Good to know
Good to Know
- Beyond headline tuition, budget for extras: registration/application fees, a capital or development levy, bus transport, uniforms, and exam fees (IGCSE/IB/AP) can add a significant amount on top of quoted tuition at many schools — plan for meaningfully more than the sticker tuition price.
- Egypt's currency has been volatile, so a growing number of premium schools (e.g. Cairo American College) now quote tuition partly or fully in USD rather than EGP — always confirm which currency you'll actually be billed in before signing.
- Cairo traffic is heavy and the city is spread out, so choosing a school near where you'll actually live (New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed/6th of October, or Maadi/Zamalek) matters as much as curriculum — a long daily commute is a real quality-of-life factor for kids.
- Most established schools offer sibling discounts (commonly cited around 5–15% off from a second or third child), which is worth raising directly with admissions since headline tuition itself is rarely negotiable.
- If your employer provides an education allowance, clarify whether it's capped in USD and whether it covers just tuition or also the capital levy, registration, transport and exam fees — this materially changes affordability.
- Apply well before the October-February main window closes if you want a choice of the most established New Cairo/Sheikh Zayed schools for a September start — but if you're relocating mid-year, don't assume you're locked out: several schools genuinely run rolling, space-available admissions.
- Start collecting and attesting foreign school records (stamped by your home Ministry of Education and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) as early as possible — this attestation step is often the slowest part of the process for families arriving from abroad.
- Registration deposits are usually due within about a week of an acceptance call and are non-refundable, so confirm your final school choice before paying.
- Homeschooling is not illegal in Egypt but it's also not a recognized, regulated pathway — there's no government registration, curriculum approval, or inspection process to rely on, so you're largely self-directed and should keep your own progress records.
- Don't expect an organized, in-person Cairo homeschooling co-op along the lines of what exists in the US or UK — support is mostly informal (online groups, expat networks) rather than a structured local organization.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Cairo has more than 100 international and bilingual schools, more than almost any other Middle East capital. The main pathways are the British curriculum (IGCSE and A-Levels), American curriculum (US high school diploma with Advanced Placement), the International Baccalaureate (PYP, MYP and Diploma Programme), and Canadian, French and German national curricula serving specific expat communities. Most newer campuses cluster in New Cairo/Fifth Settlement and Sheikh Zayed/6th of October City to the west, while a handful of long-established schools remain in Maadi and Zamalek.
- Currency Note
- Fees are set in Egyptian Pounds (EGP) by most schools, though several premium schools (notably Cairo American College) quote tuition natively in USD. EGP figures below for USD-quoting schools are approximate conversions; USD figures for EGP-quoting schools are approximate conversions at roughly 1 USD = 49.5 EGP (July 2026 mid-market rate).
Schools
Cairo American College (CAC)
- Area
- Maadi
- Curriculum Notes
- CAC delivers a US-based Pre-K–12 program with a blend of IB Primary Years Programme, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, and American Diploma tracks, across Elementary, Middle, and High School divisions.
Curricula
- American curriculum (US High School Diploma)
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
Tuition Annual
- Pre K3
- EGP 455,400
- Pre K4
- EGP 717,525
- Grades 6 To 8
- EGP 1,364,800
- Grades 9 To 12 IB
- EGP 1,384,800
- Kindergarten To Grade5
- EGP 1,345,300
- Note
- Published 2025/26 tuition runs from roughly USD 9,200–9,600 at Pre-K3 up to USD 27,350–28,600 for Grades 9–12/IB. CAC is at the premium end of the Cairo market.
British International School Cairo (BISC)
- Area
- New Cairo
- Tuition Note
- Primary fees run around EGP 350,000–550,000 per year, rising to roughly EGP 550,000–750,000 for secondary/A-Level years, with senior years at the premium end of the Cairo market.
Curricula
- British curriculum (IGCSE, A Levels)
Tuition Annual
- Primary
- EGP 450,000
- Secondary Upper
- EGP 650,000
El Alsson School (Incl. El Alsson NewGiza)
- Area
- Multiple campuses including New Giza
- Tuition Note
- Primary fees sit around EGP 350,000–550,000 per year.
- Curriculum Notes
- Offers separate British and American sections for families choosing either pathway.
Curricula
- British curriculum
- American curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Primary
- EGP 450,000
Modern English School Cairo (MES)
- Area
- Cairo (established school)
- Tuition Note
- Typically sits in the EGP 180,000–280,000 range for primary, with curricula spanning British, IB and American; fees rise in secondary and exam years.
Curricula
- British curriculum
- IB
- American curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Primary
- EGP 230,000
Cairo English School (CES)
- Area
- Mirage City, New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Cairo English School offers a British-based international education for ages 3 to 18, blending the English National Curriculum with Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels and the IB Diploma Programme for older students.
Curricula
- British curriculum
- Cambridge IGCSE
- Cambridge A Levels
- IB Diploma Programme
New Cairo British International School
- Area
- New Cairo
- Tuition Note
- Sits in the budget band with primary fees often around EGP 180,000–280,000 per year.
