How to Choose an International School in Amman: 2026 Guide for Families

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

Deciding how to choose an international school in Amman is a different exercise from most Middle Eastern capitals. Jordan has no free zone campuses or brand new mega schools; instead it has a group of long established institutions, several founded by American and British communities decades ago, plus a strong national tradition of private bilingual schools that teach the Jordanian curriculum with English medium science and mathematics. This guide sets out the decisions to make first, the neighbourhoods that matter, the schools worth shortlisting, what they cost in Jordanian dinars in 2026, and what to look for on a visit.

Start with three decisions

Portability or integration? Families on a two or three year posting with an embassy, UN agency or NGO usually want a curriculum that transfers, which in Amman means the IB Diploma, American High School Diploma or British A Levels. Jordanian and long term expatriate families often prefer a bilingual school where Arabic is taught seriously and the leaving qualification is recognised for Jordanian university entry without further equivalence steps.

Where will you live? Amman's international schools are spread across the west of the city, from Dabouq and Khalda in the north west to Abdoun, Deir Ghbar and the airport road to the south. The city's hills and roundabouts make distances deceptive; a school 8 kilometres away can take 40 minutes at 7.30 in the morning. Many families pick the school first and rent within a 15 minute radius.

Boarding or day? Amman is one of the few cities in the region with a serious boarding option. If your work involves travel across the Levant, a boarding place removes the question of who does the school run.

Curricula available in Amman

• International Baccalaureate: offered by several schools including the Amman Baccalaureate School, King's Academy and the American Community School.
• American: US High School Diploma with AP courses at the American Community School, King's Academy and the Modern American School.
• British: IGCSE and A Levels at the International Community School and Cambridge High School.
• Jordanian bilingual: the national Tawjihi programme with English medium sciences at many private schools, often alongside an international stream.
• Arabic: compulsory for Jordanian and Arab nationals at every school, and offered as a foreign language to others.

International schools in Amman worth shortlisting

American Community School

ACS Amman, founded in 1955, is the school most American and international diplomatic families default to. It runs a US curriculum from early years to Grade 12 with the IB Diploma in the final two years and has a compact campus in the west of the city. Fees run roughly JOD 8,000 to JOD 14,000 a year and the intake is predominantly expatriate.

King's Academy

Founded in 2007 in Madaba, about 30 minutes south of Amman, King's Academy is a co-educational boarding and day school modelled on the American prep school tradition, with a US diploma and AP courses and the IB Diploma option. It is the only serious boarding option in Jordan, offers generous financial aid, and charges roughly JOD 14,000 for day students and JOD 25,000 to JOD 28,000 for boarders.

Amman Baccalaureate School

ABS in Dabouq was the first IB school in Jordan and remains one of the strongest, running the PYP, MYP and Diploma with a bilingual Arabic and English approach. The intake is largely Jordanian and Arab expatriate, academic standards are high, and fees are roughly JOD 7,000 to JOD 12,000. It suits families who want the IB with strong Arabic rather than an expatriate bubble.

International Community School in Amman

ICS is the British curriculum school, following the English National Curriculum to IGCSE and A Level, with a campus south of the city near the airport road. It draws British and other European families and Jordanians who want a British qualification, at fees of roughly JOD 6,000 to JOD 11,000.

Modern American School

MAS offers a US curriculum with AP courses alongside a Jordanian stream, at fees of about JOD 5,000 to JOD 9,000. It is one of the more accessible international options and has a large, mostly Jordanian and Arab intake, which means children pick up Arabic and local culture quickly.

What international schools in Amman cost in 2026

• Tuition: roughly JOD 5,000 for early years at bilingual schools to JOD 14,000 for the Diploma years at ACS and King's Academy day places; boarding at King's is JOD 25,000 to JOD 28,000.
• Application fee: JOD 100 to JOD 300.
• Registration or capital fee: JOD 1,000 to JOD 5,000, one off, highest at ACS.
• Books, technology and uniform: JOD 400 to JOD 900 in the first year.
• Transport: JOD 900 to JOD 1,800 a year for a school bus.
• Examinations: IGCSE and A Level entries JOD 500 to JOD 1,200 in the relevant years; IB Diploma fees around JOD 800 to JOD 1,200; AP exams about JOD 90 each.

A regulatory detail worth knowing: Jordan's Ministry of Education requires all private schools, including international ones, to obtain approval for annual fee increases, and since the 2019 amendments to the private education regulations increases have generally been capped at 5 to 8 percent unless a school demonstrates new facilities or programmes. In practice this has kept Amman fee inflation lower than in the Gulf. Ask each school for its approved fee schedule for the coming year; it is a public document and schools must provide it on request.

Practical advice for visiting and deciding

Visit on a normal day and ask about the nationality mix. Schools with 80 percent Jordanian intake and schools with 80 percent expatriate intake are both excellent places to learn, but they offer very different social experiences. Decide which suits your child and your length of stay, and check the numbers rather than the brochure.

Ask for results and destinations. IB averages, AP scores or A Level grades and the list of universities students attended in the last three years are the only objective evidence of academic quality. The stronger Amman schools publish them; ask directly if they do not.

Confirm Arabic provision and Ministry equivalence. Jordanian and Arab nationals must study Arabic, Islamic education and Jordanian history to Ministry standards, and any student who may attend a Jordanian university needs their foreign diploma recognised. Schools handle this routinely, but ask how it works and whether it adds cost in the final years.

See how Amman schools rank

To compare the schools above on results, facilities and parent reviews, browse our independent ranking of the best schools in Amman.

More guides to schools in Amman

• International School Admissions in Amman: 2026 Guide
• best schools in Amman

Frequently asked questions

Which international school in Amman do most expatriate families choose?

The American Community School in west Amman has the most international intake and is the default for US and diplomatic families, with a US curriculum and the IB Diploma. British families more often choose the International Community School, while families wanting the IB with strong Arabic often prefer the Amman Baccalaureate School.

Is there a boarding school in Amman?

Yes. King’s Academy in Madaba, about 30 minutes south of Amman, is a co-educational boarding and day school offering a US diploma with AP courses and the IB Diploma. Boarding fees are roughly JOD 25,000 to JOD 28,000 a year and the school offers substantial financial aid to Jordanian and regional students.

How much do international schools in Amman cost?

Tuition ranges from roughly JOD 5,000 a year at bilingual schools with an international stream to about JOD 14,000 in the final years at the American Community School or King’s Academy day programme. Add a one off registration fee of JOD 1,000 to JOD 5,000, transport of JOD 900 to JOD 1,800 and examination fees in the final years.