Key points:
- Nairobi in Kenya was the most expensive city for international schools in Africa by a considerable margin. Its median price was $1.5k more than the second most expensive city (Johannesburg).
- There was quite a difference in costs between the South African cities included in our research. Johannesburg’s median price was 30% higher than Cape Town’s.
- Mauritius had the lowest range of international school costs, with a minimum of $2.5k and a maximum of nearly $7k.
- Cairo represented the least expensive city in our research of the African region, with a median price of just under $3k.
At the International Schools Database, we help local and expat parents choose the perfect international school for their children. Our database allows parents to find, research and compare international schools around the world. Naturally, this means that we gather and analyse a huge amount of information about international schools.
Starting in 2019, we began using this data to evaluate the prices of international schools across the globe. In this article, we share and analyze the prices of international schools in Africa updated to 2024.
Below, we have analysed price data from 7 cities in 6 African countries, in graph and table forms. While we have used all price data available to us as of Dec 31st 2024, there may be additional schools and prices not included in each city. This is because they do not make their price data available or because it is unknown to us. Links to additional research focusing on each world region individually and globally can be found at the bottom of this article and here can be found the results of the previous year 2023.
Prices of International Schools in Africa, Per Year
The graph below is known as a box plot graph. It shows a comprehensive view of the range of prices in each city, instead of just an average. A single average price may not necessarily represent the full picture of prices in each destination. Since there is a lot to unpack in this graph, we have also provided a little explanation on how to read the graph easily at the end of the article.
Highlights and takeaways from the research findings
The Kenyan capital, Nairobi, was without doubt the most expensive place in the African region for international schools in 2024. The median price of an international school in the city was $7,116, over twice that of the cheapest African city in our research (Cairo at $2,966). When we consider that the rest of the locations included in the African region had median prices from $3,979 to $5,657, the contrast with Nairobi becomes even more obvious.
South Africa was the only country in the African region where more than one city was included in our research, and it revealed a notable difference in international school costs in the nation. Johannesburg was the second most expensive city in Africa with a median price of $5,657 per year, while Cape Town was the second cheapest overall with a median price of $3,979 per year.
Of the seven cities included in our African data, Mauritius was the most consistent regarding the minimum and maximum range of prices. The minimum cost of an international school in Mauritius was $2,491 per year while the maximum was $6,881, a difference of around $4.5k. In other African locations the range was much broader. For example in Casablanca, Morocco, the minimum price was $3,702 per year while the maximum was $13,372 - almost $10k in the difference!
When median prices were considered, Cairo in Egypt was the least expensive location in Africa for international schooling at $2,966 per year. Its minimum price of $1,470 was also among the lowest in the region. Unlike Mauritius however, its maximum price stood at $15,815. While most international schools in Cairo did not cost this much, it shows that quite a wide range of prices exists in Egypt.
You can find a breakdown of exact prices for each African city in the table below. But if Africa isn’t enough, we have also compiled price data for other regions and cities around the world; you can find links to this additional research at the bottom of this article. If you require any further information or have additional questions, don't hesitate to contact us at andrea@international-schools-database.com.
