What Counts as an American School?
The label "American school" gets used loosely. For this guide, we define it by three markers:
Curriculum structure. An American-style school organises learning around the US K-12 grade system, uses American pedagogical approaches (standards-based, often inquiry-driven), and offers exit qualifications recognised by US universities - either AP (Advanced Placement) exams, an American high school diploma, or both.
Accreditation. American accreditation comes from bodies like WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) or Cognia (formerly AdvancED). These carry weight with US universities and signal alignment with American educational standards.
Transcript compatibility. For families planning a US university pathway, the school needs to produce transcripts, GPA calculations and counselor recommendations that American admissions offices understand without translation.
Not every school with "American" in its marketing meets all three. Read on.
The Schools
JIS - Jakarta Intercultural School
JIS is the benchmark. Founded in 1951 as the Joint Embassy School, it is Jakarta's oldest and largest international school - 2,500+ students from 70+ nationalities across a campus in Pondok Indah that is the best-resourced school facility in the city.
JIS runs an American-style curriculum and is the only school in Jakarta offering AP (Advanced Placement) alongside the IB Diploma. Students choose their pathway in Grades 11-12: full IB Diploma, AP courses, or a combination. This flexibility is unusual internationally and genuinely useful for families whose children have strong single-subject interests (where AP's subject-by-subject approach suits) or broad academic profiles (where IB's structured breadth is a better fit).
The school is WASC-accredited and produces US-compatible transcripts. College counselling is strong - JIS graduates go to American, British, Australian and Asian universities. For families who need a school that American universities will recognise without explanation, JIS is the only option in Jakarta that delivers this at scale.
JIS is a non-profit Yayasan. Fees are at the top of the Jakarta market - approximately $17,341 at elementary level rising to around $35,916 at high school. The quality shows in the co-curricular programme, the breadth of AP/IB options, the college counselling, and the campus itself.
NJIS - North Jakarta Intercultural School
NJIS sits in Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta and is WASC-accredited - making it the only school in North Jakarta with American accreditation. The school describes itself as having an "American orientation" and became a full IB Continuum school (PYP, MYP, DP) in 2021.
NJIS is much smaller than JIS - approximately 266 students from 16 nationalities. That is a fundamentally different school experience. Smaller schools offer closer teacher-student relationships and less anonymity, but they also offer fewer subject options, narrower co-curricular programmes, and a smaller peer group for social development.
NJIS does not offer AP. Students take the IB Diploma or an NJIS Diploma. For families based in North Jakarta, geography makes the case - the commute to JIS or other South Jakarta schools from Kelapa Gading is brutal. NJIS fills a real gap.
Fees sit in the $10,000-$18,000 range depending on year group. The school has a committed teaching staff and a warm community feel, though the programme is naturally narrower than what JIS can offer at its scale. Ask about class sizes, teacher turnover, and IB results directly.
ACS Jakarta - A Note on the Name
ACS Jakarta deserves mention because families searching for American schools in Jakarta will find it. But ACS Jakarta does not run an American curriculum. The school uses Cambridge IGCSEs and the IB Diploma as its exit qualifications. The pedagogical philosophy has American influences - experiential learning, character development, a structured values framework - but the qualifications are British and international, not American.
ACS Jakarta is located in East Jakarta (Setu), on a semi-rural campus off the Jorr Tol. The student body is almost entirely Indonesian, with a smaller cohort of East Asian and South Asian families. Annual fees are approximately IDR 242-295 million (~$14,400-$17,500). Camps are compulsory and add $700-$1,600 per year.
If you are looking for Cambridge IGCSEs and the IB Diploma with an American-influenced school culture, ACS Jakarta is worth investigating. If you specifically need AP courses, US-compatible transcripts, or American accreditation, ACS Jakarta does not offer them.
For a full comparison of JIS and ACS, read our detailed head-to-head.
Fee Comparison
| School | High School Fees (USD) | Exit Qualifications | US Accreditation | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JIS | ~$28,000-$35,916 | AP + IB Diploma | WASC | Pondok Indah |
| NJIS | ~$16,000-$18,000 | IB Diploma | WASC | Kelapa Gading |
| ACS Jakarta | ~$17,500 | Cambridge IGCSE + IB DP | None | East Jakarta |
Fees correct as of February 2026. Exchange rate: IDR 16,826 = $1 USD. JIS fees from school website and US State Department data. ACS fees from school website. NJIS fees estimated from third-party sources.
The gap between JIS and the other two shows in the breadth of programme, the depth of co-curricular offerings, and the scale of the campus. JIS is a different kind of school - and the fees reflect that.
Which School Fits Which Family?
Consider ACS Jakarta if: You are drawn to an American educational philosophy but your child's pathway is Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma, not AP. You value a semi-rural campus environment. Your family is based in East or South Jakarta. You do not specifically need US accreditation. Budget: ~$14,400-$17,500. Read the JIS vs ACS comparison before deciding.
If none of these fit: Most American families in Jakarta who cannot afford JIS or do not live near it end up choosing a strong British or IB school instead. BSJ, AIS and ISJ all produce transcripts that US universities accept, and all have students who matriculate to American colleges. The curriculum label matters less than the quality of the school and its university counselling. We cover that in our curriculum comparison guide.