International schools in Cairo, Egypt

School options are spread across Maadi, New Cairo and the western areas around Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October City. These locations are useful starting points for a search, not fixed categories of families. Compare the school and both parents’ work journeys before choosing a home. ↗

For an Alexandria posting. Schutz American School is an option to investigate locally. Its only fee source is an aggregator page mislabelled as Cairo, so no fee is given here. Alexandria is roughly 220 km from Cairo and needs its own school and housing search. ↗

Distinguish quoted currency from payment terms. Andersen Egypt’s legal commentary describes a requirement to collect tuition and education-related charges in Egyptian pounds. A dollar figure in a third-party listing is a reference point, not a payment instruction; get the payment currency and any conversion terms in writing. ↗

State approval, inspection reports, accreditation and programme authorisation provide different evidence. COBIS membership is distinct from BSO inspection, CIS accreditation or IB authorisation. French schools differ in AEFE status and recognised grades. A directory entry alone is not a comparative rating.

Cairo American College, Maadi. CAC offers an American programme with AP courses and the IB Diploma reported in high school. A secondary 2024–25 table lists USD 9,000 for PreK-3, USD 14,000 for a row labelled KG K4 and USD 26,100 for Grade 5. The early-years label should not be assumed to mean five-year-old Kindergarten. The same historical table reports USD 390 application, USD 1,000 admission and USD 1,000–1,800 transport. Current official amounts were not publicly available. The CAC profile explains the evidence and admissions priorities. ↗

The British International School, Cairo. BISC opened in 1976 and moved to its Beverly Hills campus in 2008. Published profiles describe an English curriculum leading through IGCSE to the IB Diploma in Sixth Form. The historical 2025–26 fee listing gives EGP 439,449 for the row labelled KG1 to EGP 1,148,934 for Year 12, plus EGP 171,125 one-time supply and EGP 20,535 registration charges. The listing’s grade labels may not match the school’s own year groups. ↗

New Cairo British International School. NCBIS is described as non-profit, with a British programme, IB Diploma and A-level options, and a Dutch primary stream. A secondary 2026–27 listing for the British stream gives tuition from EGP 544,925, labelled KG1, to EGP 998,106 for Year 12. It also lists EGP 506,310 one-time registration, EGP 6,751 application and a refundable EGP 40,000 deposit. Ask about grade mapping, payment currency, credits and refund conditions. ↗

Malvern College Egypt, New Cairo. Published school profiles describe ages 2–18, IGCSE, A levels and the IB Diploma, with operation by an Azazy Group company in partnership with Malvern College UK. The listed EGP 130,000–277,000 fee range has no reliable academic year attached. ↗

Lycée Français du Caire. The school is described as AEFE-managed and offers the French curriculum. A secondary 2026–27 listing for French citizens gives EGP 265,069 for primary, EGP 380,158 for collège and EGP 445,781 for lycée, plus EGP 79,029 registration. Other nationality categories have different rates, and an undated euro range for the school is not comparable with these pound figures. ↗

Further options. Hayah International Academy in New Cairo opened in 2004 and offers an American diploma and IB Diploma; Hayah West is in Sheikh Zayed. Other candidates include Metropolitan School, Maadi British International School, Cairo English School and Deutsche Schule der Borromäerinnen. Secondary 2025–26 estimates give Metropolitan at EGP 85,000–190,000, Maadi British at EGP 373,000–858,000 and Cairo English at USD 9,800–17,900. These are estimates, not school invoices. ↗

Fee increases are capped. Andersen Egypt’s legal summary states that private-school tuition for new and continuing students may not rise by more than 7% a year, and that all fees must be collected in Egyptian pounds. ↗

The 2024 currency move. Published reporting describes a March 2024 move from roughly EGP 31 to EGP 50 per dollar: about 61% more pounds per dollar, or about 38% less dollar value per pound. An EGP fee left unchanged would be worth about 38% less in dollars; actual tuition also reflects increases since then. ↗ ↗

For an unchanged EGP fee, a higher number of pounds per dollar reduces its dollar equivalent. Actual school costs also depend on fee changes and additional charges. Compare current itemised quotations instead of assuming that fees have halved in dollar terms or that every increase is caused by currency movements.

Ask your employer whether the allowance is fixed in EGP or another currency, which charges it covers and who absorbs any conversion difference between billing and payment. Ask the school when its invoice becomes fixed. Keep joining charges, recurring tuition and refundable deposits separate in the first-year budget.

Plan around the exact journey. Cairo’s school locations can create long commutes, but a single citywide travel estimate is not enough for a housing decision. Compare shortlisted schools and homes together, then travel the route at school-run hours or ask for the proposed bus itinerary. ↗

Maadi includes CAC in Digla and Maadi British International School. Diplomatic-family accounts describe nearby housing and journeys; utilities, security and commute vary from one property to the next. ↗

New Cairo options include NCBIS, Malvern, Hayah, Modern English School, Cairo English School, Metropolitan, GEMS International and AISE East. Western options include BISC, El Alsson NewGiza and Hayah West.

Follow each school’s calendar. Secondary listings describe November applications at CAC and BISC. Windows, assessment dates and decision timing are set for each entry year, and places are allocated grade by grade. ↗

CAC’s own policy gives September 30 cutoffs of three for PreK-3, four for PreK-4 and five for Kindergarten; this takes precedence over inconsistent aggregator labels. CAC’s application and admission amounts cited above are from 2024–25. NCBIS’s 2026–27 secondary listing reports EGP 6,751 application and EGP 506,310 registration. Ask whether any application payment is credited and which charges are refundable. The NCBIS listing reports foreign-passport or dual-national eligibility. ↗

Combine official records with school visits and practical questions:

• Affiliations and programmes. AEFE and the IB publish their own lists of affiliated schools. A historical embassy account does not confirm current assistance or admission priority.
• Credentials. Each accreditation, membership or inspection designation has its own date and scope; read the report for the relevant campus.
• Parent accounts. Families can describe communication, support and school runs; shared fees and individual experiences are leads, not records.
• School documents. Request the approved fee schedule, admission terms and any claimed accreditation or inspection reports. Resolve missing or inconsistent information before paying.