The Guide
Mon, 15 June 2026

Cities / Amman / The International Academy - Amman

The International Academy - Amman

A non-profit IB school established in 2004 by Queen Rania Al Abdullah as a Model School of Excellence under the Jordanian Education Society. Around 1,200 students from 31 nationalities on a campus in King Hussein Parks.

The International Academy - Amman campus
The International Academy - Amman, Tla'a Al-Ali. Photograph · School

Curriculum
IB
Fees, annual
JOD 4k–16k
Ages
3 to 18
Pupils
~1,200
Founded
2003

A non-profit IB school established in 2004 by Queen Rania Al Abdullah as a 'Model School of Excellence' under the Jordanian Education Society. Around 1,200 students from 31 nationalities on a campus in King Hussein Parks.

PreK to grade 12 with the IB Middle Years and Diploma programmes, accredited by CIS and NEASC. Royal patronage and a Queen Rania-led mission give it a distinct profile in Amman, with a heavier focus on global citizenship and innovation than the older bilingual schools.

Local reception splits more than at ACS or ICS. Plenty of families speak warmly about the building, the organisation and the academic level. A consistent counter-thread is that the parent body and management can be very grade-focused, which some families like and others find heavy. Fees sit below the American school but above most national-curriculum options.


Annual fees

Year level Age Fee
KG1 (Pre-K) 3 JOD 3,850
KG2 4 JOD 6,040
KG3 5 JOD 6,040
Grade 1 6 JOD 8,340
Grade 2 7 JOD 8,340
Grade 3 8 JOD 8,430
Grade 4 9 JOD 9,025
Grade 5 10 JOD 9,439
Grade 6 11 JOD 9,730
Grade 7 12 JOD 10,836
Grade 8 13 JOD 10,940
Grade 9 14 JOD 11,920
Grade 10 15 JOD 12,886
Grade 11 (IB Year 1) 16 JOD 15,928
Grade 12 (IB Year 2) 17 JOD 15,928

One-time fees

Item Age Fee
Application Fee JOD 30
Screening and Testing Fee JOD 150
Registration Fee JOD 1,200


A non-profit IB World School in Dabouq with a quietly establishment profile, often shortlisted alongside Amman Academy and King's when families weigh IB options in the capital. Diploma averages sit around 35 points and graduates land at competitive universities. Recent online commentary is polarised: a strong core of satisfied families against a smaller but persistent stream flagging strict-feeling discipline, patchy staff communication, and occasional bullying. Tuition lands in the upper band for Amman private schools.

Positives

  • Academic standing. Authorised PYP, MYP and DP. The 2024 Diploma cohort averaged 35 points, with 87% above 30 and a handful clearing 43. Around a fifth of the cohort take the bilingual Arabic and English diploma.
  • Establishment profile. Non-profit, on Queen Rania's roster of model schools, and known for royal-family alumni. The school carries weight in Amman's private-sector hierarchy and is consistently named when families discuss IB pathways.
  • Diversity and scholarships. Around 1,200 students across 25-plus nationalities, with a sizeable scholarship pool that broadens the social mix beyond the typical Dabouq catchment.

Considerations

  • Discipline and tone. A recurring strand of complaint describes the day-to-day environment as strict and impersonal, with students using words like rigid and unforgiving. The pastoral register reads as firmer than at some of the other IB schools in the city.
  • Communication with parents. Families report difficulty getting hold of staff for non-academic queries, with unanswered calls and slow responses surfacing more than once. The pattern is not universal but comes up often enough to flag.
  • Behaviour and bullying. Older threads and review pages mention bullying and immaturity among students, and the experience of newer joiners can vary by year group. The signal is mixed rather than systemic.
  • Fees. Tuition sits in the upper band of Amman private schooling, in the JOD 9-30k range across the school. Sibling discounts and scholarships exist; the headline number is still steep for middle-income Jordanian families.

Leadership

Hana Kanan, Ed. D.

As the Director of the International Academy - Amman, I am proud to welcome you to our community. With a commitment to excellence in education, we focus on nurturing students academically, socially, and emotionally, preparing them for the challenges of the future.

Accreditations

  • Council of International Schools 01
  • New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02

  • IB DP Average 35

Tla'a Al-Ali, Amman, Jordan

School website