How many secondary schools in Lagos
Lagos has around 22 international secondary schools with full Year 7 through Year 13 or Grade 7 through Grade 12 provision in 2026. The British curriculum dominates with 17 schools delivering Cambridge IGCSE at Year 10 and 11, then either Cambridge or Pearson Edexcel A Level at sixth form. Four schools carry through to the IB Diploma at sixth form: the American International School of Lagos, Greensprings, Children's International School and Norwegian International School. AISL also runs the American High School Diploma with Advanced Placement courses.
Sixth form cohort sizes are small by international standards. AISL graduates around 65 students a year, Greensprings around 90, BIS Lagos around 70, and Grange around 80. Smaller schools like Children's International and Norwegian International graduate Diploma cohorts of 18 to 25 students annually. The implication is that subject choice can be constrained at the smaller schools: an unusual A Level combination such as Further Maths, Computer Science and Music may simply not run, whereas larger sixth forms can support eight or nine students in each minority subject.
Sixth form attainment is competitive with international peers. AISL Diploma averages run between 32 and 34 points consistently over the last five years. Greensprings A Level cohorts achieve roughly 25 to 30 per cent A or A* grades. Grange School and BIS Lagos report similar A and A* rates around 30 to 35 per cent, in line with international British schools globally. May 2025 IB results from AISL included 9 students scoring 40 or above out of 45, with a maximum score of 43.
Fees and the sixth form decision
Secondary fees split into three tiers. The Nigerian-owned British tier runs from 3 to 5 million naira a year for Year 7 through Year 11, with A Level adding 1 to 2 million on top. The mid-tier international British schools sit between 6 and 9 million naira for lower secondary and 7 to 10 million for A Level. The premium tier is the American International School of Lagos at 11 to 13 million naira a year, with a full continuum from Grade 6 through Grade 12 and dedicated high school facilities including science labs, art studios and athletic provision.
Choice of sixth form pathway is the most consequential education decision a Lagos family makes. The IB Diploma suits students who want breadth, are strong across the curriculum, and intend to apply broadly to UK, US and continental European universities. A Level suits students who already know their specialism, intend to apply primarily to UK universities, and prefer the depth-over-breadth model. The AP and American High School Diploma at AISL suits students with a defined US university plan. Our Lagos fees guide walks through the loading mathematics. The fees comparison tool sets Lagos sixth form tuition against other African cities and against international schools globally.
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Illustrative example schools
The five schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each delivers a full secondary and sixth form programme with consistent university placement.
American International School of Lagos on Victoria Island runs the most ambitious secondary programme in Nigeria, with parallel IB Diploma and American High School Diploma pathways. Strong Ivy League and US liberal arts pipeline, with 9 students in May 2025 scoring 40 or above on the IB.
British International School Lagos on Lekki Phase 1 delivers Cambridge IGCSE through to A Level, with boarding available from Year 9. Strong Russell Group university placement and a long-running competitive sports programme.
Greensprings School Secondary at Lekki and Anthony Village offers the IB Diploma alongside Cambridge A Level at sixth form, giving Year 11 leavers a choice of pathway. Diploma averages of 32 to 34 points consistently over the last five years.
Grange School Sixth Form in Ikeja GRA is the strongest mainland sixth form, with traditional British academic delivery, strong UK university counselling, and a Nigerian senior-professional alumni network that helps with internship placement.
Day Waterman College in Asese, Ogun State, serves Lagos families on a weekly boarding basis. Highly selective on academic and pastoral grounds, with a distinctive Nigerian-British identity and a strong pipeline to Pan-Atlantic, Oxbridge and US liberal arts colleges.
Where secondary families live
Secondary school families are less geographically constrained than primary families because teenagers can absorb a longer commute. That said, three clusters dominate. Lekki Phase 1 and the wider Lekki peninsula house most international families with secondary-aged children, served by BIS Lagos, Greensprings Lekki and Children's International. Victoria Island and Ikoyi hold AISL and Norwegian International on Victoria Island with families resident across Banana Island and Old Ikoyi. Ikeja GRA, Magodo and Maryland serve the mainland Nigerian middle-class community using Grange School and the Anthony Village campus of Greensprings.
Lagos traffic remains the binding constraint. A Year 12 student studying for the IB Diploma cannot sustain a regular two-hour commute each way, so the choice set typically shrinks to schools within 45 minutes of home in normal conditions. Our best areas guide walks through the residential geography in detail.
Admissions and entry points
The Lagos school year runs September to July. Most international secondary schools open applications for September 2026 between October and December 2025. Year 7 and Year 12 are the most competitive entry points: Year 7 because it covers transition from primary, and Year 12 because it is the start of sixth form. AISL, BIS Lagos, Greensprings and Grange close their main intakes by late January with assessments in February and offers in March.
Mid-year transfers are usually possible up to Year 10 subject to room availability. Year 11 transfers are difficult because students will have already started IGCSE coursework and internal assessments. Year 13 transfers are essentially never accepted because A Level and IB Diploma assessments are well underway. For families relocating mid-cycle, the typical strategy is to enrol the child in Year 11 IGCSE for the remainder of the academic year and then start the Diploma or A Level fresh in September.
Frequently asked questions
How many international secondary schools are there in Lagos?
Lagos has around 22 international secondary schools with full Year 7 to sixth form provision in 2026. Of those, 17 deliver Cambridge IGCSE and A Level, 4 carry through to the IB Diploma at sixth form, and 1 (the American International School of Lagos) runs an American high school programme with AP. Several schools offer parallel pathways, with students choosing A Level or IB at the end of Year 11.
How much do secondary schools in Lagos cost?
International secondary tuition in Lagos runs from about 3 million naira a year at established Nigerian-owned British curriculum schools to 13 million naira at the American International School of Lagos. A Level at the premium British schools sits between 7 and 10 million naira a year, and IB Diploma between 8 and 11 million naira. Many schools quote sixth form tuition in dollars to manage naira movement.
What sixth form qualifications can I take in Lagos?
Lagos sixth form pathways include Cambridge A Levels at most British curriculum schools, the IB Diploma at AISL, Greensprings, Children's International School and Norwegian International School, and the American High School Diploma with AP at AISL. A small number of schools also offer the Pearson Edexcel A Level. The West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) is offered alongside at most Nigerian-owned schools.
Do Lagos schools have boarding?
Day schooling dominates Lagos secondary education. Boarding is offered at British International School Lagos for Years 9 through 13, at Day Waterman College in Ogun State which serves Lagos families with weekly boarding, and at one or two smaller Christian Nigerian schools. Most international families choose day schooling and rely on dedicated school transport across the Lekki peninsula and the mainland.
What is the typical Lagos sixth form university placement?
The strongest Lagos sixth forms place 40 to 60 per cent of their graduating cohort to UK universities, 20 to 30 per cent to US universities, 5 to 10 per cent to Canada, with the remainder split between South African universities, Nigerian universities (predominantly Pan-Atlantic, Babcock and Covenant), and a small number to continental European universities. Russell Group placement runs at 15 to 25 per cent of UK-bound cohorts at AISL, BIS Lagos and Grange.
Are Lagos secondary schools recognised by UK and US universities?
Yes. Cambridge IGCSE, A Level, IB Diploma and the American High School Diploma from Lagos schools are all recognised by UK, US, Canadian and Australian universities on the same basis as equivalent qualifications from any other country. UCAS applications run smoothly from Lagos schools, and most premium sixth forms have dedicated university counsellors familiar with the US Common App and UK supplementary essays.
