Schools in Costa Rica are very good. Many Costa Ricans send their children to private schools, which are excellent. If you are coming for only a year or two, then you will want to send your children to a school on the US calendar (August - June), there are several to choose from with most located in the Central Valley. Some of these give classes completely in English and tend to be more expensive than the local bilingual schools or schools on the Costa Rican calendar.

Costa Rican schools are in session from February to December, to coincide with the traditional coffee picking season, the year end festivals and the arrival of 'summer'. Private schools can cost as little as $150 per month and as much as $6000 per year, plus books and uniforms. Most are in the Central Valley, but there are several bilingual schools in more developed beach areas. Several high schools are accredited internationally, with many offering the International Baccalaureate that is recognized internationally.

Lincoln School (www.lincoln.ed.cr) in San Jose offers the international calendar, classes begin in August and end in June. The school offers Costa Rican, US, and International Educational Programs for students from early childhood through 12th grade. The language of instruction is English. This includes all subjects except foreign languages, Spanish, Costa Rican Social Studies, and some electives. Students are academically bilingual upon graduation. A three diploma program is offered: USA High School Diploma, International Baccalaureate Diploma, and the Costa Rican Diploma.

The university system in Costa Rica is well developed. Competition is intense to qualify for the main, publicly funded university, The University of Costa Rica, the main reason being that tuition per semester is less than $200, no matter how many credits the student attempts, and 'La U' is accredited internationally. Many private universities exist to serve those who don't gain entrance to the UCR or those that would like to complete their majors more quickly.

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