Good to know
Good to Know
- Because Miami is a US city, all school prices are in US dollars — there is no local/USD conversion to worry about.
- Cost spans an unusually wide range for one city: genuinely free, well-regarded bilingual and IB options exist through Miami-Dade's public charter and magnet system, alongside private schools charging $30,000–$50,000+ per year.
- Spanish-English bilingual education is deeply embedded in Miami's public and charter system (not just private international schools) given the city's demographics — families don't have to pay private tuition to get dual-language schooling.
- IB and bilingual programs are in high demand; guides recommend applying six to twelve months in advance.
- Florida's Tax Credit Scholarship and Education Savings Account programs can offset private-school tuition for eligible families — worth checking eligibility even for expat/nomad families who become Florida residents.
- Some prestigious named schools (e.g., Palmer Trinity, schools in Pinecrest/Palmetto Bay) sit well outside the Brickell/Downtown/Coral Gables/Coconut Grove core and were excluded or flagged here for that reason — Miami's geography means a 20–30 minute drive is often involved for suburban private schools.
- For private bilingual/IB schools, apply 6–12 months before the intended start date — popular programs fill up and run real waitlists, especially for the earliest grades.
- If you want a free bilingual option (e.g., a bilingual charter or dual-language public program), you generally must catch the annual magnet lottery window (deadline around January 15, results around March 15) — arriving mid-year outside this cycle often means a waitlist or a less-preferred school for the rest of that year.
- Charter/magnet placement in oversubscribed Miami-Dade programs is decided by computerized random lottery, not by application quality or how early you personally submitted (beyond meeting the deadline) — an important expectation-setter for families used to merit-based admissions elsewhere.
- Homeschooling is very legally accessible in Florida/Miami: no parental teaching credential is required for the standard Home Education option, and district oversight is light (a one-time notice of intent plus an annual evaluation).
- Several active, long-running homeschool co-ops operate in Miami-Dade (secular and faith-based), so families new to the city are not without an in-person community — most center around weekly co-op class days, park days, and field trips.
Public And Charter Bilingual Or IB Options
Mater Academy of International Studies
- Cost
- Tuition-free (public charter)
- Neighborhood
- Miami area (Miami-Dade charter network)
- Notes
- Prepares students for international higher education; admission may involve a lottery if demand exceeds capacity.
Curricula
- Bilingual and multicultural curriculum
- American public standards
International Studies Charter School
- Cost
- Tuition-free (public charter)
- Neighborhood
- Miami
- Notes
- Renowned locally for its bilingual programme; part of the Miami-Dade public charter system.
Curricula
- Bilingual programme
Sunset Elementary School
- Cost
- Tuition-free (Miami-Dade public school)
- Neighborhood
- South Miami / Sunset area
- Notes
- Runs internationally recognized foreign-language programmes; located slightly outside the core downtown/Brickell nomad area.
Curricula
- International studies programmes in French, German, and Spanish
Gables IB World School
- Cost
- Tuition-free (public IB magnet)
- Neighborhood
- Coral Gables
- Notes
- IB Diploma pass rates here are commonly cited as exceeding the global average.
Curricula
- IB Diploma Programme
Private International And Bilingual Schools
Gulliver Preparatory School (Gulliver Schools)
- Grades Ages
- PreK–12
- Neighborhood
- Coral Gables / Pinecrest / Miami campuses
- Notes
- Sources disagree on the exact band (one puts it at $15K–$40K, another at $31K–$53K depending on grade/campus); treat as a wide estimate rather than a precise figure.
Curricula
- IB Diploma Programme
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- American college-prep
Tuition Per Year
- Low
- $15,000
- High
- $53,000
The Biltmore School
- Grades Ages
- PreK through end of middle school (not a high school)
- Neighborhood
- Coral Gables
- Notes
- An authorized IB World School since 2012, with bilingual English–Spanish instruction.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- Bilingual English–Spanish
Tuition Per Year
- Low
- $15,000
- High
- $40,000
Ransom Everglades School
- Grades Ages
- Grades 6–12
- Neighborhood
- Coconut Grove
- Notes
- Older listings cite about $36,500–$36,840/year; a more recent 2025–2026 cost guide puts upper-school tuition around $48,000 with total cost of attendance near $50,000–$51,000 once fees are added. Non-sectarian, one of Miami's oldest and most prestigious private schools.
