Secondary provision in Jakarta
Greater Jakarta has roughly 38 schools delivering secondary or sixth form provision in an international curriculum. The British curriculum cluster of about 15 schools runs IGCSE at Year 11 followed by A Level or IB Diploma at sixth form. IB World Schools number 9 at full Diploma Programme authorisation. American curriculum secondary phases sit at around 6 schools, dominated by Jakarta Intercultural School and the smaller Australian Independent School Pejaten. The remainder cover French, German, Korean, Japanese, Indian CBSE and Singapore curriculum systems.
Most Jakarta secondaries combine two pathways at sixth form to give families a choice. British School Jakarta runs IGCSE leading to a parallel A Level and IB Diploma offering. Jakarta Intercultural School pairs the US high school diploma with the IB Diploma. ACG School Jakarta and Sinarmas World Academy run the IB Diploma alongside US-style Advanced Placement options. Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village delivers a pure IB Diploma route. The dual-pathway model gives parents flexibility but means students choose between the two systems at around age 16, which can be a significant academic and university planning decision.
Indonesian universities recognise the IB Diploma, IGCSE, A Level and US high school diploma for entry across Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Gadjah Mada and the major private universities, subject to equivalence procedures administered through the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. The strongest destination clusters for Jakarta international school leavers are Australian universities, particularly Melbourne, ANU and Sydney, followed by Singapore National University and Nanyang Technological University, then UK Russell Group, then the United States and Canada, then Indonesia.
Fees and the sixth form question
Jakarta international secondary fees split into three tiers. The value tier, USD 8,500 to USD 14,500 a year, covers the smaller Indonesian-owned international schools serving local families and a thin slice of returning expats. The mid tier, USD 14,500 to USD 22,000, captures established names such as Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village, Sinarmas World Academy, ACG School Jakarta and the secondary phase at Mentari Intercultural School. The premium tier, USD 22,000 to USD 35,000, is Jakarta Intercultural School, British School Jakarta and the smaller Australian Independent School senior years.
Sixth form is the most expensive year. Tuition rises 15 to 25 percent over Year 11 because examination fees, university counselling, university trips and the more specialist subject teaching all scale up. Capital levies, transport and exam fees add roughly 18 to 25 percent on top of tuition across all years. A USD 22,000 published tuition is closer to USD 27,000 once everything is paid. Our dedicated Jakarta fees guide walks through the loading mathematics for each school. The fees comparison tool places Jakarta secondary tuition alongside Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
Not sure which secondary school is right for sixth form?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Jakarta secondary schools based on your child's academic level, your home area, your budget and your university destination plans.
Illustrative example schools
The five schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has a long secondary track record in Indonesia, a stable accreditation history and a clear identity in the Jakarta market.
Jakarta Intercultural School in Cilandak offers the US high school diploma alongside the IB Diploma. Diploma cohorts consistently average above 35 points. University destinations skew heavily to the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Strong Council of International Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation.
British School Jakarta in Bintaro runs IGCSE and a parallel IB Diploma and A Level offering at sixth form. The IB cohort has grown steadily since the early 2000s and tracks above the global average for the Diploma. Modern Bintaro Jaya campus with extensive sports facilities.
Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village in Karawaci runs the full IB continuum through to the Diploma. Christian foundation, strong music and arts programme, with results that compete with the international schools despite a predominantly Indonesian student body.
ACG School Jakarta in Kemang offers the IB programme across all phases, with smaller cohorts than the legacy schools and a more international staff profile drawing on the ACG group Auckland heritage.
North Jakarta International School in Kelapa Gading serves the north Jakarta expatriate community with a US high school diploma alongside Advanced Placement options, dominated by Korean, Japanese and Indonesian Chinese families.
Where secondary families live
Secondary families in Jakarta tend to settle close enough to the school that the older student can manage parts of the journey independently, including walking to the bus stop or biking the last stretch. Pondok Indah and Cilandak for Jakarta Intercultural School and the densest expatriate housing supply. Bintaro Jaya, southwest of central Jakarta, for British School Jakarta and a planned suburban feel with modern housing estates. Kemang for ACG School Jakarta and a more bohemian expat scene with walkable streets.
Lippo Village and Karawaci, in Tangerang, for Sekolah Pelita Harapan and an integrated city with hospitals, shopping and golf. BSD City for Sinarmas World Academy and a new-build western corridor with strong infrastructure. Kelapa Gading for North Jakarta International School and the Korean, Japanese and Chinese-Indonesian community, with strong Asian food, supermarkets and weekend schools.
Traffic remains the most underrated factor. School-run journeys can stretch to 90 minutes one way at peak. Most secondary families prefer to live within 8 kilometres of the chosen school, slightly wider than the primary radius because teenagers can absorb a longer commute. Our cost calculator bundles transport, fees and housing into a single total relocation budget.
Admissions and sixth form entry
The Jakarta academic year runs from late July to mid June. Year 7 and Year 12 entry is the most competitive at the Tier 1 schools. Applications for the August 2026 academic year opened in October 2025; British School Jakarta, Jakarta Intercultural School and the Lycee Francais close their main Year 7 and Year 12 intakes by March. Late applicants are placed on a waiting list and offered places only as withdrawals come through.
Sixth form entry from outside the school adds an academic component to the application. Students typically submit reports from the past two years, predicted IGCSE or equivalent grades, and sit subject-specific entrance tests in mathematics, English and the proposed Diploma or A Level subjects. Diploma Programme transfers after October of the first year are generally not accepted because subject choices and internal assessments are already underway.
For our editorial shortlist of the strongest sixth form options see the best IB schools in Jakarta guide. To compare two or three secondaries head to head use the compare tool.
Frequently asked questions
How many international secondary schools are in Jakarta?
Greater Jakarta has roughly 38 schools delivering secondary or sixth form provision in an international curriculum, of which around 15 run a British curriculum to IGCSE and 9 hold full IB Diploma Programme authorisation.
Which sixth form pathway is most popular in Jakarta?
The IB Diploma is the most common sixth form pathway across Jakarta larger international schools, followed by the US high school diploma at Jakarta Intercultural School and North Jakarta International School. A Level is offered alongside IB at British School Jakarta but as the smaller of the two cohorts.
How much do international secondary schools in Jakarta cost?
Tuition runs from about USD 8,500 at value-tier providers to USD 35,000 at the most premium schools at sixth form. The median secondary fee in 2026 sits near USD 18,000, before transport, examination and capital levies which add roughly 18 to 25 percent.
Where do Jakarta international school leavers go to university?
Australian universities dominate, followed by Singapore National University and Nanyang Technological University, then UK Russell Group institutions, then the United States, Canada and finally Indonesian universities. Universities in the Netherlands and Hong Kong are smaller but growing destinations.
Can my child join a Jakarta secondary mid-year?
Mid-year transfers are accepted into Year 7 to Year 10 where places exist. Year 11 and Year 12 transfers are difficult because IGCSE and Diploma assessment cycles are already underway. Year 13 transfers after September are very rarely accepted.
