Bilingual Schools in Quito: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

Quick answer: What are the best bilingual schools in Quito for expat families? Quito's leading bilingual schools are Colegio Menor, the British School Quito, Internacional SEK Ecuador and SEK Los Valles, plus Montebello Academy for a smaller setting. Most teach 50 to 80 percent of the day in English, follow the Ecuadorian curriculum with IB or Cambridge options, and charge roughly USD 7,000 to 20,000 a year, highest in the IB Diploma years.

Last reviewed: September 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Bilingual schools in Quito are where most international families end up, whether they planned to or not. The Ecuadorian capital has only a handful of schools that teach entirely in English, and the bilingual sector, which blends the national curriculum with English immersion and often the IB Diploma, is larger, more affordable and produces graduates who move comfortably between Latin American and North American universities. For a family planning more than a couple of years in Ecuador, a good bilingual school can be the better choice on every measure that matters.

This guide explains how bilingual models differ from one another, profiles the five schools in our directory with verified profiles, sets out 2026 fees in US dollars and gives practical advice on commuting in a city built on a mountainside. Figures are indicative and should be confirmed directly with each school.

Quito's geography and where international families live

Quito stretches along a high Andean valley at 2,850 metres, and many international families have moved out of the city proper to the lower, warmer valleys of Cumbayá and Tumbaco to the east, where several of the best bilingual schools are located. Others live in the north of the city around Bellavista, Quito Tenis and González Suárez, close to embassies and the old airport site that is now Parque Bicentenario. The commute between the northern districts and Cumbayá runs through a single main corridor, the Ruta Viva and Interoceánica, and can take 25 minutes or over an hour depending on the time of day.

Ecuador adopted the US dollar as its official currency in 2000, which removes exchange rate risk for families paid in dollars and makes school fees unusually easy to compare with the United States. Schools in the Sierra region follow a September to June calendar, aligned with the northern hemisphere, so transfers from North America and Europe do not lose a term.

How bilingual education works in Quito

Bilingual is a spectrum in Ecuador. The models below describe what you will actually find in classrooms.

Full immersion bilingual with IB: Colegio Menor and the SEK schools teach most of the day in English in the early years, gradually balancing Spanish and English, and offer the IB Diploma in the final two years.
British-based bilingual: the British School Quito follows the English National Curriculum with Cambridge assessments alongside the Ecuadorian Bachillerato, delivering both qualifications.
Ecuadorian curriculum with strong English: many private colegios label themselves bilingual while teaching 30 to 50 percent of the timetable in English; check the actual hours.
Third languages: several bilingual schools add French, German or Mandarin from secondary, and the SEK network offers exchanges with sister schools in Spain.
Ecuadorian Bachillerato Internacional: the national IB Diploma option lets students graduate with both the Ecuadorian diploma and the IB.

The leading bilingual schools in Quito

Colegio Menor

Founded in 1995 and based in Cumbayá, Colegio Menor is widely regarded as the strongest bilingual school in Ecuador, with a US-style approach, a large proportion of instruction in English and the IB Diploma. Admission is competitive, particularly in the early years, and fees are the highest in the sector at roughly USD 14,000 to 20,000 a year. Its graduates go on to universities in the US, Ecuador and Europe.

British School Quito (BSQ)

BSQ, in the Tumbaco valley, delivers the English National Curriculum with Cambridge IGCSEs alongside the Ecuadorian Bachillerato, making it the natural choice for British and Commonwealth families and for Ecuadorian families targeting UK universities. Fees are roughly USD 10,000 to 16,000 a year and the campus has strong sport and outdoor provision.

Internacional SEK Ecuador

Part of the Spanish SEK network, this Quito campus offers a bilingual programme through to the IB Diploma with a European flavour and exchange opportunities with SEK schools in Spain. Fees are roughly USD 8,000 to 13,000 a year, and the school is popular with Spanish and Latin American families as well as long-stay expatriates.

