Bilingual Schools in Santiago: A 2026 Guide for Expat Families

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

Santiago is one of the easier Latin American capitals in which to find an English-speaking school, but the word "bilingual" covers very different things. Some bilingual schools in Santiago teach almost every subject in English from the first year; others follow the Chilean national curriculum in Spanish and add a strong English programme on top. For an expat child arriving with little Spanish, or a Chilean-returning family whose children have lost their English, that difference decides how the first year goes.

This guide explains how bilingual education works in Chile, which communes the schools cluster in, and how five schools in the International School Advisor directory approach the two languages. It is written for families who want a genuine English-Spanish education rather than an English-only international school, and who plan to stay long enough for the second language to matter.

Santiago for families: communes, geography and the daily commute

Families move to Santiago for mining, energy, finance, diplomacy and a growing technology sector, and many stay for several years. The city sits in a long valley with the Andes to the east, and the private school map follows the wealthier eastern communes up towards the mountains, with newer campuses spreading north and south as the city grows.

Las Condes, Vitacura and Lo Barnechea in the east hold many of the long-established bilingual schools and are where most expat families rent. Providencia, closer to the centre, offers flats near Metro Line 1 and shorter journeys to the financial district. Peñalolén and La Reina sit in the foothills to the south-east, with larger campuses and quieter streets. Huechuraba in the north has grown quickly around business parks and gated housing, and La Florida in the south is a large residential commune with good Metro links on Line 5. Ñuñoa, between Providencia and La Florida, is popular with younger professionals.

Traffic is the main daily constraint. Crossing the city at peak hours on Avenida Kennedy or the urban motorways can take an hour, and the motorway tolls add up. Most families choose the school first and then rent within a short drive of it, or rely on the school bus services many private schools offer. Air quality also varies in winter, which is one reason families favour campuses in the foothills.

What "bilingual" means in Santiago, and the curricula you will find

In Chile, a "colegio bilingüe" is a private school that teaches part of the timetable in English. In practice there are three models, and they are worth separating before you visit:

• Full English immersion with international programmes: most lessons in English from the early years, leading to the IB Diploma or Cambridge International examinations. Spanish and Chilean subjects are taught alongside. Dunalastair is the clearest example among the schools below.
• Chilean national curriculum with Cambridge or a dual diploma: the Chilean programme in Spanish, with a substantial share of the week in English and Cambridge International Education or a Dual Baccalaureate in the upper years. Pumahue, Manquecura Ñuñoa and American British School follow this pattern according to their profiles.
• Chilean national curriculum with a bilingual English programme: Spanish-led schools with a strong English strand but no international diploma. The English Institute and The Greenland School describe themselves this way.
• Spanish-medium international schools: schools such as the SEK campuses teach mainly in Spanish, with the IB listed at Internacional SEK Chile. These suit families who want a Spanish-first education with an international diploma rather than bilingual teaching.

Truly balanced fifty-fifty bilingual schools, where both languages carry equal weight across all subjects, are rarer than the marketing suggests. Most schools lean one way, so the useful question is which language leads in maths and science at your child's age.

Five bilingual schools in Santiago across different communes

Dunalastair School Las Condes

Dunalastair School Las Condes, at Avenida Las Condes 11931, is described on its profile as the founding campus (1981) of a bilingual, full-English-immersion network that is part of the Cognita group. It offers the IB Diploma Programme and Cambridge International examinations within its own project-based "Reimagine Learning" curriculum, and lists science labs, a Fab Lab, a 400-seat auditorium, school transport and a school nurse.

Who it fits: children who already speak English, or younger children who can absorb it quickly, and families who may move on to another country and want an IB Diploma that travels. Ask how much Spanish support is given to newcomers, since immersion works in both directions.

Dunalastair School Peñalolén

The Peñalolén campus, on Avenida Quilín, opened in 2010 according to its profile and shares the same full-English-immersion model, IB Diploma and Cambridge examinations as Las Condes. It has its own rugby and hockey sports campus, and its activities include robotics, coding, music, theatre and rugby.

Who it fits: families who want the Dunalastair approach but prefer the quieter foothill communes of Peñalolén or La Reina, and children keen on team sport. Check bus routes carefully, as the drive from Las Condes or Providencia can be slow at peak times.

The English Institute

The English Institute, on Ricardo Lyon in Providencia, is described on its profile as a secular, bilingual, co-educational Cognita network school with around 50 years of history. It is not an IB school: it follows the Chilean national curriculum with Spanish-English bilingual instruction from early years through secondary.

Who it fits: families planning to stay in Chile long term, or Chilean families returning from abroad, who want children to sit the national university admission tests while keeping strong English. Its central location also suits parents working in Providencia or the financial district who would rather avoid long car journeys.

