Search for the best international schools in Kenya; you can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page. Use the search filters to select only girls' or boys' schools, prep schools, senior schools or sixth forms; or you can search for schools that offer a particular curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate, the UK national curriculum, a US-style model or the International Primary Curriculum.
Kenya has a well-established private, international sector serving both expatriates and local elites, with schools clustered around Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu. The vast majority teach in English and offer a British curriculum but International Baccalaureate programmes are increasingly popular.
Many private schools offer boarding education and some have religious foundations, while French, German, Japanese and Swedish schools can be found in Nairobi, which has a large expat community. Parents are advised to check schools’ accreditation arrangements.
There are 11 IB World Schools in Kenya, which all teach in English, while nine are authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
Three IB programmes are taught by the prestigious Aga Khan Academy schools in Nairobi and Mombasa, while Braeburn Garden Estate School, which is part of the home-grown Braeburn education group, offers the IB Diploma alongside A-levels.
The group runs seven schools in Kenya, of which four are based in and around Nairobi, with the others in Mombasa, Kisumu and Nanyuki. The schools follow the English national curriculum leading to A-levels and IGCSEs and two of them offer weekly boarding.
Hillcrest International Schools run a kindergarten, a preparatory school and a secondary school in Nairobi that provide a British-style education leading to IGCSEs and A-levels. Boarding is offered at secondary level.
Education is compulsory for 12 years from age six to 17 and free in state schools. Children normally attend one year of nursery school before starting primary school, which is divided into lower and upper levels, each lasting four years. In the final year, pupils take the primary school leaving exam, which is used to allocate places at selective secondary schools.
State secondary schools are divided into national, provincial and district levels, with national schools taking pupils with the highest scores. After four years of secondary education, students take the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. Matriculation is based on students’ eight best scores. Kenya has a large and expanding higher education sector, including 32 public universities.
In 2019, gross enrolment was 77 per cent in primary schools – down from 103 per cent in 2016, while gross tertiary enrolment was 10 per cent, according to UNESCO. No figures at all were given for secondary enrolment over the 10 years from 2012 onwards. The school year runs from January to November.
If you are looking specifically for IB World Schools in Kenya, you can find selected schools on our sister website: www.ibyb.org.
PO Box 24819 -00502 Karen,
Langata Rd,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
Read more about Hillcrest Secondary School
PO Box 80100-90066,
Mbuyuni Road, Kizingo,
Mombasa,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 16944,
00620 Mobil Plaza,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 750,
Mang'u Road (Exit 16A off Thika Highway),
00100 Thika,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 1276,
40100 Kisumu,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
PO Box 83009,
80100 Mombasa,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 45112,
00100 Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 25578,
00603 Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior.
PO Box 43090,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
PO Box 82988,
Mombasa,
Kenya
Co-educational, , Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
Limuru Road, opposite Village Market,
P.O. Box 978,
00621 Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day.
Private Bag,
Nakuru,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
Langata Road,
Karen,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
End of Peponi Road/Kirawa Road,
PO Box 14103,
Nairobi,
00800,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 25406 - 00603,
Lavington,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
Off Greenwood Drive,
Nyali,
PO Box 1835,
80100,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Senior.
Sea-view Road - Nyali,
P.O. Box 86487-80100,
Mombasa,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
P.O. Box 7954,
01000 Thika,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Senior, Sixth Form.
Jaffery Islamic Centre, El Molo Drive,
off James Gichuru Road,
Opposite Shell Petrol Station,
603,
Kenya
Co-educational, , Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
1st Parklands Avenue,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Senior.
PO Box 1130 00606,
Sarit Centre,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, , Senior.
P.O. Box 23203,
Lower Kabete,
Nairobi 00604,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Preparatory.
PO Box 14146,
Nairobi,
00800,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 25088-00603,
Lavington,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Preparatory, Senior.
Situated off Kiambu Road,
after the Northern Bypass Underpass,
Runda,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day.
Off Lamu Road, Along Golf Course Drive,
Opposite Africa Pearl Hotel,
Malindi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
Private Bag,
Molo,
20106,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
Private Bag,
Molo,
20106,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Senior, Sixth Form.
1st Parklands Avenue, off Limuru Road,
PO Box 44424-00100,
Nairobi,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.
PO Box 24722,
Nairobi 00502,
Kenya
Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory.
P.O. Box 24817,
Karen,
Nairobi 00502,
Kenya
Co-educational, Boarding, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.