doris
Find Schools Events My shortlist My account Ask doris
Parent Guide Community Transparency Charter About For Schools
Currency
T

The Columbus School

Colombia, Medellin

Shortlist
Share
Navigate

· Reviewed by · Co-founder & CEO

Independently researched by doris.
Not yet claimed by the school
The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Spanish
Fees COP 39,079,260
Ages 4 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1867
Type Co-educational
Opened 1947
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages English, Spanish
Typical class size 11
Strengths Languages, STEM, Visual and Creative Arts
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

The Columbus School is a nonprofit, multicultural international bilingual school in Envigado, Colombia, serving students from ages 4 to 18. It blends the IB Primary Years Programme with an American curriculum, with English as the primary language of instruction in most classrooms and daily Spanish. The school organizes learning across four phases: Preschool (K4 to 1st grade), Elementary (K5 to 5th), Intermediate (6th to 8th), and Senior High (9th to 12th). In Elementary, learning follows Common Core language and mathematics standards, while science aligns with NGSS and social studies with AERO standards; grades 6–12 have aligned documents outlining term-by-term learning. The campus spans 21 hectares with facilities including 70 classrooms, eight science labs, two libraries, gyms, fields for soccer and baseball, and outdoor theater. Notable programs include COSMUN, Columbus Life extracurriculars, and student governance through StuCo and National Honor Society. The school is pursuing IB authorization as a candidate school.

columbus.edu.co

Alto de Las Palmas, Km 16, Envigado, Vda. El Penasco, Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia

Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

The Columbus School has 1,867 pupils, typical class sizes of 11, instruction in English, Spanish.

Location
Envigado, Colombia (km16 Alto Las Palmas).

Stages
Preschool (K4 to 1st grade), Elementary (2nd to 5th grade), Middle School (6th to 8th grade), High School (9th to 12th grade).

Type
International bilingual school.

Additional learning support
The school has a Learning Center with professionals who support students with learning difficulties or who need additional help.

Country affiliation
Colombia

Bus service
The school works with transportation providers Transporte Asia, Las Buseticas, and Orientours; the contract with the transport company is directly with the family.
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees

Annual tuition at The Columbus School ranges from COP 39,079,260 for 2026/27.

Academic year covered
- Values shown are for the 2025–26 fee schedule.

Application / Registration fee
- Registration fee (charged once a year in June): COP 4,342,140.

Tuition / Monthly school fee
- Monthly tuition (charged August through May): COP 3,907,926 per month. Billing period shown is monthly for the academic months August to May.

Optional / recurring service fees
- Asopaf (PTA) contribution (optional, charged once a year / per family): COP 270,000.
- Serviexpress (food service) — Lunch (monthly option): COP 330,000 per month.
- Serviexpress (food service) — Snack and Lunch (monthly option): COP 495,000 per month.
- Transportation (monthly, optional):
- Metropolitan area: COP 610,000 per month.
- Alto de Las Palmas route: COP 550,000 per month.
- East area (after toll booth): COP 748,000 per month.

One‑off / annual supplies and uniform costs
- School supplies / school kit (optional; approximate public price, once a year): COP 427,000.
- PE uniforms (physical education; mandatory — one sweat pant, one shirt, one sweater): COP 284,000 (one‑time purchase as listed).

After‑school and extracurricular activities
- Columbus Life (after‑school sports): billed semestrally — COP 559,000 per semester.
- Columbus Life (extracurriculars): semestral payment; maximum reported cost per semester COP 2,509,000.

Billing schedule and payment timing
- Registration fee: once a year (June).
- Regular tuition: billed monthly for the academic months August through May.
- Optional services: food service and transportation billed monthly; Columbus Life activities billed semestrally; Asopaf billed once yearly.

Boarding fees
- The school does not list boarding fees; no boarding program fees are shown in the published fee schedule.

Refund information
- No explicit refund policy or refund amounts for registration, tuition, transport, food service, uniforms, or extracurriculars is provided in the published fee schedule.

