Who can apply?

UWC delivers a challenging and transformative educational experience to over 7500 students each year

UWC schools and colleges are located in 12 countries and follow one of two models:

• Schools for students across a wide age range, providing students of all ages with the opportunity to gain a UWC education
• Two-year pre-university colleges teaching the IB Diploma to students typically aged between 16 and 19 years

UWC students are defined by their ambition and ability to create a more peaceful and sustainable future. They are united in a commitment to positive social action to build a more equitable and fairer world.

Although strong academic achievement is valued highly, our ethos compels us to think more broadly about the knowledge and skills that will shape our students as whole people. As a transformational experience a UWC education empowers students to become leaders in social responsibility, inspiring them to effect change personally, locally, nationally and internationally.

Colleges teaching a two-year pre-university diploma
Students interested in the pre-university IB Diploma will normally be aged between 15 and 17 years old at the application stage and have already completed 10 or 11 years of formal education. Students are normally 16 or 17 when they start at a UWC college. Academic requirements vary from country to country.

The teaching language of these colleges is English, with the exception of UWC Costa Rica which is bilingual – Spanish and English.  Previous knowledge of the teaching language is not usually necessary. The colleges will offer support if you do not have previous language knowledge.

Younger students
UWC South East Asia (Ages 4 - 18) - Click here for details on how to apply and entry requirements (this will open the UWC South East Asia website in a new window)
Waterford Kamhlaba UWC (Ages 11 - 18) - Click here for details on how to apply and entry requirements (this will open the Waterford Kamhlaba UWC website in a new window)
UWC Maastricht (Ages 2 - 18) - Click here for details on how to apply and entry requirements (this will open the UWC Maastricht website in a new window)

The teaching language at these three schools is English.