How many IB schools in Seoul
The Seoul metropolitan area, including Incheon and the immediate Gyeonggi ring, currently lists seven authorised IB World Schools. Five offer the full IB Diploma at sixth form, two run the IB Primary Years Programme alongside another secondary curriculum, and a small number of additional Korean private and public schools are working through IB authorisation under the Korean Ministry of Education's IB pilot initiative. The Seoul IB market is heterogeneous: foreign-only enrolment international schools in the northern districts, a destination IB-continuum school in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, and a growing English-medium Korean pilot stream in select Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education state schools.
The largest single IB cohort sits at Chadwick International in Songdo, the Incheon waterfront new city, which runs the full IB continuum from PYP through to the Diploma. Chadwick is the only Seoul-area IB school sited inside an Incheon Free Economic Zone and is therefore exempt from the foreigners-only restriction that applies to most international schools in Korea. Inside Seoul proper, Dwight School Seoul in Eunpyeong runs the IB PYP, MYP and Diploma in the western new city of Eunpyeong, while Dulwich College Seoul in Banpo delivers the IB Diploma alongside the English National Curriculum lower down. Seoul Foreign School in Yonhi-dong, founded in 1912, runs the IB Diploma as part of a curriculum offer that also includes AP. Seoul International School in Gyeonggi-do is the older sister site that offers the IB Diploma to a primarily AP cohort.
Korean Ministry of Education IB pilot schools, including a small number of Seoul state high schools, deliver the IB Diploma in Korean and English to Korean nationals on a competitive admissions basis. The pilot is small at present but expanding, and represents the most accessible IB route for Korean families inside the city. For the wider Seoul international school context see our Seoul city hub and the global IB curriculum hub.
Fees and the Songdo exception
Fees at Seoul IB schools sit between Singapore and Tokyo in 2026, with tuition ranging from KRW 32 million at the smaller PYP settings to KRW 44 million at the senior Diploma year at Chadwick and Dwight. In US dollar terms, that is roughly USD 23,000 to USD 32,000 per year before extras. Capital or development fees of KRW 5 million to KRW 10 million sit on entry, transport from KRW 3 million to KRW 5 million, lunch around KRW 1.5 million, and IB Diploma examination fees of KRW 1.2 million in Year 13. The all-in cost-of-place at Chadwick or Dwight at sixth form runs around KRW 52 million per year, or USD 38,000.
The Songdo exception matters for Korean nationals. Schools sited inside the Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Chadwick International, are exempt from the Korean ministerial restriction that limits international school enrolment to foreign passport holders. Chadwick admits Korean nationals freely, which is why its sixth form cohort is notably more Korean than at Dwight or Seoul Foreign School. The trade-off is the Songdo commute, around 60 to 75 minutes from central Seoul, which the school answers with a substantial branded coach network. For the full fee picture see our Seoul fees guide, and run the broader relocation budget through the cost calculator.
Foreigners-only or Songdo IB?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Seoul IB options based on your passport, your residency and your budget.
Illustrative example schools
The four schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each runs a long-established IB programme with a distinct identity in the Seoul market.
Dwight School Seoul in Eunpyeong, the western Seoul new city, runs the full IB continuum from PYP through MYP to the Diploma. Sister school to Dwight New York and Dwight London with a global IB anchor identity, English-medium delivery throughout, and a sixth form cohort that heads to a UK and US university split roughly equal to the Eunpyeong family base. Strong creative arts and a notable IB extended essay record.
Chadwick International in Songdo, Incheon, runs the IB continuum across PYP, MYP and Diploma to the largest cohort in the Korean IB market. The Songdo location and Free Economic Zone status means Chadwick admits Korean nationals without restriction, which makes the cohort mix notably more Korean than the in-Seoul international schools. Strong sciences, a wide cocurricular offer, and IB DP scores averaging 35-plus.
Dulwich College Seoul in Banpo, Seocho district, runs the English National Curriculum lower down with the IB Diploma as the sixth-form option alongside A Level. A southern Seoul anchor for UK and Commonwealth families, with a strong English National Curriculum base feeding the Diploma at Year 12. Smaller cohorts than Chadwick or Dwight, and a central southern Seoul setting that suits families based in Banpo, Gangnam and Hannam-dong.
