Westhill Institute is an American international school and IB World School in Mexico City, and it features on our Mexico City city hub and our guide to IB schools in Mexico City. Founded in 1992, it teaches from preschool through to high school and is authorised for the three International Baccalaureate programmes, so a child can begin in an American elementary setting and finish on the IB Diploma. The school is known for an unusually mixed intake, with families from dozens of nationalities alongside Mexican families, and it runs more than one campus across the western side of the city. Its fees sit in the upper part of the Mexico City range, which makes the stage your child enters and the campus you choose the two decisions that shape the budget.
This profile is an independent reference page. GlobalSchoolGuide does not accept payment for coverage, and Westhill appears here because it is a real school relocating parents ask about, not because it paid to be listed. We researched the facts below from the school and public sources at the time of writing, and mark anything we could not confirm as not published.
At a glance
Curriculum and academics
Westhill runs an American programme alongside the International Baccalaureate, and it is authorised as an IB World School for all three school age programmes: the Primary Years Programme in the early and elementary years, the Middle Years Programme through the lower secondary years, and the Diploma Programme in the final two years. That combination is the school's defining feature. A child can follow an American elementary and middle school structure, with the inquiry led PYP and MYP frameworks shaping how subjects are taught, and then sit the IB Diploma, the qualification most widely recognised by universities worldwide.
The practical question for most parents is the exit route. The IB Diploma opens applications to universities in Mexico, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, and the American grounding suits families who expect to move on to a North American system. Teaching is in English, with Spanish taught throughout so that children settle into life in Mexico rather than sitting apart from it. Our IB curriculum guide explains how the Diploma is scored and how the continuum fits together across the stages, which is worth reading before you commit to an IB route for the long run.
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Westhill Institute fees
Westhill sits in the upper part of the market on our Mexico City international school fees guide, where premium American and bilingual schools run roughly MXN 280,000 to 450,000 a year, around USD 14,500 to 23,000, with mid tier schools at MXN 160,000 to 280,000. Fees climb with each stage, so preschool and early elementary sit lower in the range and the senior years sit at the top. Treat these as bands rather than a quote, because schools revise fees every year and the published schedule is the only reliable figure.
Tuition is only part of the budget. Expect a registration or enrolment charge on entry, a refundable deposit or annual reinscription, and budget for the usual extras of meals, uniform, materials, optional bus and any after school activities. School transport matters more here than in most cities, because Mexico City traffic means the campus you choose and where you live can add an hour each way. Use our fee calculator to model the full annual figure rather than the headline tuition alone, and compare it against the wider market in the city fees guide.
Admissions
The Mexican school year runs from August to June, so the main intake is August and most families apply in the spring before. Westhill considers applications through the year where places exist, which matters for families relocating to Mexico City outside the usual cycle. Admission typically involves the school reviewing previous school reports, an interview or visit, and an age appropriate assessment, with English level looked at for older entrants joining an English medium programme.
Because the school spans preschool to high school across more than one campus, the place you are offered depends on the stage and the campus that has space, so naming your preferred campus early helps. Families moving on a corporate or diplomatic timeline should contact the school as soon as the move is confirmed, since the most in demand stages and campuses fill ahead of August. Ask directly about the point at which children move onto the IB Diploma and what that means for subject choices in the senior years.
Location and who goes there
Westhill runs campuses in Lomas de Chapultepec, in the Miguel Hidalgo borough on the western side of the city, and a campus in Santa Fe in Cuajimalpa, the modern business district further west. Both areas are among the places where international, diplomatic and professional families settle, which is part of why the school draws such a mixed intake. The two locations let families pick the campus closest to home or work, a real advantage given the city's commutes.
The intake is genuinely international, with families from dozens of countries alongside Mexican families who want a bilingual American and IB education, so a new arrival is unlikely to be the only newcomer in the class. Commutes are shortest for families living in the Lomas and Polanco neighbourhoods or out towards Santa Fe and the western suburbs. For the wider picture of where international families live across the city and the other schools near them, see the Mexico City city hub and our guide to IB schools in Mexico City.
Reviews
We do not yet have verified parent reviews for Westhill Institute. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish reviews only once we can confirm they come from real families. If your child attends or has attended Westhill, we would value your first hand account. Share your experience through the school reviews hub and help the next relocating family decide with better information.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Westhill Institute fees?
Westhill Institute sits in the upper part of the Mexico City market, where premium American and bilingual schools run roughly MXN 280,000 to 450,000 a year, around USD 14,500 to 23,000. Fees rise with each stage and a registration charge and the usual extras apply on top. Confirm the current schedule with the school, as fees change every year.
Is Westhill Institute a good school?
Westhill Institute is an established American and IB World School founded in 1992 that teaches the full International Baccalaureate continuum from the Primary Years to the Diploma. Whether it fits your family depends on the campus, the stage and whether you want an American programme with an IB pathway. We do not publish a rating without verified reviews.
What curriculum does Westhill Institute follow?
Westhill follows an American programme and is an IB World School authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme, so students can move from an American elementary and middle school base into the IB Diploma in the final two years.
When do Westhill Institute applications open?
The Mexican school year runs from August to June, so the main intake is August and most families apply in the months before. Westhill considers places through the year where space allows, which matters for families relocating to Mexico City mid year.
Where is Westhill Institute located?
Westhill runs campuses in Lomas de Chapultepec in the Miguel Hidalgo borough and a campus in Santa Fe in Cuajimalpa, two of the areas where international and professional families in Mexico City cluster.
