What is the lifestyle like for an exchange student in Ecuador? Find out thanks to our high school exchange!

Study abroad in Ecuador and discover the Ecuadorian culture while you practise your spanish speaking skills with your host family and with your classmates at school. In your free time, sutdy, discover the area, participate in school activities and meet new friends! 

Explore Spanish in Ecuador, choose a High School Study Abroad in Ecuador. 

Study abroad All across Ecuador Ecuador
Age from 15 to 18 years old
Language Spanish
Dates September to June
Length Semester, Academic Year
Overview

This program is currently discontinued. 

Student Exchange in Ecuador: Study in a local high school and live with an Ecuadorian host family

Small country of the the South American continent with a combination of warm people, preserved colonial architecture, and beautiful nature, Ecuador has a lot to offer to exchange students wishing to improve their Spanish skills. They will be welcomed by a local community and will no doubt enjoy this culture.

Students have the opportunity to participate in several excursions during their stay in Ecuador. The purpose of these outings is to explore the biodiversity and the rich culture of the Ecuadorian regions.

Exchange students are placed in public or private schools (with extra fee) and local host families during their High School exchange in Ecuador.

What should I expect from my school year in Ecuador?

The first 3-year cycle of Ecuadorian secondary school is a general curriculum´s. In the second cycle, students can specialize in one of several different curriculums. Exchange students in Ecuador usually choose liberal arts that will include Literature, History, and Speech. Students wear a school uniform and remain in one classroom; teachers rotate rooms.

Your High School in Ecuador

Note that most exchange students will be placed in private schools and schools are co-ed; there are also single-sex schools. Students go to school on mornings (from 7am to 2pm) and have to do their homework on afternoons. School begins at 7am and ends at 2pm. Afternoons are dedicated to schoolwork. The local coordinator organizes monthly activities for all exchange students in Ecuador.
Graduation is not possible during your experience in a High School in Ecuador. 

Your Exchange Program Duration

Academic year:  September to June
Semester: 

  • September to January
  • January to June

Visa information: Information regarding visas is provided after acceptance into the program. To learn more, visit th eEmbassy of Ecuador website.

We also offer Spanish-speaking exchange programs in the below-listed countries:

Extra activities

Teenage life in Ecuador includes extracurricular activities that Ecuadorian students attend at school or in local clubs. 

We encourage you to sign up for extracurricular activities: you make new friends, practice Spanis in a different environment than the classroom, stay fit and busy, and build strong relationships with teens from different backgrounds. This is an additional value to your exchange program in Ecuador.  

Accommodation

High School Study abroad in Ecuador and live with a host family, providing all meals taken home (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

Your journey starts by meeting your Ecuadorian host family who opens their home and heart to you. Your Ecuadorian host family does not just host you and provides you with room and board. They introduce you to the family culture and Ecuadorian life and are your passport to this immersive Ecuadorian adventure!

They are your family away from home and guide you throughout the experience with the support of your local coordinator!

You create memories of a lifetime and build a strong relationship with your Ecuadorian family for the rest of your life.

Travel & Orientation

Once you land in Ecuador, you are warmly welcomed by your host family and/or your local coordinator. Your local coordinator remains in touch with you throughout your stay in Ecuador and is a support worker: you can rely on this staff to help you at any time during your exchange in Ecuador. Your local coordinator will conduct an orientation so that you settle in in your new life and can start this adventure with all the necessary information and tips!  

Fees

High School exchange in Ecuador

Please note: this program is discontinued for the school year 2025/2026. 

* Price in US Dollars per participant. 

Not included : Application Fees (65 EUR)

​High School Abroad in Ecuador: ​

  • Semester Abroad Ecuador
  • School Year Abroad Ecuador

Start Dates: 

  • September start
  • January start

💰 What's Included in the Price?

  • Administration fees
  • Host family accommodation with full board
  • Host school placement
  • Airport pick up and transfer on arrival and departure
  • One-day orientation on arrival
  • Student ID card, student orientation and progress reports
  • Monthly activities with the local coordinator
  • Support, assistance and 24/7 Hotline during the whole program
  • E-learning language program (for semester and academic year programs only)

🚫 What's Not Included?

  • Round-trip international airfare
  • Non compulsory insurances (luggage lost, flight delay etc.)
  • Visa, passport, paper legalization (around 20 USD) and medical exam fees
  • School bus (around 40 USD per month), school lunches, school fees in private schools (around 40 to 60 USD per month)
  • Personal expenses and spending money, extra extracurricular activities, excursions, school books, school uniforms and supplies (around 300 USD the first month, 150 to 200 USD spending money the following months)
  • Domestic transfers and transportation
  • Extra activities organized by schools and others
  • Extra language courses
  • Medical, Liability and Emergency Repatriation Insurance

“For potential exchange students considering going to a Spanishspeaking country, I definitely think that Ecuador should be taken into consideration. For a young person to experience a full cultural exchange, Ecuador is perfect. The system in which the majority of the high schools are arranged is ideal for an exchange student to meet many new friends in such a way that it is almost impossible to be left without any. As far as actual cultural aspects, Ecuador has much to offer. The first things that come to mind are the music, food, festivities, the indigenous presence, and the functioning of the families The food is also a nice cultural aspect in Ecuador. There is almost always rice integrated in with whatever type of food that is being served. In Ecuador, the main meal of the day is lunch. In Ecuador, I find that there are many holidays and festivities that I had never heard of before and with every one of them there is some kind of traditional activity that is always fun to take part in. Also one of the things that I have found very interesting is the presence of the indigenous or native population. They are seen in all parts and it appears that they have a very beautiful culture with many rich ethnic aspects. I think that taking all these aspects into account, a student considering going to a Spanish – speaking country as an exchange student should definitely have Ecuador in mind.” Florian, Germany.

Florian (all)

Eligibility

For this High School Abroad in Ecuador, you:

  • must be between 15 to 18 years old. 
  • need to be interviewed by our counselor before being accepted for a High School Program in Ecuador.
  • need to have a minimum of one to two years of Spanish study (either in a face-to-face language class or online).
  • need to have good grades at school.

Motivation and Enthusiasm are an absolute requirement for your foreign exchange student in Ecuador!