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Malvern College Tokyo — the IB Diploma Is Still at Candidate Status

Tokyo, Japan

Opened in 2023, operating under a brand licence from Malvern College in the UK — still growing into its full grade range, with the senior years expected to be complete by 2027.

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

Malvern College Tokyo opened in August 2023 under a brand licence from Malvern College in the UK. It currently enrols Years 1-10, expanding by one year group each year until Year 13 (graduation) is reached by 2027.

At a Glance

Opened	August 2023 (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
IB Status	PYP & MYP authorised; DP is candidate status (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Most Senior Year	Lower Sixth (expanding to Upper Sixth by 2027) (not independently confirmed)as of: 2026-09-24
Est. First-Year Cost (Pre-Prep/Prep)	≈¥3.76M2026-27 · as of: 2026-09-24

The IB Diploma Is at Candidate Status — the Legacy Directory Actually Had This Right

Malvern Tokyo isn't a full IB continuum school yet: PYP and MYP are authorised, but the Diploma Programme (DP) is still candidate status. The legacy William Prep directory described this school as "IB PYP/MYP (no DP yet)" — and what was confirmed this session backs that up. One of the rarer cases where the old data turned out to be accurate.

William Prep’s Analysis

This is a natural consequence of the school being only a few years old. What's worth flagging is that until an actual Diploma cohort graduates, the individual-credential route to Japanese university eligibility isn't available. A family considering this school needs to factor in that what a given child ends up qualified for at graduation depends on which year they start in.

Fees: A Real First-Year Total of About ¥3.76M (Pre-Prep/Prep)

Malvern Tokyo's own 2026-27 fee schedule lists three one-time charges: a ¥22,000 application fee, a ¥300,000 registration fee, and a ¥742,000 building development fee. On top of that, grade-banded tuition applies (¥2,692,700 for Pre-Prep/Prep 1-6), for a genuine first-year total of roughly ¥3,756,700. The ¥277,500/yr facility maintenance fee doesn't start until year two. Upper Sixth fees are still listed as "TBC" — that year group doesn't exist yet.

University Entrance Eligibility in Japan

School-accreditation route	Yes (not independently confirmed)
Student-qualification route (IB, etc.)	No not publicly confirmedBecause the IB Diploma is only at candidate status, the individual-credential route isn't available yet — that won't change until DP is authorised and the first cohort actually completes it.

COBIS recognition is displayed on the school's own site, but details (when obtained, exact status) weren't confirmed this session. The IB Diploma being at candidate status means the individual-credential eligibility route isn't available yet.

Fees & Estimated First-Year Cost

academic year: 2026-27

Application Fee	¥22,000
Registration Fee	¥300,000
Building Development Fee	¥742,000
Facility Maintenance Fee (from year 2)	¥277,500Not charged in the first year of enrolment.
Tuition (Pre-Prep/Prep 1-6)Pre-Prep-Prep6	¥2,692,700
Tuition (Foundation Year 1-3/MYP)MYP	¥2,800,600
Tuition (Lower Sixth)Lower Sixth	¥2,910,000
Tuition (Upper Sixth)Upper Sixth	not publicly confirmed
Estimated First-Year Total	¥3,756,700

Includes: application, registration, capital, tuition — Excludes: Excludes the facility maintenance fee (not charged until year 2), lunch, and extracurricular costs. This uses Pre-Prep/Prep 1-6 tuition as the base.

What Makes This School Distinctive

A school still growing into its senior years, complete only by 2027

Opened 2023, currently Years 1-10, Upper Sixth not yet established

The school's own fee schedule literally lists Upper Sixth tuition as "TBC."

A family enrolling now is effectively growing up alongside the school as its senior years come online.

Admissions

Cycle

未確認 not publicly confirmed

What Japanese Families Should Know

Who Might Find This School a Good Fit

Might suit — Families comfortable being part of a school that is still building out its structure

Might not suit — Families wanting a school with an already-established IB Diploma track record at the point of enrolling

William Prep’s Analysis

What stood out in researching Malvern Tokyo is that the legacy William Prep directory's description actually held up against what was confirmed this session. Not every school turns up an error — part of this research process is properly re-verifying and keeping the entries that were already right, not just hunting for corrections.

Questions to Ask the School

1.When does the school expect full IB Diploma authorisation?
Why this matters: Not confirmed this session.
2.When was COBIS recognition obtained, and what type (full vs. provisional)?
Why this matters: Recognition is displayed on the school's own site, but the details weren't confirmed this session.

Sources & Verification

Tuition & Fees — Malvern College Tokyoprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. 2026-27: application ¥22,000, registration ¥300,000, building development ¥742,000 (one-time), facility maintenance ¥277,500/yr (from year 2), tuition by year group. Upper Sixth fee listed as TBC (not yet set — the school has not reached that year group).
Our Curriculum / Curriculum — Malvern College Tokyoprimary source · as of: 2026-09-24Fetched directly. IB World School for PYP and MYP; DP referenced as part of the "complete continuum" but the page does not explicitly state authorised vs. candidate status. COBIS accreditation displayed on-page.
Search synthesis on Malvern College Tokyo status and history — Multiple (incl. IBO school registry reference, doris.school)third-party source · as of: 2026-09-24Opened August 2023, part of the Malvern College Family of Schools (UK brand licence). PYP and MYP authorised; DP is candidate status, not yet authorised — Sixth Form curriculum is IB-aligned in preparation but the Diploma itself is not yet formally available. Currently enrols Years 1-10, expanding to Year 13 by 2027 (≈900 students at full build-out). Not independently confirmed against the IBO's own school registry this session.

Last reviewed by William Prep: 2026-09-24

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