Good to know
Good to Know
- Kampala's best-known international schools (ISU, KISU, Galaxy) cluster along the Entebbe Road / Lubowa corridor, a ~20-30 minute drive from the city center — factor commute time into any housing decision near a school.
- Published tuition figures usually exclude one-off costs like application/registration fees, refundable deposits, uniforms, school buses, meals, trips and exam entry fees — always ask each school for its full current fee schedule before budgeting.
- Several schools (notably ISU) bill tuition directly in US Dollars rather than Ugandan shillings, which can simplify budgeting for foreign families but means no benefit if the shilling weakens against the dollar.
- IB Diploma Programme access is still limited to a handful of Kampala schools (ISU, KISU, and Aga Khan High School among them) — confirm current IB authorization status directly with the school before assuming continuity from primary into diploma years.
- Several schools referenced here (Aga Khan High School, Umoja International French School, and others) do not publish fees online at all — you'll need to contact admissions directly for a quote.
- Uganda's Attorney General has publicly stated homeschooling is illegal because it isn't provided for in current education law, but enforcement in practice appears inconsistent — thousands of families reportedly homeschool anyway, and the government itself is studying the practice rather than actively shutting it down as of the most recent reporting found.
- Don't assume all Kampala international schools use long waitlists — at least one major school (Acacia) explicitly says it keeps no long-term waiting list and decides admissions on a rolling, criteria-and-test basis, so it's worth asking each target school directly rather than assuming a fixed advance-application window.
- If a study visa is required for your child, confirm requirements early — at least one Kampala international school explicitly states enrollment cannot proceed without a valid, up-to-date study visa where applicable.
Schools And Curricula
International School of Uganda (ISU)
- Type
- Non-profit, day school
- Age Range
- 2.5 to 19 years
- Neighborhood
- Lubowa (Entebbe Road corridor, ~20-30 min from central Kampala)
- Accreditation
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; Council of International Schools
- Tuition Annual Low
- UGX 29,963,427
- Tuition Annual High
- UGX 126,473,535
- One Time Registration Fee
- UGX 1,875,000
- Annual Capital Levy Grade1 Plus
- UGX 3,750,000
- One Time Capital Levy Grade1 Plus
- UGX 37,500,000
- Tuition Notes
- Tuition is billed directly in USD by the school. Published annual tuition (converted to UGX for this record) ranges from roughly the early-years level to senior IB Diploma years.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
Kampala International School Uganda (KISU)
- Type
- Day school; ~450 students from 46 nationalities
- Age Range
- 1 to 18 years
- Neighborhood
- Lubowa
- Tuition Kindergarten Per Term
- UGX 5,775,000
- One Time Enrolment Early Years
- UGX 2,175,000
- One Time Enrolment Year1 To Ib2
- UGX 12,000,000
- Tuition Kindergarten Per Term With Lunch
- UGX 7,387,500
- Tuition Notes
- Fee schedules mix USD and UGX quotes across different published sources. Kindergarten tuition (excluding lunch) is quoted per term.
Curricula
- National Curriculum for England (with Ugandan modifications)
- Cambridge IGCSE
- IB Diploma Programme
Galaxy International School Uganda (GISU)
- Type
- Day and boarding
- Age Range
- 3 to 18 years
- Neighborhood
- Lubowa Estate, Entebbe Road
- Tuition Notes
- Fees not published in available sources; contact the school directly for current fee schedule.
Curricula
- Cambridge Early Years Foundation Stage
- Cambridge Primary
- Cambridge Lower/Upper Secondary
- IGCSE
- AS/A Levels
The Aga Khan High School, Kampala
- Type
- Private, non-profit, non-denominational day school; established 1959 as Uganda's first multicultural school
- Age Range
- 11 to 18 years
- Neighborhood
- Old Kampala
- Tuition Notes
- School does not publish fees publicly; general market guides place it in the budget-to-mid tier.
Curricula
- Ugandan O-Level (UCE)
- Cambridge IGCSE
- A-Levels
- IB Diploma Programme
Rainbow International School Uganda (RISU)
- Type
- Day school; roughly 550+ students from around 60 nationalities
- Age Range
- 2 to 20 years
- Neighborhood
- Bugolobi (Luthuli Avenue)
- Accreditation
- Council of British International Schools (COBIS), accredited 2016
- Tuition Notes
- Detailed fee schedule not published in available sources; general market guides place it in the budget tier for some programmes.
Curricula
- National Curriculum for England
- International Primary Curriculum
- Cambridge / Edexcel exams at secondary level
Greenhill International School (Part of Greenhill Academy)
- Type
- Christian day school
- Age Range
- 4 to 15 years
- Neighborhood
- Kampala
- Tuition Notes
- Fee structure available on request from admissions; not fully published online at the level of detail needed here.
Curricula
- Cambridge International Curriculum
Delhi Public School International Kampala
- Type
- Day school, part of the Ruparelia Group, opened 2015
- Age Range
- Nursery to Grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Naguru (Saddler Way)
- Tuition Notes
- Specific fee figures not found in available sources.
Curricula
- CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education, India)
Kabojja International School
- Type
- Day and boarding school
- Age Range
- Not specified
- Neighborhood
- Kabojja, Kampala
- Tuition Notes
- Fee figures not found in available sources.
