Key takeaways
"International school" covers a lot of ground in Italy. Some schools in Italy follow the International Baccalaureate diploma program. Some follow the Italian ministerial program. Some run a dual Italian and American track. And a handful offer a genuinely American curriculum – meaning College Board AP courses, WASC accreditation, and a US high school diploma. For families relocating to Italy or already living there, understanding the difference between these options saves a lot of time – and a significant amount of money.
- Physical US schools in Italy are rare, expensive, and geographically concentrated in Rome and Milan.
- The International Baccalaureate diploma program and the American curriculum have different structures, different exam systems, and different admissions value for different universities.
- A WASC-accredited private online school like Legacy delivers the American curriculum from anywhere in Italy, without the €15,000+ annual fees of physical international schools.
- AP (Advanced Placement) courses are the primary bridge between the American curriculum and US college admissions.
Contents
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
American Schools in Italy: What Exists
Physical US schools in Italy are concentrated in two cities. Rome and Milan. The American School of Milan (ASM) and the American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR) are the most recognized. Both offer a broad American curriculum, extracurricular activities, and US diploma tracks. AOSR – founded in 1947, located at the foot of the Aventine – is approved by the Middle States Association and describes itself as a co-educational day school with a diverse student body drawn from over 70 countries. AOSR also offers AP courses.
Marymount International School Rome is another well-known option – Catholic, co-educational, pre-K to Grade 12, with an IB program alongside its American educational framework. Saint Francis International School and the International School of Florence serve the Florence area. The International School of Naples (TAIS Naples) and the International School of Como serve families further south and north respectively.
These schools are good. They are also very expensive – typically €15,000 to €22,000 per year in tuition fees – and available only in specific cities. A family in Bologna, Palermo, or Verona doesn’t have convenient access.
The IB Diploma Program vs. the American Curriculum
The International Baccalaureate program is offered at IB World Schools across Italy. It’s a two-year program for learners aged 16–19, built around six subject groups, the Theory of Knowledge course, the Extended Essay, and the Creativity, Activity, Service component. Rigorous. Globally recognized. Particularly strong for admission to UK and European universities.
The American curriculum – including AP courses – takes a different approach. Learners enroll in individual courses, each with its own exam. There’s no two-year lock-in. A student can take AP Calculus this year and AP Chemistry next year. This modularity is useful for families whose time in Italy is uncertain. AP and IB both signal academic rigor to US admissions offices, but American universities have decades of experience reading AP scores. The pathways are not interchangeable, and applicants targeting specific programs should research what their target schools prefer.
“AP credits are accepted by over 500 Universities in over 75 countries, including the U.K., Canada and Australia. Many also accept AP scores for admissions, placement, and scholarship decisions.”
— College Board, Do universities outside the U.S. accept AP scores?
What Legacy Offers Instead
Legacy delivers the American curriculum live, online, to families across Italy. AP courses – 19 in total – run live, with qualified teachers, in a real learning environment capped at 15 students, and a curriculum delivered via FlexPoint Education Cloud. No recording substitutes for live instruction.
The WASC accreditation (verified at acswasc.org) is the same accreditation body that covers leading American private schools. Legacy’s College Board school code is 000114 – any US admissions office can verify it in under a minute.
Compare: €18,000/year at an international school in Rome. Legacy’s tuition is a fraction of that – see tuition and fees. Same WASC standard. No geography requirement. A family in Venice, Bari, or anywhere across Italy can enroll without relocating to Rome or Milan.
“WASC advances and validates quality ongoing school improvement by supporting its private and public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary member institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process.”
— Accrediting Commission for Schools, WASC
Italian Language and Bilingual Education
A genuine benefit of living in Italy while following the American curriculum: fluency in Italian develops naturally. Several international schools teach courses in Italian as part of their broader curriculum; some run a bilingual Italian and American track. At Legacy, students can add supplementary language instruction or pursue AP Italian Language and Culture as part of their course load.
Case study: The Chen family, American expats in Rome since 2022, tried the American Overseas School of Rome for their daughter Sofia’s first year. Good school. €19,500 per year. They switched to Legacy the following year – same American curriculum, live AP instruction, and €17,000 savings annually. Sofia continued in AOSR’s after-school community service programs while completing her full academic program with Legacy. No academic disruption. The transition took two weeks.
The American School of Milan and the International School of Florence
Families outside Rome have fewer physical options. The American School of Milan serves the north – a strong institution, but tuition runs comparable to AOSR. The International School of Florence covers the Tuscany area, with an IB-oriented program rather than a purely American curriculum track.
Both schools serve families well within their catchment areas. The gap shows up everywhere else. A family in Genoa, Trieste, or Catania has no realistic daily commute to either. And for families who relocate mid-year – a common reality for corporate expats — waitlists at physical schools in Milan or Florence can stretch months.
That’s where the online track fills a real gap. Not as a compromise. As the only practical option.
Case study: The Kowalski family – Polish expats posted to Florence on a two-year assignment – looked at the International School of Florence first. Waitlist: four months. Tuition: €17,800/year. Their son Tomasz, 14, enrolled at Legacy’s online high school within a week of their arrival. He started AP courses in World History and Computer Science in his first semester. No waitlist, no commute, no disruption to the family’s schedule during a difficult relocation. When the posting ended early and the family moved to Warsaw, his Legacy transcript transferred without issue.
We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.
Ready to Compare? Talk to the admissions team – they work with families switching from physical international schools regularly. Or join a trial class and see the American curriculum in a live classroom setting.
Top Tips from Our Expert
Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School
- If your child has been following the IB curriculum and wants to switch to the American track, AP subject selection matters – choose courses that align with your child’s strongest areas from the IB syllabus to avoid a difficult transition.
- Italian fluency is an academic asset. Don’t let it go to waste – AP Italian Language and Culture is one of the highest-scoring AP exams for bilingual or near-native speakers.
- Physical international schools in Italy charge significantly more for the same accreditation standard. Before renewing enrollment, compare what that difference funds: building costs, administration, sports facilities. The curriculum quality is the same.
- Legacy’s virtual clubs and extracurricular activities are included – community service, clubs, and student organizations are part of the program, not extras.
Legacy Online School is a WASC-accredited American private online school. Enrollment does not substitute Italian compulsory schooling obligations. Italian nationals pursuing istruzione parentale must comply with Legislative Decree 297/1994. Legacy does not provide legal advice.