Fee payment options
- Invoices and account statements are accessed through the school's invoicing portal for parents. Specific accepted payment methods (for example, which card types, online payments, or bank transfer details) are not listed on the public fee schedule.

Other notes (concise)
- The fee schedule lists the values shown above and indicates the Secretary of Education of Envigado authorizes any annual increases.

Information not present in the published fee table
- The published fee table does not provide a grade‑by‑grade (year group) breakdown or distinct per‑term tuition amounts; only the single monthly tuition figure and other itemized charges are shown. Refund rules and the school's accepted payment methods are not specified in the published fee table.
Academics

The Columbus School teaches American Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 4 to 18.

Curriculum
The Columbus School offers four school phases: Preschool (K4 to 1st grade), Elementary (2 to 5th grade), Intermediate (6th to 8th grade), and Senior High (9th to 12th grade). The curriculum emphasizes academic excellence, bilingualism, and training in values and social responsibility. The Elementary program includes K5 through 5th grade with Math Scope and Elementary Math Progressions. For grades 6 through 12, there are alignment documents for Grade 6 through Grade 12, updated February 19, 2019. These documents provide an overview of learning for each term, including essential learning, assessments and depth of understanding. All students pursue higher education at Colombian universities and prestigious institutions abroad.

Higher Education Progression
All students pursue higher education at Colombian universities and prestigious institutions abroad.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
The school has not added this information
Facilities
The school has not added this information
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has not added this information
Languages
The school has not added this information
Reputation
The school has not added this information
Admissions

Admissions
Step 0: Informational meeting for prospective parents. The Columbus School schedules information meetings in April and May 2024 for prospective K4 admissions for the August 2027 start. Attending is essential to begin the admissions process, and seats are limited. The meeting provides information about the school, includes a tour of the facilities, explains the admissions process and its requirements, and offers the opportunity to ask questions. If a family already has a child enrolled or assigned a seat, they should not register for this meeting. Step 1: Admissions form, submission of documents and interview. A few days after the last information meeting, the Admissions Office will email an invitation with instructions and requirements to begin the admissions process. The emails used come from the registration; families should provide current email addresses. From late May to early August 2024, families must complete the admissions form with the required documents; parents/guardians must schedule the first interview, which is required to finalize the applicant. Step 2: Initial analysis (internal process). To proceed, all required documents must be submitted and the admissions interview attended during the established dates. In August 2024 the admissions committee will review all applicant families and pre-select those invited to schedule a counselor interview. Step 3: Counseling interview. From late August to September 2024, the admissions office will email families to schedule the counselor interview. The interview is conducted in person at the school or via Zoom; the attendance of the parent or guardian is essential. Step 4: Final analysis. The admissions committee will conduct a second evaluation based on the school's admissions philosophy and the number of spaces available; the committee will publish the list of accepted families. Step 5: Response to the family. During October 2024 the admissions office will email responses to the accepted families; along with acceptance, instructions for paying the pre-matriculation are provided; the family must respond by email to indicate acceptance. Those not allocated a seat will also be notified. Step 6: Pre-matriculation payment. The deadline for payment is defined in the communication; families accepting the seat for August 2027 must send the pre-matriculation payment proof to the admissions office by the deadline; failure to provide the proof will result in the seat being offered to another applicant. End of the admissions process.

Waitlist
There is a yearly waiting list; the Admissions team explains how the waiting list operates.
School Events
The school has not added events
Search for more schools
Search schools in Colombia View all schools in Medellin View all schools in Colombia American curriculum schools in Colombia Open days & tours in Medellin What is the American curriculum? View all schools Search all schools
doris
linked-in-logo facebook-logo instagram-logo
About
Parent Guide
Transparency Charter
Privacy Notice Terms of Use Cookies Notice Cookie Preferences
© 2026 doris Worldwide Ltd. All rights reserved.