Columbia International SchoolTuition, Admissions & Curriculum
William Michihiko Akiyama
William Prep
Saitama, Japan
Founded in 1988 in Tokorozawa, Saitama. The school's own site states it doesn't use a Japanese-style entrance examination.
Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
Columbia International School reportedly opened in 1988 in Tokorozawa, Saitama. It runs the formal Ontario, Canada curriculum, and graduates reportedly earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The school's own site states it doesn't use a Japanese-style entrance examination.
At a Glance
| Founded | 1988 (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Curriculum | Ontario, Canada (not American)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Admissions | No entrance examinationas of: 2026-09-24 |
| Est. First-Year Cost (Senior High) | ≈¥2. 73M2025-26 · as of: 2026-09-24 |
01Tuition & Fees
Fees: A Real First-Year Total of About ¥2. 73M (Senior High)
The school's own admissions guideline document (2025-26, senior high level) lists two one-time charges: a ¥210,000 entrance fee and a ¥420,000 facility fee (first year only). On top of that, annual tuition (¥1,935,000), a maintenance fee (¥150,000), and a PTSA fee (¥12,000) apply, for a first-year total the school itself states as ¥2,727,000. From year two, without the facility fee, it's ¥2,097,000/yr. Sibling discounts: 10% for a 2nd child, 30% for a 3rd.
academic year: 2025-26
| Entrance Fee (Senior High) | ¥210,000 |
| Facility Fee (first year only) | ¥420,000 |
| Tuition (annual) | ¥1,935,000 |
| Maintenance Fee (annual) | ¥150,000 |
| PTSA Annual Fee | ¥12,000 |
| Estimated First-Year Total | ¥2,727,000 |
Includes: enrolment, facilities, tuition, other — Excludes: Excludes the school meal fee (¥127,800/yr), the school enhancement fee, and the Grade 11 overseas trip (≈¥500,000). This total is stated directly in the school's own admissions guideline document (senior high level).
02Admissions
| Cycle | 選抜試験なし（日本の入試のような形式は実施しないと学校自身が明記） |
University Entrance Eligibility in Japan
| School-accreditation route | Yes (not independently confirmed) |
| Student-qualification route (IB, etc.) | No not publicly confirmedThe school does not appear to offer the IB or another curriculum triggering the individual-credential route. The OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) is not among the qualifications explicitly listed for Japan's individual-credential eligibility route. |
WASC accreditation is based on third-party reporting, not confirmed against the registry directly in currently available public information. Since the OSSD itself isn't explicitly listed for the individual-credential route, the school-accreditation route appears to be the primary path here.
What Japanese Families Should Know
Questions to Ask the School
1.What is the current status of WASC accreditation?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
2.What is the specific Japanese-university eligibility route for an OSSD holder?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
03Curriculum
Canadian (Ontario), Not American, Curriculum
" Checking the school's own site, what it actually runs is the formal Ontario, Canada curriculum — not American. Graduates reportedly earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), a different credential from a US high school diploma.
Key Point
It's not unusual for American and Canadian curricula to get blurred together under a loose "North American" label. But the OSSD and a US diploma can be treated differently under Japan's university-eligibility routes — this distinction has real, practical consequences for planning, not just a labeling quibble.
04School Features
What Makes This School Distinctive
One of the few schools in Japan running the formal Ontario, Canada curriculum
The formal Ontario curriculum, leading to the OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma)
The school's own site states this curriculum directly.
A direct credential pathway for families targeting Canadian university admission.
Who Might Find This School a Good Fit
Might suit — Families targeting Canadian university admission, or wanting an admissions process without a selection test
Might not suit — Families who had assumed this was an American-curriculum school
Explore Other Schools
- Seibu BunriSayama
- American School in Japan (ASIJ)Chōfu
- Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High School (Kokusai-kō)Meguro-ku
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