Schooling in Peru

The education system in Peru

Peru's compulsory school pathway, called Educación Básica Regular (EBR), runs from age 3 through approximately age 16 and covers three consecutive levels: Inicial (early years, ages 3-5), Primaria (six grades of primary school, roughly ages 6-11), and Secundaria (five grades of secondary school, roughly ages 12-16). All three levels follow the Currículo Nacional de la Educación Básica, a single national curriculum that applies across every public and private basic-education institution in the country. Children must have turned 3 by March 31 of the school year to enter the first year of Inicial.

Spanish is the standard language of instruction across the national system. In areas with Indigenous communities, Educación Intercultural Bilingüe (EIB) operates alongside the mainstream system, teaching students in their mother tongue alongside Spanish. For expatriate families, this bilingual track has no practical bearing on school selection; what matters is that the mainstream public system is entirely Spanish-medium, which shapes the choices available to non-Spanish-speaking children.

Governance is decentralized: the national ministry, MINEDU, sets curriculum and standards, while 26 regional education directorates (DREs) adapt policies to their territories and oversee 224 local management units (UGELs). For families enrolling children in public schools, the relevant UGEL is the first administrative point of contact.  

Types of schools in Peru

Choosing a school in Peru starts with understanding that the term "private" encompasses a wide range of institutions, and that the labels "bilingual" or "international" do not automatically imply an internationally portable curriculum or English-medium instruction.

Public schools (colegios públicos) are free of charge, follow the national EBR curriculum entirely in Spanish, and are open to foreign children with appropriate immigration documentation. They are a realistic choice for families who can already operate in Spanish and want full local integration, but they offer no continuity with overseas curricula and no structured language support for non-Spanish-speaking children.

Private national schools charge a monthly tuition fee (pensión) and a separate annual enrollment fee (matrícula), but most follow the Peruvian national curriculum in Spanish. Many describe themselves as "bilingual," but the actual proportion of English instruction varies considerably between schools. They typically offer smaller class sizes and better facilities than public schools, but they do not issue an internationally portable diploma.

International and bilingual schools offer globally recognized pathways, primarily the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International, American, French, and Italian curricula, alongside or in place of the Peruvian program. Fees are significantly higher, and the strongest concentration is in Lima, particularly in the districts of Santiago de Surco and La Molina.

Religious schools (colegios confesionales) form a significant part of both the private and international markets in Lima. Catholic-affiliated schools such as La Salle Lima, Colegio Recoleta, Colegio de la Inmaculada, and Colegio Alpamayo operate at various price points, and some hold IB World School status. Families of any faith may apply in most cases; the school's ethos and culture will reflect its religious tradition, which is worth factoring into the decision.

International schools in Peru

Peru has one of the deepest international-school ecosystems in Latin America. The IB school finder lists 90 authorized IB World Schools in the country, offering combinations of the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), Diploma Program (DP), and Career-related Program (CP). The strongest concentration is in Lima, though IB provision exists in other regions. Beyond IB, Cambridge International pathways, an American college-preparatory program, the French national curriculum, and Italian-language secondary education are all available in Lima.

Before paying any fees or committing to a school, check its registration in Identicole, MINEDU's public school registry. The registry shows the school's official name, address, district, management type, education levels offered, and declared pension. Peru has schools with similar names in different districts, so always match the physical address, not just the brand name. 

The following schools are confirmed IB World Schools or international-curriculum institutions in Peru:

• Hiram Bingham, The British International School of Lima (Av. Paseo La Castellana 919, Surco, Lima): IB World School offering PYP, MYP, and Diploma Program; English and Spanish; coeducational day school; authorized since 1997.
• Colegio Peruano Británico (Av. Vía Láctea 445, Urb. Monterrico, Santiago de Surco, Lima): IB World School offering the Diploma Program; English and Spanish; coeducational day school; authorized since 1999.
• Colegio Magister (Francisco de Cuéllar 686, Monterrico, Surco, Lima): IB World School offering the Diploma Program; English and Spanish; coeducational day school; authorized since 1996.
• Colegio Alpamayo (Calle Bucaramanga 145, Urb. Mayorazgo, Lima): IB World School offering the Diploma Program; English and Spanish; boys' day school; authorized since 2011.
• Colegio de la Inmaculada (Calle Hermano Santos García 108, Santiago de Surco, Lima): IB World School; English and Spanish; coeducational day school.
• Colegio Santa Maria Marianistas (Av. La Floresta 250, Santiago de Surco, Lima 15038): IB World School offering the Middle Years Program; English and Spanish; boys' day school.
• Asociación Colegio Mater Admirabilis (Avenida Arica 898, San Miguel, Lima): IB World School offering the Middle Years Program; Spanish language of instruction; girls' day school; authorized since 2012.
• Newton College (La Molina, Lima 15026): an international school pathway combining international and local academic, cultural, and sporting programs; active admissions available.
• Colegio Internacional de Lima: runs its own admissions calendar with applicant registration forms, academic and psychological assessments, and grade-level vacancy limits.
• Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt (American School of Lima): American college-preparatory program with IB option; English as primary medium of instruction; accepts international applicants from Early Childhood 3 through Grade 12 at any point in the year when space is available.
• Lycée franco-péruvien (Morro Solar 550, Santiago de Surco, Lima 15039): French national curriculum; 15 AEFE-homologated levels; the only AEFE-affiliated school in Peru.
• Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi (Av. La Fontana 755, La Molina, Lima): Italian-language secondary pathway with an Italian diploma.
• Bright Minds International (Tarapoto, San Martín): Cambridge-aligned bilingual education for primary, secondary, and bachillerato; English introduced from the first day; official Cambridge examinations. This is one of the few international-pathway schools outside Lima, making it relevant for families relocating to Peru's northern regions.

