International School Fees in Santiago: 2026 Cost Guide for Expat Families

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

Families moving to Chile often expect a single price list for international school fees in Santiago, and quickly find that the real picture is more layered. Tuition is only one line. Chilean private schools also charge a joining fee that can be large, an annual enrolment charge, and many express their prices in UF, a unit that moves with inflation every day. Two schools with similar headline tuition can end up thousands of dollars apart over a five year stay.

This guide sets out what families actually pay across the main stages, which schools sit at which end of the market, and how to budget for the extras and the currency effects. We focus on schools with international programmes, IB and Cambridge, plus bilingual schools that many expat families shortlist, all of them listed on International School Advisor with verified profiles.

Santiago for school-age families: where the schools are and why it matters for cost

Santiago is a sprawling metropolitan region of more than seven million people, divided into communes (comunas), each with its own municipality. Mining, energy, finance, regional headquarters and diplomatic postings bring most international families here, and the great majority settle in the eastern communes towards the Andes: Las Condes, Vitacura, Lo Barnechea, Providencia and, increasingly, Peñalolén and La Reina. Ñuñoa, just south of Providencia, appeals to families who want a more residential feel within reach of the metro.

School location shapes your real cost as much as tuition does. Morning traffic on the east side is slow, and many families either pay for school transport or choose housing within a short drive of the campus. Rent in Las Condes and Vitacura is noticeably higher than in Ñuñoa, La Florida or Huechuraba, so a slightly cheaper school in a more expensive commune may not save money overall. Schools in Peñalolén sit against the foothills and are easiest for families living in La Reina, Peñalolén or southern Las Condes.

Curricula available and how they relate to fees

• IB Diploma Programme: offered at Dunalastair School Las Condes and Dunalastair School Peñalolén alongside Cambridge examinations, and at Internacional SEK Chile in Las Condes. IB schools generally sit at the upper end of the fee range.
• Cambridge International Education: followed by Pumahue Peñalolén, Pumahue Huechuraba, Manquecura Ñuñoa and American British School in La Florida, combined with the Chilean national curriculum and a dual baccalaureate.
• Chilean national curriculum, bilingual: The English Institute in Providencia and the other bilingual schools teach in Spanish and English and prepare students for the Chilean university admissions route.
• Full English immersion: the two Dunalastair campuses list English as the language of instruction, which suits children who arrive with little or no Spanish.

Five Santiago schools across the fee spectrum

Dunalastair School Las Condes

The founding campus of the Dunalastair network, opened in 1981 on Avenida Las Condes and now part of the Cognita group, teaches through full English immersion from nursery to the end of secondary. It offers the IB Diploma Programme and Cambridge International examinations within its own project-based Reimagine Learning curriculum. The profile lists a Fab Lab, a 400-seat auditorium, a dining room with its own kitchen, nutritionists, a school nurse and school transport. Tip: ask whether lunch and transport are billed separately, because at immersion schools of this type they often add a meaningful sum to the annual bill.

Internacional SEK Chile

Located on Los Militares in Las Condes, this school belongs to the SEK Education Group and lists the IB as its international programme, with Spanish as the language of instruction and stages from nursery to high school. It is a natural option for families who want an IB pathway but are comfortable with, or actively want, a Spanish-medium environment. Tip: compare its total cost with the English-immersion IB campuses carefully, since the difference in teaching language often comes with a difference in price.

Pumahue Peñalolén

This Cognita bilingual co-educational school on Viña Cousiño follows the Cambridge International Education programme together with the Chilean national curriculum, and its profile lists a dual baccalaureate. Instruction is in Spanish and English, with music, art, football, basketball and volleyball among the activities. Tip: Cambridge bilingual schools in the eastern foothills tend to sit in the middle of the Santiago range, which makes them a sensible benchmark when you compare quotes.

The English Institute

On Ricardo Lyon in Providencia, The English Institute is a secular, bilingual Cognita school with around 50 years of history. It follows the Chilean national curriculum with Spanish and English instruction rather than the IB, and covers nursery through high school. Its central location suits families renting in Providencia or Ñuñoa who want to avoid long drives east. Tip: if your stay in Chile is long term, a national curriculum school can be the better value, as it keeps Chilean university entry straightforward.

Manquecura Ñuñoa

Located on Avenida Irarrázaval in Ñuñoa, this Cognita school combines the Cambridge programme with the Chilean curriculum, teaches in Spanish and English and lists a dual baccalaureate. Ñuñoa has metro access and generally lower rents than Las Condes. Tip: ask the school how much English is used in each stage, because bilingual schools in Santiago vary widely in the share of the timetable taught in English.

