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Best 5 International Schools in Addis Ababa

International Education in Addis Ababa

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Vibrant culture, stunning scenery and welcoming locals make expat life easy in Addis Ababa. Living in Ethiopia’s sprawling capital does have its challenges - rising inflation has pushed up prices and medical care is far from the international standards you may be used to. But there are great employment opportunities for expats, and plenty of international schools to choose from if you’re considering a move with kids in tow.

Although they have made great progress in recent decades, the public education system in Ethiopia still falls behind the rest of the world. Illiteracy is still quite high in the country, hovering around 40-50%. Public schools also do not enrol foreign nationals, so an international school is not only the better choice for expats; it’s usually the only choice.

The upside to this is that Addis Ababa is one of the cheapest cities in Africa and in the world for international school fees. Education standards and facilities in these schools are improving year on year - most schools are already on par with international schools elsewhere in Africa.

While not in every single international school in the city, native English-speaking teachers are very common in Addis Ababa. Extracurricular programs are offered everywhere and school bus services, while not in every single school, are also common.

As well as the globally recognised International Baccalaureate, you’ll find a surprising array of curricula on offer in Addia Ababa’s international schools. British, Swedish, German, French, Greek and American are just a selection of the curricula represented.

English is the usual language of instruction, with an option for your child to be taught through the curriculum’s language too. For example, if your child is learning the German curriculum, they can be taught through English, German or even both.

International schools in Addis Ababa will admit children from around the age of 3 and most cater for children right up to age 18. It’s not uncommon for schools to be tied to embassies, and as a result preference is sometimes given to children of that embassy’s nationality.

Either way, you should get your child’s application in the queue as early as possible. The application process is usually lengthy, and there are a limited number of places per academic year. Once your child is enrolled however, you can rest assured they’re getting the best standard of education possible in the country.

Below, we have compiled the top 5 international schools in Addis Ababa according to our users. However, there are another 7 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Addis Ababa based on your requirements.

Best 5 International Schools in Addis Ababa

Out of a total of 12 International Schools in Addis Ababa.

Based on the aggregated preferences of our users in the last 30 days.

German Embassy School Addis Ababa

The main objective of our school: Together with the parents, we prepare our students comprehensively for life after school as well as for the demands of training, studies and careers. As a German school in Ethiopia, we teach our students about German culture and history and promote their intercultural competence.
Curriculum
IB, German
Languages of instruction
English, German
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: 391,634 Birr
to: 541,385 Birr

Kelem International School

KIS is a new international school, with more than 78 years of experience as a community school under the Swedish Embassy. The Swedish Community School (SCS) was established in 1946 and has been a part of the Agreement on General Terms and Conditions for Development Cooperation. For a long time, the SCS served as a school for Swedish citizens living and working in Ethiopia. During the years, the school was run by different Swedish Principals following the Swedish Curriculum. During the past years students from other countries are also attending the school.
After 73 years of service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sweden has decided that Swedish embassies around the world shall no longer manage schools or any areas not directly linked to embassy work. Therefore, for a relatively long time, the embassy has had discussions with the SCS Board and management on how the school could create its own foundation without being under the responsibility of the Swedish embassy. Following this, the parents of the Swedish Community School established a not-for-profit organization named Former Swedish Community School Parents Charitable Organization (FSCSPCO. The FSCSPCO was established as a not-for-profit, non-political, and non-religious charitable organization. It was registered with the FDRE Charities and Societies Agency on 15 March 2019. The embassy handed over the responsibility of the school to the FSCSPCO from July 2019.
The FSCSPCO changed the name of the school to Kelem International School (KIS), Addis Ababa to represent the composure of the community in many aspects. In Amharic, ‘Kelem (ቀለም) means Color/Paint and it denotes wisdom and knowledge. For instance, if one says " Someone is 'kelem yegebaw/yekeda' it implies that the person is enlightened/ knowledgeable/ well educated / intelligent/ well-read. Besides, 'Kelem signifies the diversified & colorful community we have at our school.
We belong to a diversified & vibrant community and enjoy active community involvement in our school in a variety of areas. FSCSPCO/KIS leadership team works in collaboration with all teachers to best meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of every child & adult in our school. Our staff and students live our school vision "Facilitating the realization of every child’s full potential”. We are paving the way and work by our Mission & Vision in all aspects of school life. We are an inclusive, caring school where staff, parents, and students all work together to develop our future citizens and leaders.
Curriculum
International, Finnish
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 14
This school does not make their fees public.
Reviews
(2 reviews)

Cambridge Academy Ethiopia

Cambridge Academy will offer the Cambridge International Curriculum to Ethiopian and expatriate learners. It will be democratic, multi-denominational, child-centred and co-educational.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
2 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: 388,904 Birr
to: 609,641 Birr
Reviews
(3 reviews)

Sandford International School

The Sandford International School is a co-educational, non-boarding, nursery to pre University institution. To meet the international standards of its programme, the School employs a highly qualified professional staff. It is committed to providing a standard of education that is accepted within Ethiopia and by the international community.
Curriculum
IB, British, International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
This school does not make their fees public.
Reviews
(2 reviews)

International Community School of Addis Ababa

The International Community School of Addis Ababa is an independent international school, offering an educational program for students of all nationalities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Curriculum
IB, American
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: 1,045,952 Birr
to: 1,997,076 Birr

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