Curriculum.

One of South America’s most prosperous countries, Chile has a very large private education sector that provides the majority of the country’s school, college and university places. It includes a wide range of international schools that serve both local elites and expatriates. 

Many institutions have long histories, with The Mackay School founded for the English-speaking workforce of Valparaiso in 1857 and Santiago College by American Methodist missionaries in 1880. Today, they are among 22 members of the Association of British Schools in Chile, which offer bilingual instruction in Spanish and English and mostly follow the curriculum of the International Baccalaureate Office. 

Similarly, eight schools with the title Colegio Alemán – or German college – offer IB programmes in Spanish, Spanish and German, or Spanish and English. However, Chile’s five lycées all teach in French and follow the national curriculum of France, while offering the Chilean curriculum as a separate stream.

There are 29 IB World Schools, of which 13 are Spanish-medium, two are English-medium, and 12 teach in English and Spanish. A total of 25 schools offer the IB Diploma, while nine are “continuum schools” following all three stages of the IB curriculum.  

Most international schools are clustered around the capital Santiago and coeducational day schooling is the norm. Some are very large, and fees can be high. Parents are advised to check schools’ accreditation arrangements.  

Education is compulsory for 12 years from age six to 18. Eight years of primary school is followed by four years of secondary education. A single nationwide test is used to determine admission to Chile’s 59 tertiary institutions, which all charge tuition fees, including the 16 public universities.  Many students attend private schools under a voucher system.  

In 2019, net enrolment was 78 per cent in pre-school settings, 96 per cent in primary schools and 90 per cent in secondary schools. Gross tertiary enrolment was 100 per cent for women and 86 per cent for men.