Seoul Foreign School in Yonhi-dong, Seodaemun, is the oldest international school in Korea, founded in 1912. Runs a parallel AP and IB Diploma sixth form, with families able to choose between the two routes at Year 11. The IB cohort is smaller than the AP cohort but consistently strong, with a long record of placements at Ivy League and Russell Group universities. The northern Seoul location anchors the diplomatic and embassy family base.
Where IB families live in Seoul
IB families in Seoul cluster around three school anchors. Yonhi-dong, Seodaemun and Eunpyeong in the north and west for families using Seoul Foreign School and Dwight School Seoul. Yonhi-dong houses the diplomatic and corporate-tied family stock around Yonsei University, with single-family villas and high-rise family apartments at KRW 4 million to KRW 7 million per month for a three-bedroom unit. Eunpyeong is newer, with mid-rise apartments at KRW 3 million to KRW 5 million per month and faster commutes to the Dwight campus.
For southern Seoul, Banpo, Hannam-dong and Itaewon form the family anchor for Dulwich College Seoul and the Korea International School Seoul Campus. Hannam-dong sits adjacent to Yongsan and the former US military base, and apartment rents run KRW 5 million to KRW 9 million per month for three-bedroom family units. Songdo in Incheon is its own ecosystem: purpose-built international city with modern apartment stock at KRW 3 million to KRW 5 million per month and a 60 to 75 minute commute to central Seoul. Songdo works for families committed to Chadwick and willing to trade central Seoul amenities for school proximity. See our best international schools in Seoul blog and the Seoul fees guide for the wider context.
Admissions, F-visa rules and SNU recognition
Seoul international IB schools apply two layers of admissions filtering. The first is the Korean Ministerial restriction: international schools registered as foreign schools admit only foreign passport holders or returnee Korean nationals who have lived overseas for at least three consecutive years. Dwight School Seoul, Dulwich College Seoul and Seoul Foreign School all apply this rule. The exception is Chadwick International in Songdo, which is exempt by virtue of its Incheon Free Economic Zone status. The second layer is the school's own assessment: applications for September 2026 entry opened in October and November 2025 at most schools, with assessment days through January and February, and offers issued by early March. Most Seoul IB schools assess in English, with informal language readiness screening for arrivals from non-English-medium primaries.
The IB Diploma is recognised by all major Korean universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei, Korea University and KAIST, through the international admissions track. Most Korean universities set a minimum of 30 points for the international track and add subject prerequisites for medicine, engineering and Korean studies. For families targeting US universities, Seoul IB schools issue predicted grades and references on the standard November US deadline. UK university applications follow the January UCAS deadline with predicted grades issued in October. Compare with our Seoul British curriculum hub and Seoul American curriculum hub for curriculum-specific entry guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How many IB schools are there in Seoul?
The Seoul metropolitan area, including Incheon and northern Gyeonggi, hosts seven authorised IB World Schools as of 2026. Five offer the full IB Diploma at sixth form, two run the Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme without the Diploma at present.
Can Korean nationals attend IB schools in Seoul?
Most full-fee international IB schools in Seoul are restricted to foreign passport holders or returnee Korean children who have lived overseas for at least three consecutive years. Exceptions exist at Chadwick International in Songdo and at the public IB pilot schools, which admit Korean nationals freely.
How much do IB schools in Seoul cost?
Fees for IB schools in Seoul range from KRW 32 million to KRW 44 million per year in 2026, roughly USD 23,000 to USD 32,000. Capital fees of KRW 5 million to KRW 10 million, transport at KRW 3 million to KRW 5 million and lunch at KRW 1.5 million sit on top.
Is the IB Diploma recognised by Korean universities?
Yes. SNU, Yonsei, Korea University and KAIST all admit IB Diploma holders through their international admissions tracks. The MOE also recognises the IB Diploma for entry to all Korean universities, with most schools setting a minimum of 30 points and individual subject prerequisites.
Where are IB schools in Seoul located?
Seoul's IB schools cluster in three areas: Yonhi-dong and Eunpyeong in the north and west, Banpo and Gangnam in the south, and Songdo in Incheon to the west of Seoul. The Songdo cluster is the only district where Korean nationals can attend the international IB schools without restriction.
