The best international schools in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur parents most often name ISKL, Garden International School, Alice Smith and the British International School (BSKL), with Mont'Kiara International School close behind. Beyond those, families choose by curriculum, budget and which side of the city they live on.

Senior-year fees run from about RM55,000 to RM143,000 a year (US$13,500 to US$35,100), and most pupils are Malaysian. Our Kuala Lumpur school profiles give each school's curricula, ages and all-in fees.

Who goes to international school here

About two thirds of international school pupils are Malaysian, Ministry of Education figures showed in May 2024. Malaysian enrolment reached 67,821 in 2024, up 18.2 per cent in a year. Local parents want smaller classes, better facilities, an English-medium syllabus that stays put and a way round the pressure of the SPM, the national school-leaving exam. Korean and Chinese families come because fees are well below those at home.

The curricula on offer

British schools dominate. Ten of the seventeen we profile teach the English National Curriculum, most of them to A level; see Kuala Lumpur's British schools and the British curriculum. Taylor's International School Kuala Lumpur stops at IGCSE and runs its year from January to November. Charterhouse Malaysia takes only 13 to 18 year olds, as day pupils or boarders.

The IB has a smaller following (Kuala Lumpur IB schools; the IB explained). IGB International School in Sierramas teaches all four programmes. Fairview International School Kuala Lumpur in Wangsa Maju teaches the IB throughout. Nexus International School Malaysia in Putrajaya runs IGCSE then the IB Diploma, with boarding from Year 5.

Two teach an American programme (the American curriculum). The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) in Ampang Hilir offers AP courses and has run the IB Diploma since 1989. Mont'Kiara International School pairs a US diploma with the full IB and joined Nord Anglia in August 2026.

Australian International School Malaysia at The MINES teaches the New South Wales curriculum to the HSC. The Lycée Français de Kuala Lumpur and Deutsche Schule Kuala Lumpur share a campus in Dutamas. St Joseph's Institution International School Malaysia in Petaling Jaya adds Singapore Maths and daily Mandarin to the British curriculum.

Which schools parents name

Parents put ISKL at the top of the market. It is non-profit and parent-owned, and no nationality may exceed 25 per cent of its pupils. One parent who toured ISKL and Mont'Kiara said "it wasn't even close" in ISKL's favour. A Singaporean family chose Garden International School instead, finding ISKL "very American in every way" and wanting local and international classmates.

The Alice Smith School, founded in 1946 and owned by its parents, has a primary campus on Jalan Bellamy and a secondary campus at Equine Park. The British International School of Kuala Lumpur in Bandar Utama belongs to Nord Anglia, which now also owns Mont'Kiara.

On tighter budgets, Sri KDU International School Kota Damansara, Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park and HELP International School teach the British curriculum to A level for under RM82,000 a year.

Fees

All-in yearly fees run from RM19,080 (about US$4,700) for the youngest pupils at Taylor's to RM143,400 (about US$35,100) for senior years at ISKL. Final years cost RM122,370 at Alice Smith, RM126,870 at Garden, RM127,605 at BSKL and RM130,540 at Mont'Kiara. Top fees at those schools have risen by 4 to 7 per cent a year since 2024/25.

One-off charges vary widely. ISKL charges RM59,000 to register each new pupil from Prep Senior up; Garden charges RM10,000 or RM20,000, plus a refundable deposit of one term's tuition.

Since 1 July 2025 a 6 per cent service tax has applied where fees pass RM60,000 a year. Schools treat exemptions differently, so ask. Allow about RM5,000 a year for the school bus and RM2,500 for uniform and extras.

Admissions

ISKL's year starts in August; Taylor's runs from January to November. ISKL takes applications all year, gives priority to siblings, staff and embassy families, and starts reviewing August 2027 applications in November 2026. Expect an English test rather than an entrance exam. ISKL does not sponsor student passes, so a foreign child needs a pass tied to a parent's work permit, MM2H or permanent residence.

New rules for Malaysian pupils

Since January 2026 Malaysian pupils in international schools must study Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History on the national curriculum and sit those SPM papers. The exam details were still being settled in February, so ask each school how it will fit them in.

Where to live

Near the school. ISKL's bus takes up to an hour from the west of the city. Garden, Mont'Kiara, Charterhouse and the French and German schools lie within 1.5 kilometres of each other around Mont Kiara and Dutamas; BSKL and St Joseph's are in Petaling Jaya.

Eight of our Kuala Lumpur schools belong to FOBISIA. See also the FOBISIA, CIS-accredited and COBIS lists.