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Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe

Costa Rica, Santo Domingo de Heredia

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The school at a glance
Instructs in Spanish
Fees CRC 1,155,000
Ages Not listed
Type Co-educational
Opened 1959
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP)
Taught languages English, French
Strengths Academic Enrichment, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Located in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica, 250 meters north of the Basilica, Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe is a co-educational Catholic school offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP). It operates within a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality shaping daily life and formation. Founded on March 12, 1959 by Padre Delio Arguedas Arguello, the school has long formed leaders with Christian principles and academic excellence. Governance rests with a seven-member Junta Directiva elected by the General Assembly of Asociados of la Asociación Pro Artesanía y Cultura. The pastoral program guides life at the school, integrating faith with study and service, while la Asociación Pro Artesanía y Cultura supports arts and cultural activities through statutes, acts, and convocations that shape school life. The school emphasizes community, service, and ethical formation for its students every day, together.

Santo Domingo de Heredia — 250 meters north of the Basilica, Heredia, Costa Rica

The Essentials

Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe has instruction in Spanish.

Location
Located in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica, 250 meters north of the Basilica. The campus is in a residential area with access via local roads. The contact numbers are 2244-0739 and 2244-3937, and the reception email is recepcion@samagu.ed.cr.

Stages
Primary and secondary education; International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Type
Co-educational Catholic school

Additional learning support
Access and Inclusion policy in place (IB-SAMAGU 2024-2025).

Country affiliation
Costa Rica

Religious affiliation
Catholic

School day structure
School days run Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
The school is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors elected at the General Ordinary Assembly of Associates of the Association Pro Artesanía y Cultura, each four years: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Vocal One, Vocal Two and Vocal Three. The oversight is carried out by a fiscal (auditor) appointed by the Assembly, who serves four years; a substitute fiscal is also named. The Board includes: President, Cinthia Pérez Pereira; Vice President, Randall Chavarría Bolaños; Secretary, Ana Yansy Ureña Corrales; Treasurer, Carlos Acuña Delgado; Vocal 1, Lisa Salas Ramírez; Vocal 2, Marianella Barrantes Zamora; Vocal 3, Verónica Fernández Mora. The fiscal is Luz Esmeralda Rodríguez Zamora; Substitute Fiscal Armando Rodríguez Chacón; Representante CECOR: Father Gerardo Badilla González. The Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe was founded by Father Delio Arguedas Argüello and is guided by a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel and the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality.
Fees

Annual tuition at Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe ranges from CRC 1,155,000 for 2026/27.

Application fee (Matrícula)

- CRC 100,000 payable to secure a student's place for the 2026 admission process. The enrollment payment must be made by bank deposit to the school's designated account and the deposit receipt sent to the school accounting email.

Tuition fees (monthly and annual) — published figures by academic year

- Academic year 2025 (published reference): monthly tuition CRC 98,000; annual total based on the published billing pattern = CRC 1,078,000 (11 monthly payments).
- Academic year 2026: monthly tuition CRC 101,000, billed in 11 monthly instalments (February through December). Annual total (11 months) = CRC 1,111,000.
- Academic year 2027: monthly tuition CRC 105,000, billed in 11 monthly instalments (February through December). Annual total (11 months) = CRC 1,155,000.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Tuition is billed as 11 monthly payments for the academic year (February to December).
- For the 2026 academic year the monthly payments are due by the 1st of each month. For the 2027 academic year, months prior to December may be paid up to the 16th of each month without surcharge; December is treated as an exception.
- Enrollment (matrícula) must be paid by bank deposit to the designated account provided by the school; the deposit receipt must be submitted to the school's accounting email to complete registration.

Boarding (internado) fees

- No boarding program or boarding fees are published for this institution; the school is operated as a day school.

Other costs and fees (uniforms, materials, extras)

- No fixed amounts for uniforms, textbooks, school materials, extracurricular fees or student insurance are published in the admission/fee notices referenced; such costs are commonly additional and handled separately from the enrollment and monthly tuition charges.

Refund information

- The enrollment payment (matrícula) is treated as an administrative charge and is non‑refundable if the parent/guardian does not complete the enrollment process.

Fee payment options

- Enrollment payments are required by bank deposit to the school's designated account (Banco BAC San José — account details and IBAN published with the admission instructions). Proof of deposit must be sent to the school accounting email address.

- The admission notices reference payment by bank deposit for matrícula and direct deposit instructions for tuition; no alternative payment methods (such as in-person cash payment, credit-card payment portals or recurring direct-debit authorizations) are itemized in the published admission/fee documents.
Academics

Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe teaches IB (DP).

