Best International Schools in Cancun: 2026 Guide for Families

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

Cancun has grown from a planned resort into a city of close to a million people, and its school market has grown with it. Families arrive for hotel and tourism management, aviation, property, remote work and the simple appeal of the Caribbean coast. Many of them want an education that keeps English strong while giving children a proper footing in Mexico. When parents search for the best international schools in Cancun, they usually find a long list of private colegios with "international" or "bilingual" in the name, and very little that explains how they actually differ.

This guide narrows that list to three schools with a clear international or bilingual offer, explains the curriculum behind each one, and sets out what fees look like in pesos. The aim is not to crown a winner. A family staying two years before moving to Texas needs something different from a Mexican family planning for university in Mexico City, and the right school follows from that.

Cancun for families: where people live and how schools are spread out

Cancun is laid out in "supermanzanas" (SM), numbered superblocks that make addresses easy to read once you know the system. The Hotel Zone is a long strip of sand between the lagoon and the sea, and almost no families with school-age children live there day to day. Most live in the city proper, in established areas around the centre and Avenida Tulum, in gated residential developments along Avenida Bonampak and the Puerto Cancun area, or further south and west towards the airport road and the newer suburbs.

Schools are spread across the city rather than grouped in one district, and traffic on the main avenues (Kabah, Bonampak, Huayacan and Avenida Colosio) can turn a short distance into a slow drive at drop-off time. A practical rule is to choose the school and the neighbourhood together. Many private schools run buses, but routes often cover only part of the city, so ask before you sign a lease.

Some families also look along the Riviera Maya, in Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen or Tulum. Daily commuting from those towns into Cancun is long, so families who settle there generally use local schools instead.

Curricula available at Cancun's international schools

• International Baccalaureate: Colegio Britanico offers the IB Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, alongside the Mexican curriculum.
• American curriculum with a Mexican diploma: the International American School of Cancun teaches an American model with US credit requirements, and most high school students follow a dual programme leading to a US diploma and a Mexican preparatoria certificate.
• Mexican curriculum taught bilingually: College Alexandre teaches in Spanish and English across preschool, primary, secondary and high school, with sport as a core part of its model.

All three teach in both Spanish and English. That is typical of Cancun, where fully English-medium schools are rare and most "international" schools are bilingual Mexican schools with an international layer on top.

The shortlist: three international schools in Cancun

Colegio Britanico

Colegio Britanico has been teaching in Cancun since 1975 and is located in SM 24, close to the city centre. It covers nursery through high school, teaches in Spanish and English and organises learning around the IB learner profile and inquiry across six transdisciplinary themes. The school says it was the first in Quintana Roo authorised by the IB for both the Primary Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.

Who it fits: families who want an IB pathway with an eye on universities in Mexico or abroad, and who want a school with a long track record in the city. Tip: ask to see the full campus on your visit and confirm which facilities each stage uses.

International American School of Cancun

The International American School of Cancun was founded in 1990 and is on Avenida Colegios in SM 309. It is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian school running from preschool to high school. It is accredited by Cognia and SAIS in the United States and recognised by Mexico's SEP and UNAM. From kindergarten to grade 6, students spend half their time in English and half in Spanish. In grades 10 to 12, around 80% of classes are in English, and students take at least the 24 Carnegie units needed for a US diploma, plus Mexican subjects such as Spanish literature, Mexican history and civics.

Who it fits: American and Canadian families, and Mexican families planning on US universities, who want both diplomas. Tip: ask whether your child will join the full dual programme or the US track only, as that affects the workload and the certificates they receive.

College Alexandre

College Alexandre, also known as Colegio Alexandre, is on Avenida Alamos in the Alfredo V. Bonfil area, on the south-western edge of Cancun near the airport road. It runs from nursery to high school with Spanish and English as languages of instruction, and puts sport at the centre of its educational model through its sports academies. Parent comments tend to mention the facilities and the care given to younger children.

Who it fits: active children, families living towards the south of the city or the airport, and those who want a bilingual Mexican school rather than a foreign curriculum. Tip: ask how English is distributed across subjects in each grade and how sports academy commitments fit around academic work in the older years.

International school fees in Cancun

None of these schools publishes fees on its ISA profile, so the ranges below are indicative and based on the wider Cancun private school market. Most schools charge ten or eleven monthly payments (colegiaturas) plus an annual enrolment fee.

• Preschool: roughly MXN 6,000 to MXN 11,000 per month (about US$330 to US$600).
• Primary: roughly MXN 7,500 to MXN 13,500 per month (about US$400 to US$740).
• Secondary and preparatoria: roughly MXN 9,000 to MXN 17,000 per month (about US$500 to US$930), with IB Diploma and dual diploma years towards the top.

Extras to plan for:

• Annual enrolment or re-enrolment fee (inscripción or reinscripción), often close to one month's tuition or more.
• A one-off new student or admission fee at some schools.
• Books and digital platforms, which can be billed separately each August.
• Uniforms, sports kit and sports academy fees.
• School transport, where available, and meals or snack programmes.
• IB Diploma examination fees, US standardised tests and graduation costs in the final years.
• Devices for one-to-one laptop or tablet programmes.

Recognition matters as much as price. Since the February 2012 constitutional reform, upper secondary education (preparatoria) is compulsory in Mexico, and private schools issue SEP-recognised certificates only if they hold RVOE or SEP incorporation. Before paying a deposit, ask for each school's SEP incorporation key for the stage your child will join, especially for preparatoria.

Practical advice for families choosing in Cancun

Match the diploma to your next move. If university in the US is likely, the dual programme at the International American School of Cancun lines up with that. If you want an internationally recognised qualification that works in Mexico, Europe and beyond, Colegio Britanico's IB Diploma is the obvious route. If you plan to stay in Mexico and want a strong bilingual base, a school like College Alexandre may be the better fit.

Test the English level yourself. "Bilingual" covers a wide range in Cancun. Ask to sit in on a class in your child's grade, check which subjects are taught in English, and ask about support for children arriving with little Spanish, or little English. A school that suits a Mexican child perfectly may need extra support for a newly arrived English speaker, and the other way round.

Plan for the August start and the heat. The Mexican school year begins in late August and ends in July. Families arriving mid-year should ask about places early, as popular grades fill up. Also check classroom air conditioning, shaded outdoor space and the hurricane season protocol, which runs from June to November on this coast.

Compare schools across the state

To see these schools alongside options in Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the rest of the state, explore our ranking of the best international schools in Quintana Roo.

More guides to schools in Cancun

• How to choose an international school in Cancun
• International school fees in Cancun
• International school admissions in Cancun
• Bilingual schools in Cancun
• Best international schools in Quintana Roo

Frequently asked questions

Which school in Cancun offers the IB Diploma?

Colegio Britanico, in SM 24 near the city centre, offers the IB Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme alongside Mexican requirements, with teaching in Spanish and English. It has taught in Cancun since 1975. Ask about current Diploma class sizes and the subject options available in the final two years.

Can my child get a US high school diploma in Cancun?

Yes. At the International American School of Cancun, most high school students follow a dual programme that leads to a US diploma, with at least 24 Carnegie units, and a Mexican preparatoria certificate. Around 80% of classes in grades 10 to 12 are taught in English, so strong English is needed by that stage.

How much are international schools in Cancun per month?

Expect roughly MXN 6,000 to MXN 17,000 a month depending on stage, with preschool at the lower end and preparatoria or IB years at the top. Most schools also charge an annual inscripción, books and uniforms, so the yearly total is usually noticeably higher than ten times the monthly fee.