Curricula
- British Curriculum
- Cambridge IGCSE
- GCE
Umoja International French School
- Type
- Day school
- Age Range
- Not specified
- Neighborhood
- Kampala
- Tuition Notes
- School does not make fees public.
Curricula
- French national curriculum
7 Hills International School
- Type
- Not-for-profit, parent-founded secondary school
- Age Range
- Secondary
- Neighborhood
- Kampala
- Tuition Notes
- Fee figures not found in available sources.
Curricula
- International / practical-learning secondary programme (specific exam board not confirmed)
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- illegal
- Status Detail
- Uganda's Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, stated in November 2024 that homeschooling is illegal under the current legal framework because the law requires parents to enroll children in formal schools and homeschooling is not provided for under existing education law.
- Practical Reality
- Despite the Attorney General's illegality finding, homeschooling is described as a growing practice in Uganda, and a National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) survey conducted with a local homeschooling group found that roughly 7,000 children are being homeschooled nationally, with results intended to inform a future Ministry of Education policy brief.
- Constitutional Ambiguity
- Advocates for homeschooling rights point to Uganda's Constitution — citing Article 31(4) on parents' right and duty to care for and bring up their children, and Article 34(2) on a child's entitlement to basic education as a shared responsibility of the state and parents — as a basis for arguing homeschooling should be protected, even though the Attorney General's position is that current statute does not recognize it.
Documented Local Community
- Name
- Home-scholars Uganda Group (HUG)
- Caveat
- Available sources describe HUG's advocacy and survey partnership but do not document a specific Kampala-based in-person co-op, meetup schedule, or physical venue — treat this as a network/advocacy group rather than a confirmed weekly co-op.
- Notes
- HUG is a named, documented local homeschooling group that partnered with the National Curriculum Development Centre on the 2024 homeschooling survey and has submitted a paper to Uganda's Education Policy Review Commission (EPRC) advocating for homeschooling to be formally recognized and protected under education law.
Application Timing And Process
- General Guidance
- Practices vary significantly by school, so families should not assume a single 'apply X months ahead' rule applies city-wide in Kampala.
- Practical Takeaway
- Rather than a uniform 'apply 6-12 months ahead' waitlist culture, Kampala's international-school market appears mixed: some schools (Acacia) explicitly say they do not run a long waitlist and treat applications on a rolling, criteria-based basis with an entrance test, while others (KISU) advertise ongoing enrollment. Families should contact the specific target school directly to confirm current-year seat availability rather than assuming standard advance-application timelines used in other countries.
School Examples
Acacia International School
- Waitlist Policy
- No preference is given for early applications and the school does not maintain a long-term waiting list.
- Note On Fees
- Diplomatic fee tiers exist for children whose tuition is paid by an embassy, foreign government, or UN agency, and discounted fees exist for approved missionary/affiliate organizations.
- Process Notes
- Acacia is selective in its admissions and the Admission Committees' decisions are based on set criteria, and short-listed students are asked to take an admission test before a final decision is made.
International School of Uganda (ISU)
- Process Notes
- ISU is a non-profit IB day school for ages 2.5 to 19, authorized for three IB programmes and accredited by Middle States Association and the Council of International Schools; prospective families are advised to contact the school directly for current, up-to-the-minute admissions specifics rather than relying on generic guides.
- Special Needs Note
- A separate Special Needs Profile is available for families needing to understand the school's capacity to support students with exceptionalities.
Kampala International School Uganda (KISU)
- Capacity Note
- KISU's campus was built out to accommodate up to roughly 1,500 students, which is relevant context for how much flexibility the school has for mid-year foreign arrivals.
- Process Notes
- As of the most recent update found, KISU describes admissions as ongoing/rolling for early years, primary and secondary, rather than operating on a single fixed annual application deadline.
École Française Les Grands Lacs (French School of Kampala)
- Process Notes
- Enrollment is managed through an online portal (Eduka); families with a child already enrolled typically already have a portal account, while new families should contact the school administration directly, with office visits by appointment only.
- Scholarship Note
- Consulate-funded grants for French citizens with modest incomes are available via the French Consulate General in Kampala, with applications and renewal forms obtained directly from the Consulate.
Typical Required Documents
- Child's birth certificate
- Passport and, where applicable, a valid study/dependent visa or permit — some schools state explicitly that a student cannot attend without an updated valid Study Visa where one is required
- Previous school transcripts/report cards
- Immunization/medical records (commonly requested by international schools generally, though not itemized identically by every Kampala school in available sources)
- Entrance assessment or placement test results — several Kampala international schools (e.g. Acacia, ISU-style day schools) condition final acceptance on an on-site assessment or intake meeting rather than paperwork alone
Market Context
- Notes
- Secondary and exam years (IGCSE/IB DP) typically cost more than the primary figures shown. Kampala has the widest range of international school choice in Uganda.
Mid Tier Annual Primary
- Amount USD Low
- 5867
- Currency Local
- UGX
- Amount USD High
- 10667
- Amount Local Low
- 22000000
- Amount Local High
- 40000000
Budget Tier Annual Primary
- Amount USD Low
- 2133
- Currency Local
- UGX
- Amount USD High
- 4800
- Amount Local Low
- 8000000
- Amount Local High
- 18000000
Premium Tier Annual Primary
- Amount USD Low
- 12000
- Currency Local
- UGX
- Amount USD High
- 20000
- Amount Local Low
- 45000000
- Amount Local High
- 75000000
AI-generated estimateData refreshed September 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.