Internacional SEK Los Valles

The SEK group's valley campus in Cumbayá offers the same bilingual and IB model on a more spacious site, convenient for families living in the eastern valleys. Fees are similar to the city campus, roughly USD 8,000 to 13,000, and the school runs extensive sports and arts programmes.

Montebello Academy

A smaller bilingual school in the valley offering a personalised approach with a strong English component and an emphasis on wellbeing. It suits families who want small classes and a gentler transition into Spanish. Fees are roughly USD 7,000 to 11,000 a year, at the accessible end of the bilingual sector.

Fees in US dollars and the extras to budget for

For 2026, budget roughly USD 7,000 to 11,000 a year for smaller bilingual schools, USD 8,000 to 16,000 for the SEK schools and BSQ, and USD 14,000 to 20,000 at Colegio Menor, with the IB Diploma years at the top of each range. Ecuadorian schools quote a monthly pensión, usually over ten months, plus an annual matrícula, so multiply carefully and add the enrolment fee.

A hard fact that affects budgeting: because Ecuador has used the US dollar since 2000, fees are set and paid in dollars with no conversion, and Ecuadorian regulation requires private schools to have annual fee increases approved by the Ministry of Education, which has kept rises moderate. The following extras are typical.

Matrícula (annual enrolment fee): equal to roughly one monthly pensión, due each year.
Admission or family entry fee for new students: USD 2,000 to 8,000 at some schools, one-off.
School transport: USD 1,200 to 2,500 a year, common given the valley commutes.
Lunches: USD 900 to 1,500 a year.
Uniforms: USD 300 to 600 in the first year.
Books and materials: USD 400 to 1,000 a year.
IB exam fees: USD 1,000 to 2,000 in the final two years.

Practical advice for choosing a bilingual school in Quito

Ask for the real timetable, in hours. Schools describe themselves as bilingual with very different meanings. Ask how many hours per week are taught in English in the year group your child would join, which subjects those are and whether the teachers are native or near-native speakers. A school teaching maths and science in English produces different outcomes from one teaching only English language and music.

Plan for Spanish, and plan for altitude. Even at the most English-heavy schools, children are immersed in Spanish socially and in Ecuadorian civics and literature classes. Most children arriving with no Spanish are functional within six months and fluent within two years. Separately, give children a couple of weeks to adjust to 2,850 metres before expecting full energy in sport.

Choose your valley before your school. Living in Cumbayá or Tumbaco and choosing a school there means a 10 to 20 minute run; living in the north and choosing a valley school means the Ruta Viva twice a day. Many families make the housing decision and the school decision together, and that is the right approach.

Compare Quito's bilingual and international schools

See how Quito's schools rank on academics, English immersion and parent satisfaction, and filter by budget, in the ISA ranking of the best schools in Ecuador.

More guides to schools in Quito

Frequently asked questions

Do bilingual schools in Quito offer the IB Diploma?

Yes. Colegio Menor, Internacional SEK Ecuador and SEK Los Valles all offer the IB Diploma in the final two years, alongside the Ecuadorian Bachillerato. The British School Quito follows the Cambridge route with IGCSEs instead. Ecuador has one of the highest concentrations of IB schools in Latin America, so the qualification is well understood by local universities as well as foreign ones.

Can a child with no Spanish start at a bilingual school in Quito?

Yes, especially up to about age ten. Bilingual schools are used to receiving international children and offer Spanish as an additional language support; most children are conversational within a term. From secondary, schools may ask for basic Spanish because history, civics and literature are taught in Spanish and count towards the Ecuadorian diploma.

How much do bilingual schools in Quito cost compared with fully international schools?

Bilingual schools charge roughly USD 7,000 to 20,000 a year, while the few fully English-medium international schools in Quito are typically at or above the top of that range. Because bilingual schools also deliver the Ecuadorian diploma and often the IB, many families consider them better value, particularly for stays of three years or more.