International Schools in Mexico

Mexico’s major cities are home to a strong choice of international schools, and they enrol pupils from all over the world. Between them, they cover a wide range of curricula: American, British, Mexican, Japanese, and more. Public schools teach in Spanish, and their standards differ widely from one state to the next, so most expat parents choose one of the country’s many international schools instead.

These schools set high academic standards, and they offer plenty for pupils to do outside the classroom. Competitive swimming, football, Model United Nations, and robotics clubs all feature at the better-known schools, and pupils pick up the digital skills that modern study and work demand.

Check that any school you are considering holds official recognition from Mexico’s Secretariat of Public Education, the SEP. That recognition is called the RVOE, and it is what makes a school’s certificates valid across the country. Most international schools teach bilingually, so your child can keep their home language and become fluent in Spanish too.

Many newcomers are surprised to learn that, at most international schools, the majority of pupils are Mexican, and the playground language is Spanish. Children under the age of eight or nine, in particular, tend to land in something close to Spanish immersion. That is a gift for language learning, although it helps to know that in advance.

Pick a school within easy reach of home or work. Mexico City traffic is famously heavy, and if you choose badly, you could lose two hours a day to the car. Many of the larger schools provide their own bus services. The cost is sometimes built into the fees and sometimes added on top, but either way, it can spare you the daily drive.

Most of the schools below are in or around Mexico City, which has the widest choice. Guadalajara and Monterrey also have well-established international schools, so you are not short of options if your posting takes you outside the capital.

Below is a list of some of the best international schools in Mexico.

International schools in Mexico

Winpenny School

Winpenny School is a small school in Cuajimalpa, in the western part of Mexico City, near the Santa Fe and Interlomas districts, where many expat families live. Native English-speaking teachers lead most lessons, and bilingual Mexican staff teach alongside them. Read more

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: British (Cambridge IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate 
Ages: 3 to 18 
Website: www.winpenny.edu.mx

The American School Foundation

Founded in 1888, the American School Foundation (ASF) is the oldest American school outside the United States. Its 2,500-plus pupils represent more than 60 nationalities, one of the widest ranges of any school in the country.

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: American (including Advanced Placement), Mexican, and International Baccalaureate (Diploma Programme) 
Ages: 3 to 18 
Website: www.asf.edu.mx

The Edron Academy

The Edron Academy is the oldest British international school in Mexico City; it first opened its doors in 1963. It is a bicultural school, and it treats pupils’ personal growth as seriously as their academic results.

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum and Cambridge IGCSE), Mexican (SEP), and International Baccalaureate (Diploma Programme) 
Ages: 2 to 18 
Website: www.edron.edu.mx

Greengates School

Greengates School is part of Nord Anglia Education, one of the world’s largest international school groups, which it joined in 2022. It is based in Naucalpan, north of Mexico City, and it is among the most international schools in the country by the share of pupils from overseas.

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: British (English National Curriculum and Cambridge IGCSE), International Curriculum (IEYC and IPC), and International Baccalaureate (Diploma Programme) 
Ages: 3 to 18 
Website: www.greengates.edu.mx

Instituto Bilingüe Victoria

Instituto Bilingüe Victoria, or Victoria School in English, is the only school on this list outside Mexico City. Teachers who wanted to leave the capital behind founded it in 1993 in the Querétaro town of Tequisquiapan, and it now has a dedicated special educational needs department.

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: Mexican and British (Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels) 
Ages: 3 to 18 
Website: www.victoriaschool.edu.mx

Liceo Mexicano Japonés

Liceo Mexicano Japonés, the Japanese school of Mexico City, was founded in 1977 as a symbol of friendship between Mexico and Japan. It has a Japanese section and a Mexican one, and it keeps Japanese traditions alive through events such as the Undokai sports day and the Bunkasai culture festival.

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: Japanese and Mexican 
Ages: 3 to 18 
Website: www.liceomexicanojapones.edu.mx

Olinca International School

Olinca International School was the first school in Mexico to offer the International Baccalaureate, back in 1980, and it now offers all three IB programmes. It joined the Cognita group of schools in 2022, and its lessons are taught in English, Spanish, and French. Read more

Gender: Co-educational 
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate (all three programmes), Cambridge International, and Mexican (SEP and UNAM) 
Ages: 18 months to 18 
Website: www.olinca.edu.mx