International Education in Bali
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If you’ve spent any time on Instagram lately, you’ll know that Bali has become a haven for digital nomads and social media influencers. But don’t let that influence your opinion of this stunning Indonesian island. Expats from all walks of life have always been welcome here, including international families who want to make it their home.
So if your family is one of those wanting to settle in Bali, what should you know about the destination’s international schools?
Bali is larger than you may think from a quick glance at a map of Indonesia. It covers over 5,000 square kilometers and has a population of over 4 million people. The south of the island is the most densely populated, and is also where most of Bali’s international schools are located.
Denpasar, the capital city of the Bali province, has the biggest choice of international schools. However Canggu (west of Denpasar) and Ubud (north of the capital) also have options if you would prefer somewhere away from the worst of the hustle and bustle.
Generally speaking, international schools in Bali have an excellent reputation. Plenty of them have been established for decades, and many have beautiful, expansive campuses full of green space for your child to run around in.
However with such good standards of education on offer comes high demand for school places. International schools in Bali are highly desirable options for the expat community and the local community alike, which means competition can be strong.
This means that many of Bali’s international schools are bi-lingual and will offer both English and Indonesian as languages of instruction. Several also offer the Indonesian national school curriculum to cater to local students.
In terms of international curricula, there is a wide variety on offer across international schools in Bali. The British and International Baccalaureate (IB) curricula tend to dominate, but others such as Australian, French and American can also be found. Bali is also home to some international schools that offer progressive play-based and project-based learning.
English is the most common language of instruction in Bali’s international schools. Some schools require your child to have reached a certain standard of English before they can enroll, so keep this in mind if they are not a native English speaker.
Another common feature of international schools in Bali is that they cater for early years education as well as primary and secondary education. So if you will be moving here with very young children, their needs can be catered for.
Below, we have compiled the top 10 international schools in Bali according to our users. However, there are another 17 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Bali based on your requirements.