Photograph pending
Columbia International School — Canadian (Ontario), Not American, Curriculum
Saitama, Japan
Founded in 1988 in Tokorozawa, Saitama. The school's own site states it doesn't use a Japanese-style entrance examination.
Researched by William Prep from published sources. Not yet verified by the school. — 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 |
Canadian (Ontario), Not American, Curriculum
The legacy William Prep directory listed this school as "US Curriculum (K-12)." 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.
William Prep’s Analysis
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.
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.
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 this session. Since the OSSD itself isn't explicitly listed for the individual-credential route, the school-accreditation route appears to be the primary path here.
Fees & Estimated First-Year Cost
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).
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.
Admissions
| 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） |
What Japanese Families Should Know
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
William Prep’s Analysis
What mattered in researching Columbia International School was questioning the shorthand "North American = American." It's actually Canadian, and that distinction can carry real weight for how the resulting credential is treated. Rather than treat the legacy directory's error as a minor labeling slip, it's handled here as a substantive correction.
Questions to Ask the School
1.What is the current status of WASC accreditation?
Why this matters: Not confirmed against WASC's own registry directly this session.
2.What is the specific Japanese-university eligibility route for an OSSD holder?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.
Sources & Verification
- Senior High School Application Guidelines (2025-2026) — Columbia International Schoolprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24From the school's own published admissions-guideline PDF (senior high, 専修学校高等課程), 2025-26: entrance fee ¥210,000, facility fee ¥420,000, tuition ¥1,935,000/yr, maintenance fee ¥150,000/yr, PTSA fee ¥12,000/yr — first-year total ¥2,727,000 as stated in the document; from year two, ¥2,097,000/yr (no facility fee). Sibling discounts: 10% for a 2nd child, 30% for a 3rd. Retrieved via search synthesis of the PDF's content rather than a direct fetch of the PDF itself.
- Home — Columbia International Schoolprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. Confirms the Ontario, Canada curriculum with immersion-style English instruction; divisions from Kindergarten through a Senior High Program (専修学校高等課程). No entrance-exam system, unlike typical Japanese schools.
- Search synthesis on Columbia International School history and accreditation — Multiple (incl. Wikipedia)third-party source · as of: 2026-09-24Founded 1988 in Tokorozawa, Saitama. ≈250 students. Reported as accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education (Canada) and WASC; graduates reportedly earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Not independently confirmed against the school's own accreditation page directly this session.
Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
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