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Most Comprehensive Guide: Top 14 Private Schools for Expats in the Area of Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Several of them Embracing Alternative Education (dated August 2024)

by Miriam Nolte

Guanacaste, with its stunning landscapes and growing expatriate community, is home to several excellent private schools, some of them embrace alternative education philosophies. These schools offer unique learning experiences tailored to nurture creativity and a love of learning in students. As a real estate broker, I love to help families to find not only their dream homes but also the perfect educational environment for their children.

Considering a move to Tamarindo area with your family? It’s essential to explore the international schools in Costa Rica: What are your options? What academic and extracurricular programs do they offer? And what are the costs?

Here’s a streamlined overview to help you navigate these choices:

  • Location: All schools listed are within a short drive of Tamarindo. Consider your home’s proximity to ease daily commutes. Many schools provide private bus transportation.
  • Grades/Levels: Most schools extend through high school, but not all include grade 12. Note that Costa Rican high school ends after 11th grade.
  • School Year: Private schools in Costa Rica typically follow either a Costa Rican (February-December) or U.S. (September-June) academic calendar.
  • Accreditation: If you might move back to your home country or if your children plan to attend college abroad, international accreditation can simplify the process. Local accreditation through the Ministry of Education (MEP) is crucial for long-term residents.
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) or US accreditation: The IB program offers an internationally recognized diploma, facilitating university admissions worldwide. Some schools are accredited by the Costa Rican Ministry of Education MEP.
  • Tuition: Private education in Costa Rica comes at a cost, but several schools offer affordable options and even scholarships. Fees stated in the post are yearly tuition.

Here is a comprehensive list of the top private schools in Guanacaste in 2024:

  1. Costa Rica International Academy (CRIA)

Grades: PreK-12

Tuition: $8,405-12,610

Location: Brasilito, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 2654 5042  

Webpage: https://criacademy.com 

Characteristics: 

CRIA has a U.S.-accredited curriculum with college preparatory program for pre-K through 12th grade students offering also Advanced Placement (AP) courses, with an emphasis on student-centered learning and critical thinking. With a focus on inspiring student interests and passions, CRIA pairs rigorous academics with a variety of co-curricular activities, including swimming, surfing, drama, chess, Model United Nations. The school boasts an average class size of 18, a 10:1 teacher-student ratio, and a 100% graduation and college acceptance rate. Costa Rica International Academy is the ONLY US & MEP accredited school in the Guanacaste region, and one of only 15 fully US-accredited schools in Costa Rica.

  1. La Paz Community School

Grades: PreK-12

Tuition: $ 7,783-12,738

Location: Brasilito, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 2654 6087  

Webpage: https://lapazschool.org 

Characteristics:

La Paz Community School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School that integrates experiential learning with a strong emphasis on community and environmental responsibility. It offers a bilingual education in both English and Spanish, promoting cultural understanding and global citizenship. The school’s approach is holistic, focusing on intellectual, emotional, and social development. There is another La Paz Community School in Tempisque, Liberia with the same values and costs (Telephone: +506 2201 8992).

  1. Pacific Waldorf School

Grades: PreK-8

Tuition: $4,850-7,800

Location: Cañafistula, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8762 6927

Webpage: https://waldorf.cr/ 

Characteristics:

Pacific Waldorf School follows the Waldorf education philosophy, providing a holistic, nurturing environment for children to learn, play and grow within. Pacific Waldorf School offers a varied curriculum that puts the changing developmental needs of your child at the heart of what they do. Running from Pre K through to Grade 8, the school is situated in a custom-built campus that allows the students to be connected to nature throughout the school day. The curriculum integrates arts, music, movement, hands-on learning experiences, and lots of time in nature, even the classrooms are open. The school focuses on nurturing the whole child – intellectually, emotionally, and physically – in a supportive environment, exercising daily the thinking, feeling, and the will.

  1. Educarte

Grades: PreK-11

Tuition: $5,590-7,283

Location: Huacas, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 4080 9088

Webpage: https://educartecostarica.com/homepage 

Characteristics:

Educarte Centro de Aprendizaje is an institution that offers a bilingual education and employs distinctive teaching methods and offers unique learning opportunities. Human values, diversity, respect, and citizenship are fundamental to our educational process. Educarte offers all its students the possibility of contributing to a fair and egalitarian society.

  1. TIDE Academy

Grades: PreK-12

Tuition: $5,300-7,300

Location: Tamarindo, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 4702 8795

Webpage: https://tideacademy.com 

Characteristics:

TIDE is a school for those students with interests that expand beyond a conventional academic structure. While many students respond well in a traditional school program, TIDE caters to those students with interests outside of school and need flexibility to incorporate them in their life. TIDE Academy offers a flexible, student-centered learning approach tailored to individual needs. The school emphasizes project-based learning, and real-world application. With small class sizes and personalized attention, TIDE Academy ensures each student receives a unique and supportive educational experience.

