High School Abroad in Mexico
The Take-Aways
Global Citizenship
After immersing yourself in unfamiliar practices and customs, you’ll become better equipped to interact with people from other cultures—in school, on the job, or in your personal life.
Language Proficiency
Live and breathe Spanish—from sharing meals with your host family to collaborating in class, participating in extracurricular activities, and hanging out with local friends.
Independence & Resilience
Come home better prepared to make transitions, take control of new situations, and appreciate challenging experiences for what they are: opportunities to learn and grow.
93%
said their experience made them more aware of global issues.
79%
said their experience with CIEE helped shape their college applications.
95%
said they regularly use the knowledge and skills they acquired while abroad with CIEE.
The Destination
From Mayan ruins to the Caribbean Coast—Mérida offers a fun, student-friendly setting for immersive learning!
With 15 top-ranked universities and a welcoming atmosphere, Mérida ranks high on the list of top international student destinations. It's not only a great city to experience authentic Mexican culture, but it's also close to incredible sights: the Chichén Itzá’s pyramids, white-sand beaches, ecological nature reserves, and the Chicxulub, a crater buried underground that was formed by an asteroid millions of years ago and resulted in 6,000 cenotes in Yucatán.
Safe and full of adventure, Mérida provides an idyllic place to learn.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Yucatán.
Orientation
Upon arriving in Mérida with your fellow participants, you’ll be met by CIEE staff at the CIEE Center, where you’ll begin your three-day orientation. During orientation, you’ll participate in different workshops focusing on a variety of themes—culture, language, academics, social norms, program rules, living with a Yucatecan host family—all designed to prepare you for your experience studying abroad in Mexico. As part of your orientation, CIEE staff will take you to your new school before classes begin and help you get familiar with the daily commuting and other logistics.
Program Blogs
CIEE Launches Two New High School Semester Abroad Locations for 2025
We are thrilled to announce the opening of two new locations for our High School Semester Abroad program: Yucatán, Mexico and Alicante, Spain! These lively destinations provide students with exceptional... keep reading
Sample Activities
Attend local festivals, visit sights of cultural and historical importance, and take daytrips with your host family—wherever they go, you go!
Tuition for this program includes the cost of one day trip and one overnight trip per semester. Trips will take place earlier in the semester to allow trimester students the opportunity to participate. These trips vary every semester, but some examples of possible excursions include:
Valladolid (Overnight trip)
Recognized as a pueblo mágico, Valladolid is a colorful colonial town founded in 1545. Wander around pastel-colored buildings and lively markets and try traditional Yucatecan dishes, like cochinita pibil. From Valladolid, the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá and crystal-clear waters of cenotes are only a few miles away.
Progreso/El Corchito (Daytrip)
In the port city of Progreso, you’ll find Yucatán’s most beautiful white-sand beaches and the paradisical nature reserve of El Corchito. To reach the reserve, you’ll hop on a boat to a small island, where you can explore a wide variety of plants, birds, springs, and cenotes.
Please note this list of activities is based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to both adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback.
Eligibility
- Be between the ages of 15 and 17 when the program starts and cannot turn 18 while on program.
- Be in the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th year of schooling.
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Demonstrate, through the application process, their flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture.
- Have 2 years of Spanish or equivalent.
- High school abroad participants are NOT authorized to volunteer, take jobs, or seek employment during their stay.
For more information, refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Dates & Fees
Application Fee
$50
Priority deadline discount: Apply to a fall semester or academic year by February 15 and get a $400 discount. Apply to a spring semester by July 15 and get a $400 discount. Discounts are deducted from final balance.
Program fee includes iNext travel insurance. Full inclusions are found online.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Academic Year 2025 47 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * | ||
| Program Spring 2026 25 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * | ||
| Program Fall 2025 18 weeks | Start Date * | End Date * |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
Our Staff
Karla Zarco
Center Director
Karla is the Center Director of CIEE in Yucatán, and she brings to CIEE more than 25 years of experience working in the international education field. Karla studied abroad in...