Good to know
Good to Know
- Kaohsiung American School legally requires all enrolled students to hold a valid foreign passport, so it is not an option for Taiwanese-passport-only families.
- I-Shou International School is currently the only school in Kaohsiung offering the full IB continuum (PYP through DP), while KAS offers IB MYP/DP alongside an American track and Morrison Academy follows a US-style Christian curriculum.
- Private international school tuition in Kaohsiung (KAS, Morrison) runs roughly TWD 390,000–580,000 (~USD 12,000–18,000) per year before one-time capital/entrance fees, application testing fees, lunch, and bus costs, which are typically billed separately.
- Several named bilingual schools (Dominican International, Dah Yung) did not have current tuition figures publicly available online — get an up-to-date fee schedule directly from the school before budgeting.
- Public high schools with bilingual departments (like Kaohsiung Senior High School) are a far cheaper route to English-medium instruction, but with a different depth/style of English immersion than the private international schools.
- For international schools, apply as early as January–March for a September start if you want the best shot at a specific grade — popular grades fill first even though both major Kaohsiung international schools technically accept applications year-round.
- Getting an interview or testing slot is not the same as acceptance at either school — treat it as one stage in a multi-step process, not a guarantee.
- If you plan to homeschool a foreign national child in Kaohsiung, you don't legally have to register with the city education authority, but registering by the April 30 / October 30 deadlines is worth doing if you want the diploma/certificate recognized later by Taiwanese or foreign universities.
- We could not find a documented, active in-person homeschool co-op specific to Kaohsiung — foreign homeschooling families here currently seem to rely mainly on island-wide online groups rather than a local hub.
Public School Bilingual Programs
Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Senior High School — Bilingual Department
- Type
- Public senior high school with a bilingual (Mandarin/English) department
- Tuition
- As a public school, fees are on the standard low public-school fee schedule (a small fraction of private international school tuition), rather than international-school-level tuition.
- District
- Lingya District
- Notes
- An example of Taiwan's growing public 'bilingual education' policy track — a much cheaper alternative to private international schools, though with less English-immersion depth than KAS, Morrison, or I-Shou.
Curricula
- Taiwan national curriculum delivered bilingually, preparing students for university entry in Taiwan or abroad
International And Private Bilingual Schools
Kaohsiung American School (KAS)
- Founded
- 1989
- District
- Zuoying District
- Accreditation
- WASC-accredited; Council of International Schools (CIS) member; IB World School since 2010
- Admission Requirement
- Requires a valid foreign passport for all students (ROC government and school policy)
- Notes
- Tuition figures are from the school's most recently published U.S. Department of State fact sheet; some third-party aggregator sites show lower, likely outdated, per-semester figures.
Tuition
- PK To Grade5
- NT$393,400
- Grades 6 To 8
- NT$432,400
- Grades 9 To 12
- NT$455,000
- Annual Registration Fee
- NT$35,000
- First Time Capital Fee New Students
- NT$200,000
- Annual Capital Fee Returning Students
- NT$50,000
Curricula
- American standards-based curriculum
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
Morrison Academy Kaohsiung (MAK)
- District
- Daliao District
- Accreditation
- ACSI and WASC accredited
- Notes
- Figures are for the 2026/27 school year as published by the school.
Tuition
- Grades 6 To 8
- NT$510,000
- Grades K To 5
- NT$468,000
- Grades 9 To 12
- NT$576,000
- Annual Registration Fee
- NT$30,000
- Application Testing Fee
- NT$3,500
- Entrance Fee First Time Students
- NT$30,000
Curricula
- American curriculum
- Christian/Bible-integrated curriculum
I-Shou International School (ISIS)
- Founded
- 2004
- District
- Dashu District (E-Da community area)
- Features
- Boarding house available for grades 6-12
- Accreditation
- Council of International Schools (CIS); recognized by Taiwan's Ministry of Education; IB World School
- Notes
- This is the only full IB continuum (PYP-MYP-DP) school found in Kaohsiung, and also offers a lower-cost bilingual/national-curriculum track alongside its international track.
Tuition
- Annual Tuition
- Not reliably found in public sources at time of research — the school states fees are reviewed annually and provided via a fee table on request; contact the school directly for current figures. A multi-child sibling discount is offered.
- Application Fee
- NT$3,000
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
- Cambridge IGCSE (select grades)
- Taiwan national curriculum (selected cohorts / Secondary Bilingual Programme)
Dominican International School Kaohsiung
- Tuition
- Specific published tuition figures were not found in available sourcing; described by third-party directories as a lower-cost bilingual option relative to fully international schools like KAS.
- District
- Kaohsiung City (specific district not confirmed in sourcing)
- Notes
- Small, low student-to-teacher ratio Catholic school; prospective families should contact the school directly for current fee schedules.
Curricula
- American-based curriculum
- Bilingual English/Mandarin instruction
- Catholic religious/moral education component
Dah Yung International Bilingual School (DYIBS)
- Founded
- 2000
- Tuition
- Specific published tuition figures were not found in available sourcing.
