In this guide
The Jakarta IB landscape
The IB arrived in Jakarta in the late 1990s and the city has built a substantial IB ecosystem since. Today around ten schools deliver the Diploma Programme, a similar number deliver the MYP, and more than a dozen deliver the PYP. The geography is shaped by the international school cluster: most IB providers sit south of central Jakarta in Kemang, Pondok Indah, Cilandak, Bintaro and BSD City. Bilingual IB providers, particularly Sekolah Cikal and Sekolah Pelita Harapan, mean the IB is no longer a strictly expat choice; affluent Indonesian families now account for a growing share of the IB pupil base.
Three structural facts shape the choice. First, only a few schools deliver the full PYP to Diploma continuum inside a single institution. Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Mentari Intercultural School and Global Jaya School are the clearest examples. Most other schools offer one or two stages of the IB rather than all three. Second, the Diploma cohort sizes vary considerably and that affects subject choice at Higher Level. Third, IB authorisation status moves through candidate, authorised and evaluated stages; confirm current status with the school and the IB before committing. The IB curriculum hub sets out the structure across PYP, MYP and Diploma.
The full list: IB schools in Jakarta
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS)
The largest and best known international school in Jakarta. American-style throughout the elementary and middle years, with a senior school that runs both the IB Diploma and AP courses in parallel. Diploma averages typically 34 to 36, with a substantial share of pupils scoring 40 plus. Strong university counselling, deep co-curricular and an established faculty stability record.
British School Jakarta (BSJ)
The reference British curriculum school in Jakarta, with a Diploma stream alongside A-Levels in the sixth form. Diploma averages typically 34 to 36, with strong UK university destinations and a credible US placement record. Faculty stability is strong and the Bintaro campus is large enough to support deep co-curricular provision across sport and arts.
ACG School Jakarta
New Zealand-influenced international school running the Cambridge International curriculum through the lower years and the IB Diploma in the sixth form. Diploma averages typically 32 to 35 in recent cohorts. Kemang location works well for families based in the historic expat heart of the city.
Mentari Intercultural School
One of the few schools in Jakarta offering the full IB continuum across two campuses. Mentari Kemang is the established site; Mentari BSD City is the newer western Jakarta campus. Diploma averages in the 32 to 34 range, with growing university destination data as the school matures. Fee structure sits below the JIS or BSJ tier.
Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH)
The largest IB provider in Indonesia by enrolment, with multiple campuses across greater Jakarta and into the suburbs. Christian-affiliated, full IB continuum, mix of expat and Indonesian families. Diploma averages typically 31 to 34 depending on campus. The Lippo Karawaci and Sentul campuses run the largest IB cohorts.
Sekolah Cikal
Indonesian-founded school running the IB continuum with a strong emphasis on bilingual Indonesian-English instruction and Indonesian cultural grounding. Increasingly chosen by Indonesian families and expat families wanting deeper local integration. Diploma averages in the 30 to 33 range.
Global Jaya School
Bintaro-based IB continuum school with a substantial Indonesian student population alongside an expat minority. Full continuum, strong arts and sports programmes, Diploma averages around 31 to 34. The default Bintaro IB option for families not targeting BSJ.
Australian Independent School (AIS) Jakarta
Australian curriculum through the middle years with the IB Diploma in sixth form. PYP at the primary stage. Diploma cohorts are smaller, with averages typically 30 to 33. Particularly suited to Australian and New Zealand expat families and to those targeting Australian universities through the Diploma route.
North Jakarta Intercultural School (NJIS)
The reference IB school for families based in north Jakarta. Christian-affiliated, IB Diploma at the senior level, with the primary and middle years following an American-influenced curriculum. Diploma averages around 31 to 33. Useful option for families wanting to avoid the south Jakarta commute.
Sinarmas World Academy (SWA)
BSD City-based IB continuum school with modern facilities and a mixed expat-Indonesian intake. Diploma averages typically 32 to 35 in recent cohorts. The natural option for families committed to a BSD City residence and the master-planned western Jakarta lifestyle.
Listings and side-by-side comparison
Use the comparison tool to place up to three Jakarta IB schools next to each other on fees, cohort size, location and Diploma score. The full Jakarta school directory sits in the Jakarta city guide, and the school finder quiz produces a personalised shortlist for your family. Talk to our team for a free shortlist review.
Fees and the all-in cost
Jakarta IB schools sit across a wider fee range than most Asian capitals. JIS and BSJ are the premium tier at roughly USD 27,000 to 36,000 senior school tuition. ACG, Mentari, AIS and SWA sit in the upper middle at USD 17,000 to 30,000. SPH, Cikal, Global Jaya and NJIS cluster in the more accessible USD 11,000 to 22,000 range. The fee differences reflect campus infrastructure, faculty mix and overall enrolment scale rather than IB outcome quality per se; the gap in Diploma averages between the most and least expensive schools on this list is real but smaller than the price gap suggests.
Add 18 to 30 percent for the all-in cost including capital fees, transport, books, lunches, uniform, external exam fees and field trips. A USD 22,000 tuition typically becomes USD 26,000 to 28,500 all in. The most variable item is the bus fee; school buses cover most Jakarta enclaves but pricing varies by distance. Our full picture sits in international school fees in Jakarta, and the fees explorer lets you model your specific school combination.
