The John F. Kennedy School is one of the most distinctive of the international schools in Berlin because it is not a fee paying international school at all. Established in 1960 by the United States authorities together with Berlin and local parents, and renamed in 1963 after the assassination of President Kennedy, it is a tuition free German public school created by a special act of the Berlin parliament to build German American understanding. Around 1,600 students attend, most of them German or American citizens, and the school is bilingual, bicultural and college preparatory from kindergarten to Grade 12.
John F. Kennedy School at a glance
| Curriculum and exam boards | German Abitur and United States High School Diploma (bilingual German American) |
|---|---|
| Stages | Kindergarten to Grade 12 |
| Founded | 1960 (renamed 1963) |
| Accreditation | German public school established under a special act of the Berlin parliament |
| Language | Bilingual German and English |
| Fee band | Tuition free (state school) |
| Campus area | Zehlendorf, south western Berlin |
Curriculum and academics
The defining feature of JFKS is that German and American children learn together in the same classrooms rather than in parallel streams, which is what the school means by bicultural. Teaching is bilingual from the kindergarten upward, so children grow up genuinely literate in both German and English instead of treating one as a foreign subject. The model is deliberately college preparatory and built around mutual understanding between the two cultures.
At the top of the school students can graduate after Grade 12 with two qualifications, the German Abitur and the United States High School Diploma, a dual outcome that keeps universities in both Germany and North America open. The American curriculum elements sit alongside the German Abitur pathway, and the combination is unusual even among Berlin's bilingual schools. Families weighing JFKS against the city's fee paying English language options often start with our guide to the schools that suit American families in Berlin, where its tuition free German American model stands out.
Plan the real cost of a Berlin place
Even at a tuition free school there are materials, meals and trips to budget for. Use the fee calculator to plan the full cost. Free and independent.
John F. Kennedy School fees
| Stage | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| All grades (Entrance Class to Grade 12) | Tuition-free (public school) |
Source: John F. Kennedy School (jfks.de). A German-American public school run under a special act of the Berlin parliament. Only incidental costs such as supplies and trips may apply. Fees are the most recent published figures and exclude one-off costs such as registration, deposits and capital levies. Always confirm current fees directly with the school.
John F. Kennedy School fees are, in the usual sense, nil. The school is a German public school governed under a special act of the Berlin parliament, so it is tuition free like other state schools and stands apart from the fee paying campuses that make up most of the international school fees in Berlin. For a relocating family that qualifies for a place, this is a substantial saving against an English language private school in the city.
Families should still budget for the costs that sit outside tuition at any school, including learning materials and books, lunch and after school care, school trips and excursions, and external examination entries. There may also be a parents' association contribution and the usual incidental costs of school life. Because the headline tuition is zero, the practical question for most relocating families is eligibility and a place rather than affordability.
Admissions
Admission to JFKS works differently from a private international school. As a binational public school it balances its German and American sides and allocates places under its own rules rather than through open, year round international enrolment, and demand is consistently high. Some entry points, particularly the early grades, are the main intake, and waiting lists are common.
Families relocating to Berlin who hope for a place should contact the school as early as possible, confirm how eligibility applies to their situation, and have recent school reports and documentation ready. Because the bilingual model assumes children can access both languages over time, the school will advise on the right entry grade and on language support. Allow time too for the German residence and registration steps that run alongside any school place.
Location and who goes there
The school sits in Zehlendorf in the south west of Berlin, a green, residential district of villas, lakes and woodland that has long been popular with diplomatic and academic families. The campus is close to the S-Bahn and bus routes, parks and a local shopping area, so it is straightforward to reach from across the south western suburbs.
The community is, by design, a roughly balanced mix of German and American families, with most of the 1,600 students holding one of those two nationalities. Many live in Zehlendorf and the neighbouring districts of Steglitz, Dahlem and Wannsee, the leafy south western belt that suits families wanting space, schools and quick connections into the centre. For the fuller picture of where international families settle and which schools sit nearby, return to the Berlin city hub.
Reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much are John F. Kennedy School fees?
There is no tuition. The John F. Kennedy School is a German public school governed under a special act of the Berlin parliament, so it is free to attend like other state schools. Families budget only for the usual extras such as materials, meals, trips and external examination entries rather than annual tuition.
What curriculum does the John F. Kennedy School follow?
JFKS is a bilingual German American school. German and American students are taught together in the same classrooms, and at the end of school students can graduate after Grade 12 with the German Abitur and the United States High School Diploma.
Is the John F. Kennedy School a public school?
Yes. It is a tuition free German public school created under a special act of the Berlin parliament to foster German American understanding. It is bicultural and college preparatory, and most of its roughly 1,600 students are German or American citizens.
When do John F. Kennedy School applications open?
As a public binational school, JFKS allocates places under its own admission rules rather than open year round international enrolment, with the German and American sides balanced and demand consistently high. Families should contact the school early, confirm eligibility and expect waiting lists for some entry points.
Where is the John F. Kennedy School?
The school is in Zehlendorf in south western Berlin, a leafy residential district close to the S-Bahn, bus routes, parks and a local shopping area. It runs all grades from kindergarten through Grade 12 on a large campus of several main buildings.
