Secondary international school fees in Nairobi run from about KES 1.4 million a year at the mid tier to roughly KES 3.3 million at the premium British and IB campuses, with sixth form and IB Diploma years sitting at the top of each school's range before exam entry fees.
Secondary is where Nairobi fees reach their peak. Senior tuition runs well above the primary figure at every school, and the gap widens further at sixth form as IGCSE gives way to A-Level or the IB Diploma. Boarding, offered at Peponi and St Andrew's Turi among others, sits in a band of its own. Start from the tiers below, then read what moves a place within them. Our Nairobi international school fees guide carries the full reception to sixth form picture.
Fees are set and billed in Kenyan shillings, with the dollar conversions here at roughly 130 shillings to the dollar. Because senior fees are the largest single line in most family budgets, currency drift matters most at this stage for anyone paid from home. You can shortlist by curriculum and suburb on the Nairobi international schools hub, or read down from Nairobi primary fees if you are planning the full journey.
The table bands annual senior tuition by tier, drawn from our Nairobi fees research. Sixth form and IB Diploma years usually sit at the top of each school's range. Figures are tuition only; exam entry and other extras follow below.
| Tier | Annual senior tuition | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | KES 2.6M to 3.3M (USD ~20,000 to 25,500) | Brookhouse (Karen and Runda), International School of Kenya, Peponi |
| Upper mid | KES 1.9M to 2.6M (USD ~14,600 to 20,000) | Braeburn Garden Estate, Hillcrest, Rosslyn Academy |
| Mid | KES 1.4M to 1.9M (USD ~10,800 to 14,600) | Aga Khan Academy, GEMS Cambridge, Crawford International |
School names illustrate each tier and are not endorsements or exact quotes. Confirm current fees directly with each school.
Senior tuition carries its own set of extras, chief among them the public exam entry fees that fall in the final years. The bands below are indicative for the Nairobi market and should be confirmed with each school.
| Cost | Indicative band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application / registration | KES 2,500 to 10,000 | Usually non refundable, paid per applicant. |
| Refundable deposit | One term of fees | Held against the place, returned on departure subject to notice. |
| Exam entry (IGCSE, A-Level, IB DP) | Payable in Years 11 to 13 | Per subject or per programme; set by the exam board, not the school. |
| Boarding (where offered) | Substantial premium over day fees | Peponi and St Andrew's Turi among the day plus boarding options. |
Bands above are indicative industry ranges, not school specific quotes. Always confirm figures in a school's current fee schedule before budgeting.
The senior curriculum is the main driver. Schools running the full IB Diploma or a broad A-Level offer carry more specialist teachers, laboratories and university guidance, and that resourcing shows in the fee. A school that fields a wide subject menu at sixth form, including sciences, languages and the creative arts, costs more to run than one with a narrow core.
University counselling and outcomes matter too. The premium campuses invest in dedicated careers teams that guide students toward universities in the United Kingdom, United States and beyond, and families weighing a senior place are effectively paying for that pathway as much as for the classroom hours.
Sixth form is the most expensive stage of school. Line up Nairobi senior fees against another posting before you sign, so the number is a decision and not a surprise.
Open the fee comparison toolExam entry fees are the line most families forget. In the IGCSE, A-Level and IB Diploma years these are billed per subject or per programme and set by the exam board, so they land on top of tuition and can be significant for a student taking a full slate.
Field trips, Model United Nations, sports fixtures and the Duke of Edinburgh style expeditions that senior schools run all carry costs, and university application fees arrive in the final year. Devices, textbooks and revision materials add more. Where boarding is on offer, it sits well above the day rate and should be budgeted separately.
To weigh Nairobi against another city, the international school fee calculator totals tuition plus living costs, and the school comparison tool lines up three schools side by side. If you are planning the full journey, read across to Nairobi primary fees to see how the cost builds year on year.
Senior international school fees in Nairobi run from about KES 1.4 million a year at the mid tier to roughly KES 3.3 million at the premium British and IB campuses. Sixth form and IB Diploma years sit at the top of each school's range.
Sixth form and IB Diploma years are the most expensive, typically at the upper end of each school's senior band. At the premium tier that means around KES 2.6 million to 3.3 million a year before exam entry fees.
Usually not. IGCSE, A-Level and IB Diploma entry fees are set by the exam board and billed per subject or per programme in Years 11 to 13, so they land on top of tuition.
Peponi and St Andrew's Turi are among the schools offering day plus boarding. Boarding carries a substantial premium over the day fee and should be budgeted as a separate line rather than an add on.
Yes. Senior fees at Nairobi international schools have broadly tracked inflation over recent intakes, and because senior tuition is the largest line, even a modest percentage rise is a meaningful sum.
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