The American School in Japan vs St. Mary's International School
🇯🇵 Tokyo · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither The American School in Japan nor St. Mary's International School 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
| The American School in Japan | St. Mary's International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | American | IB / American |
| Ages | 3–18 | 5–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | JPY 2,987,000–3,533,000 | JPY 3,060,000–3,250,000 |
| Enrollment | 1,734 | 1,000 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | WASC | CIS, WASC |
Strengths
- ✓Long-established institution (founded 1902), among the oldest international schools in Asia
- ✓WASC-accredited with a clearly American, AP-based college-preparatory curriculum
- ✓Substantial scale: ~1,734 students and ~184 teachers across two purpose-run Tokyo campuses
- ✓Genuinely international community spanning 59 nationalities
- ✓Full continuous pathway from Nursery (age 3) through Grade 12
- ✓Dual CIS + WASC accreditation — exceptional accreditation depth for a Japan-based school
- ✓Full K–12 continuity (ages ~5–18) on a single 9-acre campus, with IB DP capstone
- ✓70-year-old established institution with a clear, stable Catholic mission
- ✓Strongly international student body (~1,000 boys, ~60 nationalities)
- ✓Published, transparent IB DP subject offering (all six groups + TOK/CAS/EE)
Trade-offs
- !Does NOT publish AP results or university-placement data — outcomes cannot be independently verified
- !Explicitly offers no scholarships or financial aid for new applicants, with high all-in costs
- !English-fluency requirement for at least one parent narrows the applicant pool
- !Day school only — no boarding
- !Public detail on EAL/English-language support could not be confirmed
- !No published academic outcomes — IB average, pass rate and university destinations all not public
- !EAL/ESL support is not described anywhere public; English-language-learner provision is unverifiable
- !AP is sometimes assumed but is NOT publicly evidenced — only the IB DP is confirmed
- !Official tuition figures could not be confirmed on the school's own fees page (third-party only)
- !The school's Wikipedia entry references 2014 historical abuse allegations — a matter of public record families may wish to research independently
Best Fit For
- • Expatriate and internationally-mobile families in Tokyo seeking a U.S. college-prep track
- • Families targeting American/AP university admission pathways
- • Households wanting a single continuous K–12 (age 3–18) institution
- • Families who can absorb premium fees without needing financial aid
- • Families specifically seeking a single-sex, all-boys environment
- • Families wanting a Catholic / faith-based education within an international setting
- • Families prioritising accreditation rigour (CIS + WASC) as a quality signal
- • Long-stay expat or local families wanting K–12 continuity in one institution
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
Not public. No university-placement, college-matriculation, or AP results data is published on ASIJ's public website (consistent with the norm among Tokyo international schools).
Not public. No university destinations, placement statistics, or matriculation lists are published, though the school maintains a University Counseling function.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose The American School in Japan or St. Mary's International School?
The American School in Japan is best for: Expatriate and internationally-mobile families in Tokyo seeking a U.S. college-prep track. St. Mary's International School is best for: Families specifically seeking a single-sex, all-boys environment. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between The American School in Japan and St. Mary's International School?
The American School in Japan: JPY 2,987,000–3,533,000. St. Mary's International School: JPY 3,060,000–3,250,000. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do The American School in Japan and St. Mary's International School offer?
The American School in Japan: American. St. Mary's International School: IB, American.
Do The American School in Japan or St. Mary's International School offer boarding?
The American School in Japan: day school only. St. Mary's International School: day school only.
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 →