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American International School in Egypt

Egypt, Cairo

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, Arabic
Fees EGP 0 - 110,000
Ages 4 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1500
Type Co-educational
Opened 1990
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum American Curriculum, IB (DP)
Taught languages Arabic, French, Spanish
Typical class size 25
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Visual and Creative Arts
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

AIS West in Cairo delivers a K-12 American education with two graduation pathways: the American High School Diploma recognized by the Egyptian Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for Grades 11-12. The curriculum uses the US Common Core for Math and English, the Next Generation Science Standards for Science, and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Social Studies, with the IB DP core of Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity and Service. Elementary and Middle School use a literacy workshop approach and integrate social studies and sciences into literacy, while an Advisory program supports social-emotional learning. The High School is departmentalized and experiential, featuring Week Without Walls field experiences that connect learning to the broader world. The campus covers 31,726 square meters with capacity for 1,800 students, six science labs, multiple libraries/media centers, two heated pools, a gym, a track, and an auditorium. Counseling available.

The Essentials

American International School in Egypt has 1,500 pupils, typical class sizes of 25, instruction in English, Arabic.

Location
Greens Compound, Sheikh Zayed, Giza, Egypt

Stages
Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Type
International school

Country affiliation
American

Bus service
AIS - West offers bus transportation for students whose parents contract for these services. The bus routes cover a large area of Giza and Cairo, from the 6 October area to Zamalek, Mohandsein and Dokki.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
All AIS West students are expected to wear the school uniform daily. The uniform consists of regulation or solid blue pants, regulation or solid blue shorts, or regulation skirt and the regulation shirt (PE shirt or navy AIS logo). For cold weather, sweaters or cover-ups should be the regulation style or a solid color without a logo. Shoes should be athletic style, closed-toe, to support an active day; sandals, Crocs and high-heeled shoes are not permitted. If a student is not dressed in uniform, options include removing the non-uniform item, borrowing clothing from unclaimed items, having the appropriate uniform clothing sent to school, or purchasing items from the uniform shop; repeated violations may lead to disciplinary measures.

Food Options
Cairo Kitchen serves elementary students inside the cafeteria. Students must use prepaid lunch cards to purchase items; parents are responsible for ensuring sufficient funds on the cards. The program prohibits unhealthy items such as chips, candy, sweets, soda drinks and energy drinks at school.

Governance and Ownership
AIS West is established and operated by ESOL Education, the world's largest operator of international American schools; AIS West is part of the ESOL Education network, and its leadership operates the school in alignment with ESOL standards and accreditation.
Fees

Annual tuition at American International School in Egypt ranges from up to EGP 110,000 for 2026/27.

Application fees
- Application / enrolment fee: Not published publicly. The school charges a one-time application and/or enrolment fee for new students; the exact amount is provided to families during the admissions/enrolment process.

Tuition fees (per year and per term by school year / grade group)
- The school does not publish a public, grade-by-grade or per-term fee schedule for the 2026/27 academic year (or for 2025/26) on its public pages. Directory listings report recent annual tuition ranges for the school but these are not an official, itemised per-grade or per-term schedule: examples found include a reported starting annual tuition of approximately EGP 90,000 and directory ranges around EGP 87,900–138,000. These directory figures are indicative only and are not published as an official per-grade or per-term schedule by the school.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Billing schedule / payment deadlines: Not published in a public, itemised fee schedule. Tuition billing and payment deadlines are managed through the school's enrolment/payment system and invoices.
- Payment instructions: When making bank deposit/transfer payments, families must include the child's name and grade on the bank receipt (Narrative/Details) and must send the payment/transfer receipt to the Business Office via the school finance email addresses provided.

Boarding fees
- Boarding: No boarding fees are published and the West Campus operates as a day campus (boarding services and boarding fees are not listed for AIS West). Transportation (school bus) is offered; boarding accommodation is not described as a service on public materials.

Other costs and fees (uniform, transport, books, activities, exams, etc.)
- Transportation: Directory information indicates school bus service is available and reports an approximate annual transportation cost in the region of EGP 30,500 (this figure is a directory-reported amount and should be treated as indicative).
- Textbooks, activities and first-installment coverage: One directory statement notes that, for a given year, the first instalment figure referenced included tuition, textbooks and activities; this is a directory note and not an itemised official schedule published by the school.
- Uniforms, school meals, after-school activities, excursion fees, IB examination fees, and other incidental costs: These are not published as a single, itemised list in the school's publicly accessible fee pages. Families should expect possible additional charges for uniform purchase, lunches, extracurricular activities, school trips and official exam fees, but no fixed public amounts for these items are posted.