Pumahue Huechuraba

Colegio Pumahue Huechuraba, on Avenida Santa Rosa de Huechuraba, is a Cognita network bilingual co-educational day school. Its profile says it follows the Cambridge International Education programme rather than the IB, combining the Chilean national curriculum with bilingual Spanish-English instruction, and lists a Dual Baccalaureate among its programmes.

Who it fits: families renting in the newer northern developments of Huechuraba, and children who need Spanish-language Chilean schooling with a recognised international layer through Cambridge. Ask how many hours a week are taught in English at each stage, as the balance often shifts in secondary.

American British School

American British School, on Avenida Walker Martínez in La Florida, is a Cognita network bilingual co-educational day school with several sites in the commune. Like Pumahue, its profile describes the Cambridge International Education programme combined with the Chilean national curriculum and bilingual Spanish-English teaching, with a Dual Baccalaureate listed.

Who it fits: families living in the south of the city, where rents are lower than in Las Condes, who still want structured English teaching and a Cambridge pathway. Confirm which site your child's year group uses, since the school operates from more than one address.

Fees at bilingual schools in Santiago

Chilean private schools charge an annual enrolment fee (matrícula), a monthly fee (mensualidad, usually paid in ten instalments from March to December) and, at many schools, a one-off entry fee (cuota de incorporación), often quoted in UF, Chile's inflation-indexed unit. None of the profiles above publishes fees, so these figures are rough guides.

• Chilean-curriculum bilingual schools (English Institute, Pumahue, American British School): roughly 350,000 to 600,000 CLP a month, or about 370 to 640 USD.
• Full-immersion IB and Cambridge schools such as Dunalastair: roughly 600,000 to 900,000 CLP a month, or about 640 to 950 USD, with the upper years at the higher end.
• Annual enrolment fee: often close to one monthly instalment.

Extras to ask about:

• Entry fee (cuota de incorporación): can run to several million pesos per child and is the cost that surprises most families. Ask whether part is refunded if you leave within a few years.
• Uniforms and sports kit: bought from approved suppliers.
• Transport: school buses are usually contracted per route.
• Meals: lunch from the school kitchen or a packed lunch, depending on the school.
• Exams: IB and Cambridge examination fees in the upper years.
• Devices, books and trips: English textbooks are often imported and priced accordingly.

Two facts shape this market. Chile's School Inclusion Law (Ley 20.845, 2015) phased out co-payments and selective admission in state-subsidised schools; fully private schools, which include most bilingual and international ones, are outside it. That is why these schools can set their own fees and run their own admissions tests. The Chilean school year runs from March to December, so a family arriving in August from the northern hemisphere will join part-way through a school year.

Practical advice on choosing a bilingual school in Santiago

Judge the bilingual programme by the timetable, not the brochure. Ask each school for the weekly timetable of your child's year group and count the hours taught in English. Ask which subjects switch language as children get older, whether teachers in English-taught subjects are native or near-native speakers, and how the school supports a child arriving with weak Spanish or weak English. A school that teaches maths in English to eight-year-olds is very different from one that offers English only as a subject plus a few science lessons.

Match the model to how long you will stay. If you expect to be in Chile for two or three years and then move on, an English-led school with the IB Diploma or Cambridge examinations will make the next move easier. If you are settling, a Chilean-curriculum bilingual school keeps the path to Chilean universities open and gives children fluent, academic Spanish. Children over about ten who arrive with no Spanish often find Spanish-led schools hard for the first year, so ask about reception classes or extra language support.

Plan around the March start. Because the year starts in March, many schools fill their main intake during the previous winter and spring. Mid-year entry is possible where places exist, but popular year groups may have waiting lists. Contact schools as soon as your move is confirmed, ask whether assessments can be done remotely, and have previous school reports translated into Spanish if the school requests it.

Find more schools in Santiago

To compare these and other bilingual and international schools across Chile, Search the International School Advisor school directory and contact each school for its current fees and timetable.

More guides to schools in Santiago

• International school admissions in Santiago
• International school fees in Santiago
• Search the International School Advisor school directory

Frequently asked questions

Are there fully bilingual English-Spanish schools in Santiago?

Yes, but few are evenly balanced. Most private bilingual schools in Santiago lean one way: full-immersion schools such as Dunalastair teach mainly in English with the IB and Cambridge, while schools such as The English Institute follow the Chilean curriculum in Spanish with a strong English programme. Ask how many weekly hours are taught in each language.

Can my child join a bilingual school in Santiago without speaking Spanish?

Usually yes, especially in the early years and at English-immersion schools, where most lessons are in English. In Chilean-curriculum bilingual schools, older children without Spanish can struggle with subjects taught in Spanish, so ask whether the school offers Spanish support classes and how it places newcomers who arrive mid-year.

When should I apply to a bilingual school in Santiago?

Because the Chilean school year starts in March, the main admissions round usually runs during the previous year, often from around April to October. Popular year groups can fill early. If you are relocating mid-year, contact schools as soon as your move is confirmed and ask about remote assessments and waiting lists.