Good to know:

Admissions at most Lima international schools are school-specific and vacancy-based. Because places fill as soon as they are taken, early contact is essential, ideally before the preceding school year ends. Keep at least one alternative school application active while waiting for a result from your preferred option.

Public schools for expat children in Peru

Foreign children can attend Peru's public schools, and the enrollment process explicitly accommodates them. In place of a Peruvian national identity card (DNI), a document issued by Peru's immigration authority (Migraciones) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is accepted for registration. Enrollment is completely free; parents who are asked for money at a public school should report this to their local UGEL.

The enrollment route depends on the school's location. In Lima Metropolitana, all new enrollments, re-entries, and transfers are handled through the fully digital Matrícula Digital platform, and no in-person visit to the school is needed for the initial request. In selected areas of Lima Provincias, Callao, Arequipa, Tacna, and Moquegua, a partially digital process applies. Everywhere else, families attend the school or UGEL in person during the official enrollment window.

Grade placement is based on the child's chronological age as of March 31 of the school year, not by the grade attended in their home country. Families transferring mid-year should contact the relevant UGEL directly.

Instruction in public schools is in Spanish, with no structured language support for non-Spanish-speaking foreign children in the official enrollment documentation. Families whose children do not yet speak Spanish should plan supplementary private language tuition alongside public schooling and should discuss language needs directly with the school's principal before enrolling. Public schooling offers genuine local integration at no cost, and is the realistic choice for families committed to Spanish immersion. For families needing curriculum continuity with a foreign system or English-medium instruction, international or bilingual schools are the practical alternative.

Choosing a school in Peru

The first decision for any relocating family is whether the child needs curriculum continuity with an overseas system or whether integration into the Peruvian national system is workable. This choice determines the entire shortlist: families needing continuity must identify an IB, Cambridge, French, American, or Italian pathway school; families comfortable with full integration in Spanish can consider public or national private schools at no or lower cost.

Language-of-instruction options in Lima include: Spanish-medium Peruvian public and private schools; English-Spanish bilingual schools with IB or Cambridge pathways; the French national curriculum at the Lycée franco-péruvien (AEFE-homologated); an Italian-language pathway at Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi; and the American college-preparatory English pathway at Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The choice of language of instruction should be made in light of the family's current language, the child's age, and anticipated future moves.

For families who may relocate again, diploma portability matters as much as day-to-day teaching quality. The IB Diploma is accepted by universities in Peru and internationally. Roosevelt offers IB alongside a US-style diploma and the official Peruvian program. The Lycée franco-péruvien issues French baccalauréat qualifications through the AEFE network. Colegio Italiano Antonio Raimondi offers a secondary pathway with an Italian diploma. Ask each school to confirm in writing exactly which graduating credential your child will receive and whether it is automatic or conditional on scores.

Most international and bilingual schools in Lima are concentrated in Santiago de Surco and La Molina. Commute times in Lima traffic can be considerable, so families should test the actual morning journey from their intended neighborhood before committing to a school, and should coordinate their school choice with their housing search to avoid daily journeys of an hour or more each way.

When visiting schools, ask explicitly how they handle mid-year arrivals and grade placement for children transferring from Northern Hemisphere calendars. Peru's national school year starts in March; families arriving from Europe or North America in September or October will be joining mid-year. Roosevelt accepts international applicants on a rolling basis when space is available; confirm this policy with any school before assuming mid-year entry is possible.

Key questions to raise during school visits:

• Is the school registered in Identicole for the exact education level my child needs, at the address of the campus I am visiting?
• Which curriculum and final diploma will my child graduate with: Peruvian, IB, US, French, or Italian?
• What language support is available for a child not yet fluent in the school's language of instruction?
• What is the real total annual cost, including application fee, one-time entrance fee, annual matrícula, monthly pensión, and any compulsory charges, confirmed in writing?
• What is the actual commute time from our neighborhood at drop-off hour?