Admissions timing and waitlists
Jakarta IB school admissions are less time-pressured than Hong Kong or Singapore equivalents. Most schools accept applications throughout the year for the September intake and many have rolling availability outside the most competitive year groups. The main exceptions are Year 1 entry at JIS, BSJ and ACG (6 to 12 month waitlists for popular cohorts) and Diploma entry at JIS and BSJ where the cohort cap forces an October to November application deadline for the following September.
The practical sequence is to apply 6 to 12 months ahead for Year 1 or Diploma entry at the top three schools; to apply 3 to 6 months ahead for any other year group; and to keep a backup school in writing before signing a tenancy contract. Most schools assess applicants through a combination of school records, an English assessment for non-native speakers and a family or student interview. The admissions timing by city piece sets out the cross-city sequence.
How to choose between them
For most expat families the decision narrows quickly. If you want premium outcomes and you are willing to pay premium fees, JIS and BSJ are the natural shortlist. If you want a strong IB Diploma at fees roughly thirty percent below that level, ACG and SWA are credible. If you want the full PYP to Diploma continuum inside one institution at moderate fees, Mentari, SPH or Global Jaya are the candidates. If bilingual Indonesian-English instruction matters, Cikal is the leading option.
The harder calls happen at the margins. A family choosing between BSJ Diploma and JIS Diploma is weighing two strong cohorts of similar size and outcome; the deciding factor is usually pedagogy and curriculum culture rather than results. A family with a child in the British system at primary level needs to think about whether the MYP transition at Year 7 is worth the curriculum reset; the MYP vs Cambridge piece is the right starting point. A family weighing IB versus AP at JIS should read the IB vs AP outcomes article. And the wider context for the city move sits in moving to Jakarta with kids.
What the Diploma cohort actually looks like
The Jakarta Diploma cohort varies meaningfully by school, and that has real consequences for subject choice. A typical Diploma cohort at JIS or BSJ sits at 60 to 80 pupils across all six subject groups, which supports two or three Higher Level options in most subjects and a single class for the rarer choices. Mentari and ACG run smaller cohorts of 25 to 45, which means subjects like Higher Level Music, Theatre or Visual Arts may not run every year, and the very rare choices (Higher Level Latin, Music ab Initio) are sometimes covered through online providers rather than in-house instruction.
The practical implication for families is to ask the school which subjects ran in the last two years and which are guaranteed to run in the year your child will enter Year 12. A school that lists 30 Diploma subjects on the brochure may only deliver 18 of them in any given year, and the gap between brochure and reality matters most for unusual combinations. The SL vs HL explainer covers how subject choice interacts with university application strategy.
University outcomes from Jakarta IB schools
Jakarta IB schools place pupils across a broad set of destinations. The United States is the single largest destination, accounting for roughly 30 to 50 percent of leavers from JIS in recent cohorts, with destinations spanning Ivy League, top-30 liberal arts colleges and the strong public flagships. The UK is the second largest destination, particularly from BSJ, accounting for 35 to 50 percent of BSJ leavers. Russell Group placements typically run 25 to 40 percent of UK-bound leavers, with strong cohorts placing several pupils a year at LSE, UCL, Imperial, King's and the established Scottish universities.
Australia and Canada complete the main destination set, with continental Europe and the established Asian universities (NUS, NTU, HKU, Tsinghua) appearing in smaller numbers. The IB Diploma's recognition across all these destinations is the single biggest practical reason families choose IB over the parallel AP or A-Level pathway in Jakarta. The university counselling support varies meaningfully between schools and is worth checking before committing. JIS, BSJ and ACG all run dedicated counsellors with multi-year tenure and a working knowledge of UK, US, Australian and continental admissions calendars. Smaller IB schools often share counselling with senior leadership, which can stretch capacity during the autumn application window. The university counselling article covers how to evaluate the offer.
Related guides
- Best international schools in Jakarta
- International school fees in Jakarta
- Moving to Jakarta with kids
Frequently asked questions
How many IB schools are there in Jakarta?
Jakarta has more than fifteen schools running at least one IB programme in 2026. The Diploma is offered by roughly ten schools, the MYP by a similar number, and the PYP by more than a dozen, often as part of an IB continuum offering.
What is the average IB Diploma score in Jakarta?
Established Jakarta IB schools post Diploma averages in the 32 to 36 range. JIS, BSJ and ACG lead the field with averages around 35, and consistently produce pupils scoring 40 plus. Mentari and Sekolah Pelita Harapan are typically in the 32 to 34 band. The worldwide IB Diploma average is around 30.
Is the IB Diploma the best choice in Jakarta?
For families targeting universities outside Indonesia, particularly in the UK, US, Australia or continental Europe, the IB Diploma offers strong portability and recognition. JIS and BSJ also offer AP and A-Level alongside the IB, so the choice between them is more about pedagogy and pathway than the qualification name.
When should we apply to an IB school in Jakarta?
For Year 1, Year 7 and Diploma entry at the top schools, apply six to twelve months ahead of the September start. Other year groups usually have rolling availability with a four to eight week processing time. The Diploma cohort cap means some schools close applications by November of the year before.
Are IB schools in Jakarta more expensive than the British or American alternatives?
Not in a clean way. JIS runs both IB and AP at similar fees. BSJ runs both IB and A-Level at similar fees. The Mentari, SPH and Cikal IB programmes run at fees well below JIS or BSJ tuition. So the IB versus other-curriculum question is largely independent of price within any specific school.