Key points:
- The United States was significantly more expensive than other countries in the Americas, even Canada. The top 4 cities in our research for this region were all U.S cities.
- The cost of international schooling was largely consistent across the Latin American cities included in our research. Little difference was found between median prices or the range of prices on offer.
- There was a stark difference in costs between North America and Latin America. Median prices are at least double between the two regions, depending on the countries compared.
- There was also a contrast between international school prices in Canada and the United States. While Toronto and Chicago are somewhat close in median prices, other U.S cities were a minimum of 17% higher compared to Toronto.
At the International Schools Database, we help local and expat parents choose the perfect international school for their children. Our database allows parents to find, research and compare international schools around the world. Naturally, this means that we gather and analyse a huge amount of information about international schools.
Starting in 2019, we began using this data to evaluate the prices of international schools across the globe. In this article, we share and analyze the prices of international schools in the Americas updated to 2024.
Below, we have analysed price data from 8 cities in 5 countries in the Americas, in graph and table forms. While we have used all price data available to us as of Dec 31st 2024, there may be additional schools and prices not included in each city. This is because they do not make their price data available or because it is unknown to us. Links to additional research focusing on each world region individually and globally can be found at the bottom of this article and here can be found the results of the previous year 2023.
Prices of International Schools in the Americas, Per Year
The graph below is known as a box plot graph. It shows a comprehensive view of the range of prices in each city, instead of just an average. A single average price may not necessarily represent the full picture of prices in each destination. Since there is a lot to unpack in this graph, we have also provided a little explanation on how to read the graph easily at the end of the article.
Highlights and takeaways from the research findings
The top four most expensive cities for international schools in the Americas were all located in the United States. New York City had the most expensive median price at $44,600, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C area, and Chicago. Within the U.S, New York City was significantly more expensive than the other cities. There was over $11k in the difference between N.Y.C and the second most expensive city - San Francisco Bay Area at $33,450. That said, there was no U.S city with a median price below $20,000 per year.
While the median cost of an international school in Toronto was close to that of an international school in Chicago ($21,532 and $23,700 respectively), from there prices diverge between Canada and the other U.S cities. The next lowest U.S city on the list was the Washington D.C area with a median cost of $25,915 - that’s 17% higher than Toronto. The other two U.S cities - San Francisco Bay Area and New York City - had even bigger differences.
In contrast to this, the cost of international schools was relatively consistent across Latin America when median prices were considered. The three cities from this region were Lima in Peru (median price $8,140 per year), Panama City ($8,589), and Monterrey in Mexico ($9,300). The difference in median price between the three cities was just a little over $1k.
When comparing cities in the United States and Canada with those in Latin America, the stark difference in the cost of international schooling between them becomes even more clear. The closest median prices between the two regions was Monterrey at $9,300 per year and Toronto at $21,532 per year - more than 200% of an increase.
You can find a breakdown of exact prices for each American city in the table below. But if the Americas isn’t enough, we have also compiled price data for other regions and cities around the world; you can find links to this additional research at the bottom of this article. If you require any further information or have additional questions, don't hesitate to contact us at andrea@international-schools-database.com.
