Australian International School vs Canadian International School
🇸🇬 Singapore · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han
Which should you choose?
Both run IB, so the difference is inspection rating, boarding, and fees rather than the curriculum itself; Australian International School offers boarding while the other is day-only. The choice comes down to target curriculum, whether you need boarding, and budget — verify fees against each school's own figures.
Neither Australian International School nor Canadian 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. One practical difference: Australian International School offers boarding while the other is day-only — decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| Australian International School | Canadian International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | Australian / IB / British | IB |
| Ages | 2 months–18 | 2–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English, Chinese, French |
| Annual fees | SGD 43,030–53,518 | SGD 30,280–53,500 |
| Enrollment | 2,300 | 3,100 |
| Boarding | Yes | Day only |
| Accreditations | CIS, WASC, NSW Government Education | IB, Cognia, WASC, EduTrust |
Strengths
- ✓Genuinely distinctive Southern Hemisphere (January–December) academic calendar — ideal for families moving on the Australian school cycle
- ✓Broad multi-pathway curriculum: Australian Curriculum + IB PYP + Cambridge IGCSE + a choice of IB Diploma or NSW HSC at senior level
- ✓Very wide age span, from infant care (2 months) through Year 12, on one campus
- ✓Multiple recognized accreditations: CIS, WASC, IB World School, Cambridge International, NSW Government Education
- ✓Large, established community (opened 1993; ~2,300 students; 50+ nationalities)
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP + MYP + DP) under one roof
- ✓Genuinely distinctive bilingual IB immersion: Chinese-English and French-English with ~50% target-language immersion
- ✓Strong accreditation stack: IB authorization plus Cognia and WASC, plus EduTrust/CPE registration
- ✓Large, well-resourced single campus (~43,000 sq m) with a 500-seat theatre, Olympic-sized pool and a 2,600 sqm Outdoor Discovery Centre
- ✓Highly international community — 80+ nationalities reported
Trade-offs
- !High fees: secondary tuition reaches SGD 53,518/year (2026), among the more expensive bands in Singapore
- !For-profit ownership under Cognita
- !Large size (~2,300 students) may not suit families seeking a small setting
- !No independent regulatory inspection report is publicly available (external references are editorial, e.g. Good Schools Guide)
- !The blended HSC/IB/IGCSE model, while broad, can be complex for families to navigate
- !Premium fees — SGD ~30,280–53,500 per year (2026/27), upper tier of the Singapore market
- !For-profit ownership — owned by China Maple Leaf Educational Systems since 2020
- !Very large enrollment (~3,100) may feel less personal than smaller boutique schools
- !No published IB results — the school markets 'exceptional' outcomes but publishes no numeric average or pass rate
- !No boarding — day-school only
Best Fit For
- • Families relocating on the Australian/Southern Hemisphere school calendar who want continuity of term timing
- • Families wanting a single school covering infancy through to age 18
- • Students who may benefit from a choice between IB Diploma and the Australian HSC at senior level
- • Families seeking an established, well-accredited, large international school in central-north Singapore
- • Families seeking a complete IB pathway (PYP→MYP→DP) under one school
- • Families specifically wanting structured Chinese-English or French-English bilingual immersion from early years
- • Globally mobile expatriate families valuing a large, multinational community (80+ nationalities)
- • Families who prioritise extensive campus facilities (aquatics, performing arts, outdoor learning)
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: AIS states '100% university acceptance' with '99% securing a top-choice placement,' names destinations including Melbourne, Stanford, Cambridge and NUS, reports 15% of students achieving 40+ IB points, and over $2.67M in scholarships in 2024. These are not independently verified.
School-reported, unverified: CIS states graduates 'did exceptionally well in May 2025' but publishes no numeric IB average, pass rate, or named university-acceptance list.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Australian International School or Canadian International School?
Australian International School is best for: Families relocating on the Australian/Southern Hemisphere school calendar who want continuity of term timing. Canadian International School is best for: Families seeking a complete IB pathway (PYP→MYP→DP) under one school. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Australian International School and Canadian International School?
Australian International School: SGD 43,030–53,518. Canadian International School: SGD 30,280–53,500. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Australian International School and Canadian International School offer?
Australian International School: Australian, IB, British. Canadian International School: IB.
Do Australian International School or Canadian International School offer boarding?
Australian International School: offers boarding. Canadian International School: 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 →