In this guide
The Indonesian market in brief
If you are relocating to Indonesia with school aged children, the practical headline is simple. The choice is broad and high quality in Jakarta, more limited but distinctive in Bali, and modest in Surabaya and the other regional cities. Indonesia has well over a hundred schools teaching an international curriculum, and the great majority of the established names sit in and around the capital. The International Baccalaureate is the standout strength across the country, frequently offered as the sixth form route above a British, American or Australian lower school. Fees span a wide range, from value options through to a premium Jakarta band, and should be treated as bands rather than fixed prices.
Most families begin their search with the capital, so the natural starting point is our Jakarta city guide, which sets out the neighbourhoods, school clusters and housing patterns in detail. If you are weighing one teaching model against another, our compare curricula tool lays the systems side by side, and the fees database lets you check current published schedules school by school. Those three resources, used together, will narrow a long national list down to a workable shortlist within an afternoon.
One point of terminology matters from the outset. Since a 2014 regulation, schools that operate in partnership with a foreign education institution are formally classified as Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama, usually shortened to SPK, which translates as education cooperation unit. The same reform restricted the standalone use of the word international in school names. Many schools still carry international in their branding for historical and marketing reasons, but their legal status is SPK, and that status carries specific obligations covered later in this guide.
Curricula offered
The International Baccalaureate is the dominant prestige curriculum in Indonesia. It appears across Jakarta and Bali, very often as the Diploma Programme at sixth form sitting above a British, Cambridge or Australian lower school. British School Jakarta, for example, runs the IB Middle Years Programme through the lower secondary years and the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. Bali Island School in Sanur, near Denpasar, runs a full IB continuum from the early years through to Grade 12 and is among the longest running IB schools in the country. For the structure of the programme and how it compares, see our IB curriculum guide.
The British route, following the National Curriculum for England through IGCSE and A Level, is widely available and serves both British expatriate families and the larger group of families who value globally portable qualifications. Cambridge pathways are common, including at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, which runs Cambridge primary and lower secondary stages with an IB Diploma option higher up. The American route, with a high school diploma and Advanced Placement courses, is anchored by Jakarta Intercultural School, the city's oldest international institution, which has served the expatriate community since the early 1950s and offers an American based programme with an IB Diploma option at the top.
The Australian curriculum is offered at a small number of schools, most visibly the Australian Independent School in Jakarta, which teaches the Australian curriculum through the lower years and offers an IB Diploma pathway in the final two years. Singapore Intercultural School and ACG School Jakarta widen the choice further, with Cambridge and inquiry led models respectively. In Bali, Green School Bali blends an IB framework at senior level with a sustainability focused, project based approach, and Canggu Community School pairs IGCSE with the IB Diploma. The practical takeaway is that most Indonesian international schools combine a recognised lower school curriculum with an IB or British senior qualification, so the curriculum decision usually hinges on the sixth form route and the school culture rather than on availability alone.
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Fees overview
Indonesian international school fees are best understood as bands rather than precise figures, because schedules change each year and most schools layer one off charges on top of tuition. As a rough framework, the market splits into a value tier, a mid market tier and a premium tier. The premium Jakarta schools sit clearly at the top of the national range, mid market schools cost considerably less, and value options sit lower again. Bali and Surabaya generally run below the premium Jakarta band. We have deliberately avoided quoting exact numbers here, because they date quickly; use the fees database for current published schedules and the dedicated guide to Jakarta international school fees for a city level breakdown.
| Tier | Typical profile | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | Long established American, British and IB schools | Jakarta | Top of the national range; capital or facilities levy on entry |
| Mid market | Cambridge, IB and Australian schools | Jakarta and Bali | Materially below premium tier |
| Value | Smaller cooperation and bilingual schools | Jakarta and regional cities | Lower band; programme and facilities more limited |
| Bali | IB and progressive models | Denpasar, Sanur, Ubud, Canggu | Generally below premium Jakarta band |
| Surabaya and regional | Single school per curriculum in most cities | Surabaya and others | Below premium Jakarta band; thinner option set |
Beyond tuition, budget for a one off capital or facilities levy charged on entry, a registration or enrolment fee, and recurring costs for transport, lunch, uniform and trips. Together these can add a meaningful premium in the first year. Where a school does not publish a figure for a given charge, treat it as not published and ask the admissions office directly before you commit.
Top cities
Jakarta is the centre of gravity for international education in Indonesia. It holds the widest choice of curricula, the largest schools and the most established names, including Jakarta Intercultural School, British School Jakarta, the Australian Independent School, Sekolah Pelita Harapan, Singapore Intercultural School and ACG School Jakarta. The capital is where families find the deepest option set and the strongest onward university outcomes, and it is the only Indonesian city where multiple schools compete head to head within each curriculum. Our Jakarta city guide covers the neighbourhood clusters, commute realities and housing patterns, and the companion guide to the best IB schools in Jakarta ranks the leading Diploma Programme schools.
Bali is the most distinctive secondary market. The international school community spreads across Denpasar and the Sanur area, Ubud and the Canggu corridor, and it skews towards the IB and towards progressive, sustainability focused and project based models that you find less often in Jakarta. Bali Island School offers a long established IB continuum, Green School Bali has built an international profile around its environmental approach, and Canggu Community School pairs IGCSE with the IB Diploma. The island appeals to families drawn to the lifestyle and to a particular educational philosophy, though the absolute number of schools and the breadth of curricula remain smaller than the capital.
Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, anchors the third market. The provision there is modest, typically one credible school per curriculum rather than the competing clusters seen in Jakarta, and it mainly serves resident expatriate families and internationally minded Indonesian families in East Java. Families posted to Surabaya should expect a narrower choice and should weigh boarding or relocation options if a specific curriculum or programme is essential. Other regional centres have a thinner offering again, so for most relocations outside Jakarta the practical decision is between the capital and Bali.
Admissions calendar
Most international schools in Indonesia run a northern hemisphere style academic year that begins in July or August and ends the following June. This matters for timing, because the main intake and the bulk of available places cluster around that July or August start. Families planning a move should aim to apply in the preceding months, ideally before the start of the calendar year for an August entry at the more sought after schools, where popular year groups can fill early.
The application process follows the familiar international school template. Schools typically ask for recent school reports covering the past two years, references from the current school, an age appropriate academic assessment, an English language assessment for pupils who are not native speakers, and a family interview or meeting. SPK status adds an Indonesian dimension, since cooperation schools are required to provide Indonesian language, civics and religion, and some documentation around residency and pupil status may be requested depending on the family's circumstances.
Mid year entry is usually possible where a school has space, and many schools accept applications on a rolling basis outside the main intake. Decision cycles are generally faster than in the most competitive Asian hubs, but the strongest Jakarta schools maintain waiting lists at the most popular entry points, so early application remains the single most useful planning step. Where a school has not published its current deadlines, contact the admissions office directly rather than relying on third party dates.
Choosing a school
The first thing to understand when choosing in Indonesia is the SPK framework. Because the 2014 regulation reclassified schools that partner with a foreign institution as Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama, the schools you will shortlist are, in legal terms, cooperation schools rather than international schools in the older sense. In practice this means they teach a foreign curriculum while also delivering Indonesian language, civics and religion and meeting national requirements. For most families the SPK obligations are a positive, giving children a grounding in the host country, but it is worth confirming how each school structures that provision and how it fits around the foreign curriculum.
The second consideration is the local versus foreign passport nuance. Under the SPK framework, cooperation schools can enrol both foreign nationals and Indonesian nationals, and many have a genuinely mixed student body. The specific rules, including any documentation requirements and the way the compulsory Indonesian subjects are handled for different pupils, can vary by school and by year group. This is an area where published guidance is often incomplete, so where the detail is not clearly set out, treat it as not published and confirm the current position with the school before you apply.
Beyond regulation, the usual factors apply with particular force in Indonesia. Commute is a major one in Jakarta, where traffic can turn a short distance into a long journey, so school location should be a primary input to where you live. Curriculum continuity matters if your posting is uncertain, which is one reason the IB Diploma is so popular, since it travels well. Use our parent reviews to read first hand accounts from families already at the schools on your list, and lean on the compare curricula tool to pressure test the sixth form route against your child's likely university destinations. The combination of regulatory understanding, realistic commute planning and curriculum fit will serve you better than headline reputation alone.
FAQ
How much do international schools cost in Indonesia? Fees vary widely by tier. The premium Jakarta schools sit at the top of the market, while mid market and value schools cost considerably less, and Bali and Surabaya generally run below the premium Jakarta band. On top of tuition, budget for one off capital or facilities levies and for registration, transport, lunch and trips, which together can add 20 to 40 per cent in the first year. Treat all figures as bands rather than fixed prices and confirm the current schedule with each school.
Why are international schools in Indonesia called SPK schools? Since a 2014 regulation, schools that work with foreign education partners are classified as Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama, or SPK, which translates as education cooperation unit. The reform restricted the standalone use of the word international in school names and required cooperation schools to teach Indonesian language, civics and religion and to follow national requirements alongside the foreign curriculum. Many well known schools still use international in their branding, but their legal status is SPK.
Which curricula are offered in Indonesia? The International Baccalaureate is very strong across Jakarta and Bali, often as the sixth form pathway above a British or Australian lower school. The British route through IGCSE and A Level is widely available, the American route with a high school diploma and Advanced Placement is anchored by long established schools, and the Australian curriculum is offered at a small number of schools. Several schools combine a Cambridge or Australian lower school with an IB Diploma at the top.
When does the school year start in Indonesia? Most international schools in Indonesia run a northern hemisphere style academic year that starts in July or August and ends in June. This differs from the Indonesian national school calendar, which has historically aligned to a July start as well. Mid year entry is usually possible where a school has space, and many schools accept applications on a rolling basis outside the main intake.
Can Indonesian passport holders attend international schools? Under the SPK framework, schools that work with foreign partners can enrol both foreign and Indonesian national pupils, and many SPK schools have a mixed student body. Specific eligibility, the required Indonesian language, civics and religion provision and any documentation rules can vary by school and by year group, so confirm the current position directly with the school before applying.
Is Jakarta or Bali better for international schooling? Jakarta has by far the deepest market, with the widest choice of curricula, the largest schools and the most established names, so it suits families who want maximum option set and strong onward university outcomes. Bali offers a smaller but distinctive market weighted towards the IB and progressive, sustainability focused models, which appeals to families drawn to the island lifestyle. The right answer depends on where the family is based and what learning model fits the child.