Curricula
- British curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Primary
- EGP 230,000
The British School in Cairo (BSC)
- Area
- Sources disagree — Maadi or New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Established in 2004, it follows the English National Curriculum through EYFS with Cambridge Primary and Secondary, IGCSE, AS Levels and A Levels; Arabic and Religion follow the Egyptian National Curriculum from Year 1.
Curricula
- English National Curriculum
- Cambridge Primary/Secondary
- Cambridge IGCSE
- AS/A Levels
Canadian International School of Egypt (CISE)
- Area
- 6th of October City
- Curriculum Notes
- Follows the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum and graduates students with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma; popular with families wanting a North American route without a US curriculum.
Curricula
- Ontario (Canadian) curriculum
The International School of Egypt (ISE)
- Area
- New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- An American curriculum school located in New Cairo, known for its strong English-language programme.
Curricula
- American curriculum
Repton Cairo
- Area
- New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Part of the global Repton family of schools, it follows the English National Curriculum and prepares students for IGCSE and A Levels, with a focus on character development.
Curricula
- British curriculum (IGCSE, A Levels)
Kent College West Cairo
- Area
- O West Compound, 6th of October City
- Curriculum Notes
- Delivers a British education for ages 3 to 18, following the English National Curriculum from Early Years through Year 6 and offering Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels and the IB Diploma in senior years.
Curricula
- British curriculum
- Cambridge IGCSE
- Cambridge A Levels
- IB Diploma
Hayah International Academy
- Area
- New Cairo (main campus) and Hayah West, Sheikh Zayed City
- Curriculum Notes
- Offers the IB continuum alongside the American High School Diploma for students aged 3 to 18, with campuses in New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed City.
Curricula
- IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP)
- American High School Diploma
New Cairo British International School (NCBIS)
- Area
- New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- The British National Curriculum is followed in the secondary school with the option to take the IB Diploma Programme as an alternative to A Levels; NCBIS also runs a Dutch Stream from Group Nursery to Group 8.
Curricula
- British National Curriculum
- IB Diploma Programme (alternative to A Levels)
- Dutch Stream
Capital International Schools
- Area
- New Cairo (Main Campus) and North Lotus (Lotus Campus)
- Tuition Note
- Annual tuition for 2026/27 ranges from EGP 100,000 to EGP 204,500, with 2025/2026 figures showing Pre-School at EGP 100,000, KG1–KG2 at EGP 183,500 and Grade 1–5 at EGP 192,000.
Curricula
- American curriculum
- British curriculum
- IB Diploma Programme
Tuition Annual
- Kg1 Kg2
- EGP 183,500
- Grade1 5
- EGP 192,000
- Preschool
- EGP 100,000
- Range Top
- EGP 204,500
Global Pioneers International School (GPIS) / GPBS
- Area
- Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Offers an American Curriculum for Pre-K–12 and the IB Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12, alongside a fully authorized IB Section (PYP/MYP/DP) and a British Section accredited by CAIE, Pearson Edexcel and Oxford AQA.
Curricula
- American curriculum
- IB Diploma Programme
- British curriculum (CAIE, Pearson Edexcel, Oxford AQA)
Evolution International School
- Area
- New Giza Campus, 6th of October City
- Curriculum Notes
- Delivers a full IB continuum for ages 3–18: an integrated Montessori-IB Early Years, the PYP for ages 3–11 in Primary, and the MYP and DP in Secondary.
Curricula
- IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP)
- Montessori Early Years
Notion International School
- Area
- Mariotteya, Feisal District, Giza
- Curriculum Notes
- A co-education school in Mariotteya, Feisal District, Giza, which is an IB PYP Authorized school, an MYP Candidate school, and a Cambridge Associate school.
Curricula
- IB PYP (Authorized)
- IB MYP (Candidate)
- Cambridge (Associate)
American International School in Egypt (AISE)
- Area
- Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Named American-curriculum school with a published tuition/fees policy page; detailed public fee schedule was not available via search at time of writing.
Curricula
- American curriculum
International School of Elite Education (ISEE)
- Area
- New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- A private co-educational school in New Cairo whose curriculum extends beyond the requirements of the American, British and IB curricula, structured to provide a varied balance of subjects.
Curricula
- Blended American, British and IB curricula
Sun of Knowledge British International School
- Area
- Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Provides education based on an adapted form of a British Curriculum for learners of all nationalities.
Curricula
- Adapted British curriculum
NVIS
- Area
- Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- NVIS is an IB World School running fully authorised PYP and MYP programmes.
Curricula
- IB PYP
- IB MYP
Uppingham Cairo
- Area
- New Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- Part of Uppingham School, a leading independent school in the United Kingdom founded in 1584.
Curricula
- British curriculum
Rahn Schulen Kairo (German School Cairo)
- Area
- Cairo
- Curriculum Notes
- A German-language school, 100 percent German-owned, serving ages 1 to 18, with an IB World School pathway since 2017/18 and a cooperation with a German Gymnasium for the Abitur.