- District
- Gushan District
- Notes
- A long-running, sizeable (600+ student) bilingual school; contact the school directly for current fees.
Curricula
- Bilingual (English/Mandarin) program spanning kindergarten, primary, and secondary school
Homeschooling Taiwan
- Legal Basis
- Homeschooling has been legal in Taiwan since the Legislative Yuan passed enabling legislation in June 1999, and it is now governed nationally as 'non-school-based experimental education' under the Law for Non-School Mode of Experimental Education for Senior Secondary Education and Below (amended 2014), which also created protections and a formal review process for homeschoolers.
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Application Process
- Families apply through the local educational authority covering their household registration or residence (in Kaohsiung, this is the Kaohsiung City Government's education authority), submitting an experimental education plan describing the purpose, method, and curriculum/assessment approach.
- Application Deadlines
- Applications must be submitted no later than April 30 (for a homeschool start in the following semester, roughly August) or October 30/31 (for a start around February), before the relevant semester begins.
- Recognition And Outcomes
- Students who complete homeschooling at the primary and junior-secondary level receive a graduation diploma from their local district school, and those completing senior-secondary homeschooling receive a certificate of completion that qualifies them to apply to universities in Taiwan; homeschoolers also go through a special university admissions pathway.
- Foreign National Eligibility
- Foreign nationals may homeschool in Taiwan without restriction, and while they are not required to formally apply to homeschool, doing so can be advantageous if the family wants the homeschooling to be recognized by Taiwanese and overseas universities.
- Government Support Note
- Government sources describe some financial support for approved senior-secondary homeschool students, but we could not confirm a precise, current New Taiwan Dollar figure for this from an official Kaohsiung or national source, so no specific amount is quoted here.
Kaohsiung Specific Community
- Detail
- We could not confirm a Kaohsiung-specific homeschool co-op, meetup group, or physical resource center that is documented as active in the city. The main community resource found is 'Learn@Home in Taiwan,' an English-language Facebook group referenced for homeschooling families across Taiwan generally — it is island-wide, not confirmed as having a distinct Kaohsiung chapter or in-person co-op. National advocacy body 'Taiwan Homeschool Advocates' also works on policy but is not a Kaohsiung-local group.
- Confirmed Locally
- No
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Overall Pattern
- Kaohsiung's main international/bilingual schools (e.g. Kaohsiung American School, I-Shou International School) run admissions as a rolling, year-round process rather than a single hard annual deadline, but the best chance at a seat in a specific grade is to apply months before the August/September school-year start.
- Waitlist Expectations
- Where an applicant meets entry criteria but no seat is open in that grade, IIS places the child on an official waiting list and contacts the family as soon as a place opens; a further placement assessment may be required later depending on how much time has passed, and this repeat assessment is offered free of charge. At IIS, failing to pay the deposit/fees by the deadline after a written acceptance results in forfeiture of the seat and the student being placed back on the waiting list.
- How Far In Advance Realistic
- For a September start, aim to submit a complete application by January–March of that same year for popular grade levels; families arriving mid-year should still apply, as both schools process applications on a rolling/individual basis and will offer a place if one exists.
Typical Timing
Kaohsiung American School (KAS)
- Detail
- KAS accepts applications at any time during the year, but families are told that admissions for the next school year begins in Spring, with the admissions office following up with applicants starting in March.
I-Shou International School (IIS)
- Detail
- IIS advises that early application in January/February is recommended for September entry because spaces are limited, though as an international school it also accepts applications year-round and reviews them individually.
Practical Notes
- Both schools explicitly say testing or an interview opportunity does not guarantee placement — it is a two-stage gate (document review, then testing/interview, then a formal decision letter).
- Applications made from overseas can typically be handled with an online interview before the family relocates.
- A seat is only secured once formal written acceptance is received and tuition/fees are paid by the stated deadline.
Required Documents Typical
- Valid foreign passport for the child (KAS requires all students to hold a valid foreign passport, per ROC government and school policy)
- For non-Taiwanese citizens at IIS: copies of the applicant's passport and Alien Resident Certificate (ARC); for Taiwanese citizens, a copy of the passport
- Academic records: KAS requires at least two full years of academic records (including the current year) for Grades 2–8 applicants, and at least three years for Grade 9 and above
- Academic records must be in English — KAS states records in other languages will not be accepted, and it is the parents' responsibility to have them translated
- English proficiency: at KAS, grades PK–2 don't require fluency but strong English improves acceptance odds given limited ELL spaces; grades 3–12 must pass an English proficiency exam
- Interview and placement/entrance testing (both schools test applicants; IIS testing runs roughly 1–2.5 hours depending on age; passing the test/interview does not guarantee a place)
- Non-refundable assessment/testing fee (amount not published by the schools; confirm current figure directly with admissions)
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.