Admission process in Peru

Each school manages its own admission process, timeline, and vacancy allocation. For entry at the start of a school year in March, schools typically open admissions during the preceding calendar year, with some processes opening as early as August of the previous year. Families should begin contacting target schools as soon as relocation is confirmed, ideally six to twelve months before the intended start date.

Some schools operate on a rolling admissions model, accepting applications until grade vacancies are exhausted, with no fixed closing date. Others publish phased calendars with document submission windows, interview dates, and assignment deadlines. Because rolling-intake schools close as soon as places are filled, waiting for a convenient moment to apply risks finding a grade already full. Families should maintain at least one alternative school application while waiting for a result from their preferred option.

A typical private-school application file in Peru requires:

• Proof of payment of an application or registration fee.
• Copies of the student's identity document and both parents' identity documents.
• A SIAGIE progress report from the previous school year (except for early-years and first-grade applicants).
• A prior-year grades report.
• A constancia de no adeudo (no-outstanding-debt certificate) from the previous school.
• For secondary applicants, a constancia de conducta (conduct certificate).
• Any school-specific forms, such as family questionnaires or psycho-pedagogical forms, are provided digitally by schools after initial contact.

Most private schools in Lima include an assessment step before confirming a place. For early-years and first-grade applicants, this is typically a psychological interview with the child and parents together. For primary and secondary applicants, schools commonly run both an academic interview and a psychological interview, with parents interviewed separately. Treat the parent interview as a real part of the process and prepare to explain the family's educational goals and the child's background.

Mid-year entry is possible at some schools. At least one Lima international school, Roosevelt, states it accepts international applicants from Early Childhood 3 through Grade 12 at any point in the year when space is available. Always ask about mid-year availability directly; it is school- and grade-specific, not a general rule.

Assemble a complete digital document folder before contacting schools: identity documents, prior grades reports, conduct certificate, no-debt certificate, and any school-specific forms. Incomplete files delay the move to the interview stage. For children arriving from outside Peru, check whether documents need an official Spanish translation and legalization, as some institutions require consular authentication for foreign school records.

School fees and costs in Peru

The total annual cost at an international school in Peru has three distinct components, all billed separately: the one-time entrance fee (cuota de ingreso), the annual enrollment fee (matrícula), and the monthly tuition (pensión). Failing to budget all three upfront is a common and costly oversight.

Monthly tuition at international and bilingual schools in Lima ranges widely. At Colegio Internacional de Lima, the pensión runs from PEN 1,000 (approximately USD 294) for Kinder 3-5 to PEN 1,380 (approximately USD 406) for Primary and Secondary. At Colegio Peruano Británico, monthly tuition ranges from PEN 2,918 (approximately USD 859) for Nursery and Pre-Kinder, to PEN 4,340 (approximately USD 1,277) for Kindergarten through IB, paid over nine months from March to November.

The cuota de ingreso, charged only on first enrollment, is the most significant upfront cost. Colegio Internacional de Lima charges PEN 7,000 (approximately USD 2,060) for Inicial and Primaria entry and PEN 4,000 (approximately USD 1,177) for Secundaria. Colegio Peruano Británico charges entrance fees in US dollars: USD 12,000 for Nursery, Pre-Kinder, and Kindergarten, and USD 5,000 for IB Years 1 and 2. This fee must be budgeted separately from annual running costs and, when negotiating an expat package, should be named as an explicit line item.

The annual matrícula is charged each year before the school year begins. At Colegio Internacional de Lima, it equals the monthly pensión: PEN 1,000 for Kinder 3-5 and PEN 1,380 for Primaria and Secundaria. At Colegio Peruano Británico, the matriculation fee equals one monthly tuition payment and is due in January or before the school year starts for mid-year transfers. Markham College offers parents the option of a single annual payment or ten monthly installments, with the annual matrícula payable between mid-January and mid-February. Administrative document charges add to the annual cost at private schools. 

The school year in Peru

Peru follows a Southern Hemisphere academic calendar: classes begin in March and end in December, with the long summer holiday falling from approximately late December through February. This is the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere pattern used in Europe and North America. Families arriving from those regions in August or September will be joining Peru's school year mid-stream, so checking the mid-year admission policy with the chosen school is essential before confirming travel dates.

The national academic year is divided into four teaching blocks of nine weeks each, separated by management-week breaks. The structure runs roughly as follows: the first block covers mid-March through mid-May; the second runs from late May through late July; after a management break in late July and early August, the third block runs from mid-August through early October; and the fourth block closes the year in mid-December. The year totals at least 160 teaching days across 36 teaching weeks.

Private and international schools may set different academic calendars, provided they comply with MINEDU regulations. Families should confirm the exact dates with their chosen school. Regional education directorates and UGELs may also define adjusted calendars for specific territories.

