Italy · Opera
ASM offers an English-medium American education and the IB Diploma on a day campus south of Milan. Its support limits and layered first-year charges deserve careful checking.
The American School of Milan, or ASM, is an independent, co-educational day school in Noverasco di Opera. The campus is south of central Milan and has no boarding accommodation.
ASM teaches in English from Early Childhood to Grade 12. It follows an American college-preparatory curriculum and awards its own American High School Diploma. Students in Grades 11–12 can also follow the IB Diploma Programme.
ASM is a practical option for families seeking one English-medium school through graduation. It can also suit pupils who want an American diploma with the option of the full IB Diploma.
Location matters. Pupils must live with a parent or legal guardian within commuting distance. A family still arranging housing or guardianship should settle that plan before accepting a place.
ASM is not designed for pupils who need boarding or extensive curriculum modification. English and learning-support places are limited by grade. A supportive admissions decision therefore depends on the child’s needs, available staff and a complete disclosure of prior reports.
The current admissions chart starts with Early Childhood 1 at age three. The separate placement page starts with Pre-K at age four, creating an unresolved naming difference.
For Pre-K to Grade 2, the school normally applies an age cut-off of 31 August. Kindergarten requires age five and Grade 1 requires age six by that date.
From Grade 3, placement also considers previous schooling, the former school calendar, maturity and English. High-school placement includes credits already earned. A pupil must be able to complete the course before turning 20.
The divisions are:
The latest public handbook is dated 2025–26. It describes a full-time programme only, with no part-time or correspondence enrolment.
Elementary teaching uses American standards in language arts, mathematics and science. The school names structured phonics in Kindergarten to Grade 2, Common Core mathematics and Next Generation Science Standards. Italian is also taught.
Middle and High School continue the American programme. ASM awards an American High School Diploma based on its own graduation requirements. Middle States Association accreditation applies to the school; it is not the name of the diploma.
The official IB directory confirms that ASM is authorised for the Diploma Programme only. Authorisation began in 1983, teaching is in English and examinations are in the May session.
ASM says all upper-school pupils are invited to consider the IB Diploma and that about 90% earn it. These are school-reported figures, not an admissions guarantee or a predicted result for an individual pupil.
The 2026–27 fee document says Grades 11–12 tuition includes IB examination fees. For pupils not taking IB examinations, tuition includes online classes costing up to €1,000 in total across two years.
An American High School Diploma and an IB Diploma are different qualifications. A family considering an Italian university should check the rules for the pupil’s graduation year before choosing courses.
Universitaly’s current foreign-qualification annex says a US High School Diploma is not normally sufficient by itself. It gives routes involving three relevant Advanced Placement examinations or completion of a further academic year, subject to detailed conditions and university review.
The annexes set separate conditions for a full IB Diploma. Annex 2 lists ASM among schools whose IB Diploma can be equivalent to the Italian state qualification under specified conditions. It cites a 1992 decree.
Those conditions include the approved study plan and Italian-language requirements. Individual IB course results are not the final Diploma. The currently linked Annex 2 also carries a conflicting year in its header.
The fee schedule mentions additional examination charges for pupils in the Italian Prep programme taking Idoneità or Terza Media examinations. It does not explain who can join this route. Ask ASM for the current curriculum, eligibility and recognition in writing.
ASM accepts current-year applications on a rolling basis while places remain. On 4 September 2026, its application page marked Grades 8–11 as waitlisted. Availability can change, so check the exact grade before paying.
A decision usually follows within three weeks after the file is complete. An accepted family must return the enrolment contract and payment within five working days.
The application requires:
Grades 9–12 also have an interview. Assessment may include English, mathematics, prior attainment and developmental readiness. Local tests take about two hours, while remote testing may be arranged with an English-speaking proctor.
The school’s two testing pages disagree about whether Grade 12 takes the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. One says Grades 4–12 and calls MAP non-determinative. The other says Grades 4–11 and presents testing as one part of the review.
Support reviews can take longer than ordinary admissions. ASM says it may wait until March or April re-enrolment before confirming a support place. Keep the pupil’s current school until written acceptance is complete.
ASM assesses listening, speaking, reading and writing. Admission also depends on space in its English Language Learner (ELL) programme.
The published expectations rise by stage:
ELL pupils may enter a one- or two-semester probation period. ASM can require outside tutoring or summer study at the family’s expense. An additional ELL charge may apply, but no amount is published.
The latest public handbook says modified ELL grades in Grades 9–12 do not earn course credit. Ask how this would affect graduation timing before accepting a high-school place.
ASM considers mild-to-moderate diagnosed learning or academic needs individually. It asks for a current, comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation, normally completed within the previous year and translated into English.
The school says diagnosed learning needs are limited to about 10% of pupils in each grade. This is a capacity ceiling, not an entitlement to support. An extra learning-support fee may apply, but the amount is not public.
