Daegu International School

What Daegu International School does

Daegu International School (DIS) is a private K-12 international school in Daegu, South Korea, founded in 2010 and operating as a branch campus of Lee Academy, a private school in Lee, Maine, USA (est. 1845). DIS delivers a U.S. college-preparatory curriculum — Common Core, Maine Learning Results, and Advanced Placement — taught entirely in English from Kindergarten through Grade 12. As of September 2025, the school enrolls approximately 360 students representing 21 nationalities, with a foreign-national majority (60%) and Korean nationals (30%, plus a 10% special-agreement cap). The faculty-student ratio is 15:1 with 81 total employees.

DIS's product portfolio spans core academics, college counseling (delivered via Cialfo), arts programs (media, music, visual), athletics in the SKAIS and KISAC conferences, 52 extracurricular activities, an on-campus Residence Program for Grades 5-12 with 64 boarding capacity, and an EAL program. Technology infrastructure includes OpenApply for admissions, PowerSchool for student information, Follett Destiny for the library, SchoolsBuddy for activity management, and a 360° virtual tour. The school is WASC-accredited and was the first international school in Korea to receive Korean Ministry of Education accreditation; graduates who meet requirements earn dual diplomas from both Lee Academy and DIS.

The business model is tuition-driven with diversified fee streams. Annual tuition ranges from 22.9M KRW (Kindergarten) to 31.9M KRW (High School), payable in full or via installment plan with a 5% surcharge. One-time fees include a non-refundable 250,000 KRW application fee, a 3,000,000 KRW entrance fee, and a 500,000 KRW senior fee. Recurring auxiliary revenue comes from lunch (6,600-7,100 KRW per meal), school bus (1.3M KRW per semester), and the residence program (4.5M KRW per semester). GTM is direct-to-consumer via open houses, rolling online admissions for foreign nationals, and an annual admissions cycle for Korean nationals, targeting expatriate families and Korean households seeking U.S. curriculum credentials.

Name

Daegu International School

Legal name

Daegu International School

Website

https://dis.sc.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Daegu International School is a K-12 private international school in Daegu, South Korea, operating as a branch campus of Lee Academy (Maine, USA). It delivers a U.S. college-preparatory curriculum in English to approximately 360 students from 21 nationalities, with dual diplomas and WASC/Korean MOE accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 International Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• K-12 international education
• College preparatory curriculum
• Boarding school programs
• American curriculum abroad
• Advanced Placement courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Daegu

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from annual tuition payments across four divisions. Kindergarten 22,900,000 KRW; Elementary 24,800,000 KRW; Middle School 27,000,000 KRW; High School 31,900,000 KRW. Payment options include full payment or installment plan (with 5% service charge).
2. Application Fee: Non-refundable application fee of 250,000 KRW charged to all applicants for application review and admissions testing.
3. Entrance Fee: One-time entrance fee of 3,000,000 KRW required upon enrollment.
4. Auxiliary Services: Additional revenue from lunch fees (6,600-7,100 KRW per meal depending on grade), school bus (1,300,000 KRW per semester), and residence program (4,500,000 KRW per semester for Grades 5-12).
5. Senior Fee: Graduation-related fee of 500,000 KRW charged to Grade 12 students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Daegu International School provides K-12 American college preparatory education (Kindergarten through Grade 12) using the U.S. curriculum (Common Core, Maine Learning Results, Advanced Placement) taught solely in English. Students who meet graduation requirements earn dual diplomas from Lee Academy (Maine, USA) and DIS, with the school accredited by both WASC and the Korean Ministry of Education. The school also operates an on-campus Residence Program for Grades 5-12 and a College Counseling program powered by the Cialfo platform.

