Vancouver, Canada
International schools in Vancouver: what families need to know
Vancouver combines a strong free public system with a well-established independent sector, and British Columbia is unusual in partly funding independent schools that meet provincial requirements, which keeps their fees lower than in most comparable cities. Placement is by catchment, so the neighbourhood decision usually settles the school decision. The year runs early September to late June. This guide covers enrolment, the BC curriculum, fees and where families live.
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What you tell us
- Where you are moving
- Vancouver
- Children
- Sofia (age 8) · Luca (age 5)
- Curriculum
- British preferred
- Start
- August
You tell us once, for every child. Your adviser assesses the brief and contacts relevant admissions teams on your behalf.
Example only. School names in these examples are fictional.
Vancouver in short
- Curricula available in Vancouver: BC curriculum leading to the Dogwood Diploma, plus IB, AP and French immersion.
- The Vancouver school year runs Early September to late June, in two terms or semesters, with the main intake at the start of it.
- Schools are overseen by BC Ministry of Education and Child Care; independent schools are certified and partly funded by the province.
- Tuition is published per year group by each school. Registration, deposit, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are normally billed separately.
- Availability is decided per child, per year group and per campus, so two children in one family can get two different answers from the same Vancouver school.
- You tell us what your family needs once, and see matched Vancouver schools with places, fees and next steps.
Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished September 2026Last reviewed September 2026
Vancouver at a glance
The facts that shape a Vancouver school search
- Oversight
- BC Ministry of Education and Child Care; independent schools are certified and partly funded by the province
- Main curricula
- BC curriculum leading to the Dogwood Diploma, plus IB, AP and French immersion
- School year
- Early September to late June, in two terms or semesters
- Ages served
- Kindergarten from age 5 through Grade 12 at about 17 or 18
- Language
- English, with widely available French immersion and some Mandarin bilingual programmes
How admissions work in Vancouver
Most Vancouver schools follow the same stages, whatever the curriculum.
- 1
Enquire and check the year group
Confirm the year group each child would enter in Vancouver. Age cut-offs differ between systems, so the same child can be placed a year apart in two schools.
- 2
Assessment
Most schools assess before offering a place. This can be a short online task, a classroom visit or a subject test, depending on age.
- 3
Offer, deposit and registration
An offer is usually held only after a registration fee or deposit is paid. Check whether either is refundable before you accept.
Documents to prepare
Some documents can take time to arrange from abroad. Start collecting them before you have chosen a school.
- Passport and, where required, visa or residence documents for each child
- Birth certificate
- School reports for the last two years
- Transfer or leaving certificate from the previous school
- Vaccination and health records
- Any learning support or assessment reports, shared early rather than late
More detail: how international-school admissions work.
Curricula families meet in Vancouver
We explain each system once, in the curricula library, rather than repeating it city by city.
British curriculum
IGCSE and A Level, and how English year groups are set by age.
International Baccalaureate
PYP, MYP and the Diploma, and who the IB suits on a later move.
American curriculum
US grades, high-school credits and AP, with their own placement rules.
Changing curriculum mid-move
What transfers cleanly between systems and where a child may repeat or skip a year.
The Vancouver school year and when to apply
Timing decides how much choice you have. These are the stages most families move through.
Six to nine months ahead
Start looking for the main intake
Popular year groups in Vancouver fill first, and assessment slots become scarce close to the intake.
Three to six months ahead
Assessments and offers
Schools assess, then make offers within days or weeks. Registration fees and deposits usually follow immediately.
One to three months ahead
Places confirmed, waiting lists move
Waiting lists move as leaving families release places, so keep asking rather than assuming a school is closed.
Start of the school year
Term begins
The Vancouver school year runs early September to late June, in two terms or semesters.
Mid-year
In-year entry
Possible, but limited to whichever year groups have room. This is where asking schools directly saves the most time.
What school costs in Vancouver
Published tuition is the starting figure, not the total. These are the charges to budget for.
What the Vancouver market costs, in round numbers
Mid band- Primary, per year
- CAD 19,000 – 30,000
- Secondary, per year
- CAD 24,000 – 35,000
- Roughly, in US dollars
- US$14,000 – 26,000
Indicative annual tuition across mainstream international schools, for the stated academic year. Individual schools publish their own fees per year group, the top of each market runs above these ranges, and registration, deposits, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are billed separately. Figures refer to the 2025/26 academic year. Compare fees across cities.
