Denmark · Copenhagen
International School of Hellerup offers the full IB continuum in English across campuses in Hellerup and Østerbro. Its Østerbro high-school site also houses a separate Danish-medium STX programme. The school publishes detailed fees, but its 2026–27 documents contain conflicting years in the CPR-subsidy rules, so families near the deadline should obtain a written fee decision.
International School of Hellerup (ISH) is a co-educational day school with two campuses. Pre-K to MYP4 are at Rygårds Allé 131 in Hellerup. MYP5, the two IB Diploma years and the Danish STX programme are at Præstøgade 17 in Østerbro.
The IB route runs from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) through the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to the Diploma Programme (DP). The STX is a separate three-year Danish gymnasium qualification. It is taught in Danish and has its own national admissions process, course structure, fee schedule and withdrawal rules. Sharing the Præstøgade site does not make STX an IB option.
ISH is one of the few Copenhagen schools where a pupil can continue in an English-medium IB programme from early childhood through age 18 or 19. That continuity is attractive to internationally mobile families, especially those who want to avoid another school change before the Diploma.
The two-campus arrangement matters for travel and siblings: MYP5 is already at Østerbro, not at the younger-years site in Hellerup. Families considering STX should assess it as a Danish upper-secondary school. Its current programme offers language, social-science and natural-science study tracks, and it is not a substitute for English-medium DP.
Applications for Pre-K to MYP4 are considered throughout the year when places are available. For the IB Diploma, the published deadline is 1 September. Later DP applications are accepted only from pupils transferring from another IB Diploma school and only when their subjects match the timetable.
Applicants to PYP4–DP1 take English and mathematics assessments and have an interview. Younger applicants may also be assessed. ISH offers English as an Additional Language (EAL) and a learning-support service, but neither label guarantees that the school can meet every need. Share reports and professional assessments early and ask what support is required, available and separately charged. The fee schedule prices learning support from DKK 3,000 a month.
IB fees are charged monthly for 12 months from August to July, except DP2, which is charged from August to June. The fee schedule has one rate for a pupil eligible for Danish state subsidy and another for a pupil without it.
| Year group | With subsidy | Without subsidy |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | DKK 5,190 or 5,295 a month—see note below | DKK 6,500 a month |
| Kindergarten–PYP5 | DKK 3,785 a month | DKK 6,500 a month |
| MYP1–MYP5 | DKK 3,990 a month | DKK 6,500 a month |
| DP1–DP2 | DKK 4,190 a month | DKK 6,500 a month |
The Pre-K subsidised rate is inconsistent inside the same document: the main table prints DKK 5,295, while the Pre-K note prints DKK 5,190. Ask which rate will appear on the contract.
All new IB applicants pay DKK 2,000 to apply, DKK 1,500 to enrol and a DKK 9,000 deposit. DP pupils also pay an IB fee of DKK 300 a month. The monthly sibling deduction is DKK 350 for the second child, DKK 650 for the third and DKK 1,150 for the fourth. Annual charges include DKK 250 per family for the parent association and DKK 400 per pupil for materials. The annual activities charge is DKK 300 in Pre-K–PYP5 and DKK 500 in MYP1–MYP4.
Several year groups have compulsory trips or core weeks. The published approximate charges are DKK 1,700 in MYP1, DKK 4,600 in MYP2, DKK 5,600 in MYP3 and DKK 4,000 in MYP5. MYP5 also has a DKK 700 orientation charge and DP1 a DKK 300 orientation charge.
State subsidy normally depends on the pupil and parents having active CPR numbers, a registered address and the required documentation by the school’s count date. Late qualification can leave the family paying the non-subsidised rate for the entire academic year.
The 2026–27 ISH documents do not state the date consistently. The fee schedule opens with a 1 September 2026 deadline, but its table and later notes print 2025 in several places. The accompanying 2026–27 payment terms state 1 September without giving a year. For MYP5, the terms use 1 December, while the fee schedule mixes 2026 and 2025.
These appear to be unresolved document errors, but families should not rely on that inference. Submit all CPR numbers, the family address and supporting documents before 1 September 2026 where possible. An MYP5 family arriving later should ask whether the 1 December exception applies. Obtain the school’s written decision on both the deadline and the monthly fee.
Pre-K has an additional condition. The child is initially invoiced at the subsidised rate only on the assumption that municipal approval is obtained and any previous daycare place has been properly ended. If that approval fails, the school may recalculate the fee to DKK 6,500 a month retrospectively.
Families may also apply for income-based friplads from Kindergarten to DP2. The national household-income threshold varies. ISH releases the form near the beginning of September, and an approved reduction is applied from January to June.
Mandatory Pre-K lunch costs DKK 750 a month. Optional lunch for older pupils is also DKK 750 from August to June, with a half charge of DKK 375 in August. Full after-school care costs DKK 1,630 a month from August to June and includes mornings; morning-only care costs DKK 510. Middle-school after-school care costs DKK 650 a month from September to June and requires at least 14 enrolled pupils.
Holiday care for Kindergarten–PYP4 starts at DKK 250 a day and is included for Pre-K. The fee schedule also lists therapy at DKK 1,800 a month from September to June, plus a DKK 4,000 assessment. Online Pamoja Diploma subjects cost approximately DKK 13,000 per course per year, with an additional late-registration charge of about DKK 3,800. Confirm every optional service before budgeting because actual need and availability depend on the pupil.
Direct debit must normally be established within three months. Otherwise, a DKK 500 monthly administration charge may apply unless the school agrees another payment arrangement.
IB withdrawal requires the official form. If it arrives by the 15th, the current month and the next two months are payable. From the 16th, the current month and the next three are payable. The re-enrolment terms use overlapping wording for cancellations on 31 May; ask the finance office for a written calculation if that exact date matters. The deposit normally covers the July invoice, while DP2 deposits are returned in September if all conditions are met.
The STX fee page currently publishes DKK 1,938 a month for 12 months, or DKK 23,256 a year, plus a DKK 2,000 enrolment fee. STX withdrawal requires two months’ notice on paper, with a parent signature for a pupil under 18. A computer and the second-year study trip are extra. STX applicants use the Danish national application system, optagelse.dk, rather than the IB application route.
Compare other options in the Copenhagen guide and read the Denmark guide for the national system.
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.
CIS is Copenhagen’s large, established full-IB day school. Its Nordhavn campus offers the PYP, MYP and Diploma in English, but admission also depends on language readiness, support capacity and a nationality limit whose wording differs between two official sources.
CopenhagenInstitut Sankt Joseph is most distinctive for its Danish–English bilingual route: about half the timetable follows Danish national goals, while maths, English and science follow Cambridge programmes in English. It requires real Danish as children get older.
FrederiksbergLycée Français Prins Henrik follows the French national curriculum from early childhood to the baccalauréat. Older pupils can pursue the Danish-French baccalaureate, which preserves access to both systems. The 2026–27 rules distinguish the school’s 2 September CPR submission deadline from the fee table’s 5 September subsidy date.
CopenhagenN. Zahles Skole is an umbrella for two Danish private schools and a fee-paying STX gymnasium. Choose the exact unit before applying: their waiting lists, interviews and upper-secondary admissions are not interchangeable.
Copenhagen offers IB, British, French and Danish routes. Check the child’s later qualification, actual campus and CPR-related fee rules before comparing schools.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.