Curriculum
The school has a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality. The school has the International Baccalaureate program.
Wellbeing

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe is governed by a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel, the magisterium of the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality. Forming leaders with Christian principles and academic excellence since 1959. IB-SAMAGU Linguistic Policy 2024-2025. As an educational institution under a holistic approach to youth development, linguistics has been promoted as a means of learning about the different aspects of life of other people around the world. Therefore, the institution's linguistic offering is strengthened over time by venturing into the teaching of different languages, cultures, traditions, understanding, and communication as a multidisciplinary science characterized by the phenomenon of language. Through teachers of various subjects, especially the language subject, students are encouraged to acquire knowledge and develop teaching strategies to understand language at different levels such as phonetic-phonological, morphosyntactic, and semantic.
Parent Experience

History
The Colegio Santa María de Guadalupe was founded on March 12, 1959 by Padre Delio Arguedas Arguello. Forming leaders with Christian principles and academic excellence since 1959. It is located in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica, 250 meters north of the Basilica. The school is governed by a seven-member Junta Directiva elected in the General Assembly of Asociados of the Asociación Pro Artesanía y Cultura. The pastoral program guides life at the school under a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel and the magisterium of the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality.

Community
The school maintains a faith-informed community rooted in Catholic values, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality guiding student life. It is supported by the Asociación Pro Artesanía y Cultura, which coordinates cultural and arts activities through a seven-member board. The school provides channels for community involvement through its administration and governing bodies, including clergy and lay members on the board.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school's parent-teacher association is the Asociación Pro Artesanía y Cultura. Its Junta Directiva is seven members elected in the Asamblea General Ordinaria de Asociados, with roles including Presidente, Vicepresidente, Secretario, Tesorero, Vocales 1–3, and Fiscal. A designated fiscal oversees finances, with a substitute fiscal as needed. The board includes a Fiscal and a Fiscal Suplente, and a Representante CECOR (Pbro. Gerardo Badilla González) participates as the church representative. The association engages in governance and cultural initiatives with documented statutes and acts, supporting school programs and community events.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers the International Baccalaureate program.

Arts & Creative
The school has the Association Pro Artesanía y Cultura. Documents include statutes, acts, and convocations.

Cultural & Language
The school supports cultural activities through the Association Pro Artesanía y Cultura.

Community & Service
The school follows Marian and Eucharistic spirituality as part of its pastoral program.

Leadership & Professional
Forming leaders with Christian principles and academic excellence since 1959.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The school is governed by a doctrinal framework inspired by the Gospel and the magisterium of the Catholic Church, with Marian and Eucharistic spirituality. This spiritual life informs student formation and community life.
Languages

Language Provision
The school offers instruction in English and Spanish. Students study at least two languages as part of the Diploma Programme. The linguistic offering is expanded over time by introducing different languages, cultures, traditions, understanding, and communication as a multidisciplinary study of language. Through teachers across subjects, especially the language department, students develop strategies to understand language on phonetic-phonological, morphosyntactic, and semantic levels.

Bilingual Teaching
The school teaches in English and Spanish.
Admissions

Admissions
1. Eligibility and enrollment window. Students currently in 6th grade who have a 5th-grade conduct average of 90 or higher may participate in the Seventh Level admissions process for the 2027 academic year. Enrollment runs from Friday, March 27, 2026 to Monday, May 18, 2026. This process applies to Seventh Level entrance. 2. Admission test. The admission test assesses basic knowledge and specific skills in Mathematics, Spanish, Science, and Social Studies. The test content follows the curriculum used in the first and second cycles of Basic Education. 3. Admission test topics. Admission test syllabi are published on the institution's site. Parents can download the syllabi for the admission test. The syllabi guide the preparation for the test. 4. How to apply. The parent/guardian must access the admissions portal during the published dates to complete the admission application. The online form for the admissions process must be completed and submitted online. The portal provides access to the required documentation. 5. Documentation for the process. Attach the Informe al Hogar (5th-grade report) signed and sealed by the principal. If the Informe al Hogar is unavailable, attach a grade report signed and sealed by the principal. The document demonstrates the student's previous academic performance. 6. Educational supports. Parents/guardians of students who receive educational supports must attach a letter requesting educational supports and a detailed certificate of the supports, signed and sealed by the principal and the Educational Support Committee. The supports document details the supports provided and the reasons. 7. Payment of admission test fee. Attach the deposit receipt for the admission test fee of ₡13,000, and ensure the student's full name appears in the deposit details. 8. Test date. The admission test is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, 2026. 9. Results and contact. Results are sent to the registered email address. For more information, call 2244-0739 or email admision@samagu.ed.cr.

Scholarships
A scholarship application is available for the 2027 academic year. The form to request a socio-economic scholarship can be downloaded, completed, and submitted to administration.
School Events
The school has not added events
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