American Baccalaureate School vs Kuwait American School
American Baccalaureate School and Kuwait American School are both in Kuwait City, about 13 km apart. Both schools offer American and Advanced Placement (AP) programmes. Published annual fees are KWD 2,650 - 4,810 at American Baccalaureate School and KWD 1,756 - 3,488 at Kuwait American School, which puts American Baccalaureate School roughly 42% higher. American Baccalaureate School takes pupils from 3 to 18, and Kuwait American School from 4 to 18. American Baccalaureate School is the larger school, with around 1,081 pupils to Kuwait American School's 476. Typical class sizes are 23 at American Baccalaureate School and 18 at Kuwait American School.
Abraq Khaitan, Block 6, Street #59, Ibn Zuhair Street, Kuwait. The campus is located in Kuwait. The facilities include over 100 classrooms, a networked library and media center, fully equipped science labs, four state-of-the-art computer labs, two full cafeterias serving hot meals, a gymnasium, and an indoor semi-Olympic size swimming pool.
Location
—
Stages
Stages
Kindergarten; Elementary; Middle and High School
Stages
—
School type
School type
Private, non-profit college preparatory school
School type
—
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
High school student body is 99% Kuwaiti.
Pupil nationality mix
—
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
—
Additional learning support
—
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
The school has American affiliation.
Country affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
—
School day structure
School day structure
The school week runs Sunday through Thursday. The school day begins at 7:30 a.m. and includes a daily 20-minute homeroom advisory period, followed by seven 48-minute instructional periods. Extracurricular activities occur after school.
School day structure
—
Bus service details
Bus service details
—
Bus service details
—
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
*Application fees*
- Application fee (new applicants): KWD 50 (non‑refundable). - Registration fee (payable at registration): KWD 200 (non‑refundable).
*Tuition fees by year group (annual and per installment for the 2025–2026 academic year)*
- Standard tuition billing is in two installments with due dates shown as 31 August and 31 January for the academic year schedule above. Installment amounts are listed beside each grade above. - Cheques should be drawn payable to: "Oxford International for Educational Services." Payment dates and installment arrangements are subject to change per school policy. - Sibling discounts: first child—no discount; second child—KWD 100 discount; third child—10% discount; fourth child—10% discount.
*Boarding fees*
- No boarding/hostel fees are published. Boarding services are not listed as part of the school's fee schedule.
*Other costs and mandatory additional fees*
- Photo: KWD 10 (mandatory). - Locker (Grades 3–12): KWD 10. - PSAT exam (Grades 9–11): KWD 10. - Agenda/planner (Grades 3–12): KWD 7. - Textbook fees, consumable text fees, lab fees, course‑specific materials (e.g., oceanography book, culinary arts class), Windows laptop requirement (Grades 3–12), and school supplies for KG are additional charges that are not included in the annual tuition and will be billed separately as applicable. Transportation charges and extra‑curricular activity fees are charged separately. Specific amounts for these items are set per item/program and billed in addition to tuition.
*Refund information*
- Amounts paid to the school are non‑refundable for the application fee (KWD 50), registration fee (KWD 200), tuition fee, textbook fee, transportation charges, and extra‑curricular activities fees.
*Fee payment options and notes on payment methods*
- The published fee schedule specifies cheques to be drawn to "Oxford International for Educational Services." No alternative payment methods (credit card, online portal, bank transfer) are specified on the published tuition and fees schedule. Parents should use the cheque instruction as the named payee when submitting payment per the billing schedule.
Fee details
Application / Registration Fee - A one-time registration fee of KWD 100 is charged at initial enrolment (paid with the application/registration).
Tuition fees by year group (annual amounts) - Kindergarten 2 (K2 / age 4): KWD 1,756 per year. - Kindergarten 3 (K3 / age 5): KWD 1,953 per year. - Grade 1 (age 6): KWD 2,936 per year. - Grade 2 (age 7): KWD 2,936 per year. - Grade 3 (age 8): KWD 2,936 per year. - Grade 4 (age 9): KWD 2,936 per year. - Grade 5 (age 10): KWD 3,130 per year. - Grade 6 (age 11): KWD 3,130 per year. - Grade 7 (age 12): KWD 3,130 per year. - Grade 8 (age 13): KWD 3,130 per year. - Grade 9 (age 14): KWD 3,488 per year. - Grade 10 (age 15): KWD 3,488 per year. - Grade 11 (age 16): KWD 3,488 per year. - Grade 12 (age 17): KWD 3,488 per year.
First-year total (example) - For a newly enrolled K2 student the total payable on first year entry is KWD 1,856 (KWD 1,756 tuition + KWD 100 registration).
Billing schedule and payment terms - All student fees and charges are required to be paid before the start of term (the school requires payment one week prior to the first day of school). Parents may opt for the school's deferred payment plan in which the annual tuition is paid in three instalments; the first instalment must be paid prior to the student's first day. Late or missed payments are handled under the school's standard accounting procedures.
Sibling discount - A family discount of 5% is applied to tuition for the second (and subsequent) child from the same family.
Boarding / Residential fees - Kuwait American School operates as a day school; boarding / residential provision is not applicable.