The 2025–26 handbook describes small-group instruction, accommodations and case management from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It also says ASM does not modify the curriculum. External therapy, testing and tutoring can remain the family’s responsibility.
The same handbook allows the school to recommend de-enrolment if a pupil’s needs exceed its capacity. Families should ask for written detail on provision, review points, cost and the consequences of unsuccessful support.
Counsellors provide academic, social-emotional and university guidance. External-exam accommodations require separate approval from the IB or College Board and suitable documentation.
ASM publishes no campus-wide accessibility audit. A family needing step-free routes, accessible toilets, sensory adjustments, medical care or evacuation support should request a visit and a written plan for the pupil’s actual timetable.
The amounts below come from ASM’s dated 2026–27 fee PDF. They are per pupil and in euros.
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | €300 | One time; the application page says it is non-refundable. |
| New Student Admission Fee | €5,000 | One time, Kindergarten to Grade 12; non-refundable. |
| Annual Enrolment Fee | €1,350 | Every year; refundable only if ASM does not accept the pupil. |
| Building and Maintenance Fund | €2,500 | Each of the first four attendance years; non-refundable. |
| Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) membership | €25 | Every year. |
These amounts are additional to tuition. The document does not say that any is credited against tuition. Pre-K pupils pay the €5,000 New Student Admission Fee when they enter Kindergarten.
| Stage | Private rate | Corporate rate |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | €12,500 | €15,000 |
| Kindergarten–Grade 2 | €16,700 | €19,200 |
| Grades 3–5 | €17,200 | €19,700 |
| Grades 6–8 | €20,200 | €22,700 |
| Grades 9–10 | €22,200 | €24,700 |
| Grades 11–12 | €24,300 | €26,800 |
The corporate rate applies if an employer pays or subsidises any part of schooling. The private rate applies only when the family receives no employer assistance.
For scale, a new private-rate Grade 6 pupil totals €29,375 before optional services. That calculation adds application, admission, enrolment, first-year building fund, PTO membership and tuition.
A new private-rate Pre-K pupil totals €16,675 before optional services. The €5,000 admission charge is deferred until Kindergarten.
Cafeteria payments can be made in €350 prepaid amounts. Both cafeteria and transport costs may rise during the year through supplementary invoices.
Registration fees and the building fund are due at enrolment. The PDF then offers three tuition arrangements:
Private-rate families receive €500 off tuition for the second enrolled child and €1,000 for the third. The PDF does not state how it treats a fourth pupil. Missing the 24 February re-enrolment deadline adds €500 per pupil.
The tuition web page mentions monthly plans, merit scholarships and need-based aid. The dated fee PDF provides no monthly schedule or aid terms. Obtain eligibility, deadlines and the binding payment plan from the Business Office.
ASM says it budgets for a full school year and generally gives no early-withdrawal refund. Its PDF then provides a limited schedule for extenuating circumstances:
The document does not define which circumstances qualify. Ask the school to confirm the decision-maker and contractual wording before signing.
A pupil entering during the first semester owes full tuition and all other charges. Entry in the second semester, before the last quarter, costs 60% of tuition plus all other charges. Last-quarter entry costs 35% plus all other charges.
For bus refunds, more than five days’ use in a month counts as a full month. The school can withhold reports, transcripts and diplomas until the account is settled.
ASM has no boarding and does not advertise a residential guardianship service. The latest public handbook requires every pupil to live with a parent or legal guardian within commuting distance. Legal guardianship documents are required when the pupil does not live with a parent.
The 2025–26 handbook gives a normal day of about 09:00–15:35 for Elementary and 09:00–15:40 for Upper School. It also describes an activity bus at 17:20, but families should confirm the current timetable.
Bus routes are built after registered addresses are known, around mid-August in the dated handbook. Service is tied to one home address. A second address can incur another charge.
Pupils may bring lunch or buy food in the cafeteria. Current menus, route stops and capacity should be checked directly.
An ASM place does not grant a right to enter or remain in Italy. Non-EU families should use the official Italian visa portal and the consulate responsible for their place of legal residence.
A minor’s application can require parental consent, accommodation, funds, insurance and details of the responsible adult in Italy. Exact evidence varies by nationality, residence and consular jurisdiction.
For a stay exceeding 90 days under a national visa, official guidance normally requires a residence-permit application within eight working days of arrival. Families should also confirm which parent or guardian can sign school, medical and travel permissions.
ASM does not publicly promise visa sponsorship or immigration advice. Obtain independent guidance when the family’s residence plan depends on a school place.
The main cautions are practical. The school is day only, support places are capped, and English expectations become demanding in High School. A first-year invoice also combines tuition with several non-refundable charges.
Use our Milan guide for neighbourhood and commute planning. The Italy guide explains the wider school and qualification context.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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