Schools & Education in Lima

Good to Know

• Almost every school charges a one-time entrance/admission fee in US dollars even when the recurring monthly tuition is billed in Peruvian soles — always ask a school to break this out clearly before budgeting.
• Fee schedules change yearly and a number of well-regarded schools (Markham, Hiram Bingham, Newton, San Silvestre, CPB, Abraham Lincoln, Cambridge College Lima, Trener, Reina del Mundo, Altair) simply do not publish tuition publicly — you'll need to contact admissions directly for a quote.
• Admissions are generally rigorous: expect an entrance exam or age-appropriate assessment, a parent interview, and sometimes a financial background check, plus academic records and letters of recommendation for transfer students.
• A few schools (Colegio Roosevelt, International Christian School of Lima) run on the northern-hemisphere academic calendar (August–June), which suits families relocating mid-year from the U.S.; most other Lima schools follow the Peruvian calendar (March–December).
• By law, all schools in Peru — international or not — must also teach the Peruvian national curriculum in Spanish, so even a 'German school' or 'American school' child will study Peruvian history and social studies.
• If you want a specific, well-known international school in Lima, start the enrollment conversation as early as possible — ideally close to a year ahead for the most in-demand schools — since unclaimed offers are passed straight to waitlisted families once a payment deadline passes.
• Even families arriving mid-year outside the 'normal' admissions cycle can usually still apply, but expect a placement test, an interview, and — for newly arrived foreign families — sometimes a financial background check.
• Budget for more than just tuition: a one-time entrance/admission fee, possible capital levy, uniforms, materials, and (at secondary/IB level) exam fees are commonly charged separately, and are often billed in US dollars rather than Peruvian soles.
• If transferring school records from abroad, get transcripts apostilled and translated by a certified translator in Peru early — this step (and Ministry of Education validation) can take real time and is easy to underestimate.
• Homeschooling is not illegal in Peru, but it is also not clearly regulated, and local education-authority (UGEL) staff often mistakenly tell families it isn't allowed at all — so most homeschooling families route certification through alternative/evening schools (CEBA) or specific private programs rather than expecting straightforward support from local officials.
• We didn't find solid evidence of an established, documented homeschooling co-op or in-person community specifically in Lima — treat any claims of one with caution and expect to rely on informal expat/parent networks instead.