🇮🇩 Bali · school guide
International schools in Bali
Bali has distinctive international and alternative schools, but they are spread across the island. Sanur, Ubud and the Canggu–Kerobokan area offer different combinations of schools, homes and daily travel.
Last verified 31 August 2026
The short answer
What should families know first?
Bali can suit families who choose a school first and build everyday life around its location. The market is smaller than Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, so check curriculum continuity, secondary options and learning-support capacity before making a long-term commitment.
about £9,500–£14,000 a yearInitial range for one child; premium schools and first-year charges can be higher.
How school choice varies by location
Three places, three different school searches
These are starting points, not school rankings. Check availability, support and the daily journey for each child.
Sanur
An established family area with access to long-running international provision. It can be a practical east-side base when school and work locations align.
Ubud
Alternative and sustainability-led education shapes some families' search. Roads are narrow and specialist healthcare or other campuses may be far away.
Canggu / Kerobokan
Popular with internationally mobile families but congestion and rapid development make live route tests essential before taking a lease.
What this means for families: Bali's strongest schools can support a compelling family life, but island traffic makes a scattered plan fragile. The best shortlist is geographically disciplined and includes an exit route if the child outgrows the available programme.
Bali area-by-area
Choose a school area before choosing a home
Sanur, Canggu/Umalas and Ubud support different school markets and daily routines. Compare each as a complete family base rather than treating Bali as one catchment.
Established schools and an east-coast routine
Sanur and east Denpasar
Sanur is one of Bali's clearest school-first family bases. It combines an established residential area with access to long-running international provision, the bypass and east-Denpasar services, although the exact campus may sit outside Sanur itself.
A popular family network with difficult peak-time roads
Canggu, Berawa and Umalas
This west-coast cluster attracts internationally mobile families and offers schools, activities and family services within a relatively compact-looking area. In practice, Berawa, Tibubeneng, Umalas and the wider Canggu area can create very different journeys.
Alternative education and a smaller conventional fallback
Ubud and central Bali
Ubud and central Bali appeal to families seeking community, arts, nature or sustainability-led education. The trade-off is a thinner school market, narrower roads and longer access to some hospitals, secondary pathways and alternative campuses.
Published school fees
Three real fee schedules to compare
These are transparent examples rather than a “best schools” list. Open each link, choose your child's exact year group and keep the original billing currency in your budget.
Sibang Kaja · Project-based / sustainability-led
Green School Bali
Publishes a 2026/27 schedule. It is a distinctive educational model, so judge pedagogy and commute—not only fees or brand.
Sanur · IB
Bali Island School
Publishes 2026/27 tuition and capital charges. Confirm first-year, bus, support and activity costs for the exact grade.
East Denpasar · Cambridge / bilingual
Dyatmika
Publishes admissions and fee information; ask how language streams, entry charges and transport apply to your child.
Named schools are transparent examples, not endorsements. Inclusion means a useful public schedule was available for comparison.
What the school bill can include
Look beyond the tuition fee
Comparing tuition alone can understate both the amount needed in the first year and the cost of a second child.
Usually non-refundable; ask whether each child and reapplication are charged.
Before an offerOften non-refundable and separate from any refundable security deposit.
On acceptanceMay be compulsory, annual, one-off or replaced by a debenture; read the current schedule.
Entry or annualUse the exact year group and ask how fees change on moving into secondary or sixth form.
Termly or annualBus, meals, uniform, devices, books, activities and after-school care may be separate.
RecurringEnglish-language or learning support, therapy, exams, trips and one-to-one provision.
As neededA useful way to compare your options
Bali is a set of school-run rings
Longer journeys add more traffic and disruption. Keep the child's ordinary week within the smallest practical area.
Inner ring
School + homeDaily travel should remain reliable in rain and peak traffic.
Middle ring
Work + activitiesTest the whole week, including clubs and both parents' movement.
Outer ring
Hospital + airportOccasional journeys can be longer, but emergency access still matters.
Questions for every school
Five answers to get before making a decision
Is the exact programme verified?
Check the school in the awarding body's directory for the programme and campus your child will actually enter. A logo or candidate statement is not enough.
