Cities / Seoul / Asia Pacific International School Seoul
Asia Pacific International School Seoul
A small WASC-accredited K-12 Christian college-prep school in Nowon-gu, founded in 2007, with around 230 students and a 5.5 to 1 student-teacher ratio.
In brief
A small WASC-accredited K-12 Christian college-prep school in Nowon-gu, founded in 2007, with around 230 students and a 5.5 to 1 student-teacher ratio.
APIS runs an American programme with AP courses in the upper years and a project-based learning thread across grades, alongside an IB Diploma authorisation per the school's own profile. The Christian foundation is explicit and shapes daily routines, with the school positioning itself as open to non-Christian families. The Seoul campus sits in Nowon-gu in the city's north-east, an area more local Korean than diplomatic-quarter expat. A sister campus operates in Hauula, Hawaii, with boarding from grade 5.
Family-side signal is sparse but warm, with consistent small-school praise and a 5.0 average across the few public reviews. Since the first graduating class in 2012 every leaver has gone on to a four-year college or university, mostly in the United States, with destinations including Stanford, Harvard, Yale and MIT. Fees of roughly KRW 23.4 to 31.0 million sit comfortably below the elite Seoul international tier and feel proportionate to the small-cohort feel.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus (within Seoul) | Annual | ₩4,000,000 | |
| Bus (outside Seoul, up to 35km) | Annual | ₩4,100,000 | |
| Elementary (K-5) | Annual | ₩23,400,000 | |
| Middle (6-8) | Annual | ₩28,100,000 | |
| High (9-12) | Annual | ₩31,000,000 | |
| Book Deposit | One-time | ₩200,000 | |
| Application Processing | One-time | ₩400,000 | |
| Registration (new students) | One-time | ₩500,000 | |
| Entrance Fee | One-time | ₩4,000,000 |
Reviews
- The school's Christian identity is the single most discussed point. One Seoul parent describes APIS as one of three schools to avoid for non-religious children, alongside GSIS and TCIS. A long-time international teacher places it at the lighter end of the spectrum, calling it light Jesus next to Yongsan's stronger faith emphasis.
- A teacher who knows the school says chapel runs once every two weeks per grade level; outside of that, faith is not described as dominating the day.
- Class size and personalised attention come up positively. The school publishes a 5.5:1 student-teacher ratio for around 230 students, and parent reviews on the International Schools Database, while sparse, focus on a caring community and dedicated teachers.
- Location is a recurring practical theme. APIS sits in Nowon-gu, in the north-east of Seoul. Parents describe the area as quiet and residential, far from the central expat hubs where most international schools cluster.
- Accreditation has prompted online questions. One observer noted the school cites Cognia rather than the WASC accreditation more common among Seoul international schools, though APIS itself also lists WASC.
Head of school
Euysung Kim, Ph.D.
Accreditations
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 01
Academic results
- AP Biology Average 3.1
- AP Calculus BC Average 4.36
- AP Chemistry Average 3.83
- AP Computer Science A Average 3.67
- AP English Language & Composition Average 3.13
- AP English Literature & Composition Average 3.45