The Most Affordable International Schools In KL & PJ [Updated]

 

We’ve updated our popular roundup of international schools in the Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya region for 2019. There are even more choices on the market this year, with nine newcomers on the scene since our last update.

Since the restrictions on Malaysian students entering international education were lifted, more and more international schools are mushrooming around the country.

There are many reasons why Malaysian parents are sending their children to these premium schools. It could be because they believe an international education, be it UK, American or Australian curriculum, is superior compared to the national syllabus. It could be to make smoother transition for students who plan to further their education in universities overseas.

Another reason could also be due to the lower student and teacher ratio, paired with better facilities in the campus. Some argue that the cost of tuition classes that they will have to fork out when they send their children to national schools is not a small sum either.

However, the fact remains: International education is not cheap. For the first tier international schools, the cost could easily double (or more) what one would pay for local private college education. In fact, the ExpatFinder International School Fee Survey 2016 ranked Malaysia as the 8^th most expensive country for international education.

If you have your heart set on an international education for your children, there are some international schools in the Klang Valley that may fit into your budget.

Here are our top picks for schools that cost less than RM300,000 from Year to Year 11/12:

1. Al-Noor International School

Curricula offered: IGCSE, A Levels

Al-Noor International School combines elements from the British, Bahraini and Indian curriculums to offer a modern education for children between the ages of 3 and 17. Languages offered in the school are English and Arabic.

The facilities one can find in this school are labs for Science, Physics and ICT, library, smartboards, football field, badminton field, volley ball field, canteen, prayer room, first aid room and swimming pool.

Here is the breakdown of the fees (extracted on January 2017):

Level	Total annual fees (3 semesters)	Deposit*
Preschool, KG 1 & KG 2	RM7,953.00	N/A
Year 1 – 2	RM10,056.00	RM3,500.00
Year 3 – 4	RM11,580.00	RM3,500.00
Year 5 – 6	RM12,597.00	RM3,500.00
Year 7 – 8	RM15,102.00	RM3,500.00
Year 9	RM17,604.00	RM3,500.00
Year 10 – 11	RM18,00.00	RM3,500.00
A LEVEL	RM18,000.00	RM3,500.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

 

Discounts: 5% for the 3^rd child and 7% for the 4^th child

Address: No. 6 Lengkok Bellamy Bukit Petaling, 50460 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Website: http://www.ais-kl.edu.my

2. Regent International School

Curricula offered: Cambridge, IGCSE

According to Education Destination Malaysia, the Regent International School provides a low student to teacher ratio with the average class size of 25 students in the main campus located in Klang. The school is open for students between the ages of 5 and 17, offering British Cambridge education with English language as the medium of teaching.

Here’s the fee schedule from Year 1 to Year 11 (2015/16):

Level	Total annual fees (3 terms)	Deposit*
Year 1 – 2	RM12,000.00	RM3,000.00
Year 3 – 4	RM13,500.00
Year 5 – 6	RM14,500.00
Year 7 – 8	RM16,000.00
Year 9	RM17,500.00
Year 10	RM17,500.00
Year 11	RM18,000.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

 

Discount: 5% for 2^nd child and 10% for 3^rd child onwards. Applicable to tuition Fees only.

Address: Regent International School Main Campus, Wisma Lourdes No 114, Jalan Tengku Kelana 41100 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Website: http://www.regent.edu.my/

3. Idrissi International School

Curricula offered: IGCSE, UK Curriculum, International Primary Curriculum, Islamic Curriculum

Other curriculum: Idrissi Islamic Curriculum, Meaningful Languages, Science, Design & Technology; Physical, Social and Health Education

For parents looking for an Islamic international school, Idrissi International School will likely be on your list of consideration. The school also prioritises learning outside of the classroom with labs and organic eco garden made available for the students, teachers and parents.

Facilities available include air-conditioned classrooms, library, sports field, canteen, basketball court, badminton court, IT resource centre, science laboratory, as well as art room.

Below is the fee structure from preschool to secondary level (extracted on January 2017):

Level	Total annual fees (3 terms)
Preschool	RM10,800.00
Primary	RM15,000.00
Secondary	RM15,600.00

Address: Idrissi International School, No.15, Jalan Setia Dagang, AK U13/AK, 7th Avenue, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor.

Website: http://www.idrissischool.edu.my/

4. Tanarata International School

Curricula offered: UK Curriculum, IGCSE, A Levels

One of the selling points brought forward by Tanarata International School is the low student/teacher ratio. According to its website, class sizes in the school rarely exceed a count of 20 to 22, with a cap on total school student enrolment at around 600 students.

Located at Planters Ground with 5-acres of land, the school provides air-conditioned classrooms, natural science labs, activity rooms for music and drama, creative and visual arts, as well as design, IT lab, library, lake-front café, auditorium, games room, sports field, indoor badminton courts and swimming pool.