What happens when we leave?
Ask how records, credits, exam entries and references transfer to the child's likely next school or university system. The best Bali choice should preserve the next step, not only solve the first term.
Can the school deliver support?
Describe learning, language, sensory, medical and pastoral needs before paying. Ask who provides support, what is excluded and whether charges or capacity limits apply.
What is the complete first-year invoice?
Add application, assessment, registration, deposit, capital or development charges, tuition, transport, meals, uniform, devices, exams, trips and child-specific support.
Does the route work every weekday?
Travel the home-school journey at actual drop-off and collection time in normal term-time conditions. A map distance is not a commute.
The admissions process
From an initial shortlist to a confident decision
Popular year groups and specialist support may fill early. Start in good time, but do not let urgency stop you checking the school properly.
- 01
Write down what your child needs
Record their current year group, curriculum, attainment, languages, support needs, interests and the education system they may enter next.
- 02
Check the school's claims
Confirm local permission to operate, exact programme authorisation, accreditation or inspection, including the date and campus attached to each claim.
- 03
Ask for the important documents
Request availability, admissions criteria, the complete fee schedule, safeguarding policy, support approach, calendar and refund terms.
- 04
Meet the people responsible
Speak to the relevant principal, class or subject lead, safeguarding lead and support team, not only an admissions representative.
- 05
Coordinate visas and housing
Confirm lawful study and family status, understand the contract before paying, then choose a home after checking the school journey.
Look beyond the brochure
Documents and answers to ask for
- A current safeguarding policy, named lead, reporting route, safer-recruitment process and supervised transport arrangements.
- The exact programme authorisation and campus entry in the IB or Cambridge directory, plus the current inspection or accreditation report where claimed.
- Class-size practice, staff qualifications, leadership and teacher turnover, substitute cover and how complaints reach governors or owners.
- A written support plan showing in-house capacity, exclusions, external-provider coordination, costs and what happens if needs increase.
- Offer, deposit, notice, withdrawal, refund and fee-increase terms—especially if immigration or employment remains uncertain.
Continue planning your child's education
Choose the curriculum, then compare individual schools
Common questions
Questions about family relocation
How much does international school cost in Bali?
Use the selected-currency planning range near the top of this guide, then calculate the child's exact year group from the current school schedule. Entry charges, transport, meals, devices, exams, trips and support can sit outside tuition.
Does ‘international school’ mean the school is accredited?
No. It is not a single regulated quality mark. Check local licensing, programme authorisation, independent accreditation or inspection, and safeguarding evidence separately.
How do I verify an IB or Cambridge claim?
Search the exact school and campus in the official IB World School or Cambridge International directory. For IB, confirm the specific PYP, MYP, DP or CP authorisation rather than assuming one programme covers the whole school.
Should we apply before securing a visa?
You can ask about availability and apply while the move is developing, but read refund and deferral terms before paying irreversible fees. Confirm the child's study status and each parent's separate right to stay and work.
Should we choose the school before the house?
Usually yes. Confirm that a suitable place is genuinely available, try the journey in term-time traffic, and only then take a long lease within a manageable distance of the school.
What records should we take from the current school?
Ask for recent reports, assessment and exam records, attendance, safeguarding-transfer arrangements where relevant, learning-support documentation, vaccination and medical information, and certified or translated copies requested by the receiving school.
Is Bali one school catchment?
No. Island distances can be deceptive, and congestion, ceremonies, road works and heavy rain can change journey time. Treat Sanur, Ubud and the Canggu side as separate areas for everyday planning.
Are alternative schools easy to transfer from?
That depends on the curriculum, records, assessment and receiving school. Ask for a written explanation of progression, qualifications and how pupils transition into conventional secondary or university pathways.
Is Bali suitable for older secondary pupils?
It can be if the exact programme, subjects, examination centre and counselling fit. The smaller market makes fallback planning particularly important near IGCSE, A-level, IB Diploma or US diploma completion.
Should we rent near school before buying or signing long term?
Yes. Use a flexible landing period to test traffic, flooding, noise, air, internet and the school route. Bali neighbourhood experience is too local to judge from a map or holiday stay.