  1. Ocean Light Learning Institute

Grades: 8-12

Tuition: $10,500

Location: Huacas, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +1 720 319 7610 

Webpage: https://oceanlightlearning.com/ 

Characteristics:

Ocean Light Learning Institute provides a holistic education focusing on creativity, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. The mission of OLLI is to create learning environments where students can connect directly with themselves, the natural world, and their communities through Expeditionary and Project Based Learning. With a boutique school setting, the small class sizes enable students to be seen, understood, and reflected as they gain confidence in academic foundations while engaging in curriculum that is important and relevant to them as individuals. Students are out in the field weekly conducting ecological research for a variety of science projects.

  1. Flourish Children´s School

Grades: K-7

Tuition: $3,080-8,800

Location: Huacas, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8683 2831

Webpage: https://flourishchildrensschool.com 

Characteristics:

Flourish is a bilingual, christian school that is dedicated to teaching the individual instilling the love to learn and to foster the children´s wonder for God´s creation. Small classes learning that fosters curiosity, creativity with attention to each individual. The school emphasizes a collaborative and nurturing environment, allowing students to explore their interests and develop critical thinking skills.

  1. Journey School of Costa Rica

Grades: PreK-12

Tuition: $10,452

Location: Tamarindo, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +5068728 2178  

Webpage: https://www.journeyschoolofcostarica.com 

Characteristics:

Journey School of Costa Rica is where education is more than just academics.It is a journey of delight, kindness, and discovery within a vibrant international community. With an unwavering spirit of joy and adventure, we invite you to embark on this journey with us, exploring what makes us a unique and nurturing environment for students aged 2 to 18, accredited by MEP in Costa Rica, Cognia in the USA, and IB international. As an IB World School, we ensure high standards of education while fostering global citizenship.

  1. Wise Academy

Grades: K-12

Tuition: $6,000

Location: Huacas, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8356 2895  

Webpage: https://www.facebook.com/wise.edu.cr/ 

Characteristics:

Wise Academy offers innovative K-12 learning center, offering alternative schooling, educational workshops, and community events. Their curriculum is Finnish-inspired, PBL-based, aligned to international standards, and ensures 21st century skill learning.

  1. Sol Academy

Grades: K-6

Tuition:$5,000-8,000

Location: Playa Negra, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8555 9555

Webpage: linktr.ee/sol.academy.cr

Characteristics:

SOL ACADEMY is located in Los Pargos and it provides a revolutionary learning environment based on healing children’s relationship to themselves, to those around them, and to the earth. Providing an education that extends beyond the traditional classroom setting and empowering their students with invaluable life skills and a profound connection to the natural world is key for SOL ACADEMY.

Their goal is to empower students with a world-class, bilingual, project-based education, rooted in a permaculture model and a focus on life skills and entrepreneurship. 

  1. Iren School

Grades: PreK-12

Tuition: $10,400

Location: Black Stallion, Linderos, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8729 4857

Webpage: https://www.irencr.com/ 

Characteristics:

Iren School combines traditional academics with innovative teaching methods to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. The school offers a bilingual curriculum and focuses on developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a strong sense of community.

  1. Milestones School

Grades: PreSchool – 6

Tuition: $3,900

Location: just outside Tamarindo

Telephone: +506 8690 0506

Webpage: https://www.milestonescr.com/

Characteristics: 

At Milestones, our passion is working with young people, helping them realize what incredibly gifted individuals they are, and guiding them on their educational journeys to become self-directed, confident learners. We believe a child can get as excited about traditional learning as they do about playing, promising valuable opportunities to experiment, grow and thrive. Every child at Milestones school will have their education accelerated by having their passions set ablaze with guidance and without restriction.

  1. Outside the Box Learning Lab

Grades: PreK-6

Tuition: $9,828

Location: Brasilito, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 8776 8824

Webpage: https://otblearninglab.com/ 

Characteristics: 

Outside The Box (OTB) Learning Laboratory is a bilingual, alternative PreK-6 school. We seek to humanize education by building meaningful relationships, guiding learning processes, supporting self-discovery, and encouraging connections with others through empathy, kindness and compassion.

  1. Liceo de Villareal

Grades: PreK-11

Public school

Location: Villareal, Guanacaste  

Telephone: +506 2653 0716

Webpage: https://liceovillarrealweb.wixsite.com/liceovillareal/acerca-de 

Characteristics:

Liceo de Villareal is a public school with the possibility to get an IB diploma and offers a comprehensive education with a focus on academic excellence and personal development. The school provides a bilingual curriculum and encourages students to engage in extracurricular activities, community service, and environmental stewardship.

Conclusion

Guanacaste offers a large variety of private schools, some of them embrace alternative education philosophies, catering to the diverse needs and preferences of families. Whether seeking a Waldorf approach, project-based learning, or a bilingual curriculum, these schools provide enriching environments where children can thrive. As a real estate broker I like to summarize and highlight these educational opportunities to help families make informed decisions when relocating to this beautiful region. Please get in touch, if you have any questions. I am not only your local expert, but a mother as well. My twin girls graduated from CRIA and my youngest daughter goes to the Pacific Waldorf School and I know lots of parents that bring their children to other schools as well and can provide more insights and connect you. As a mother of three I know how important it is to find your tribe and have your values reflected in the school you choose. Been there, done that! 

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Welcome to the Pura Vida Tribe! My name is Miriam and I am a a licensed Real Estate Advisor living in Costa Rica. I am excited to help you with your real estate journey. How can I help you today?
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