Other costs and typical additional charges - The following items are commonly charged in addition to tuition and registration; parents should plan for these potential extra costs: uniforms, textbooks and workbooks, transportation (school bus), examination and external assessment fees, extra-curricular activities and trips, and learning-support or English-as-an-additional-language (EAL) support where applicable. These items are normally billed separately from the annual tuition.
Refunds and non-refundable items - The registration fee is treated as non-refundable in normal circumstances; when an assessment is required and the applicant does not pass, the registration payment may be refunded after deduction of assessment costs (the school's published practice includes a deduction for assessment expenses in that scenario). Refunds or partial refunds for tuition or other fees follow the school's enrolment and withdrawal policy and accounting rules.
Fee payment options and practical notes - The school requires payment of the registration deposit and tuition to secure enrolment; parents are instructed to complete the requisite payment to the school's accounts office or cashier by the prescribed due dates. Payment in person at the school office or by bank deposit/transfer are the routinely used methods for Kuwaiti private schools; parents should complete the payment to the school's accounts office as directed during registration.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
—
Boarding arrangements
—
Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
—
Uniform requirement
—
Food options
Food options
—
Food options
—
House system
House system
—
House system
—
Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
—
Governance and ownership
—
Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The American Baccalaureate School uses the Common Core Standards. For grades K-8, there are grade-by-grade standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics; for grades 9-12, standards are grouped into 9-10 and 11-12 bands. The standards are research-based, clear and aligned with college and career expectations, emphasize rigorous content and higher-order thinking, and mastery of the standards is essential for success in college, career, and life. They draw on international models and input from educators, researchers, assessment developers, professional organizations, parents and students, to prepare students for the global economy. A range of supports is provided for all students, including those with special needs and English language learners. The Diploma Program emphasizes strong foundations in English and Arabic literacy.
Curriculum details
—
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
Average class size is 20-23 students. ABS has a teaching staff of 229 individuals from over 39 countries.
Student teacher ratio
—
Exam results
Exam results
—
Exam results
—
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
The School Profile 2024-2025 shows graduates gaining admission to universities in the United States, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, and beyond. Examples of U.S. institutions include the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, UC Irvine, the University of Colorado, Michigan State University, Yale University among others. Kuwait institutions listed include Kuwait University, GUST, and the American University of Kuwait, and UK institutions include the University of Glasgow, Bristol University, City, University of London, and the University of Manchester.
Higher education progression
—
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered to high school students starting in their junior year, including AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Biology. AP exams are held each May and can earn college credit or advanced placement depending on scores.
Gifted and talented
—
Academic calendar
Academic calendar
—
Academic calendar
—
Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
—
Social & emotional learning
—
Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
—
Special educational needs (SEN)
—
English as an additional language
English as an additional language
—
English as an additional language
—
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
—
Mental wellbeing
—
Safeguarding
Safeguarding
—
Safeguarding
—
Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
—
Safeguarding policy
—
Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
—
Facilities overview
—
Sports facilities
Sports facilities
—
Sports facilities
—
Academic facilities
Academic facilities
—
Academic facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
—
Extra curricular facilities
—
Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
—
History
—
Community
Community
—
Community
—
Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
—
Parent teacher association
—
Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
—
Academic & intellectual
—
Arts & creative
Arts & creative
—
Arts & creative
—
Cultural & language
Cultural & language
—
Cultural & language
—
Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
—
Social & hobbies
—
Community & service
Community & service
—
Community & service
—
Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
—
Leadership & professional
—
Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
—
Lifestyle & wellbeing
—
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
—
Language provision
—
Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
—
Bilingual teaching
—
Immersion programs
Immersion programs
—
Immersion programs
—
Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
—
Awards
—
Accreditations
Accreditations
—
Accreditations
—
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
1. Eligibility and program fit. The school offers admission to both Arabic- and non-Arabic-speaking students. It provides a full English immersion program with an American-based curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12, taught by Western-trained teachers. The school invites families to visit the campus and contact the Admissions Office for enrollment guidance.
2. Application materials and submission. The application form and the Parent Checklist for KG, Elementary and MSHS are available for download. Complete these documents and submit them to the Admissions Office together with the required items. The Registration Office is open Sunday to Thursday from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
3. Screening, transcripts and immunizations. New students must demonstrate an ability performance level within ABS programs and provide report cards and/or transcripts from previous schools. Satisfactory screening/testing is administered by ABS or the Oxford Learning Center. An immunization record or waiver must be on file prior to the start of school.
4. Admissions decision and waiting list. When the capacity of each class is reached, those meeting the above criteria but not admitted will be placed on a waiting list in case an opening occurs. Families will be contacted according to the stated criteria if space becomes available. Applications for the following school year must be resubmitted during spring registration.
5. Priorities for admission. New students will be considered for admission in descending priorities on a space-available basis: children with siblings currently in attendance; Kuwaiti children applying from an American School; American children applying from an American school; all other children applying from an American school. Admissions decisions take into account the capacity of each class and the ability to meet program requirements.
6. Special needs and program scope. ABS does not have the programs and resources to assist those children who have special academic, social or physical needs.
Admissions
—
Scholarships
Scholarships
—
Scholarships
—
Waitlist
Waitlist
The school maintains a waiting list when class capacity is reached. Eligible applicants meeting the criteria will be placed on the waiting list and contacted in the event that an opening becomes available. For the next school year, applications must be resubmitted during spring registration. Openings are offered based on space availability and the ordering of the criteria set by the school.
