Tuition Over 600 Million Won Until Graduation... Han Dong-hoon's Daughter Also Attended Korea's 'Noble School' [Chosun Price Records]

(32) Chadwick Preschool to High School Tuition 640 Million Won
"Tuition Increases if Exchange Rate Rises"... Separate KRW and USD
Han Dong-hoon and Jun Ji-hyun Also Chadwick Parents

Children are playing on the grounds of Chadwick International, an international school in Songdo International City, Incheon.

International schools are highly sought after by many parents for their advanced curricula, but they are also notorious for their high tuition fees. In the case of the most expensive international school in Korea, the pure tuition cost alone exceeds 600 million KRW when completing the program from early childhood education through high school.

According to the comprehensive guide on foreign educational institutions and foreign schools released on the 14th, the school with the highest tuition among foreign educational institutions is Chadwick International School Songdo (Chadwick). Chadwick's annual tuition must be paid in both Korean won and US dollars. For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition varies by grade, ranging from 26 million KRW to 30.7 million KRW, and from $14,790 (approximately 19.82 million KRW) to $17,400 (approximately 23.32 million KRW). Assuming a student completes the entire program from early childhood through high school at Chadwick, the tuition cost per student amounts to 640 million KRW.

Additional costs beyond tuition further increase the total amount. Annual bus fees range from 4.65 million KRW to 4.75 million KRW depending on the commuting location. Other fees include a 400,000 KRW application fee for new students, a 1 million KRW registration fee, and a 5 million KRW capital development fee, which must be paid separately.

The appearance of Chadwick International School. Photo by Chadwick official website capture

Chadwick is a prestigious international school located in Songdo, Incheon, with its main campus being Chadwick School in California, USA. Unlike other foreign educational institutions that pay royalties to use a name, Chadwick is characterized by offering the same curriculum as its main campus. It consists of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school levels, with approximately 1,430 students currently enrolled.

Due to its high tuition and stringent admission requirements, Chadwick International School is also referred to as a "school for the elite." The Chadwick Admissions Committee selects students based not only on academic performance but also on character. As a result, children of prominent figures in politics, business, and entertainment have graduated from or are currently attending Chadwick. In politics, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, has a daughter who attended Chadwick. Among celebrities, actress Jeon Ji-hyun’s child and broadcaster Hyun Young’s two children are currently enrolled.

Jeju Island is known as an "English Education City," with four international schools clustered there. Due to excellent educational, residential, and natural conditions, many parents prefer Jeju over studying abroad. Notably, North London Collegiate School Jeju (NCLS Jeju) is famous for its high tuition. NCLS Jeju is the first overseas campus of North London Collegiate School (NLCS UK) and is an integrated school covering kindergarten through high school.

The annual tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year at NCLS Jeju ranges from 19 million KRW to 27 million KRW, and from $11,088 (approximately 14.86 million KRW) to $15,540 (approximately 20.83 million KRW), depending on the grade. Tuition must also be paid separately in both Korean won and US dollars. Including dormitory fees (12 million KRW to 16.4 million KRW), commuting vehicle fees (3.39 million KRW), new student admission fees (3 million KRW), admission deposits (5 million KRW), and dormitory registration fees (500,000 KRW), the total tuition cost increases further. To complete the entire program from early childhood through high school at NCLS Jeju, a student requires approximately 580 million KRW in pure tuition fees.

Annual tuition alone is 50 million KRW... Chadwick parent Hyun Young also expresses "burden of tuition"

Broadcaster Hyunyoung expressed the burden of tuition fees for her two children attending Chadwick. Photo by Hyunyoung YouTube capture.

Hyun Young recently revealed the tuition fees for her two children on her YouTube channel and expressed the burden of tuition. In June, she disclosed that the annual tuition for the Village School was 46.46 million KRW and for the Middle School was 49.93 million KRW. She especially noted that tuition increases when the dollar rises, saying, "Tuition is a huge burden. For both children combined, it’s 100 million KRW."

The popularity of international schools lies in their curricula. They offer various educational programs, provide exposure to international cultures, and conduct all subjects in English, making them advantageous for preparing for admission to prestigious overseas universities.

In fact, Chadwick annually produces many successful applicants to world-renowned universities such as the University of Oxford in the UK, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, New York University, and Brown University in the US. Graduates of NCLS Jeju also gained admission last year to prestigious overseas universities including the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge in the UK, and Boston University and Cornell University in the US.