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ICU High School — the Dormitory Option Most Summaries Miss

Tokyo, Japan

An English-heavy liberal-arts school known for strong returnee intake — institutionally linked to, but a separate entity from, International Christian University.

Researched by William Prep from published sources. Not yet verified by the school. — Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24

ICU High School is a private high school in Mitaka-shi, institutionally linked to International Christian University (ICU) but a legally separate school. Known for its English-heavy liberal-arts approach and strong returnee-student intake. No source consulted this session mentions the IB — this appears to be an Article 1 school running its own curriculum.

At a Glance

Institutional Link	Linked to ICU (the university) but a separate legal entity and school not publicly confirmedas of: 2026-09-24
Dormitory	Available (optional, 2025 figures) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Curriculum	English-heavy, school-original liberal arts (no IB) not publicly confirmedas of: 2026-09-24
Est. First-Year Cost (day student)	≈¥1.18M2026 · as of: 2026-09-24

The Dormitory Option Itself Is Not Widely Known

ICU High School's own fee page itemizes a dormitory entry fee and annual residence fee, separate from day-student costs. That's unusual for a Japanese Article 1 private high school, and it's an option easy for out-of-commute-range returnee families to overlook. The school's own page flags these as 2025 figures "subject to change" — worth confirming current numbers individually.

William Prep’s Analysis

Schools with ICU High School's profile — a Japanese private school strong with returnees — often get discussed as if day attendance were a given. Whether a dormitory exists can be the deciding factor in whether a family outside commuting range even puts the school on their list, which is exactly why confirming it explicitly here matters.

Fees: A Real First-Year Total of About ¥1.18M (Day Student)

ICU High School's own fee page states an entrance fee of ¥330,000, tuition of ¥591,000/yr (in three instalments), a facility fee of ¥180,000/yr (three instalments), a parents' association fee of ¥18,600/yr, a student council fee of ¥4,500/yr, and a Grade 1 class fund of ¥60,000 (first term only) — totalling ¥1,184,100 for a day student's first year, as stated directly by the school. Grade 2 brings a school trip fee (≈¥120,000) and Grade 3 a graduation-prep fee (¥30,000). Boarding adds a ¥120,000 entry fee and ¥594,000/yr residence fee (both 2025 figures).

University Entrance Eligibility in Japan

School-accreditation route	Yes (estimated)
Student-qualification route (IB, etc.)	No not publicly confirmedThe school does not appear to offer the IB or another curriculum that would trigger the individual-credential eligibility route.

Domestic university eligibility is presumed via ordinary graduation as an Article 1 school, though the registration itself wasn't confirmed this session. There may be an internal progression track to ICU (the university), but this wasn't confirmed this session.

Fees & Estimated First-Year Cost

academic year: 2026

Entrance Fee	¥330,000
Tuition (annual)	¥591,000
Facility Fee (annual)	¥180,000
Parents' Association Fee (annual)	¥18,600
Student Council Fee (annual)	¥4,500
Grade 1 Class Fund (first term only)	¥60,000
Dormitory Entry Fee (optional, 2025 figure)	¥120,000(not independently confirmed)The school's own page labels this a 2025 figure, explicitly subject to change.
Dormitory Annual Residence Fee (optional, 2025 figure)	¥594,000(not independently confirmed)
Estimated First-Year Total	¥1,184,100

Includes: enrolment, tuition, facilities, other — Excludes: Excludes dormitory fees (boarding students only), the Grade 2 school trip (≈¥120,000), and the Grade 3 graduation preparation fee (¥30,000). This total is stated directly on the school's own page.

What Makes This School Distinctive

A dormitory option, unusual for a Japanese private high school

An optional boarding arrangement alongside day attendance

The school's own fee page itemizes both the entry fee and annual residence fee.

An easily-overlooked but important option for returnee families outside commuting range.

Admissions

Cycle

未確認 not publicly confirmed

What Japanese Families Should Know

Who Might Find This School a Good Fit

Might suit — Returnee families wanting an Article 1 Japanese diploma in an English-heavy environment

Might not suit — Families planning specifically around the IB Diploma

William Prep’s Analysis

The surprise in researching ICU High School was finding a dormitory option behind what's widely assumed to be a purely day-attendance school. A memorable case of the gap between a school's well-known image and its actual institutional structure.

Questions to Ask the School

1.What are the exact 2026 dormitory fees?
Why this matters: The school's own page labels the figures 2025-dated and explicitly subject to change.
2.Is there an internal progression track to ICU (the university)? If so, what are the conditions?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.

Sources & Verification

諸費用について — 国際基督教大学高等学校 (ICU High School)primary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. 2026: entrance fee ¥330,000, tuition ¥591,000/yr (3 instalments), facility fee ¥180,000/yr (3 instalments), parents' association fee ¥18,600/yr, student council fee ¥4,500/yr, Grade 1 class fund ¥60,000 (first term only). Also lists dormitory fees (2025 figures, subject to change): entry ¥120,000, annual residence ¥594,000, plus daily meal charges — a boarding option most third-party summaries of ICU don't mention.

Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24

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