International school fees in Santiago by stage

None of the profiles above publish fees, so the figures below are indicative ranges built from typical Santiago pricing. Use them to plan, then request the official fee sheet (often called the arancel) for the year you will enrol.

• Nursery and pre-kindergarten: roughly CLP 2.5 million to 7 million a year (roughly USD 2,700 to 7,500), depending on hours and whether lunch is included.
• Primary: roughly CLP 3 million to 6 million at bilingual Cambridge or national curriculum schools, and roughly CLP 7 million to 11 million at English-immersion IB schools.
• Secondary and IB Diploma years: roughly CLP 3.5 million to 6.5 million at bilingual schools and roughly CLP 8 million to 12 million at the top of the market (roughly USD 8,500 to 13,000).

The legal context explains why these schools charge what they do. Chile's School Inclusion Law (Ley 20.845, 2015) phased out top-up fees (copago) and selection in state-subsidised schools; fee-paying international schools are 'particular pagado' and set their own fees. The Chilean school year runs from early March to December, so annual fees cover that calendar rather than a September start. Many Chilean schools quote fees in UF (Unidad de Fomento, an inflation-indexed unit), so fees rise with inflation even without a nominal increase.

Extras to budget for on top of tuition:

• Incorporation fee (cuota de incorporación): a one-off joining fee per child, sometimes non-refundable, which at sought-after schools can be roughly equivalent to several months of tuition or more. Ask about sibling reductions and partial refunds if you leave early.
• Annual enrolment (matrícula): charged each year to secure the place, usually payable before March.
• Uniforms and sports kit: roughly CLP 200,000 to 500,000 per child for a full set.
• School transport: often contracted privately by route, roughly CLP 80,000 to 200,000 a month in the eastern communes.
• Meals: billed monthly at some schools, included at others.
• Exams and programme fees: IB Diploma and Cambridge examination entries, plus field trips and camps.
• Devices and materials: many schools require a laptop or tablet and an annual book and materials list.
• Parents' association and insurance: small annual contributions that appear on many invoices.

Practical advice for budgeting school fees in Santiago

Convert UF quotes properly. If a school quotes in UF, multiply by the UF value on the payment date, not the day you received the quote. Over a year the UF typically rises in line with Chilean inflation, so a quote that looks fixed will cost more in pesos by December. Ask whether instalments are fixed in pesos at the start of the year or recalculated monthly.

Plan for currency exposure. If your salary is paid in dollars or euros, your cost in home currency moves with the peso as well as with the UF. A weaker peso helps you; a stronger peso can add several percent to the bill in a single term. Some families pay the full year upfront when the rate is favourable, and some schools offer a discount for annual payment instead of the usual ten monthly instalments.

Check what your employer covers. Relocation packages often pay tuition but not the incorporation fee, or cap support per child. Get the school's full fee schedule in writing, including the refund policy for the incorporation fee, before you sign either a lease or an enrolment contract. If you arrive mid-year, ask whether the enrolment charge and the first year's fees are pro-rated, as policies differ between schools.

Compare more schools in Chile

Santiago has many more fee-paying schools than we can cover here, from small bilingual schools in Huechuraba and La Florida to large IB campuses in Las Condes. To compare profiles, curricula and locations side by side, browse the International School Advisor school directory and contact schools directly for their 2027 fee sheets.

More guides to schools in Santiago

• International School Advisor school directory

Frequently asked questions

Why are school fees in Chile quoted in UF?

The Unidad de Fomento is an inflation-indexed unit of account used widely in Chile for rents, mortgages and school fees. A fee fixed at, say, 150 UF rises in pesos as the UF moves with inflation, so a Santiago school can keep the same UF figure for years while families still pay more each year in CLP.

What is the cuota de incorporación at Santiago schools?

It is a one-off joining fee charged per child when a family first enrols at a Chilean private school. At popular schools in Las Condes or Vitacura it can be roughly equal to several months of tuition or more. Ask whether it is refundable, whether siblings pay less and whether your employer's relocation package covers it.

When do I pay international school fees in Santiago?

Because the Chilean school year runs from early March to December, annual enrolment is usually paid in the preceding months and tuition is commonly split into around ten monthly instalments from March. Some schools offer a discount for paying the full year upfront, which can also help families protect themselves against peso movements.