Kyoto International SchoolTuition, Admissions & Curriculum
William Michihiko Akiyama
William Prep
Kyoto, Japan
Began informally in 1957 as home schooling, renamed to its current name in 1966. Kyoto's only full IB continuum school — but its most senior grade has only just opened.
Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24
KIS reportedly began in 1957, after missionary families started home-schooling their children when the American School on the Botanical Gardens Army Base closed. It was renamed Kyoto International School in 1966 and became, by report, Kyoto's only full IB continuum school (PYP/MYP/DP) — though Grade 11 only opened in August 2025, with Grade 12 due in 2026.
At a Glance
| Founded | 1957 (began informally, renamed 1966) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| DP Graduates So Far | Zero (Grade 12 opens in 2026) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Standing | Kyoto's only full IB continuum school (reported) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24 |
| Tuition (PreK-G5) | ¥1,287,000/yr (third-party) (not independently confirmed)2026-27 · as of: 2026-09-24 |
01Tuition & Fees
Fees: No Primary Source Located in currently available public information
The school's own admissions page was checked in currently available public information, but it links out to a separate fees section that wasn't directly retrieved. Third-party sources report PreK-Grade 5 annual tuition of ¥1,287,000, a ¥31,500 application fee, a ¥181,000 annual facilities fee, and a ¥3,000 per-family PTA due — but these weren't confirmed against the school's own primary document. No figures for Grade 6 and above turned up in any source consulted in currently available public information.
academic year: 2026-27
| Application Fee | ¥31,500 |
| Building & Facilities Fee | ¥181,000 |
| PTA Due (per family) | ¥3,000 |
| Tuition (PreK-Grade 5)PreK-G5 | ¥1,287,000 |
| Tuition (Grade 6 and above)G6+ | not publicly confirmed |
02Admissions
| Cycle | 未確認 not publicly confirmed |
University Entrance Eligibility in Japan
| School-accreditation route | No not publicly confirmedWhether KIS holds any of the six MEXT-recognised accreditations is not publicly confirmed. |
| Student-qualification route (IB, etc.) | Yes |
Whether KIS itself holds a MEXT-recognised accreditation is not publicly confirmed. The DP is formally authorised, but with Grade 12 only opening in 2026, no student has actually earned the Diploma here yet.
What Japanese Families Should Know
Questions to Ask the School
1.What are the fees for Grade 6 and above?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
2.When does the school expect its first DP graduating cohort?
Why this matters: Public information does not establish this clearly; confirm it directly with the school.
03Curriculum
04School Features
The DP Is Authorised, but No Student Has Completed It Yet
KIS is reportedly authorised for the IB DP, but Grade 11 only opened in August 2025 and Grade 12 opens in 2026. In other words, the formal-authorisation fact and "has anyone actually completed the Diploma here" are two different questions. A family considering this school should understand they'd be joining a DP programme still building its actual track record, not one already producing graduates.
Key Point
This echoes what we found with Fukuoka International School's MYP authorisation (2020) — but KIS is even newer, with literally no graduate data existing yet. "It's an IB-authorised school" on its own tells you nothing about how mature the actual programme is.
What Makes This School Distinctive
Reportedly Kyoto's only full IB continuum school
A long history beginning informally as home schooling in 1957
Multiple third-party sources consistently describe it as Kyoto's only full IB continuum school.
Even so, the DP programme specifically is still very early in building its track record.
Who Might Find This School a Good Fit
Might suit — Families open to being among the DP programme's very first graduating cohorts
Might not suit — Families prioritizing an established DP track record and matriculation data
Explore Other Schools
- Doshisha InternationalKyotanabe-shi
- Ritsumeikan Uji (IB Course)Uji-shi
- American School in Japan (ASIJ)Chōfu
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