Refund information
- Refund policy (tuition, deposits, cancellations): No public, itemised refund or withdrawal/refund policy (with amounts or deadlines) is published on the school's public fee/policy page. Specific refund terms (for example, deposit refundability, withdrawal deadlines, or pro‑rata refunds) are handled through the school's admissions/business office and are not available as a public, itemised schedule.

Fee payment options
- Accepted payment methods listed publicly: bank deposit / bank transfer to the school's HSBC Egypt and CIB Egypt accounts. Account details for EGP accounts, IBAN and SWIFT are published for these bank accounts. Families are instructed to include the child's name and grade on the bank receipt and to email the payment receipt to the business office email addresses provided. Credit-card/online card payment methods are not listed on the school's public fee page.

Summary (availability of detailed figures)
- The school's public admissions/fees page does not publish an itemised, grade-by-grade or per-term fee schedule for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 academic year. Publicly available information is therefore limited to payment methods and the fact that tuition fee details and deadlines are provided through the school's enrolment/payment system; a small number of third‑party directories report indicative annual tuition ranges and an approximate transportation charge, but no official per-grade or per-term numeric schedule is published publicly.
Academics

American International School in Egypt teaches American Curriculum, IB (DP) for students aged 4 to 18.

Curriculum
AIS West provides a K-12 American education with two graduation pathways: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12 and an American High School Diploma recognized by the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Across elementary to high school, the program uses the US Common Core standards for Math and English, Next Generation Science Standards for Science, and American Education Reaches Out (AERO) Social Studies as the foundation for learning. The Elementary and Middle School employ a literacy workshop approach, integrate social studies and sciences into literacy, and use an Advisory program to support social-emotional learning. The High School features a departmentalized, experiential program with real-life applications and Week Without Walls field experiences that connect learning to the broader world. The IB Diploma Programme core (TOK, EE, CAS) is included, with a broad range of IB courses across groups; AIS West offers both the IB Diploma Programme and the American Diploma pathways to graduation. AIS West hosts university fairs and provides counseling, with graduates enrolled at universities worldwide, including Harvard University, Princeton, and many others.

Student Teacher Ratio
25:1

Higher Education Progression
AIS West's diploma options include the IB Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12 and the Egyptian MOE‑recognized American Diploma. The IB DP core (TOK, EE, CAS) and a broad range of DP subjects are offered, supporting university preparation for globally diverse destinations. Graduates head to universities around the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Egypt and beyond, with university fairs on campus and a counseling team that guides postsecondary planning. Where AIS 2025 graduates are enrolled for university include institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, UCL, the American University in Cairo, and many others.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social-emotional learning is supported by the Comprehensive Counseling program and the Student Support Team (SST). The SST includes Learning Support specialists, ESL teachers, administrators and counselors and focuses on academic, personal and social development; referrals may come from teachers or parents and parental permission is required for formal assessments. Counselors consult with parents and support social skills and personal growth.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Student Support Team services address students experiencing difficulty in development. The SST comprises Learning Support specialists, ESL teachers, administrators, and counselors; referrals may come from teachers or parents, and parental permission is required before any formal assessments or schedule changes.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
English is the first language of instruction at AIS West and Arabic is the second language. The EAL Department offers a program of intensive English instruction and support for students whose first language is not English.

Mental Wellbeing
Counselors provide personal and social support and the SST helps students grow academically, personally and socially. The Counseling and SST staff are available to consult with parents about concerns.

Safeguarding
Anti-Bullying Policy states that bullying is unacceptable and will be investigated; anyone who believes bullying is happening should tell a staff member.
Parent Experience

History
AIS West was inaugurated in 2009. It has been established in Cairo for over 30 years.

Community
AIS West community includes the AIS West Alumni Association, along with Student Life/School Life and a School Clinic. Annual Compliance Update and Press Releases & News keep the community informed. The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) coordinates events, including PTO Events 2023 and 2024, such as the Seniors Dinner 2023 and Mouled El Nabi Celebrations. Graduation ceremonies are documented for 2022 through 2025.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school has a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). The PTO hosts events such as Seniors Dinner 2023 and Mouled El Nabi Celebrations; PTO Events 2023 and 2024 are listed.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
AIS West campus covers 31,726 square meters and has capacity for 1,800 students. It has six fully equipped science labs and elementary and secondary libraries. There are four media centers (two in Elementary and two in Secondary) and two large libraries (one for Elementary and one for Secondary). A multi-purpose indoor gym and two heated swimming pools serve physical education and activities. The campus is located in Greens Compound, Sheikh Zayed, Giza, Egypt.