Product overview

Daegu International School (DIS) is a K-12 international school offering a college preparatory education based on American standards (Common Core, Maine Learning Results, AP). The school provides a comprehensive portfolio of educational services including core academic programs from Kindergarten through Grade 12, a College Counseling Program, on-campus Residence Program for grades 5-12, Arts programs (Media, Music, Visual Arts), Athletics, and Extracurricular Activities. The school also offers EAL support and Korean language studies for international students. DIS is a branch campus of Lee Academy (Maine, USA) and awards dual diplomas upon graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Academic Programs College preparatory curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 12 based on American standards (Common Core, Maine Learning Results, Advanced Placement courses), taught solely in English, with students earning dual diplomas from DIS and Lee Academy upon graduation.
• College Counseling Program Comprehensive university preparation including career planning, course selection, standardized test preparation, and application support for high school students, delivered using the Cialfo platform.
• Residence Program On-campus dormitory facilities for students in Grades 5-12 with 64-student capacity, staffed by faculty members providing supervised living, study rooms, and laundry facilities.
• Arts Program Media arts (journalism, video production), music (band, chorus, strings), and visual arts programs for all grade levels.
• Athletics Program Competitive sports teams participating in SKAIS and KISAC conferences across fall, winter, and spring seasons at elementary, middle, and high school levels.
• Extracurricular Activities 52 after-school activities offered by trimester including various clubs and seasonal athletic teams for students in grades 1-12, administered via SchoolsBuddy.
• Library Media Center Library with Follett Destiny catalog, e-books, research databases, and extended hours for residence students.
• EAL Program English as an Additional Language program for students requiring language support, provided at no additional cost.
• School Bus Service Round-trip school bus transportation provided at 1,300,000 KRW per semester for enrolled students.
• Cafeteria Services On-campus cafeteria providing lunch meals at 6,600-7,100 KRW per meal depending on grade level.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% college placement rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lee Academy (Maine, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIS is a branch campus of Lee Academy, a private school in Lee, Maine, USA founded in 1845. Students who meet graduation requirements earn dual diplomas from both Lee Academy and Daegu International School. DIS follows the same American private school curriculum as Lee Academy.
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)coreOthersWASC accreditation ensures quality of education and allows DIS credits and diplomas to be officially recognized in the United States.
• Ministry of Education (Korea)coreOthersKorean Ministry of Education accreditation, making DIS the first international school in Korea to receive formal recognition. Student records and diplomas are formally recognized within the Korean education system.
• CialfocoreTechnology or IntegrationUniversity planning platform used by DIS College Counseling Office. Students have access from Grade 9 with automated notifications for tasks, meetings, college essay prompts, and online university fairs. Platform available on iOS and Android.
• SKAIS (Seoul Korea International School Athletic Conference)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic conference for interscholastic sports competition. DIS participates in SKAIS tournaments for futsal, volleyball, basketball, and cross country across elementary, middle, and high school levels.
• KISAC (Korea International Schools Athletic Conference)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic conference for international schools in Korea. DIS participates in KISAC tournaments alongside SKAIS competitions.
• College BoardcoreOthersAuthorized AP (Advanced Placement) course provider. DIS offers AP courses and SAT testing preparation. CEEB Code: 682002.
• PowerSchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent information system used by DIS for grade management and parent/student portal access (mypage.dis.sc.kr).
• Follett DestinycoreTechnology or IntegrationLibrary management system (OPAC) used by DIS Library Media Center. Provides e-book access and WebPath Express for research.
• SchoolsBuddycoreTechnology or IntegrationAfter-school activity registration and management platform used by DIS for extracurricular program administration.
• Lands' EndminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial school uniform provider. School code: 900143272. Families purchase uniforms through Lands' End website.
• EARCOSminorOthersEast Asia Regional Council of Schools - professional organization for international schools in East Asia.
• Daegu Metropolitan Office of EducationcoreOthersAgreement with Daegu City Hall and Daegu Department of Education for additional 10% Korean student enrollment capacity (up to 68 students) under special regulations.
• UN Convention on the Rights of the ChildminorOthersChild Safeguarding Policy based within framework of international law anchored in UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which Republic of Korea is a signatory.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seoul International School: Long-established English-language international school in Seoul offering a US-style K-12 curriculum to expatriate and Korean national families. Closely comparable to DIS in mission, curriculum, and target families, though operating in a much larger Seoul market.
• Yongsan International School of Seoul: US curriculum international school in Seoul serving K-12 students with a similar college-preparatory mission and English-language instruction. Comparable operating structure and customer base as DIS.
• Korea International School: Private US-style international school in Korea offering K-12 college preparatory education. Similar accreditation profile (WASC-equivalent) and serves overlapping expatriate and Korean national families.
• International School of Busan: English-language international school in Busan serving K-12 students with a US-based curriculum. Comparable regional international school model and target families outside Seoul.
• Dulwich College Seoul: Premium international school in Seoul with a British-style curriculum, serving expatriate and Korean national families at the top end of the market. Comparable in terms of tuition pricing and college-preparatory positioning.
• Chadwick International: US-style international school on Songdo (Incheon) offering K-12 college preparatory education. Similar curriculum philosophy, accreditation status, and target families as DIS.
• Gyeonggi Suwon International School: International school near Suwon offering English-language K-12 education to expat and Korean national families. Comparable operating model to DIS with a similar regional positioning.
• Branksome Hall Asia: Premium international school in Jeju offering a Canadian-based curriculum to K-12 students. Comparable premium positioning, college-preparatory focus, and target demographic to DIS.
• Canadian International School Korea: Busan-based English-language international school offering a Canadian curriculum K-12 program. Comparable regional Korean international school serving expatriate families.
• International Christian School Uijeongbu: Mid-sized international school in Uijeongbu offering a US-based K-12 program to expat and Korean national families. Comparable scale and operating model to DIS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKTaTJz_KW_AWJeER5wK0mA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Daegu.International.School
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/daegu_international_school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Daegu International School