The International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU) is a nonprofit, independent, coeducational day school offering an educational program from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. Permission to run the school was granted by the Mongolian Ministry of Education in May 1992. The school year is divided into two semesters that run from August to June.
Organization: The school is governed by an elected, multinational board of trustees comprised of parents of ISU children. Currently the trustees are from the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, and Mongolia. One board member is appointed by the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar. The ISU Director and Deputy Director also sit on the board of trustees.
Curriculum: ISU was the first IB World School in Mongolia and is the only school accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Its academic curriculum is based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs – i.e. the Primary Years Program (PYP) for PK-grade 5, the Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 6-10, and the Diploma Program (DP) for grades 11-12. The IB teaching methodology is focused on student-centered, inquiry-based learning. A full range of subjects is offered at ISU, including English and other languages (Mongolian, Korean, Chinese, French, and Spanish), mathematics, sciences, history, economics, business management, design technology, visual arts, music, and physical education. The language of instruction and learning is English. The cocurricular program at ISU stresses outdoor education, service learning, and other forms of experiential learning making full use of the Mongolian culture and environment.
Faculty: In the 2023-2024 school year, ISU has 92 total staff including 59 teachers, 19 of whom are U.S. citizens, 20 host-country nationals, and 20 third-country nationals. Our faculty and staff represent 15 nationalities, including UK, French, American, Canadian, Australian, Dutch, Lebanese, Polish, Chinese, Indian, Uzbek, Spanish, Portuguese, Malaysian and Mongolian. All teaching faculty maintain a teaching certificate.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment is 224 (Primary school has 80, Middle school has 102 and DP has 42 students). Of this total, 52 are U.S. citizens; 88 are host-country nationals; and 84 are third-country nationals.
Facilities: The purpose-built campus was originally completed in August 2007 with a first phase expansion completed in 2015. Facilities include a sufficient number of general primary and secondary classrooms as well as specialized rooms such as science laboratories, music and visual arts studios, design technology workshops, primary and secondary gymnasiums, primary and secondary libraries, resource rooms for university counseling, student personal counseling, EAL, Inclusive Education assistance, and specialized tutoring. There are also three outdoor artificial turf sports fields as well as a large cafeteria, a professionally-staffed medical clinic, a multipurpose meeting room, and an underground garage/storage area. The final phase of the expansion was completed in September 2016 and includes a 6-lane, 25-meter swimming pool; a full theater; and a greenhouse.
Finances: Standard tuition: Pre-kindergarten 3 & 4 (full school day program) $23,020. Primary Years Program (kindergarten to grade 5) $32,360. Middle Years Program (grades 6 to 10) $39,300. Diploma Program (grades 11 and 12) $41,930. Discounted tuition: Pre-kindergarten 3 & 4 (full school day program) $18,200. Primary Years Program (kindergarten to grade 5) $25,700. Middle Years Program (grades 6 to 10) $31,210. Diploma Program (grades 11 and 12) $33,300. (All fees are quoted in U.S. dollars.)
Special Needs: Review the Special Needs Profile for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.
This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2023 and are provided by the school.