Curricula
- American college-preparatory
- AP
Tuition Per Year
- Low
- $36,549
- High
- $48,000
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
- Grades Ages
- Age 3 through grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Coconut Grove
- Notes
- Florida's only Catholic all-girls college-preparatory school, part of an international network of Sacred Heart schools; offers the IB Diploma Programme.
Curricula
- IB Diploma Programme
- Montessori (early years)
- American
Tuition Per Year
- Low
- $30,000
- High
- $48,000
Miami Country Day School
- Grades Ages
- PreK–12
- Neighborhood
- Miami Shores
- Notes
- Specific published tuition figure not confirmed in available sources — contact school directly. Known for international-focused programming, language immersion, and student exchange programs.
Curricula
- American
- AP
- Spanish and Mandarin language immersion
ÉCole Franco-Américaine De Miami (EFAM / The French American School of Miami)
- Grades Ages
- Ages 3–11 (PreK-3 through 5th grade)
- Neighborhood
- Miami Shores (North Campus) and South Miami (South Campus)
- Additional Fees
- Non-refundable application fee $175; enrollment deposit $1,800 (returning students) / $2,200 (new students); optional entrance-test fee $100.
- Notes
- Accredited by the French Government and affiliated with AEFE-network associations; French national students may qualify for French government tuition assistance.
Curricula
- French National Curriculum
- Bilingual French–English
Tuition Per Year
- Low
- $5,000
- High
- $18,915
ÉCole Française De Miami
- Grades Ages
- Not specified in sources
- Neighborhood
- Brickell (Espirito Santo Plaza)
- Notes
- Follows the French National Education programme alongside the U.S. Florida curriculum. Tuition is not published — school asks families to inquire directly.
Curricula
- Bilingual French–English
- French International (IS) Program
- IB Programme
Coconut Grove Bilingual School
- Grades Ages
- Early childhood / younger children
- Neighborhood
- Coconut Grove
- Notes
- Serves younger children seeking dual-language immersion; tuition not published in available sources.
Curricula
- Dual-language immersion (Spanish–English)
Options
Home Education Program (Fla. Stat. §1002.41)
- Description
- The most common option. Parents direct instruction themselves with no state-mandated curriculum, subjects, or teacher qualifications required.
Private Tutor (Fla. Stat. §1002.43)
- Description
- Child is taught by a tutor who must hold a valid Florida teaching certificate for the grade/subjects taught; requires 180 days of instruction per year.
Private School 'Umbrella'/'cover' School
- Description
- Family enrolls in a registered private school that oversees the homeschool program (curriculum, evaluations, transcripts) rather than reporting directly to the county.
Local Homeschool Co Ops In Miami Dade
P.A.T.H. (Parents' Association for Teaching at Home)
- Type
- Secular co-op and support group
- Details
- P.A.T.H. Inc. is a secular, non-profit homeschooling co-op and support group run by parent volunteers, open to all homeschoolers in Miami-Dade regardless of faith or background, offering park days, field trips, enrichment classes and annual standardized testing.
- Meeting Info
- PATH families meet at a church in Kendall for co-op classes on Thursdays during the fall and winter terms.
PACE (Parents' Association for Christian Enrichment) of Miami
- Type
- Christian-worldview co-op and support group
- Details
- PACE is a South Florida, non-profit, volunteer-based corporation providing general homeschooling support and enrichment classes from a Christian worldview, meeting at a church location in Miami on Fridays during the school year.
- Membership Fee
- $65
Alternative Homeschool Educators of South Florida
- Type
- All-inclusive, non-religious support group
- Details
- An all-inclusive homeschool group serving Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties for homeschoolers of any style, race, age or religion.
South Florida Homeschool Resource Center (SFLHRC)
- Type
- Multi-county enrichment hub
- Details
- Serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, it functions as a hub for the local homeschooling and 'afterschooling' community, offering age-banded classes, field trips, and events.
