The Cairo school landscape
The flagship is Cairo American College (CAC), founded in 1945 in Maadi and the heritage US-curriculum school for diplomats, embassy and corporate families. British International School Cairo (BISC) and New Cairo British International School (NCBIS) serve the British community. Hayah International Academy and GEMS New Cairo School are premium IB schools. Lycée Français du Caire serves the French community. Cairo also has dozens of mid-tier American-curriculum schools at $5K-$10K that admit Egyptian and expat families.
Cairo's international fees are some of the lowest in any major capital. The trade-off: traffic is intense, so school location relative to your residence matters more than fee level.
Maadi vs New Cairo for family relocation?
Maadi is the heritage expat zone and home to CAC. New Cairo is the modern gated-compound zone and home to NCBIS. Our guide compares both head-to-head.
Most popular neighbourhoods for families
Maadi (Old, New and Degla) is the heritage expat family neighbourhood, home to CAC, BISC, Lycée Français and the Cairo American School Annex. New Cairo / Fifth Settlement is the modern gated-compound zone, home to NCBIS, GEMS New Cairo and Hayah Academy. 6 October City and Sheikh Zayed on Cairo's western edge house several premium British schools. Heliopolis and Zamalek are central Cairo's traditional expat options. For the most established expat suburb, see our guide to living in Maadi with international schools. For the leafy Nile island district, see our guide to living in Zamalek with international schools.
