Nairobi Private Schools Most Expensive in Africa - Report

An aerial view of GEMS Cambridge International School in Nairobi.
An aerial view of GEMS Cambridge International School in Nairobi.
File

International Schools based in Nairobi, Kenya, have been ranked as the most expensive learning institutions across the African Continent.

According to the the International Schools Database 2021, the international schools charged a maximum of Ksh3.37 million fees per year for each student.

The report further indicated that the average fee paid in a majority of schools was Ksh828,096 per year with the cheapest schools charging Ksh118,040.

Nairobi was followed by Addis Ababa which has an average charge of Ksh737,750 and the maximum of Ksh3,089,470.

The Brookhouse Schools, Nairobi
The Brookhouse Schools, Nairobi
File

Kampala was ranked third with a median charge of Ksh681,000 followed by Johannesburg, Casablanca and cape Town.

"Africa is still the cheapest region in the world for international education, but there has been some shifts in prices. The biggest change is in Casablanca, which has fallen from the most expensive African city last year to the second cheapest this year.

"This is not because of a dramatic change in overall prices, but instead a significant drop in the median price," read the statement in part.

Between the first and third quartile, which has a majority of the school, Nairobi led with the highest fee charged ranging between an average of Ksh 565,000 and Ksh1.65 million.

The country has numerous international institutions targeting children of wealthy individuals as well as those of expatriates and local elites.

There are six IB World Schools in Kenya, all of which are authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma.  

Three IB programs are offered by 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 Braeburn group runs seven schools in Kenya of which four are based in and around Nairobi, while others are 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.

Other international schools in Kenya include Kenton College Preparatory School, GEMS Cambridge International School, German School Nairobi, Greensted International Schools, St Andrew's Senior School among others.

Graphic showing rankings of most expensive international schools in Africa.
Graphic showing rankings of most expensive international schools in Africa.
Kenyans.co.ke