School life in Peru

Parent involvement is a structured expectation in Peruvian public schools. At the start of each school year, schools hold information sessions explaining how the year will develop and what role families are expected to play. Parents are expected to participate through formal channels, including the CONEI (school governance council) and, in participating public schools, the school-feeding committee. This is a community expectation, not optional participation; international school families should ask about parent engagement expectations during the admissions visit, as models differ significantly by institution.

In participating public schools, the Programa de Alimentación Escolar (PAE) provides school meals as part of an intersectoral program coordinated by the ministries of Education, Health, and Social Inclusion. Schools in the program are required to form a Comité de Alimentación Escolar with parent participation to oversee food hygiene and preparation standards. International and private schools generally do not participate in the PAE and arrange their own catering or require students to bring packed meals.

MINEDU's Wiñaq pedagogical initiative offers students sports and recreational activities before or after regular school hours, across six priority sports disciplines, framing physical activity as a tool for physical, emotional, and mental well-being alongside academic learning. This initiative applies to public schools.

Special educational needs in Peru

Peru's education system includes Educación Básica Especial (EBE) as a formal modality for children and young people who need specialized or permanent support, whether or not associated with disability. The framework aims for a continuum of support from specialist centers to inclusive mainstream classrooms, rather than separate schooling as the default. A law strengthens this by requiring all public and private schools to reserve at least two classroom places per grade for students with disabilities or special educational needs, establishing sanctions for non-compliance, and declaring teacher training in inclusive education to be of national interest.

The public specialist school network consists of 428 Centros de Educación Básica Especial (CEBE) across all regions of Peru, serving more than 17,000 students. CEBEs provide intensive specialized support for students whose needs cannot be met in a mainstream setting. In addition, mainstream public schools are expected to work with the Servicio de Apoyo Educativo Inclusivo (SAEI) to identify barriers, adapt learning strategies, and coordinate support. For families enrolling in public schools, requesting access to the school's SAEI structure through the relevant UGEL is the practical first step.

Private and international schools vary significantly in what they can deliver. Casuarinas International College reserves up to two places per classroom for students with mild or moderate disabilities in line with equity and inclusion principles. San Silvestre School operates a dedicated Learning Support Department staffed by educational specialists, teachers, and psychologists, covering language, learning disabilities, behavior, medical conditions, and other needs. Andino School's Department of Wellbeing and Integral Learning identifies, guides, and supports special educational needs so students can access, participate, and progress on equal terms. Provisions at other schools should be confirmed directly and in writing before enrollment.

The practical reality for relocating families is that legal rights to inclusive education exist and specialist structures are in place, but the depth of staffing, specialist expertise, and physical accessibility varies sharply between Lima and other regions, and between schools within Lima. Families should treat SEN provision as a school-specific question, not a system-wide guarantee. Request written confirmation of learning-support capacity from each shortlisted school, covering: vacancy reservation, barrier identification, SAEI or learning-support involvement, classroom adaptations, therapy coordination, and the school's ability to support your child's specific profile. Do this before paying any entrance fee or matrícula.

Higher education pathways from Peru

International diplomas earned at Lima's international schools are recognized by leading Peruvian private universities through dedicated admissions pathways. PUCP (Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú), Peru's top-ranked institution in the QS World University Rankings, accepts the IB Diploma, the French Baccalauréat, British/Cambridge qualifications, the German Abitur, and the Italian Maturità through its diploma-holder admissions route, and allows validation of first-year university coursework up to a maximum of 36 credits. Universidad Científica del Sur accepts IB, French, German, Italian, and British-Cambridge baccalaureates through its Bachillerato Internacional admissions pathway, whether studied in Peru or abroad.

Recognition is institution-specific, not a universal national rule. Families should verify with each target university that the child's specific diploma program and school are accepted, and should request the list of required documents, which typically includes the legalized diploma, a transcript, syllabi for course-validation requests, and a secondary certificate or Constancia de Logros de Aprendizaje. Applicability varies by program and by the score achieved.

Children arriving in Peru with foreign school records who wish to continue to Peruvian secondary school or enter a local university must undergo a convalidación or revalidación process with MINEDU. Convalidación recognizes foreign studies as equivalent to Peruvian schooling; revalidación applies where the curriculum differs too much for direct equivalence. The procedure is handled through MINEDU's official service, and the maximum stated response time is 30 working days. Documents from abroad typically require official Spanish translation and either an Apostille or consular legalization by the Peruvian consul in the country of origin, followed by authentication by Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Peru also has internationally ranked universities for families considering local higher education. PUCP ranked 345th in the QS World University Rankings, the only Peruvian university in the global top 400. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) appeared in the Times Higher Education rankings in the 1,001-1,200 band. Families planning for children to attend university in Peru should check the specific program's accreditation, language of instruction, and professional-recognition implications.

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