American International School of Jeddah vs American International School Riyadh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither American International School of Jeddah nor American International School Riyadh sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. Both are day schools with fees in the same market band — see the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| American International School of Jeddah | American International School Riyadh | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | American | American / IB |
| Ages | 2-18 | 3-18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | 2026/2027: SAR 40,250-105,110 per year (school-published via international-schools-database.com) | 2026/2027: SAR 64,744-120,757/year (non-Saudi, incl. 15% VAT; lower for Saudi nationals at 0% VAT) |
| Enrollment | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | Middle States Association (MSA-CESS), Cognia, Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education, Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA), US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools (assisted) | New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Council of International Schools (CIS) |
Strengths
- ✓Dual US accreditation (Middle States Association MSA-CESS and Cognia) plus NESA affiliation
- ✓Listed as an assisted school by the US Department of State Office of Overseas Schools
- ✓One of the oldest international schools in Saudi Arabia (founded 1952), independent not-for-profit since 2005
- ✓Continuous PreK-Grade 12 American pathway culminating in Advanced Placement
- ✓Purpose-built 2019 campus with broad facilities and a documented English Language Learning programme
- ✓Dual NEASC and CIS accreditation plus IB Diploma authorization — the strongest verifiable accreditation set available to a US-model school in Saudi Arabia
- ✓Established 1963, making it one of the oldest and most institutionally stable international schools in Riyadh, on a purpose-built 2014 campus
- ✓Dual pathway: enriched American curriculum (AERO/Common Core) with the option of the full IB Diploma in Grades 11-12
- ✓Broadly international student body of 65+ nationalities across 1,500+ students, supporting a genuinely global peer environment
- ✓Documented language-access provision — English Language Learner (ELL), Learning Strategies, and Arabic (ALPS) support programs
Trade-offs
- !No domestic graded inspection band exists, so no externally graded quality rating
- !School site publishes few hard figures (enrollment, fees and accreditation names render via subpages rather than headline data)
- !No IB programme confirmed despite reported authorisation interest; offering is AP-only on the current site
- !Institutional financial health is not publicly disclosed
- !No independent graded inspection band exists for the school, so external quality signals rest entirely on accreditation rather than a published inspection grade
- !Premium fees — among the highest in Riyadh — with substantial one-time application, capital, and registration charges for new families
- !Day school only; no boarding option for families needing residential placement
- !Public outcome data is school-reported (acceptances, scholarships) and not independently verified, so academic-results benchmarking is limited
Best Fit For
- • American-curriculum and US passport-holding families relocating to Jeddah
- • Families wanting a continuous PreK-Grade 12 pathway with AP
- • Internationally mobile families valuing MSA/Cognia US-accredited credit transfer
- • Students needing English Language Learning support within an American programme
- • Expatriate and internationally mobile families in Riyadh seeking a US-curriculum, NEASC/CIS-accredited school
- • Students aiming at US universities who want an American diploma plus SAT preparation
- • Families wanting the option of the full IB Diploma without leaving an American school environment
- • Families prioritizing a long-established, large, multinational school community
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: AISJ describes itself as a college-preparatory institution and features alumni testimonials, but publishes no verified matriculation or placement statistics.
School-reported, unverified: over 300 university acceptances and more than USD 5.5 million in scholarships for the 140+ graduates of the 2024-2025 school year.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose American International School of Jeddah or American International School Riyadh?
American International School of Jeddah is best for: American-curriculum and US passport-holding families relocating to Jeddah. American International School Riyadh is best for: Expatriate and internationally mobile families in Riyadh seeking a US-curriculum, NEASC/CIS-accredited school. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between American International School of Jeddah and American International School Riyadh?
American International School of Jeddah: 2026/2027: SAR 40,250-105,110 per year (school-published via international-schools-database.com). American International School Riyadh: 2026/2027: SAR 64,744-120,757/year (non-Saudi, incl. 15% VAT; lower for Saudi nationals at 0% VAT). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do American International School of Jeddah and American International School Riyadh offer?
American International School of Jeddah: American. American International School Riyadh: American, IB.
Do American International School of Jeddah or American International School Riyadh offer boarding?
American International School of Jeddah: day school only. American International School Riyadh: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →