Beirut, Lebanon: American Community School Beirut: 2022-2023 Fact Sheet

The American Community Beirut is an independent, coeducational day school, which offers an educational program from nursery through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The school was founded in 1905. The school year is divided into semesters extending from September through June.

Organization: The school is governed by a 20 -member, self-governing Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees currently meets 3 times a year in the United States and Lebanon. The school operates under a charter from the New York State Board of Regents and the Lebanese Ministry of Education. In addition, the school is incorporated as a “not-for-profit” educational organization, registered in the State of New York.

Curriculum: The ACS curriculum is based on the American Education Reaches Out (AERO) standards. The language of instruction is English. Arabic is taught at all levels as a second or foreign language; French is introduced in grade 3. Of note, the early childhood program (EC) (PK to grade 2) is a Reggio Emilia-inspired program. The upper school provides a college preparatory program that includes options to complete the International Baccalaureate Degree or Lebanese Baccalaureate Degree. All graduates receive a U.S. high school diploma. In the last five years, 100% of the graduates have attended colleges and universities in United States, Lebanon, and Europe. The school’s standardized testing program includes PSAT, SAT I and II, ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), MAP testing, and the career interest inventory test. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and licensed by the Lebanese Ministry of Education.

Faculty: In the 2022-2023 school year, ACS has 235 total staff including 147 teachers, 21 of whom are U.S. citizens, 108 host-country nationals, and 18 third-country nationals representing USA, Lebanon, France, Canada, Australia, Greece, Switzerland, Jordan, Syria, South Africa, India, and Netherlands. All teaching faculty have a bachelor’s degree.

Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment was 885 (PreK-5: 433; grades 6-8: 205, and grades 9-12: 247). Of the total, 233 were U.S. citizens, 457 were host-country nationals, and 195 were third-country nationals.

Facilities: The school is housed in five purpose-built facilities, which include three academic buildings with six science laboratories, two library/media centers, two auditoriums, two computer laboratories, an administration/residential/classroom building, and a gymnasium with additional classrooms for art and music. The school is located a half block from the Mediterranean Sea on 16,000 square meters of land, adjacent to the American University of Beirut.

Finances: In the 2022-2023 school year, about 90% of the school’s income derives from tuition and other fees. Annual tuition rates range from $14,150 to $20,270. The school also charges a development fee of $3,500, an ancillary fee of $4500, and an application fee of $100, and a first installment of $4,290. (All fees are quoted in U.S. dollars). The ancillary fee of $4500 is waived if 100% of tuition fees are voluntarily transferred to our U.S. bank account or paid in cash USD.

Special Needs: Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs- Lebanon, Beirut) for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities.

This Fact Sheet is intended to provide general information. Prospective users of the schools may wish to inquire further of A/OPR/OS or contact the school directly for more specific and up-to-the-minute information. Information and statistics are current as of September 2022 and provided by the school.