Jakarta Intercultural School
🇮🇩 Jakarta · Founded 1951 · American / IB · Ages 3-18
Indonesia's oldest and largest international school - a large, dual-accredited American school with optional IB Diploma and AP pathways across three Jakarta campuses.
Curricula
American, IB
Age range
3-18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD IDR 304,863,000-633,001,000/year (2026-27, all-in: enrollment guarantee + tuition + capital; Early Years half-day to High School)
Enrollment
2,170
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
WASC, CIS
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS), founded in 1951 to educate the children of UN staff, is the oldest and largest international school in Indonesia. Originally 'Jakarta International School,' it was renamed 'Jakarta Intercultural School' in 2014 to comply with Indonesian regulations. It is a private, coeducational day school operating as a non-profit foundation (yayasan) under Satuan Pendidikan Kerjasama (SPK) joint-cooperation status, and is assisted by the US Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools.
The school follows an American curriculum from Early Years (age 3) through Grade 12, with instruction in English. In High School, students work toward the JIS Diploma and may layer on the IB Diploma Programme and/or Advanced Placement, including the AP Capstone Diploma - JIS describes itself as one of the few schools offering both IB and AP alongside its own diploma. Education spans three campuses in South Jakarta: two K-5 elementary sites (Pattimura and Pondok Indah) and the Cilandak main campus housing Grades 6-12.
JIS is dually accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS), with CIS re-accreditation recorded on 18 January 2022. It enrolled roughly 2,170 students in 2023-24 (with reported totals ranging up to ~2,500 across years and sources) drawn from more than 70 nationalities, the largest groups being American, Korean, Indonesian, Indian and Australian families. English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available, charged as a one-time fee when a student is assessed as needing it.
Fees for 2026-27 are published in Indonesian Rupiah and are among the highest in Jakarta: all-in annual costs (enrollment guarantee + tuition + capital fee) range from about IDR 305 million for half-day Early Years to roughly IDR 633 million for High School, plus separate application and technology fees. Indonesia operates no graded national inspection band for SPK / international schools, so JIS's external quality assurance rests on its WASC and CIS accreditation cycles rather than a published government rating.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Indonesia publishes no graded inspection band for SPK / international schools, so no 'S' is possible. JIS holds dual external accreditation from WASC and CIS (CIS re-accreditation recorded 18 January 2022) and is assisted by the US Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools - a strong, current accreditation depth that maps to 'A.'
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Oldest (est. 1951) and largest international school in Indonesia with deep institutional track record
- Dual WASC and CIS accreditation, with CIS re-accreditation recorded January 2022
- Unusually broad senior pathway: JIS Diploma plus optional IB Diploma Programme and AP (including AP Capstone)
- US State Department-assisted American school with English-medium instruction from age 3
- Highly international community of more than 70 nationalities across three purpose-built campuses
Trade-offs
- Premium fees (High School all-in roughly IDR 633 million for 2026-27) place it among Jakarta's most expensive options
- No published government inspection rating, as Indonesia provides no graded band for SPK schools
- Lower grades follow the school's own American model rather than IB PYP/MYP, so it is not a continuous IB-throughout school
- EAL support is a chargeable add-on (one-time fee) rather than included, raising the entry cost for non-native English speakers
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Internationally mobile families wanting a US-style, English-medium education in Jakarta
- ✓Students aiming for IB Diploma, AP, or AP Capstone alongside a recognized high-school diploma
- ✓Families prioritizing a large, long-established school with strong external accreditation
- ✓University-bound students benefiting from extensive on-campus college visits and counseling
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families seeking boarding - JIS is a day school only
- ✕Budget-conscious families, given premium Rupiah fee levels
- ✕Parents wanting a continuous IB PYP/MYP/DP continuum from the early years
- ✕Families needing a British, Cambridge, or national-curriculum pathway
Curriculum
An American curriculum runs from Early Years (age 3) through Grade 12, taught in English. High School students earn credits toward the JIS Diploma and may add the IB Diploma Programme and/or Advanced Placement, including the AP Capstone Diploma. The school is IB-authorized for the Diploma Programme only; it does not run IB PYP or MYP, and is not a Cambridge school.
Fees
Fees for 2026-27 are published only in Indonesian Rupiah. All-in annual figures (enrollment guarantee + tuition + capital fee) run from about IDR 304,863,000 for half-day Early Years and IDR 392,643,000 full-day, through IDR 527,970,000 (Kindergarten), IDR 551,483,000 (Elementary Grades 1-5), IDR 627,654,000 (Middle School Grades 6-8) to IDR 633,001,000 (High School Grades 9-12). A non-refundable application fee (IDR 5,543,800) and one-time technology fees apply to new students, and EAL support carries a one-time fee of IDR 89,148,000 when assessed as needed. The school publishes no USD equivalents.
Admissions
Admission follows a four-step process - exploration (campus tour), application via Open Apply with academic records and recommendation letters, grade-level assessment of academic ability and English proficiency (in-person or virtual), and a committee decision. English proficiency is assessed, and EAL support may be required and charged for non-native speakers.
Campus Life
JIS spans three South Jakarta campuses across roughly 46 acres: Pattimura (K-5) and Pondok Indah (K-5) elementary sites and the Cilandak main campus for Grades 6-12. It is an Apple Distinguished School with a one-to-one device program, runs Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) as a graduation requirement, and hosts more than 250 visiting colleges and universities annually. The mascot is the Dragon and school colors are blue and white.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: JIS states that over 99 percent of graduating seniors go on to a university or college and that its students regularly perform above global averages across subject areas on IB and AP assessments.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- US Dept of State fact sheet (founding 1951, private coeducational day school) · 2026-06
- Wikipedia - Jakarta Intercultural School (history, curriculum, enrollment, names) · 2026-06
- JIS High School academics (JIS Diploma, IB DP, AP pathways, grades 9-12) · 2026-06
- JIS Fees & Tuition 2026-27 (IDR schedule, EAL fee, divisions) · 2026-06
- JIS About (campuses, accreditations WASC/CIS/IB/AP, SPK status, 70+ nationalities) · 2026-06
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