Sports Facilities
AIS West Athletic Facilities include a gymnasium with a dividing partition, a natural grass field, a running track approximately 200 meters long, two heated pools (one for Primary and one for Secondary), and a weight room.

Academic Facilities
AIS West's Learning Facilities include an Information Technology structure, a Technology Center, well-equipped science labs, four media centers (two Elementary, two Secondary), two large libraries (one Elementary, one Secondary), three music/band rooms (two Elementary, one Secondary), and an auditorium/theater.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular offerings include Performance Art, Athletics, Model United Nations, Outreach and Service Learning, and After School Activities.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
AIS West offers an American curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). AIS West is an ESOL Education school within a global network, and graduates have gained acceptance to leading universities such as MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, UCL, Imperial College London, and others. The IB Diploma Programme is a core component of the high school offering, reinforcing a rigorous, internationally oriented education.

Arts & Creative
Arts education at AIS West includes performance art, drama, and visual arts, with opportunities in theatre and music. The drama program runs in the secondary school (grades 7–12) and includes IB Theatre in grades 11–12, with multiple annual performances. Visual arts are taught from pre-KG through secondary, and students may pursue the two-year IB art program.

Cultural & Language
An Arabic language program is available and is taught with emphasis on interactive, cognitive skill development; Arabic is given equal priority to English within the American-style framework. The curriculum integrates Ministry of Education content for Arabic while promoting open-ended, inquiry-based learning. Arabic teachers use interactive strategies to foster critical thinking and independent learning.

Social & Hobbies
AIS West offers a range of after-school activities including Performance Art, Athletics, Model United Nations, Outreach and Service Learning, and other clubs. Model United Nations and other activities provide opportunities for student leadership, collaboration, and global awareness. Annual student performances and arts events are part of the school life.

Community & Service
Outreach and Service Learning is a featured program at AIS West, supporting community engagement and social responsibility. The school maintains an active alumni association and a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) to foster community involvement and partnership with families.

Leadership & Professional
The school maintains a active PTO and robust university counseling, including university fairs in 2022 and 2023, supporting students in college admissions and career planning. The IB Diploma Programme also contributes to student leadership development and inquiry-based professional skill-building.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
AIS West follows SHAPE America standards for KG–12 Physical Education, emphasizing competence in movement, fitness, and social responsibility. The campus features extensive facilities, including a multi-purpose gym, libraries, and two heated swimming pools, within a large 31,726 m² site capable of welcoming up to 1,800 students.
Languages

Language Provision
English is the first language of instruction and Arabic is the second language. Arabic is given the same level of importance as English. Arabic is taught through the Arabic program, and World Language classes are part of the curriculum. The Arabic program uses the Ministry of Education Curriculum.

Bilingual Teaching
English is the first language of instruction and Arabic is the second language. Arabic is given the same level of importance as English.
Reputation

Awards
null

Accreditations
MSA accreditation; International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme accreditation; The International Baccalaureate logo appears among accreditations.
Admissions

Admissions
1. The school accepts applications from Kindergarten 1 to Grade 12. All applications are considered on an individual basis. Admission is finalized after all relevant paperwork is completed and received by the Admissions Office by the due date. Priority for any grade level is given to children who already have siblings in school. 2. The Application Process: The Application Form is online and can be submitted to begin enrollment. The school reviews each application on an individual basis to determine eligibility and next steps. Applicants may be contacted for additional information if needed. 3. Prior to the interview, all applicants supply documentation to support their application. The required documents include a photocopy of a passport for all applicants, a copy of both parents' ID front and back (for Egyptians) and a copy of parents' passport (for non-Egyptians), and an original birth certificate computerized for Egyptian nationals (with a green postage stamp on it). Five recent passport-size photos on a white background are also required, along with academic reports for the previous two years of education or three years for high school (an official transcript is required for students applying to Grades 10,11,12 American System). A completed Student Health Record Form during the online application process, and a copy of the immunization card signed and stamped by the student's doctor. Once all documentation is received, applying students will be invited for entrance exam. 4. After receiving an acceptance email and to reserve a place, the first installment fee must be paid within five working days. In case there are no current places available grade level, accepted students will be placed on a waiting list in chronological order. 5. Before students can be fully enrolled at AIS - West, documents required by the Ministry of Education in Egypt must be submitted to the student affairs office in school before the start of the academic year. These mandatory requirements are clearly explained in documents that you can access via the following section. Please be advised that it is the sole responsibility of the parent to comply with submitting these documents and AIS - West accepts no responsibility of the consequences in failure to do so.

Waitlist
Waitlist: The school places accepted students on a waiting list in chronological order if there are no current places available for the grade level.
School Events
The school has not added events
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