The Columbus School

What The Columbus School does

The Columbus School (Corporación Colegio Cristóbal Colón) is a private, non-profit bilingual (English-Spanish) international school operating on a 21-hectare campus in Alto de las Palmas, Envigado, in the Medellín metropolitan area of Colombia. Founded in 1947, the school serves over 1,800 students across K4 through 12th grade with 247 employees, offering a curriculum benchmarked to Common Core, NGSS, AERO, and Colombian Ministry standards, with 80% of subjects taught in English by native English-speaking educators. The institution is COGNIA-accredited since 1964, an IB Primary Years Programme Candidate School since 2025, and implements the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) in Middle School. Co-curricular offerings include the Lightning Blue Lizards FRC robotics team, the Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) program, Character Counts values education, and 12 competitive sports.

The business model is a subscription-based tuition engine with annual fees K4-12, with increases authorized by the Secretary of Education of Envigado through Resolution. The school sells through a formal, direct admissions process managed by a dedicated Admissions Office, with K4 admission starting three years in advance and mandatory information meetings for prospective parents. Ancillary services — transportation, food, and uniforms — are delivered through third-party channel partners (Transporte Asia, Transporte Buseticas, Orientours, restaurantesserviexpress.com, and the TCS Foundation) that contract directly with families, so the school acts as facilitator rather than principal. Customer support infrastructure includes 14 school psychologists plus a dedicated college counselor, a Learning Center, and the subsidized SUNY Buffalo Master's program for teacher development.

Technology is operational rather than differentiating: Schoology LMS, Power Columbus student information system, and Follett Library Systems form the core digital stack. The school is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors (4 parent members, 3 external members) elected democratically by the parent General Assembly for two-year terms. Leadership is provided by Superintendent Dr. Ruth Allen, Ed.D., who also serves as President of ACCAS and on boards of Tri-Association, the Consortium for Childhood and Youth in Medellín, and ADECOPRIA. The institution operates under Colombia's Special Tax Regime (RTE) for non-profit entities, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Columbus School

Legal name

Corporación Colegio Cristóbal Colón (The Columbus School)

Website

https://columbus.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Columbus School is a non-profit, COGNIA-accredited bilingual (English-Spanish) international school in Envigado, Colombia, serving over 1,800 K4-12 students on a 21-hectare campus with 247 employees, offering IB-aligned curriculum and international college preparation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private International K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG), Charter Language Immersion & Bilingual Schools (EDAJACAI)

Keywords

• Bilingual K-12 education
• International school programs
• IB primary years curriculum
• College counseling services
• Character education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Envigado

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: Primary revenue from tuition fees for K4 through 12th grade education. Annual fee increases authorized by Secretary of Education of Envigado through Resolution. Calendar B school year from August to June.
2. Transportation Services: Third-party transportation companies (Transporte Asia, Transporte Buseticas, Orientours) contract directly with families. School facilitates but does not contract on behalf of families.
3. Food Services: Third-party food company (restaurantesserviexpress.com) provides daily meals. Families can sign up for monthly plans including snack and/or lunch. Fee charged per school day.
4. Uniform Sales: TCS Foundation sells PE uniforms through the bookstore. Families can purchase through the foundation website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Columbus School provides bilingual (English-Spanish) international education for K4 through 12th grade students, with 80% of subjects taught in English. The school delivers standards-based curriculum aligned to Common Core, NGSS, AERO, and Colombian Ministry requirements, supplemented by IB PYP candidacy, IMYC, competitive robotics, character education, and comprehensive college counseling. Educational services are delivered on a 21-hectare purpose-built campus to approximately 1,800+ students.