One of the more equipped campus, Tanarata International School is ranked the 3^rd most affordable school in this list. Here’s the breakdown of the fees (extracted January 2017):

Level	Total annual fees (3 terms)	Deposit*
Year 1 - 2	RM17,400.00	RM3,000.00
Year 3 - 4	RM18,900.00	RM3,250.00
Year 5 - 6	RM20,160.00	RM3,500.00
Year 7 - 9	RM21,840.00	RM3,750.00
Year 10 - 11 IGCSE	RM26,040.00	RM4,000.00
Year 12 - 13 AS/A Levels	RM30,240.00	RM5,000.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

 

Discount: 10% discount on tuition fees for siblings of a current student

Address: Tanarata International Schools Planters Grounds 3 1/2 Miles Kajang-Serdang Road, 43000 Selangor.

Website: http://www.tanarata.net

5. Baseerah International School

Curricula offered: Cambridge, International Primary Curriculum, IGCSE, A Levels, Malay, Arabic, Islamic Civilisation

Another Islamic international school, Baseerah also offers other international curriculum. Open to children as young as three years old, the school have classes from Kindergarten all the way to A Level.

Although English language is the main medium instruction, students are also exposed to Arabic and Malay languages.

Here’s the latest fee structure (2016/17):

Level	Total annual fees (2 semesters)	Deposit*
Kindergarten 1 & 2	RM9,500.00	RM2,000.00
Grade 1 - 3	RM12,500.00	RM2,000.00
Grade 4 - 6	RM14,500.00	RM2,000.00
Grade 7 - 8	RM16,500.00	RM2,000.00
Grade 9 - 10	RM17,500.00	RM2,000.00
Grade 11 - 12 (A Level)	RM18,000.00	RM2,000.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

Discount:

• Early bird discount 1: 10% discount of the tuition fees and deposit eliminated if the annual school fees for 1st and 2nd semester are paid before 15/10/2017.
• Early bird discount 2: 5% discount for families who pay the 1st semester school fees within two weeks of beginning of the semester.
• Sibling discount: 10% discount on tuition fees for subsequent children.

Address:

• Baseerah Gombak, Lot 1815, Jalan Lintang, Sri Gombak Heights, Taman Sri Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
• Baseerah Shah Alam, No. 11, Jalan Pegaga 7 U12/B, Shah Alam, Malaysia.

Website: http://baseerah.edu.my

6. Sayfol International School

Curricula offered: IGCSE, UK Curriculum, International Advanced Levels (IAL)

One of the few schools that allow students from as young as 2 years old, Sayfol offers British curriculum.

In Year 11, students complete the Pearson Edexcel International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Examinations, and then they continue to Year 12 and Year 13 for the IAL Examinations.

Here’s the fee structure (2015/16):

Level	Total annual fees (3 semesters)	Deposit*
Early Years	RM10,050.00	RM2,000.00
KG 1	RM12,450.00	RM2,000.00
KG 2	RM13,350.00	RM2,000.00
Year 1	RM14,940.00	RM4,980.00
Year 2	RM15,540.00	RM5,180.00
Year 3	RM17,040.00	RM5,680.00
Year 4	RM17,640.00	RM5,880.00
Year 5	RM18,540.00	RM6,180.00
Year 6	RM19,890.00	RM6,630.00
Year 7	RM22,350.00	RM7,450.00
Year 8	RM22,950.00	RM7,650.00
Year 9	RM24,750.00	RM8,250.00
Year 10	RM28,050.00	RM9,350.00
Year 11	RM28,450.00	RM14,225.00
A Level	RM28,800.00	RM9,600.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

 

Address: No. 261, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Website: http://sayfol.edu.my/

7. Sri Kuala Lumpur International School

Curricula offered: Cambridge Primary, IGCSE, O Levels

Started with only six students in 1979, Sri KL has expanded to a 5.7-acre school located in Subang Jaya.

Some of the facilities available are air-conditioned classrooms, 25-metre swimming pool, science labs, multipurpose hall, 300-seater auditorium, dance & drama studio, music school, fine arts centre, gymnasium, canteens, libraries, computer labs, playground and sports field.

Here is how much it costs to enrol your child to Sri KL (2016):

Level	Total annual fees (2 semesters)	Deposit*
Year 1	RM18,100.00	RM7,000.00
Year 2	RM18,600.00	RM7,000.00
Year 3	RM19,200.00	RM7,000.00
Year 4	RM19,800.00	RM7,000.00
Year 5	RM20,400.00	RM7,000.00
Year 6	RM21,000.00	RM7,000.00
Year 7	RM26,200.00	RM12,000.00
Year 8	RM27,800.00	RM12,000.00
Year 9	RM29,600.00	RM12,000.00
Year 10	RM31,800.00	RM12,000.00
Year 11	RM34,100.00	RM12,000.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

Address: No. 1, Jalan SS 15/7A, Subang Jaya, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Website: http://www.srikl.edu.my/

8. Beaconhouse Sri Inai International School

Curricula offered: Reception, Cambridge Primary & Secondary, IGCSE

Sri Inai is one of the two international schools under the Beaconhouse group. It offers a curriculum based on the National Curriculum for England, Cambridge International Curriculum and Cambridge International Examinations (Checkpoint & IGCSE).

