Good to know
Good to Know
- Lincoln School (American curriculum) and The British School Kathmandu (British/Cambridge curriculum) are the two most established full-service international options and tend to have the largest expat/diplomatic student bodies, but both also have the longest waitlists and highest fees.
- Most schools besides Lincoln do not publish detailed tuition online — expect to request a fee schedule directly from admissions, and to ask specifically about one-off registration/capital fees, transport, exam fees (IGCSE/A-Level/AP), and learning-support surcharges, which are often billed separately from headline tuition.
- If your child needs to slot into a specific curriculum track (American/AP vs British/Cambridge vs IB vs CBSE), that will narrow your choice quickly — Ullens is the only true IB World School in the city, KISC and TBS follow the British/Cambridge path, Lincoln follows the American/AP path, and Rupy's/Chandbagh follow the Indian CBSE board.
- Rato Bangala is notable for genuinely bilingual (Nepali-English) instruction in early grades plus Nepali cultural content (Newari), which is unusual among the international-facing schools and may suit long-term nomad families wanting local-language exposure.
- Kathmandu's international-school field is small, so contacting schools directly several months ahead of a move — rather than expecting an online year-round rolling application system — is the realistic approach.
- Some schools (e.g. KINS) require an entrance exam before proceeding with admission; others (e.g. KISC) combine testing with a parent interview after a campus tour.
- Nepal has no dedicated homeschooling law — it's unregulated rather than officially licensed or banned — so there's no government registration step, but also no official recognition or oversight to fall back on.
- If you're relying on a homeschool co-op or peer group in Kathmandu, treat this as something to build informally through expat networks on the ground rather than assuming an established, easy-to-find organization exists.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Kathmandu Valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur/Patan) has a small but established cluster of international and bilingual schools serving expat, diplomatic, and affluent local families. The two most established 'full international' options for foreign families are Lincoln School (American) and The British School Kathmandu (British), with several Cambridge/IB and bilingual alternatives.
Schools
Lincoln School
- Location
- Rabi Bhawan / Kuleshwor, Kathmandu
- Curriculum
- American, college-preparatory; Advanced Placement (AP) courses in 11 subject areas
- Grade Levels
- Pre-K to Grade 12
- Accreditation
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA-CESS); Council of International Schools (CIS)
- Description
- Established in 1954, Lincoln School is an independent, coeducational day school, providing an American college-preparatory curriculum for students in preschool and prekindergarten to grade 12.
Tuition
- Grade 1 5 Per Year
- NPR 1,808,650
- Grade 6 8 Per Year
- NPR 2,013,000
- Grade 9 12 Per Year
- NPR 2,242,350
- Application Fee K To 12 Onetime
- NPR 68,625
- Application Fee Preschool Onetime
- NPR 15,250
- Registration Capital Fee Onetime New Students
- NPR 457,500
- Note On Billing
- Lincoln School bills tuition directly in USD; NPR figures above are converted equivalents, not the school's own quoted currency.
The British School Kathmandu (TBS)
- Location
- Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur (Patan)
- Curriculum
- English National Curriculum with the International Primary Curriculum (Foundation 1–Year 6); Cambridge IGCSE and Edexcel syllabi for IGCSE and A Levels
- Grade Levels
- Foundation 1 to A Levels (roughly ages 3–18)
- Student Body
- Around 585 students from over 40 countries.
- Accreditation
- Member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) and the Confederation of British International Schools (COBIS); operates under the patronage of the British Embassy
- Description
- The British School Kathmandu is a fee-paying, not-for-profit, independent, international school delivering the English National Curriculum with sixty full time UK recruited staff.
Tuition
- Status
- Not published publicly; the school directs enquiries to contact admissions directly for current fee schedules.
- Market Estimate Per Year Primary
- NPR 625,000
Third-party mid-tier market estimate (NPR ~450,000–800,000/yr for primary), not TBS's own published figure — confirm directly with the school.
Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC)
- Location
- Lalitpur, roughly 7km south of central Kathmandu
- Curriculum
- British system: Cambridge IGCSE (Grades 9–10), Cambridge International AS and A Levels (Grades 11–12)
- Grade Levels
- Ages 4 to 18 (Primary and Secondary)
- Accreditation
- Middle States Association (MSA); Cambridge International Examinations; British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation achieved 2022; licensed by Nepal's Ministry of Education to deliver a British curriculum
- Description
- Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC) is a not-for-profit international Christian school for students aged 4 to 18, established by United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and International Nepal Fellowship (INF) in 1987.
Tuition
- Annual Tuition
- Specific published annual tuition figures could not be reliably confirmed — contact the school's finance office for the current fee schedule.
- Application Fee Onetime
- NPR 15,250
- Bus Service Per Term Optional
- NPR 16,775
- Security Administrative Deposit
- NPR 20,000
- Capital Levy Onetime New Students
- NPR 114,375
- Van Service To Patan Per Term Optional
- NPR 13,725
Ullens School
- Location
- Khumaltar, Lalitpur
- Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate (IB); teaching philosophy based on Bank Street College's Developmental Interactive Approach
- Grade Levels
- Playgroup to Secondary (Grades IX–X level reported)
- Accreditation
- First IB World School in Nepal.
