Asia Pacific International School

At a glance

Where a detail is not officially published we mark it clearly rather than guess. Always confirm current figures with the school.

Curriculum and academics

APIS follows a United States style curriculum built around project based learning, and its senior school offers Advanced Placement courses and examinations set by the College Board. Teaching is in English throughout, and the school describes an approach that asks pupils to apply what they learn to real questions rather than sit passively. Graduates leave with an American high school diploma and the Advanced Placement results that many universities in North America and beyond recognise.

The school is part of a small network with a sister campus in Hawaii, which gives senior pupils an exchange option and a wider frame of reference. For families weighing the American route against the International Baccalaureate, our guide to the American curriculum explains how the diploma and Advanced Placement work, and our Seoul city guide maps where APIS sits among the capital's international schools.

APIS suits families who want a recognised American pathway with strong Advanced Placement provision and a compact community in the north of the city. It is one of the more established American style options in Seoul that is not tied to a particular church, and it draws a mix of returning Korean families and expatriate households.

Asia Pacific International School fees

APIS publishes its tuition, and it sits in the premium band for Seoul. For 2025/26 the school listed annual tuition in two parts: a Korean won component of roughly KRW 22.5 million in the elementary school, KRW 27.1 million in the middle school and KRW 29.8 million in the high school, together with a United States dollar component of about USD 7,400 to USD 7,800 by division. Families should read the two parts together when they budget.

On top of tuition there are one off and recurring charges that are normal for Seoul international schools. For the wider picture, our guide to international school fees in Seoul divides the market into bands, and you can line up the senior figures in our Seoul secondary fees breakdown. Confirm current figures with the school, since it revises them each year.

• Application fee: a non refundable charge of about KRW 400,000 at the point of applying.
• Entrance fee: a one off charge of around KRW 4 million on acceptance of a place.
• Annual tuition: billed as a Korean won amount plus a United States dollar amount, rising through the divisions.
• Extras: meals, transport, uniform, trips and activities billed separately.

Admissions

The main intake follows the August start of the North American school year, with applications generally opening the preceding autumn. The process runs through an online application and the application fee, then school reports, an interview and an age appropriate assessment. Places in the most popular year groups can fill, so applying in the autumn window before your intended start gives the best chance.

Families joining partway through the cycle should contact the admissions office directly to ask about availability outside the main transition years. As an accredited American school, admission weighs prior school records and, in the senior years, readiness for Advanced Placement study.

Location and who goes there

The campus is in the Nowon district in the north of Seoul, a residential area that is quieter and more affordable than the central and southern school clusters. The setting gives the school a settled community feel and reasonable access by public transport, though families in the southern or western districts should factor in the commute.

The community is mixed, drawing on expatriate families and Korean households returning from time abroad who want an American pathway. Many families comparing APIS also look at the larger campuses further south, so our Seoul city guide sets out how the options compare on curriculum, stage and fee band.

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Frequently asked questions