Product overview

The Columbus School is a bilingual (English-Spanish) private international school serving K4-12 grade students in Medellín, Colombia. The institution operates as a unified educational platform composed of multiple integrated programs: the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for early years, the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) for middle school, and standards-based curriculum for high school with AP courses. Co-curricular offerings include the Lightning Blue Lizards competitive robotics team, Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) maker program, and Character Counts values education. The school supports its mission through the Learning Center for academic support, a Counseling Department, and the TCS Foundation for scholarship programs. Professional development is enhanced through the subsidized Buffalo Master's Program with SUNY Buffalo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Years Programme (PYP) Candidate IB candidate program for K4-5 students focused on inquiry-based learning and developing IB Learner Profile attributes in the early years.
• International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) Curriculum for grades 6-8 (expanding to all middle school levels) rooted in the Six Needs of the Teenage Brain, designed to ease the transition from primary to secondary education.
• Lightning Blue Lizards Robotics Program FRC competitive robotics team developing STEM skills in students, including outreach to underserved communities through the Foundation's ConnecTI Scholarships program.
• Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) Maker program where students engage with real-world challenges and design solutions that improve lives through collaborative, empathy-driven projects.
• Character Counts Program Values education program teaching six pillars of character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship) across all grade levels K4-12.
• Counseling Department Department of 14 psychologists providing socio-emotional support, college counseling, and group interventions for promotion and prevention across grade levels.
• TCS Foundation Non-profit foundation with 30+ years of experience providing ConnecTI Scholarships for robotics, JKS Scholarships for higher education, and community outreach programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 years of educational excellence and institutional growth
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Assembly (Parent Community)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024All parents with children enrolled in the school who are in good standing with financial obligations form the General Assembly. They democratically elect Board of Directors members (7 total: 4 parents, 3 external members) for 2-year terms. The assembly ensures community governance and school sustainability.
• Las Palmas Community Action BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on community development programs including CDI Faro Columbus (now CDI Tejiendo Sueños), supporting early childhood education for children aged 1-5 from Alto de las Palmas and surrounding areas.
• Bienestar Familiar (ICBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian Institute of Family Welfare took leadership of CDI early childhood center in 2015. Continues to support approximately 50 children aged 1-5 from the community.
• Municipality of EnvigadocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in building CDI Faro Columbus to support comprehensive education of children from Alto de las Palmas. Collaborative municipal support for educational initiatives.
• SUNY Buffalo (State University of New York College at Buffalo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Master's of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies program for TCS teachers. TCS subsidizes the program substantially ($250/course for $2,500 total). Program consists of 10 courses over 3 school years with B2 English requirement.
• SUNY Buffalo Master's ProgramcoreTechnology or IntegrationVirtual Master's degree program offered to K4-12 teachers including courses on ESL, curriculum development, gifted education, creative learning, instructional design, and multimedia for educators.
• I.E. Martín Eduardo Ríos LlanosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal public school whose students participate in ConnecTI Scholarships program, joining TCS LBL Robotics team. Students develop STEM skills, practice English, and collaborate with TCS students.
• Transporte AsiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation company providing school bus services to TCS students. Families contract directly with the company.
• Transporte BuseticasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation company providing school bus services to TCS students. Families contract directly with the company.
• OrientoursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransportation company providing school bus services to TCS students. Families contract directly with the company.
• restaurantesserviexpress.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food service provider for TCS cafeterias. Offers monthly subscription plans for daily snack and/or lunch. Direct contract between company and families.
• AMISAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational recruitment fair organization used by TCS twice yearly to recruit international teachers, primarily North American educators.
• Search CambridgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational teacher recruitment fair used by TCS to attract qualified international educators twice yearly.
• UNI (University of Northern International)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational teacher recruitment fair organization used by TCS twice yearly to recruit international teaching staff.
• Cognia (formerly SACS/AdvancED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accreditation body that has accredited TCS since 1964. Recognizes commitment to quality education and continuous improvement standards.
• Character Counts CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram providing six pillars of character education framework used across all grade levels (K4-12): trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. TCS received Exemplary School Award.
• ACCAS (Association of Colombian-Caribbean American Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCS Superintendent Dr. Ruth Allen serves as President of this regional association of American international schools.
• Tri-AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCS Superintendent serves as member of Board of Directors for this international education consortium.
• Consortium for Childhood and Youth in MedellínminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCS Superintendent serves on Board of Directors for this local youth development organization.
• ADECOPRIA (Association of Private Schools in Antioquia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCS Superintendent serves as member of Board of Directors for this regional private schools association.
• International Baccalaureate Organization (IB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIB World School candidate for Primary Years Programme (PYP). TCS is pursuing authorization to offer IB academic programmes following shared educational philosophy of high-quality challenging international education.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• American School Foundation (ASF) Mexico City: Premier American international school in Mexico City with IB programmes and 100+ year history—comparable Latin American American-style school serving affluent internationally-minded families, though in a different national market.
• Colegio Panamericano (Guatemala): American international school in Guatemala offering K-12 bilingual education with U.S. accreditation—comparable regional peer operating in Latin American market with similar target demographic.

Direct peers

• Colegio San Patricio: Bilingual Catholic international school in Bogotá serving affluent Colombian and international families with American-style curriculum—competes in the same premium Colombian international school segment.
• Colegio Nueva Granada: American international school in Bogotá with full IB programmes (PYP, MYP, DP) and U.S. curriculum alignment—directly comparable in offering IB-authorized bilingual K-12 education in Colombia.
• Alliance Academy International: Christian bilingual international school in Bogotá offering American curriculum with English-Spanish instruction—comparable in providing K-12 international education to Colombian and expatriate families.
• Colegio Anglo-Colombiano: Bilingual international K-12 school in Bogotá, Colombia offering English-Spanish instruction with IB programmes and U.S. accreditation—direct competitor for premium bilingual families in Colombia.
• American School of Bogotá (Colegio Americano): U.S.-accredited international school in Bogotá offering K-12 American curriculum with strong bilingual program—directly comparable institution serving internationally-minded families in Colombia.
• Marymount School Bogotá: Private Catholic international school in Bogotá offering bilingual IB curriculum—directly comparable in serving upper-income Colombian and expatriate families with internationally benchmarked education.
• Lincoln American School: American international school in Bogotá with U.S. accreditation and bilingual instruction—competes for the same premium Colombian family segment seeking American-style education.
• Colegio Bolívar: American international school in Cali, Colombia with COGNIA accreditation and bilingual English-Spanish instruction—competes for premium international education families across Colombia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thecolumbusschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecolumbusschool
• TikToktiktok.com/@thecolumbus.school
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-columbus-school-medellin

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Columbus School