- Tuition
- Published per year group by each school
- Registration fee
- Charged at application or offer stage, usually non-refundable
- Deposit
- Secures the place and is often deducted from the first term's tuition
- Transport
- School transport is charged separately and varies by distance and route
- Uniform, books, devices
- One-off costs at the start of the year, higher in the first year
- Meals and activities
- Optional at most schools, but a real part of the annual budget
- Examination entries
- IGCSE, A Level, IB and AP entries are billed in the exam years
See also understanding international school fees.
Places and waiting lists
Which Vancouver schools have places for your children?
A place is not something a school has in general. It exists for one year group, at one campus, for one intake. Two children in the same family can get two different answers from the same school on the same day.
School websites cannot tell you this. Availability changes when a family leaves, when a contract ends, or when a new year group opens. That is why relevant schools answer directly instead of publishing a number that would be out of date by the time you read it.
For each child, a Vancouver school can answer that a place is available, that there is a waiting list, that the intake is full, or that it cannot confirm yet. You see the answer, the fees and the next step, and you decide where to focus.
US$499 per family · One-time fee · You review the service and the price before you pay.
Your schools · 2 children · British curriculum · Starting August
Westbrook International School
From the school
North campus · British · Annual fees: Confirmed for your intake
Fees confirmed for the academic year you asked about
- Sofia · Year 4Place availablePlace available for August
- Luca · Year 1Place availablePlace available for August
Next step: Assessment, then offer
Harbour Ridge Academy
From the school
City campus · British · Annual fees: Confirmed for your intake
Fees confirmed for the academic year you asked about
- Sofia · Year 4Place availablePlace available for August
- Luca · Year 1Waiting listWaiting list, reviewed monthly
Next step: Campus visit, then assessment
Elmfield International College
From our team
Main campus · British · Annual fees: Earlier-year reference fee
Fees for your intake not yet confirmed
- Sofia · Year 4Not confirmedPlaces not yet confirmed
- Luca · Year 1Not confirmedPlaces not yet confirmed
Next step: We ask admissions to confirm
Every option says who provided the information and whether places are confirmed. Your adviser explains what each answer means for your children.
Example school options. School names in these examples are fictional.
Choosing where to live in Vancouver
We do not rank areas. These are the questions that decide whether a school works day to day.
West Side: Kitsilano, Point Grey, Dunbar
The traditional family area, close to the university, with sought-after public catchments and several independent schools.
North Shore: North and West Vancouver
Mountains, space and strong school districts, with bridge traffic the main daily cost.
Burnaby, Richmond and New Westminster
More affordable, well served by SkyTrain, with large international communities and good public schools.
Downtown and Yaletown
Apartment living close to work, with fewer school options within walking distance and a commute to the west side.
Moving to Vancouver with children: a checklist
The school-related steps that decide how smooth the first term is.
- Confirm each child's year group under the curriculum you are moving to in Vancouver.
- Collect and, where required, attest school reports and certificates before you leave.
- Ask schools about places for every child in the same request, not one at a time.
- Check whether registration fees and deposits are refundable if your move date changes.
- Check the visa or residency steps that enrolment can depend on.
- Ask about learning support early, since capacity is decided case by case.
- Line up housing only after you know which school can take all of your children.
See also the moving-abroad timeline.
Moving with more than one child
One school that works for every child, not one child
Most families moving to Vancouver are moving with more than one child, and the hardest part is rarely finding a good school. It is finding one school that can take all of your children in the same year.
Checking each child separately, school by school, is where the search becomes slow. A school that has room in Year 1 may be full in Year 4, and you only learn that after two emails and a wait.
One request covers every child. Each school answers for each child, so you can see immediately where all of your children could start together, and where you would be splitting the family across two schools.
- Ask once for the whole family, not once per child.
- See sibling answers side by side before you contact anyone.
- Ask about sibling priority and start dates while places are still open.
