Most popular destinations for expats have seen a growing inflation of international schooling prices. Some expat destinations can offer alternatives through local curriculums but some not. With no access to the local education system for some or the need to maintain their native language and curriculum for others, putting your children in international schools can be financially challenging.
The relocation site ExpatFinder has released a market survey of over 700 international schools and gives you access to some interesting insights.
The costliest international schools in Asia can be found in China, Hong Kong, Singapore while Switzerland, Belgium and The United Kingdom dominate in Europe.
Assessing correctly your family's Cost of living in your new destination city is of utmost importance from the start of the preparation. Education costs have become one of the largest burden for expat families over the past years. This is jointly due to a rise in local assignment packages and an ever increasing price inflation of school fees.
International school tuition fees in 2016 have increased by 3.43% from 2015. If you are preparing for a long-term assignment, it is important to take this form of recurring price inflation into account. This means to make sure it is accounted for in your assignment letter and education allowance and if not, to make sure you are told by the school the expected rate rise so you can budget accurately. We look into the key findings of that survey:
Most expensive countries
China, Hong Kong, Singapore have the costliest international schools in Asia while Switzerland, Belgium and The United Kingdom dominate Europe.
Some countries have schools that are just inaccessible. The difficulty to enrol the child in some schools and therefore providing a good level of education has caused some assignments to be declined. “Given the rising costs of education and ability to access top schools in certain locations, we are noticing an increasing trend of short-term international assignments and commuting assignments where children remain in the home location,” Stephen Park, Head of Global Mobility at Fonterra
While some will transform their assignments to short-term commutes, others will jump in and get the full family to relocate. Now fret not, as there are some options that are picking up in the https://www.expat.communities:
- More parents are using home-schooling.
- It is now more common to enrol their children in local schools that offer internationally recognised curriculum.
- Private tutors are en vogue and provide supplementary native language lessons in lieu of costly international education.
Top 8 most expensive schools
While analysing over the 707 international schools surveyed, we find that the tuition fee can go as high as US$48,170 per year in Switzerland's Institut Le Rosey and as low as US$860 per year in Colombia's Colegio Anglo-Colombiano.
Here are the top 8 most expensive schools:
1. The American School In Switzerland (Switzerland)
2. Foundation of The Int'l School of Geneva (Switzerland)
3. College du leman (Switzerland)
4. Institut Auf Dem Rosenberg (Switzerland)
5. Le Rosey (Switzerland)
6. World Class Learning Academy (US)
7. John F Kennedy International School (JFK4) (Switzerland)
8. The British School of Beijing (China)
Boarding as a costly option
When it comes to boarding, Switzerland, Kenya and the UK are ranked in the top three, followed by Sweden, Canada, Australia, the United States, Austria, France and Thailand.
Notably, the top five most expensive international schools are all found to be in the top country, Switzerland. Their fees range from US$82,700 to US$122,400.
Prices vary greatly inside each country
Location can affect greatly the cost of your kid's education. The report highlight important price variance within countries. This is something to take into account as only by creating a short list of where you feel your child should go will give you an accurate estimate of what will be the education cost. This in line will allow a better and more accurate conversation with your employer and HR department.
Nationality of the school matters
American schools' 6th-grade tuition fee is the highest and costs US$17,095 on average, followed closely by British, Canadian, French and German ones. Spanish schools emerged as the most affordable, standing at only US$6,320.
You are better off if you are posted in secondary cities
“I'm surprised to see such a price gap between international schools in Paris and other French cities. International school fees in Paris are indeed quite expensive for families not supported by their companies or embassies. However, as an expat child myself, I would recommend to avoid changes in schooling systems and focus on what is best for the student's learning,” commented Camelia Pierre, expat mother of two from France.
Be aware of all costs involved
When budgeting your new life abroad, make sure to include all the cost that will derive from the schoolings. Admission fee is one of the mandatory, but don't forget to ask for other incidental costs such as meal options, uniforms and more.
For long-term assignments, you may want to take note that the tuition fees are likely to increase over the years. The report highlight the fees in 2016 have jumped by 3.43%, as compared to the previous year.
School search is not an easy task furthermore when it is adding up to all the relocation stress. Some company provide education support that includes school search support. You can ask your employer for such and if not, you can consider hiring a Destination Service provider for such. Most will provide a package that will guide and support you in this difficult choice of education in your destination city.
