International Schools in Jakarta Under $20,000 a Year

Jakarta · Fees & Costs

The $20,000 ceiling changes the picture. Under $10,000 you are choosing between five schools. Under $20,000 you have over twenty - and the range of curriculum, geography, and school character is far wider.

This is the bracket where most Jakarta families who are not on full expatriate packages end up looking. It includes some genuinely strong schools alongside a lot of mid-tier options where the differences come down to curriculum preference, location, and community fit rather than any obvious quality gap.

Written by Mia Windsor · Originally published: 24 February 2026 · 6 min read

TL;DR

• Over 20 international schools in Jakarta keep their highest year group fees under $20,000
• The bracket includes IB, Cambridge, Singapore, French, German, and blended curriculum options
• Several schools in this range publish IB results - Binus Simprug (34 average, 95% pass rate) and Beacon Academy (32 average, 91% pass rate) stand out
• Geography matters: North Jakarta, West Jakarta, Greater Jakarta (BSD, Bintaro, Bekasi) are all well represented. South Jakarta has fewer options at this price
• The core trade-off remains: lower fees mean lower teacher salaries. But in the $15,000-$20,000 range, some schools are starting to compete for the same teachers as the top tier

In this article

• The full table
• What this bracket looks like
• Schools worth knowing about
• What separates $12,000 from $19,000
• FAQs

The Full Table

Every school below keeps its most expensive year group under $20,000. Sorted by high-end fee, ascending.

All figures approximate and reflect the highest year group. Verify directly with each school. Exchange rate: USD 1 = IDR 16,826 (24 February 2026).

What This Bracket Looks Like

The under-$20,000 bracket is where Jakarta's international school market gets crowded. At under $10,000 you are choosing between a handful of options. Here you have 24 schools spanning six curriculum systems, every major area of Jakarta, and student populations from 300 to 2,000+.

A few patterns stand out.

Geography opens up. The $10,000 bracket is heavy on North and Central Jakarta. At $20,000 you gain significant South Jakarta presence - Sampoerna Academy, Al Jabr, Mentari Jakarta, Cita Buana, Cikal, Binus Simprug - plus Greater Jakarta options in BSD, Bintaro, and Bekasi for families living on the fringes.

Curriculum choice widens. Under $10,000, it was Cambridge and IB. Here you add French Baccalaureate (French School Jakarta), German Abitur (Deutsche Schule), Korean national curriculum (JIKS), Singapore curriculum (SIS PIK, SIS South Jakarta), American-influenced (HighScope), and Australian (IPEKA). If your family has a specific curriculum requirement, this is the bracket where you start finding it.

IB results appear. Two schools in this bracket publish meaningful IB data. Binus Simprug averages 34 points with a 95% pass rate. Beacon Academy averages 32 with 91%. Both are credible IB outcomes - the world average sits around 30. If IB results matter to your family, these numbers are worth comparing against JIS and BSJ at the premium end.

The top of this bracket competes upward. ACS Jakarta at $20,000 and Sekolah Ciputra at $19,000 are not mid-tier schools by any reasonable measure. ACS is CIS-accredited with a long track record. Sekolah Ciputra is CIS-accredited and runs the full IB continuum. Both operate at a level that overlaps with the $20,000-$30,000 tier in quality if not in price.

Schools Worth Knowing About

With 24 options, families need a way to filter. Here are the schools in this bracket that stand out for specific reasons - not because they are better than the rest, but because they serve distinct needs.

Binus Simprug - the strongest IB value proposition in Jakarta. Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) at $15,000 high end. IB average of 34 with 95% pass rate. For families who want IB and cannot stretch to JIS fees, this is the first name to investigate.

ACS Jakarta - the most established school at the top of this bracket. Cambridge and IB Diploma, Singapore maths, 1,200+ students, CIS-accredited. Sits in East Jakarta (TB Simatupang area), which works for families in Cilandak, Kemang, and parts of South Jakarta. At $20,000 it sits right on the ceiling.

Sekolah Ciputra - CIS-accredited, full IB continuum, based in Greater Jakarta. IB average of 34, 95% pass rate. For families in the Tangerang corridor who want a proven IB pathway, it is one of the strongest options at any price point.

French School Jakarta - the only realistic option for francophone families wanting the French Baccalaureate. Niche but essential for its audience. $12,000 high end.

Deutsche Schule Jakarta - same logic for German-speaking families. German Abitur plus an international programme. Run by a non-profit foundation, which means fees go directly into education rather than returns. $15,000 high end.

Sampoerna Academy - notable for charging no building or development fees. In a market where capital levies and development charges can add $3,000-$10,000 on top of tuition, this is a meaningful differentiator. Cambridge IGCSE plus IB Diploma at $11,000 high end.

NJIS - one of very few credible international schools in North Jakarta. Full IB continuum, Kelapa Gading location. For families based north of the city centre, geography narrows the choice significantly. $16,000 high end.

What Separates $12,000 from $19,000

Not all $20,000-and-under schools are the same. The difference between the bottom and top of this bracket is real, and it maps primarily to three things.

Teacher salaries. A school at $12,000 is paying teachers meaningfully less than one at $19,000. The $19,000 school is starting to compete with the premium tier for recruitment. At $12,000 the applicant pool is thinner. This is not absolute - individual schools vary - but the pattern holds across the market.

Accreditation depth. At the top of this bracket, ACS Jakarta and Sekolah Ciputra hold CIS accreditation - the most rigorous international school accreditation available. Further down, accreditation is patchier. Some schools hold IB authorisation or Cambridge centre status (meaningful), while others have no external accreditation at all. Check before shortlisting.

Facilities and scale. Schools at $15,000-$19,000 tend to have purpose-built campuses, dedicated sports facilities, performing arts spaces, and specialist labs. At $11,000-$13,000, campuses are more compact and multi-purpose. The difference is visible on a school visit.

The curriculum on paper can look identical - two schools both offering Cambridge IGCSEs - while the quality of delivery differs substantially. The only way to assess that is to visit, ask about teacher qualifications, and request published exam results.