Curricula
- German curriculum (leading to Abitur)
- IB (since 2017/18)
General Tuition Bands 2026
- Mid Tier
- Roughly USD 6,000–12,000 per year for established British, American and IB schools at primary and lower secondary.
- Upper Mid Tier
- Roughly USD 12,000–18,000 per year for top British, American and IB schools in upper secondary and IB Diploma years.
- EGP Reference Range
- As a 2026 reference, mid-range bilingual and international schools charge tuition between EGP 150,000 and EGP 350,000 per year, while leading British, American or IB schools typically range from EGP 400,000 to EGP 800,000 per year.
- Entry Tier Bilingual Or Lower Years
- Roughly USD 2,500–6,000 per year for bilingual Egyptian-international schools and lower-priced American/British curricula in lower year groups.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
- Waitlist Realism
- Seats at the most established British, American and IB-curriculum schools in New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and Maadi (e.g. long-running British and American curriculum campuses) are the most competitive, and late-cycle waitlist movement mainly happens during the March-June secondary admissions window as other families confirm or withdraw. Newer campuses and schools running true rolling admissions (no fixed deadline, offers made as space allows) are generally easier to get into off-cycle than the older, oversubscribed schools.
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Not explicitly regulated
- Legal Status Explanation
- Egypt's education law does not specifically address homeschooling one way or the other, leaving the practice in a legal gray area rather than either formally legal or banned. Egyptian nationals are subject to compulsory-education law requiring attendance at a recognized school through the primary and preparatory stages, so homeschooling an Egyptian-national child sits outside any recognized legal framework; for foreign-passport families resident in Cairo, homeschooling is tolerated in practice even though it isn't formally licensed or overseen by the Ministry of Education.
Practical Notes
- Families should keep independent records of curriculum and progress, since there is no Egyptian government registration or inspection process for home education.
- Expat families commonly follow a home-country curriculum (US, UK, IB, etc.) precisely so that records translate cleanly if the family later re-enters a school system abroad.
- For dual-national children, some families use the foreign-passport status specifically to justify following a foreign curriculum rather than the Egyptian national one.
Application Timing
- Main Window
- Most Cairo international/bilingual schools run their primary admissions window from October through February for the following September start, with a secondary window from March through June covering late applications and waitlist conversions.
- Academic Year
- September to June
- Practical Advice
- For a September start at a popular New Cairo or Sheikh Zayed school, beginning the application by October-February of the prior academic year gives the most seat choice; families relocating mid-year should still apply directly since several schools accept transfers on a rolling, space-available basis rather than only at the start of the year.
- Rolling Admissions Examples
- Not every school uses fixed windows: The International School of Choueifat-Cairo states there is no application deadline and offers seats on a rolling basis as space opens throughout the year, and The International School of Egypt likewise runs a single-window, rolling-decision process rather than fixed intake dates.
Typical One Off Fees
- Application Fee
- EGP 1,000
Low end of typical range; can run up to EGP 5,000 (~$101) at pricier schools
- Registration Fee On Acceptance
- EGP 10,000
Low end of typical range; can run up to EGP 50,000 (~$1,010) at top-tier schools, sometimes with an additional capital/building contribution
Typical Admissions Steps
- Initial contact / campus visit or online application form submission
- Submission of required documents (see below)
- Placement/entrance assessment in English and Math (and sometimes an IQ-style test such as CAT4), plus a parent and/or student interview for older grades
- Decision notification, typically within one to a few weeks of testing
- Payment of a non-refundable registration fee within about 5-7 days of acceptance to secure the place
- Submission of final onboarding documents (photos, medical/vaccination records, prior school reports, transfer/good-conduct letters) before the child's first day, often with an August 1 deadline for a September start
Required Documents Typical
- Completed application form (often online)
- Copy of the child's passport (for non-Egyptian applicants) or original electronic birth certificate (for Egyptian nationals)
- Copies of both parents' passports/national IDs
- Recent passport-style photographs (schools commonly ask for 6-8 copies)
- Vaccination/health certificate
- Original school reports for the past two years, plus the most recent in-progress report
- A confidential letter of good conduct from the previous school (commonly required from roughly Grade 7 upward)
- Transfer letters from the current school
- For records issued outside Egypt: documents attested/stamped by the issuing country's Ministry of Education and by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- A 'Non-Egyptian Student's Admissions Letter' issued by the relevant Educational Administration/District office, required for foreign-passport students transferring into the Egyptian-regulated system
- A recent utility bill showing home address (requested by some schools after acceptance)
Homeschooling Community Or Co Op
- Detail
- We could not verify a formally organized, documented homeschooling co-op or in-person support group specifically based in Cairo. What does exist is informal: expat networks, Facebook/social-media groups and online forums where Cairo-based homeschooling parents trade advice, and paid online/curriculum-support providers (for example, tutoring-style online schools) that some Egypt-based families use to supplement or structure home education. Treat any specific group name you encounter online as unverified until you've confirmed it's still active.
- Exists Locally
- Informal only
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.