Good to know
Good to Know
- Pokhara has far fewer true international-curriculum (IB, full American, or full British) schools than Kathmandu — most of Pokhara's 'international' or 'bilingual' schools actually run Nepal's National Curriculum in English or bilingually, rather than an internationally accredited syllabus.
- Gandaki Boarding School is the main Pokhara school offering an internationally recognized qualification (Cambridge A-Levels) but only for the final two years (Grades 11–12); younger grades follow the Nepali national curriculum.
- If you specifically need a full IB Diploma, IGCSE-from-early-years, or American/AP program for your kids, Kathmandu (e.g. Lincoln School, Ullens School, British School Kathmandu) has more established options than Pokhara currently does.
- For most Pokhara schools outside Gandaki Boarding School, published fee schedules are not readily available online — budget for needing to email or visit each school directly for a current quote, and always ask for the FULL fee breakdown (admission, tuition, boarding, exam, transport, uniform) since these are often billed separately.
- Contact Pokhara international/bilingual schools directly rather than expecting a shared application portal — each school sets its own timeline, tests, and paperwork.
- Nepal's academic year typically begins in April, so applying a few months ahead of that gives the most flexibility, but many schools will still consider a child mid-year if there's an open seat.
- Bring translated academic records if your child's prior schooling wasn't in English — this is commonly requested and can slow things down if not prepared in advance.
- We could not verify a clear legal status for homeschooling in Nepal or find any established Pokhara-based homeschooling co-op — families relying on homeschooling should independently confirm the legal position before treating it as settled.
Schools And Curricula
Gandaki Boarding School (GBS)
- Type
- Co-educational day-cum-boarding school
- Grades
- Grade 4 to Grade 12
- Location
- Lamachaur, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum of Nepal for Grades 4–10, with Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) A-Level tracks (science and computer science streams) for Grades 11–12
- Established
- 1966
- Language Of Instruction
- English
- Notes On Source
- Fee schedule sourced from the school's own published 2025 fee structure as aggregated by an international-school directory.
Fees
- Security Deposit One Time
- NPR 15,000
- Other Annual Fees Note
- Additional smaller annual charges apply (exam, lab, computer, ICT, internet, sports, library, PTA, etc.), typically NPR 500–12,000 each depending on grade level; meal charges around NPR 1,200/month; transport billed by route.
Tuition Per Month
Classes 4–5
- Classes 4–5
- NPR 4,300
Classes 6–10
- Classes 6–10
- NPR 5,500
Classes 11–12
- Classes 11–12
- NPR 6,500
Admission One Time
Classes 4–9
- Classes 4–9
- NPR 30,500
Classes 11–12
- Classes 11–12
- NPR 45,100
Boarding Residential Per Year
Classes 4–6
- Classes 4–6
- NPR 65,300
Classes 7–10
- Classes 7–10
- NPR 76,900
Classes 11–12
- Classes 11–12
- NPR 90,400
Pokhara International School (PIS)
- Fees
- Not publicly published; contact school directly for current fee schedule.
- Type
- Day school
- Grades
- Playgroup to Grade 10
- Location
- Nadipur, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- Primarily follows the National Curriculum of Nepal, incorporating international teaching methods and materials rather than a full IB/Cambridge/American track
- Language Of Instruction
- English (bilingual environment)
- Notes On Source
- Curriculum description sourced from an expat-focused schools directory; no verified current tuition figures were found.
Meridian International School
- Fees
- Not publicly published; contact school directly for current fee schedule.
- Type
- Day school
- Grades
- Pre-school to Grade 10
- Location
- Rambazar, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- Blends international standards with the local (Nepali) curriculum
- Language Of Instruction
- English
- Notes On Source
- Curriculum description sourced from an expat-focused schools directory; no verified current tuition figures were found.
Laurel High International Boarding School
- Fees
- Not publicly published; contact school directly for current fee schedule.
- Type
- Boarding and day school
- Grades
- Pre-school to Grade 10
- Location
- Hemja, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- National curriculum-based, described as offering an 'international perspective' rather than a formal IB/Cambridge/American accreditation
- Language Of Instruction
- English
- Notes On Source
- Curriculum description sourced from an expat-focused schools directory; no verified current tuition figures were found.
Shree Amar Jyoti Secondary English School
- Fees
- Not publicly published; contact school directly for current fee schedule.
- Type
- Day school, bilingual
- Grades
- Kindergarten to Grade 10
- Location
- Pardi, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum of Nepal, delivered with English-language instruction across all subjects (bilingual model)
- Language Of Instruction
- Nepali/English bilingual
- Notes On Source
- Sourced from an expat-focused schools directory; basic-facilities, budget-tier school.
Deep English Boarding School
- Fees
- Not publicly published; contact school directly for current fee schedule.
- Type
- Boarding and day school, bilingual
- Grades
- Pre-school to Grade 10
- Location
- Birauta, Pokhara
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum of Nepal blended with an English-language focus; not an IB/Cambridge/American accredited curriculum
- Language Of Instruction
- Nepali/English bilingual
- Notes On Source
- Sourced from an expat-focused schools directory.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- unclear / not formally confirmed
- Local Community Pokhara
- No documented homeschooling co-op, support group, or meetup specific to Pokhara was found. If informal expat/nomad homeschooling arrangements exist locally, they do not appear to have a public, verifiable presence (website, registered group, etc.) that could be confirmed at the time of research.
- Legal Status Notes
- We could not confirm via an authoritative government source (e.g., Nepal's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology or the School Education Act) whether homeschooling is explicitly permitted, regulated, or restricted in Nepal. Nepal's education framework is built around compulsory, school-based enrollment, and homeschooling does not appear to be a formally recognized or regulated category — but this should be treated as unverified rather than a settled legal fact until checked against the actual Act text or a ministry ruling.
International Bilingual School Admissions
- How It Works
- Pokhara's international/bilingual schools handle admissions directly and individually rather than through any centralized city or national placement system — each school runs its own inquiry, document review, and (often) entrance assessment or interview process.
- Application Timing And Waitlists
- There is no single published admissions calendar across Pokhara's schools the way there is in some countries — space availability and timing depend on the individual school and grade level. Nepal's academic year commonly starts in April, so applying several months ahead of an April start (roughly January–March) gives the most seat choice, though many schools also accept new students on a rolling, mid-year basis if a seat is open, since Pokhara's international/bilingual school seats are generally far less oversubscribed than in major regional hubs like Kathmandu.
- Realistic Expectations For Foreign Families
- Foreign/nomad families should expect to deal with each school one-on-one rather than a formal waitlist system with published numbers; the practical bottleneck is usually finding a school with the right grade-level capacity and English-medium fit rather than a long queue. Preference or limited seats can sometimes affect placement by grade level, so contacting schools directly and early is the safest approach rather than assuming automatic year-round entry.
Typical Process Steps
- Direct inquiry to the school (phone, email, or online registration form) rather than a shared application portal
- Submission of the child's prior academic records/report cards
- An entrance assessment, placement test, or informal interview for the child, particularly for primary and above
- A parent meeting/interview at many schools
- Payment of a registration/admission fee to confirm the seat once offered
Required Documents Commonly Requested
- Child's birth certificate or passport (for foreign nationals)
- Previous school transcripts/report cards, ideally translated to English if not already in English
- Transfer or leaving certificate from the previous school
- Immunization/vaccination records
- Passport-size photographs
- Parents' passport and visa/permit documentation (relevant for foreign families residing in Nepal)
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.