Some of the facilities available in this campus are library, air-conditioned classrooms, music room, speech & drama Room, cafeteria, science labs, indoor badminton & netball courts, computer labs, and futsal & basketball courts.

Here’s how much it cost to study in Beaconhouse Sri Inai International School (2017):

Level	Total annual fees (3 semesters)	Deposit
Reception	RM13,710.00	RM4,570.00
Year 1	RM15,600.00	RM5,200.00
Year 2	RM18,210.00	RM6,070.00
Year 3	RM21,000.00	RM7,000.00
Year 4	RM22,920.00	RM7,640.00
Year 5	RM23,310.00	RM7,770.00
Year 6	RM23,910.00	RM7,970.00
Year 7	RM26,010.00	RM8,670.00
Year 8	RM26,220.00	RM8,740.00
Year 9	RM27,510.00	RM9,170.00
Year 10	RM30,510.00	RM10,170.00
Year 11	RM31,320.00	RM10,440.00

Discount: 5% for the 2^nd child, 10% for the 3^rd child, 15% for the 4^th child, and 20% for the 5^th child onwards.

Address: Beaconhouse Sri Inai Jalan Jenjarum, No. 1098, Jalan Jenjarum Off Jalan SS 23/6, Taman SEA, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Website: http://beaconhouse.edu.my/bh-sri-inai-international/

9. Maz International School

Curricula offered: UK Curriculum, IGCSE, A Levels

Maz International School started out in Petaling Jaya. In 2011, the school opens the door to their Shah Alam campus, which offers boarding as well as day school.

With students from Japan, Korea, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistani and also Malaysia, students are exposed to culture and language from different parts of the world.

Facilities are available for different fields of interest such as academic, performing arts and sports.

Here is the fee strusture according to different levels (2016/17):

Level	Total annual fees (3 terms)	Deposit*
KG 1	RM10,050.00	RM3,500.00
KG 2	RM12,000.00	RM4,000.00
Year 1	RM14,250.00	RM4,750.00
Year 2	RM15,000.00	RM5,000.00
Year 3	RM15,750.00	RM5,250.00
Year 4	RM17,250.00	RM5,750.00
Year 5	RM18,000.00	RM6,000.00
Year 6	RM18,750.00	RM6,250.00
Year 7	RM21,000.00	RM7,000.00
Year 8	RM24,000.00	RM8,000.00
Year 9	RM25,500.00	RM8,500.00
Year 10	RM27,000.00	RM9,000.00
Year 11	RM30,000.00	RM10,000.00
Year 12	RM36,000.00	RM12,000.00

* The refundable deposit will be reviewed annually and topped up according to the level of study.

 

Address:

• Maz International School Petaling Jaya, No.1 MAZ House, Jalan 20/19, Paramount Gardens, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
• MAZ International School Shah Alam Campus, Lot 2, Jalan Kristal 7/64, Section 7, 40000, Shah Alam, Selangor.

Website: http://www.mazinternational.edu.my/

10. REAL International School Cheras

Curricula offered: Cambridge Primary, Cambridge Secondary, UK Curriculum, IGCSE, Malaysian Curriculum

Located on a 10-acre land nestled in Cheras, this campus is also known as the Suria Campus, which houses both international and private schools. Students can also opt for the boarding option.

Here is the breakdown of the fees (2016/17):

Level	Total annual fees (3 terms)	Deposit*
Year 1 - 2	RM18,000.00	RM6,000.00
Year 3 - 6	RM22,400.00	RM6,000.00
Year 7 - 9	RM27,100.00	RM8,000.00
Year 10 - 11	RM30,400.00	RM8,000.00

Discount: Siblings discount available but details are not published.

Address: Lot 217, Batu 13, Jalan Hulu Langat, 43100 Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia

Website: http://realschools.edu.my

The above figures serve as a guideline for parents who are considering international education for their children. The amount does not include other miscellaneous fees such as meal plans, uniform, books and materials, and for new students, registration fees, application fees and assessment fees.

International education does not come for cheap. Malaysian parents who are considering sending their children to international schools will have to think it through, especially financially.

This is not a one-time cost, and the cost will likely go up due to education inflation and also as your child progresses through the years but careful planning can ensure you are prepared to foot the bill.

Now that you know some of the most affordable international schools in the Klang Valley, it’s time to take a look at the most expensive international schools!

Image from Asia Life Magazine