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Overview
- Miami's 'international' education options split into two tracks: tuition-charging private schools (IB, bilingual, multicultural curricula) and free public options — bilingual magnet/charter schools and dual-language programs within Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). The two tracks have very different enrollment mechanics.
- Realistic Expectation For Foreign Families
- Arriving mid-year without having applied in the prior application cycle is the single biggest cause of long waits: popular private bilingual/IB schools are frequently full a year out, and popular public magnet/charter bilingual programs only run their main lottery once annually (January deadline, March results), with a secondary sign-up list for leftover seats. Families relocating outside these windows should expect either a waitlist or placement at a less sought-after school for the remainder of that school year.
Private International Bilingual Schools
- Waitlist Reality
- There may also be deadlines for applications and waiting lists so it's best to get a head start with the process. Securing a spot typically requires an upfront deposit once offered a place, in addition to tuition, which is often payable in instalments across the year.
- Application Timing
- Because many programs, especially IB and bilingual ones, are in high demand, it is wise to apply early, ideally six to twelve months in advance.
- Required Documents
- Generally, you will need to submit an application form, recent academic transcripts, proof of residence or visa, and possibly a language assessment.
- Process Notes
- Private schools may request interviews or entrance tests, while charter programs often use lotteries for admission if demand exceeds capacity.
Public Magnet And Bilingual Charter Schools
- Examples
- Mater Academy of International Studies (bilingual charter, tuition-free) and Sunset Elementary School's dual-language French/German/Spanish program are examples of no-cost bilingual/international options within the Miami-Dade public system.
- Notification
- Families are notified of magnet lottery results on or about March 15 each year.
- Selection Method
- When the number of eligible applications exceeds available seats, M-DCPS uses a computerized random selection (lottery) — not a merit or first-come basis — except for audition-based visual/performing-arts programs.
- Application Window
- For M-DCPS Magnet programs (which include many bilingual/international-studies strands), the standard application deadline for priority consideration is January 15, though a supplemental window for remaining seats opens later in the school year (e.g., mid-March) and stays open until seats fill or the following school year begins.
- Priority Categories
- Two categories get priority in the lottery: children of active-duty military families who provide proof, and younger siblings of students already attending the school (if they'll overlap at least one year) — but families must still apply and meet the January 15 deadline for these priorities to be applied.
- Foreign Family Note
- Foreign/newly-arrived families should confirm residency/visa documentation requirements directly with M-DCPS, since public-school enrollment (unlike most private schools) is tied to residency in the district rather than nationality.
Currency Note
Miami is in the United States, so the local currency and the USD figure are identical (USD). No conversion was needed.
Legal Status
Fully legal and regulated
Jurisdiction Note
Homeschooling is legal nationwide in the United States, but the specific rules that apply in Miami are set by Florida state law (not federal law), primarily Florida Statutes §1002.41 and §1003.21.
Practical Note For Foreign Families
None of the three options require U.S. citizenship to use, but families should independently confirm how their visa category interacts with school-age children's legal status in Florida, since this guide does not cover immigration law.
Core Requirements For The Default Home Education Option
Core Requirements For The Default Home Education Option
- File a Notice of Intent with the county (Miami-Dade) school superintendent within 30 days of starting to homeschool; this is a one-time filing, not annual, and the district cannot demand more than the child's name, address, and birthdate.
- Compulsory attendance ages are 6 to 16.
- No teacher qualifications are required of the parent.
- No state-mandated subjects or state-approved curriculum are required.
- Parents must maintain a portfolio (a log of educational activities plus work samples) for at least two years, which the superintendent may request to inspect with 15 days' written notice — inspections are described as rare in practice.
- An annual educational evaluation (e.g., a certified teacher's review, or standardized testing such as the Stanford or Iowa test) must be submitted to the district each year.
- Homeschooled students are exempt from Florida's state standardized testing regime but must still submit the annual evaluation.
- Homeschooled students in Florida are eligible to try out for public-school sports, music, and clubs if they meet eligibility criteria, and can qualify for the state's Bright Futures Scholarship program for college.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
More About Miami
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.