- Description
- English is the medium of instruction and Ullens School is the first IB World School in Nepal.
Tuition
- Status
- No reliable public tuition figures found for this school — contact the school directly for current fees.
Rato Bangala School
- Location
- Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur
- Curriculum
- Bilingual Nepali–English in early years (Language Arts taught in both languages alongside Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Digital Literacy); progresses to Cambridge Assessment International A-Levels in Grades XI–XII; Chinese taught via the Confucius Institute at Kathmandu University; Newari introduced in Grade IV
- Grade Levels
- Lower School through A-Levels
- Accreditation
- Registered Cambridge Assessment Centre (NP704)
- Description
- In early years, Language Arts are taught in Nepali and English alongside Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and Digital Literacy, with specialist teachers for ICT, Nepali, Physical Education, Visual Arts, Music, Gymnastics and Martial Arts.
Tuition
- Status
- Positioned at the premium end of Kathmandu's fee market per third-party guides; precise current figures could not be confirmed from reliable current sources — contact the school directly.
Rupy's International School
- Location
- Tahachal, Kathmandu
- Curriculum
- English medium; prepares students for CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education, India) examinations from Level 8 onward
- Grade Levels
- Playgroup to Grade XII
Tuition
- Status
- Tuition rates not published online; official directory listing says to inquire directly with the school for current fees.
Lazimpat, Kathmandu
- Name
- French International School of Kathmandu (École Française Internationale de Katmandou)
- Curriculum
- Bilingual French and English
Tuition
- Status
- Tuition rates not published online; contact the school directly.
Kathmandu International School (KINS), Gaurighat
- Location
- Gaurighat, Kathmandu
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum of Nepal; English medium
- Grade Levels
- LKG to Grade X
Tuition
- Status
- Tuition rates not confirmed via current, reliable sources — contact the school directly.
The Chandbagh School
- Location
- Bansbari, Kathmandu
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum of Nepal alongside CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education, India)
- Grade Levels
- Nursery to Grade XII
Tuition
- Status
- Tuition rates not confirmed via current, reliable sources — contact the school directly.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Decriminalized or tolerated
- Legal Status Detail
- Homeschooling has no dedicated regulating statute in Nepal; it is neither formally licensed/registered nor banned. Two independent expat-guide sources describe it as unregulated but tolerated in practice rather than prohibited.
- Practical Implications
- Families should not expect a Nepali government registration process for homeschooling; there is none. Because there is no formal framework, families choosing this route commonly self-select an internationally recognized curriculum so a child can transfer into a conventional school system or pursue university admission later, and some track progress with informal annual assessments.
- Local Homeschool Community
- We could not confirm a specific, named, currently active homeschooling co-op or formal group physically based in Kathmandu. General expat-guide sources mention that homeschooling support networks in Nepal exist mainly informally within the broader expat community rather than as a dedicated, documented organization — this should be treated as a general impression, not a confirmed named group.
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Timing And Waitlist Reality
- Nepal's private/international schools do not publicly advertise a uniform national application calendar the way some larger regional international-school markets do. KISC's academic year runs from early August to late June in four terms (August, October, January, April), so places tend to be reviewed ahead of each term start, and families should expect to check seat availability by grade level directly with the admissions coordinator well before their planned move rather than assume rolling year-round space. Smaller, mission- or NGO-linked schools like KISC prioritize certain communities (KISC was founded primarily for the mission community and allied Nepali school communities), which can affect how quickly a seat is offered to unaffiliated newcomer families.
- How Admissions Generally Work
- Newcomers typically enroll by contacting a school directly rather than through a centralized city-wide portal. Common steps are: initial inquiry to the admissions office, a campus tour, submission of an application form and student records, an entrance assessment and/or interview, and a formal offer followed by enrollment paperwork and deposit payment.
- Entrance Assessment And Interview
- Some private and bilingual schools admit through application processes that may include entrance exams and interviews rather than open enrollment. At Kathmandu International School (KINS), candidates must sit an entrance examination before the admission process can proceed. At Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC), the process runs through an initial inquiry and availability check, a guided campus tour, and completion of an application, with testing followed by a parent interview/enrollment meeting.
- Practical Notes
- Because Kathmandu's international-school scene is small (a handful of schools such as KISC, KINS, and the International School of Kathmandu), family-reported experience suggests contacting schools 3–6+ months ahead of a planned move is prudent, especially for popular grade levels, even though no school publishes formal published waitlist statistics.
Documents Typically Required
- Child's birth certificate
- Previous school academic records/report cards
- Passport with a valid Nepal visa
- Proof of residence in Nepal
- Completed school application form
- For some schools: results of an entrance/placement test
Example Admission Related Costs
NPR
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.