Seoul Foreign School High School is the senior stage of one of the oldest international schools in Seoul, teaching grades 9 to 12 on the Seoul Foreign School campus in Yeonhui-dong. For families relocating with a teenager the high school is what matters most, because this is where the International Baccalaureate Diploma is taught and where university preparation happens. This profile concentrates on those years rather than the whole school, covering the Diploma pathway, the fees to plan for, and how admission to the senior school works.
Seoul Foreign School High School at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the final two years, within a grade 9 to 12 high school. Advanced Placement courses are also reported alongside the Diploma |
| Stages | High school, grades 9 to 12, roughly ages 14 to 18, within Seoul Foreign School |
| Founded | Part of Seoul Foreign School, founded 1913; among the first schools worldwide authorised for the IB Diploma |
| Accreditation | Accredited by WASC and CIS as part of Seoul Foreign School; an IB World School for the Diploma Programme |
| Fee band | Premium band for Seoul; high school fees typically the highest stage. See the Seoul fees guide |
| Campus area | Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, on the Seoul Foreign School campus next to Yonsei University |
Curriculum and academics
The high school spans grades 9 to 12, with the first two years building toward the two year International Baccalaureate Diploma taken in grades 11 and 12. The Diploma asks students to study across six subject groups, complete the theory of knowledge course, an extended essay and a creativity, activity and service element, which together aim at breadth and independent research rather than early specialisation. Advanced Placement courses are also reported alongside the Diploma, giving some flexibility in how students structure the senior years.
Seoul Foreign School was among the first schools in the world authorised to offer the IB Diploma, so the programme is well embedded at the senior stage rather than a recent addition. For a relocating teenager the practical advantage is that the Diploma is recognised by universities everywhere, which matters for families who may move again before graduation or whose child is applying across several countries.
The honest question for the high school years is whether your child suits the Diploma's wide spread of subjects and its research and service demands. A student who enjoys keeping options open and managing a varied workload will do well. If your child would prefer to specialise earlier, weigh that against an A Level school, and ask the high school how it supports students joining in grades 9 or 10 and where recent leavers have gone on to study.
Comparing Seoul schools?
Put Seoul Foreign School High School side by side with up to two other schools to weigh curriculum, fees and location.
Seoul Foreign School High School fees
As the senior division of Seoul Foreign School, the high school sits in the premium band for the city, and high school fees are typically the highest of any stage. Our Seoul international school fees guide places the capital's leading schools at the top of the local market, and Seoul Foreign School is named there as the long established premium option. The published high school schedule is the figure to plan against.
Beyond tuition, budget for a one off registration or application fee, a deposit, and optional costs such as lunches, the school bus, examination fees for the Diploma, trips and technology. Senior fees rise with each school year, so plan for increases across the two or three years of the high school rather than a flat rate.
To compare the senior years with the city's other options, the fees guide groups Seoul schools into tiers. Ask the school how high school fees compare with the middle school, whether Diploma examination costs are billed separately, and how transport is charged from your neighbourhood.
Admissions
Entry to the high school happens on the school year, with grades 9 and 10 the most common entry points before the Diploma begins. Admission involves a review of the transcript and recent reports, assessment suited to the grade, and for the senior years a look at the subjects a student has studied so they can slot into the Diploma. Entry directly into grade 11 is harder because the Diploma is a two year programme, so discuss timing early.
International schools in Korea operate under nationality rules that restrict places for Korean citizens, so confirm your family's eligibility before applying, as set out in our Seoul fees guide. Families applying from abroad should check English language expectations and gather a full transcript, since the senior years build on prior coursework.
Register your interest as soon as your relocation is confirmed, share the transcript and any standardised results, and ask the admissions team how a student would map onto the Diploma subject groups for the grade they are entering.
Location and who goes there
The high school shares the Seoul Foreign School campus in Yeonhui-dong, in Seodaemun-gu, a green and established district next to Yonsei University on the northern side of the Han River, with its own facilities within the wider site. The campus is large for a city school, which gives the senior students dedicated space.
The high school intake is multinational and includes diplomatic, corporate and long settled international families, with teenagers often joining as parents take up postings in the capital. Families relocating to Seoul tend to weigh the commute from the western and northern districts, since the daily run shapes which neighbourhoods are practical for an older student.
To see how the senior years compare with the other schools across the city, start from the Seoul city hub and work outward by curriculum and budget.
Seoul Foreign School High School reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for Seoul Foreign School High School. GlobalSchoolGuide is an independent guide and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have gathered enough verified first hand accounts to be fair to the school and to the families reading them. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
If your teenager has attended the high school we would value your account of the IB Diploma, the university counselling, pastoral care and value for money. Share it through our school reviews hub and we will add verified contributions to this page.
Frequently asked questions
What curriculum does Seoul Foreign School High School follow?
The high school teaches grades 9 to 12 and leads to the International Baccalaureate Diploma in the final two years, with Advanced Placement courses also reported alongside it. Seoul Foreign School was among the first schools worldwide authorised for the IB Diploma. Confirm current subject options with the school.
Can my child join Seoul Foreign School High School in grade 11?
Entry is most common in grades 9 and 10, before the two year IB Diploma begins. Joining directly in grade 11 is harder because the Diploma runs across grades 11 and 12, so discuss timing and subject fit with the admissions team early.
How much are Seoul Foreign School High School fees?
The high school sits in the premium band for the city, and high school fees are typically the highest stage. Budget for tuition plus a registration fee, a deposit and optional costs such as Diploma examination fees, meals, transport and trips, and confirm the current schedule with the school.
Does Seoul Foreign School High School offer the IB Diploma?
Yes. The IB Diploma Programme is taught in grades 11 and 12, and the wider school has run the Diploma since it was among the first worldwide authorised for it. Advanced Placement courses are also reported alongside the Diploma.
When do Seoul Foreign School High School applications open?
Entry runs on the school year, with grades 9 and 10 the usual entry points. Nationality rules restrict places for Korean citizens, so confirm eligibility, share a full transcript and check the current admissions criteria directly with the school.
