The American School Foundation

What the school is

School structure and qualifications

The school’s legal name is The American School Foundation, A.C., a Mexican civil association. ASF describes itself as non-profit and serving Mexican and international pupils. Its website reports 405 students receiving financial aid; ask about the reporting year and current eligibility rather than treating that count as an applicant’s likelihood of receiving an award.

The association and reference material describes IB programmes, AP courses, US accreditation through the SACS/AdvancED/Cognia line, and Mexican recognition involving SEP and UNAM. These are different forms of recognition and qualification, and the awards a pupil earns depend on which Mexican and American graduation requirements they meet and whether they take the IB Diploma. ASOMEX membership is separate from accreditation.

English is the main teaching language. An aggregator reports roughly 60% Mexican pupils; that is a headcount, not a measure of which languages pupils use socially or of any one class.

Academics in practice

Programmes, results and credentials

The school’s 2013–14 viewbook describes its American and IB programme structure. It is historical, so the current AP course menu and AP Capstone availability are in the latest Upper School course guide. An aggregator reports an average class size of 22, without a breakdown by division.

Accreditation and IB authorisation are separate from Mexican study recognition and ASOMEX membership. Read relevant reports where available, then discuss teaching, support and safeguarding on a visit. The school’s long history is background, not a substitute for current evidence.

Admissions and cost

Applications, tuition and registration

The admissions page separates guidance for K1–Grade 1, Grades 2–11 and families arriving from abroad. It lists MXN 2,045 for application and testing, with testing invitations for qualified applicants subject to available space. Waiting lists are set grade by grade, so general claims about competitive entry say little about a particular grade.

The school’s 2026–27 fee schedule charges tuition in ten monthly payments from August 2026 to May 2027: MXN 27,810 a month for the Early Childhood Center (K1–K3), MXN 32,050 for Grades 1–5, MXN 34,630 for Grades 6–8 and MXN 35,380 for Grades 9–12, or MXN 278,100–353,800 a year. It lists registration at the same amounts by section, payable in March 2026 (autumn semester) and December 2026 (spring semester). New students also pay a one-time, non-refundable admission charge of USD 7,000, billed in pesos at the official DOF exchange rate, and a MXN 2,045 admission test fee. Bus service costs MXN 4,880 a month for a first child.

The school’s billing text describes ten tuition payments from August through May and registration payments in December and March. Registration is therefore a recurring charge, not a one-time one. Keep the admission charge separate from recurring tuition and registration, and net off any credits before adding totals.

The 2013–14 viewbook describes need-based aid awards of 25–75% after a socioeconomic study. Those are historical terms; the current award range, covered charges and process may differ.

The family experience

School journeys and communication

The campus is at Bondojito 215, Colonia Las Américas, Álvaro Obregón. Bus and lunch services are reported as available. Journey times depend heavily on the home neighbourhood; individual Foreign Service accounts of school journeys elsewhere in the city are not a guide to a typical ASF commute.

A general expat guide describes residency documents among typical application requirements, while ASF’s 2013–14 viewbook requires pupils to live with a parent or legal guardian. Both are older or general sources; the current school-specific list may differ.

Questions to ask the school