The American School Foundation of Guadalajara, A.C. (ASFG) is a private school that offers an educational program from early childhood to high school. The school was originally founded in 1908 and reestablished as a not-for-profit organization in 1956. The mission of the school is to educate students in a bilingual, bicultural, and secular environment to be purposeful learners, critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, and community contributors based on a foundation of honor, freedom, and commitment. The school year extends from mid-August to late June.
Organization: The school is governed by an 18-member board of directors appointed for terms of 1-3 years by the American School Board of Trustees, the sponsor of the school. The school is incorporated and has tax-exempt status in Mexico and the U.S. by means of the US-Mexico tax treaty.
Curriculum: The curriculum is that of U.S. general academic and college-preparatory schools and various official Mexican programs. Instruction is in English and Spanish. The school is accredited by Cognia, the Secretary of Education of Mexico, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Ninety-eight percent of graduates go on to colleges and universities in the United States, Mexico, and internationally. The ASFG offers limited support services for students with minor learning disabilities through 9th grade. Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered at the high school level.
Faculty: In the 2022-2023 school year, ASFG has 318 total staff including 157 teachers, 63 of whom are U.S. citizens, 76 host-country nationals, and 18 third-country nationals representing the following nationalities Canadian, Spanish, Argentinian, Polish, Jamaican, Uruguayan, and Venezuelan.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment was 1,494 (N-grade 4: 729; grades 5-8: 357; grades 9-12: 337). Of the total, 237 were U.S. citizens, 1,085 were host-country nationals, and 172 were third-country nationals representing 25 other countries.
Facilities: The school owns its own property (approximately 6.7 acres). There are 102 classrooms, five science laboratories, two library media centers, three dry art studios, two wet art studios, four music rooms, one A/V recording studio, one computer lab, three robotics labs, an administrative building, an auditorium, an infirmary, two cafeterias, a multipurpose gymnasium, three section playgrounds, three sports areas, and a heated swimming pool. One to one program; with 1,143 digital devices available and 10 mobile device carts.
Finances: In the 2022-2023 school year annual tuition rates are as follows (Mexican pesos): N/PK/K: $134,200; grades 1-6: $168,300; grades 7-9: $196,000; and grades 10-12: $199,700. In addition, there is an annual inscription fee of $86,100 (depends on number of children in family) and an admission fee for all new students as follows: N/PK/K-grade 6: $107,000; and grades 7-12: $54,000 (payment depends on number of children enrolled per family). (All fees quoted in Mexican pesos.)
Special Needs: Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs- Mexico, Guadalajara) 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 2022 and provided by the school.