High School Semester in Costa Rica
Spend a semester in Costa Rica discovering nature, building friendships, and speaking Spanish every day.
Wake up to misty mornings, monkey calls echoing through the trees, and breakfast made from ingredients grown right on campus. In Monteverde, you’ll live steps from cloud forest trails and share a home with goats, gardens, and a close-knit group of fellow students. This semester-long program blends academic challenge with daily discovery, combining high school courses with hands-on learning and full cultural immersion.
You’ll begin your semester in London, spending the first three weeks with fellow students in CIEE’s Global Gateway Academy. Prepare for a successful semester by forming lasting friendships, building strong intercultural communication skills, and connecting with the local community through impactful service projects.
In Monteverde, you’ll take in-person classes like Environmental Science, Mixed Media Arts, and Spanish Language & Costa Rican Culture alongside online courses through ASU Prep Global.
Classes are small and collaborative, and weekly activities take learning beyond the classroom—into forests, farms, local markets, and beyond. Spanish immersion happens naturally through day-to-day life, community engagement, and conversations with your very own language buddy.
Adventure into the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the world’s most iconic biodiversity hotspots, and explore volcanic landscapes and hot springs in Guachipelín. This semester will spark new friendships, unforgettable experiences, and the kind of growth that stays with you long after you’ve returned home.
Why Choose This Program?
INDEPENDENCE & RESILIENCE
Experiencing life abroad shifts how you see the world—and yourself. You’ll return home with a broader perspective that shapes how you approach challenges and opportunities.
COLLEGE READINESS
Studying abroad gives you the kinds of life skills that can’t be learned in a classroom — and shows college admissions reps that you’re already one step ahead in terms of initiative, maturity, and independence.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
After immersing yourself in unfamiliar practices and customs, you’ll become better equipped to interact with people from other cultures — in school, on the job, or in your personal life.
93%
said their experience made them more aware of global issues.
79%
said their experience with CIEE helped shape their college applications.
96%
said they regularly use the knowledge and skills they acquired while abroad with CIEE.
The Destination
Welcome to Monteverde—Costa Rica’s green heart of conservation and adventure.
Perched high in the Tilarán Mountains, this region is home to one of the world’s rarest ecosystems: the cloud forest. Constantly wrapped in fog and dripping with moisture, it’s a “living sky sponge” that feeds rivers and supports hundreds of plant and animal species. Monteverde helped launch Costa Rica’s ecotourism movement and remains a model of sustainability in a country with some of the most forward-thinking environmental policies on the planet.
Look up into the canopy and you might catch a flash of emerald and crimson—the resplendent quetzal bird, with tail feathers like green ribbons. Sloths hang motionless in the shadows, frogs call from leaf litter below, and the air hums with insect life. The forest is layered, endless, and full of life.
Monteverde draws travelers from all over the world to hike misty trails, walk hanging bridges, zipline above the canopy, and explore coffee farms and wildlife refuges. It’s an unforgettable blend of nature, adventure, and purpose, the kind of place that shifts your perspective and leaves you inspired by the magical natural world.
Social feed above may feature posts from all CIEE Study Abroad programs, including college programs.
Sample Itinerary
Top Rated Activities
From forest hikes to horseback rides and waterfall swims, your study abroad semester in Monteverde is packed with outdoor adventures that connect you to Costa Rica’s wild side, leaving you with memories that last a lifetime.
Hiking at Bajo del Tigre Nature Preserve
This preserve is part of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, an area of land that was protected thanks to generous donations from children around the world. Bajo del Tigre offers a drier ecosystem with a surprising variety of animals. As you hike winding trails beneath sunlit trees, keep an eye out for motmots with neon-blue tails, orange-bellied trogons, spiny green lizards, agoutis, and even armadillos.
Adventure Day at Ponderosa Park
This incredible nature park is full of ways to explore, play, and push your comfort zone. You might ride horseback past the crashing La Perla Waterfall, float down a lazy river, hop into a safari truck, or soar across the valley on a zipline. Surrounded by dry forest, fresh air, and friends, it’s the kind of day that leaves you sun-kissed, smiling, and ready for more.
9 Ways to Fund Your High School Semester Abroad Program
Attending high school abroad as a U.S. teen is a fantastic opportunity to experience a new culture and broaden your perspectives. Though your high school semester abroad program covers all... keep reading
What Parents Need to Know About Sending Their High Schooler Abroad
You’re thrilled about the meaningful experience your teen is sure to have while attending a high school in another country for a semester abroad. On the other hand, you’re aware... keep reading
What A Typical Week Looks Like on High School Away
The most common question I get from students and parents prior to departure is “what will my day to day actually look like on program?” Even before coming on the... keep reading
Eligibility
- Be between the ages of 15 and 17 when the program starts and cannot turn 18 while on program.
- Be in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th year of schooling.
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Demonstrate, through the application process, flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture.
Dates & Fees
Priority deadline discount: Apply to a fall semester or academic year by February 15 and get a $400 discount. Apply to a spring semester by July 15 and get a $400 discount. Discounts are deducted from final balance.
High school abroad participants are NOT authorized to volunteer, take jobs, or seek employment during their stay.
Additional information about insurance can be found on the FAQ page.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fall 2026 16 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * | ||
| Program Spring 2027 15 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
*Dates for this program are tentative. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Ready to change your life?
Staff
Pablo Allen
Center Director
Pablo is a native Costa Rican, born and raised in San José. He is an evolutionary ecologist interested in sexual selection, animal weapons, and phenotypic plasticity. Since rejoining CIEE in...