Your schools, side by side
Westbrook International School
- Information
- From the school
- Curriculum
- British
- Area
- North campus
- Annual fees
- Confirmed for your intake
- Next step
- Assessment, then offer
Harbour Ridge Academy
- Information
- From the school
- Curriculum
- British
- Area
- City campus
- Annual fees
- Confirmed for your intake
- Next step
- Campus visit, then assessment
Elmfield International College
- Information
- From our team
- Curriculum
- British
- Area
- Main campus
- Annual fees
- Earlier-year reference fee
- Next step
- We ask admissions to confirm
Westbrook International School
Harbour Ridge Academy
Elmfield International College
Sofia · Year 4
Luca · Year 1
Information
From the school
From the school
From our team
Curriculum
British
British
British
Area
North campus
City campus
Main campus
Annual fees
Confirmed for your intake
Confirmed for your intake
Earlier-year reference fee
Next step
Assessment, then offer
Campus visit, then assessment
We ask admissions to confirm
Example comparison. School names in these examples are fictional.
How schooling works in Vancouver
Public schools are free for children of residents and organised by district and catchment. Independent schools are certified by the province and, where they meet requirements, receive partial per-student funding — which is why tuition here is often lower than in Toronto or the United States.
Catchment first, school second
Public placement follows your home address. Cross-boundary requests are possible but granted only where space allows, and popular catchments regularly have none.
Confirm the catchment school before signing a lease. District websites publish catchment maps and registration requirements.
The BC curriculum and the Dogwood Diploma
Students graduate with the BC Certificate of Graduation, known as the Dogwood Diploma, based on required courses and provincial assessments.
It is well recognised for university entry in Canada and abroad. Several public and independent schools also offer the IB Diploma or Advanced Placement.
Independent schools and partial funding
Group 1 and 2 independent schools follow provincial requirements and receive partial funding; Group 4 schools, which mainly serve international students, do not.
Applications generally open in the autumn for the following September, with assessments and interviews in the winter. Popular entry points fill early.
Fees and the real cost
Public schooling is free for eligible children; non-resident international students pay district tuition. Independent day tuition is billed annually or termly.
Application fees, deposits, uniform, buses, technology, trips and outdoor-education weeks are separate. Ask for the full schedule before you compare schools.
Rain, transport and daily life
Winters are mild and wet rather than snowy, and outdoor programmes run year round with the right kit. Snow closures happen occasionally on the North Shore.
SkyTrain and buses serve much of the region well; bridge and tunnel traffic at peak is the main constraint for North Shore and Richmond commutes.
What families get wrong in Vancouver
The local details that cost families a term, a deposit or a long daily drive.
Renting before checking the catchment
Popular west-side catchments fill. Confirm space at the assigned school before you commit.
Assuming free applies to every visa type
Free attendance depends on the parents' permit. Visitors pay international tuition to the district.
Missing the French immersion intake
Immersion is entry-point based, usually kindergarten or Grade 6, with an application window months ahead.
Comparing schools on tuition alone
Uniform, buses, technology, trips and outdoor education add meaningfully to the annual total.
Underestimating bridge commutes
A North Shore home and a west-side school can mean an hour each way at peak.
Official Vancouver resources
Primary sources for regulation, inspection and enrolment. We link out rather than paraphrase.
How InternationalSchools.org works in Vancouver
Tell us what your family needs once, and see matched schools in Vancouver with places, fees and next steps.
- 1
Tell us about your family and Vancouver
Your children's ages and year groups, the curriculum you prefer, your budget and when you want to start. One brief covers every child named in it.
- 2
Your adviser researches Vancouver
A 30-minute consultation, then research of the schools in Vancouver that suit each child, and contact with relevant admissions teams about your start date.
- 3
Receive your recommendations
Three recommended schools plus up to two alternatives where suitable, with written reasoning for each child, a review call and follow-up questions answered for 30 days.
We do not publish scores or predict availability. How we select schools.
Questions families ask about Vancouver
Find international schools in Vancouver for your children
One conversation, every child, answers from the schools themselves.
US$499 per family · One-time fee · You review the service and the price before you pay.
Go deeper on Vancouver
How fees compare across cities
What is published, what is billed separately and how Vancouver compares with the other markets we cover.
Compare the main curricula
British, IB and American side by side, and what a later move between countries changes.
How admissions work
The stages most international schools use, and where relocating families lose time.
Continue reading
Waiting lists and availability
How waiting lists really work, and what to ask before you join one.
School year and intake timing
When places open, and what a mid-year move changes.
How it works
From telling us what you need to answers from the schools themselves.
Other destinations
You can search any destination, published guide or not.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Guide version 3.1. Vancouver information is compiled from official regulators, curriculum authorities and school-published material. Fees, intakes and requirements are set by individual schools and change, so confirm details directly with a school before you rely on them.
Sources
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