Kampala Diplomatic International School vs Kampala International School Uganda
Kampala Diplomatic International School and Kampala International School Uganda are both in Kampala, about 2 km apart. Both schools offer Cambridge IGCSE programmes. Kampala Diplomatic International School also offers Cambridge International AS Levels, and Kampala International School Uganda also offers British and IB. Published annual fees are UGX 12,981,678 - 21,888,019 at Kampala Diplomatic International School and UGX 16,647,325 - 105,433,060 at Kampala International School Uganda, which puts Kampala International School Uganda roughly 250% higher. Kampala Diplomatic International School takes pupils from 2 to 18, and Kampala International School Uganda from 1 to 18. The two are similar in size, at around 600 and 500 pupils. Typical class sizes are 12 at Kampala Diplomatic International School and 15 at Kampala International School Uganda.
Early Years; Primary School (Key Stage 1; Key Stage 2); IB Diploma
School type
School type
—
School type
International day school offering the IB Diploma Programme.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
—
Pupil nationality mix
Over 450 students representing 46+ nationalities.
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
—
Additional learning support
—
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
—
Country affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
—
Religious affiliation
—
School day structure
School day structure
—
School day structure
—
Bus service details
Bus service details
—
Bus service details
—
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application / Registration fees
- Registration (one-time, first year): UGX 939,884.
Tuition fees by year group (annual and approximate per-term)
- The school publishes annual tuition totals by year group. The academic year is organised in three terms; per-term amounts shown below are the annual total divided by three (rounded to the nearest UGX).
- NURSERY 2 (age 2): Annual UGX 12,229,771 → Per term approx. UGX 4,076,590. - KINDERGARTEN 1 (age 3): Annual UGX 12,229,771 → Per term approx. UGX 4,076,590. - KINDERGARTEN 2 (age 4): Annual UGX 12,229,771 → Per term approx. UGX 4,076,590. - KINDERGARTEN 3 (age 5): Annual UGX 15,613,354 → Per term approx. UGX 5,204,451. - GRADE 1 (age 6): Annual UGX 15,613,354 → Per term approx. UGX 5,204,451. - GRADE 2 (age 7): Annual UGX 16,910,394 → Per term UGX 5,636,798. - GRADE 3 (age 8): Annual UGX 16,910,394 → Per term UGX 5,636,798. - GRADE 4 (age 9): Annual UGX 16,910,394 → Per term UGX 5,636,798. - GRADE 5 (age 10): Annual UGX 16,910,394 → Per term UGX 5,636,798. - GRADE 6 (age 11): Annual UGX 19,166,115 → Per term UGX 6,388,705. - GRADE 7 (age 12): Annual UGX 19,166,115 → Per term UGX 6,388,705. - GRADE 8 (age 13): Annual UGX 19,166,115 → Per term UGX 6,388,705. - GRADE 9 (age 14): Annual UGX 19,730,046 → Per term UGX 6,576,682. - GRADE 10 (age 15): Annual UGX 19,730,046 → Per term UGX 6,576,682. - GRADE 11 (age 16): Annual UGX 21,136,112 → Per term approx. UGX 7,045,371. - GRADE 12 (age 17): Annual UGX 21,136,112 → Per term approx. UGX 7,045,371.
Fee components (additional fixed annual charges)
- Resource fee (annual, per student): UGX 187,977. - Capital levy / development levy (annual, per student): UGX 563,930.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- Fees are stated as annual amounts and are customarily paid in termly instalments (three terms per academic year); the per-term amounts above are the annual totals divided into three. Invoices and exact due dates are issued by the school for each billing period.
Boarding fees
- Boarding is offered. Boarding fees are not shown with the day-student fee table and must be requested separately from the school; the published fee schedule for day students should not be assumed to include boarding charges.
Other costs and typical additional charges
- Meals (lunch and breakfast): an additional charge is published in earlier fee schedules in the range USD 200 (example shown in the school's fee materials). - After-school clubs: an additional charge appears historically as approximately USD 40. - Uniforms: earlier published guidance lists uniform charges in the range USD 150 (Early Years) and USD 200 (Primary and Secondary). - Examination or subject-specific exam fees (IGCSE/A‑Level) and any subject options are billed in addition to tuition where applicable; parents are billed separately for external examination costs when required.
Refunds and withdrawal
- Refunds and withdrawal terms are governed by the school's enrolment and withdrawal policy and by the invoicing terms for the applicable academic year; parents should follow the school's published withdrawal procedure and the invoice terms for any refund calculations.
Fee payment options
- The school issues invoices and payment instructions. Commonly used methods for international schools in Kampala include bank transfer (local and SWIFT/international transfer), and card or local payment channels where offered; payment instructions and acceptable methods are provided on the school invoice.
Notes on figures and academic year
- The figures above follow the published fee schedule for the 2025/2026 academic year where specific 2026/2027 figures were not published. The registration, resource and capital-levy line items are applied in addition to tuition in the first year for new entrants, producing a higher first-year total for new students.
Fee details
Application / Enrolment fees - Enrolment fee for Early Years (KG & Reception): USD 580. A top-up of USD 2,630 is applied when a pupil moves into Year 1, yielding the full enrolment charge for Early Years → Year 1 entry. - Enrolment fee for Year 1 through IB2 (one-time): USD 3,200 (presented as the standard enrolment/entrance charge for Year 1–IB2). - A separate school statement of financial terms also records an enrolment amount of USD 2,350 to be paid on the day of enrolment and notes this fee as non-refundable; this figure appears alongside the other published enrolment amounts.
Tuition fees — Term fees (per term) - Kindergarten 1–3: Tuition USD 1,540; Lunch USD 430; Total per term USD 1,970. - Reception: Tuition USD 3,870; Lunch USD 440; Total per term USD 4,310. - Year 1 & 2: Tuition USD 7,030; Lunch USD 550; Total per term USD 7,580. - Year 3–6: Tuition USD 7,680; Lunch USD 550; Total per term USD 8,230. - Year 7–9: Tuition USD 8,830; Lunch USD 600; Total per term USD 9,430. - Year 10: Tuition USD 8,830; lunch is optional at USD 600 — total per term USD 8,830 (without lunch) or USD 9,430 (with lunch). - Year 11: Tuition USD 13,225 per term; lunch optional at USD 600 — total per term USD 13,225 (without lunch) or USD 13,825 (with lunch). Year 11 is payable in two half-yearly payments (school notes the payment frequency for Year 11). - IB1 (Year 12): Tuition USD 14,630 per term; lunch optional at USD 600 — total per term USD 14,630 (without lunch) or USD 15,230 (with lunch). IB1 is shown as payable in two half‑yearly payments. - IB2 (Year 13): Tuition USD 14,630 per term; lunch optional at USD 600 — total per term USD 14,630 (without lunch) or USD 15,230 (with lunch). IB2 is shown as payable in two half‑yearly payments.
Tuition fees — Annual fees (per year) - Kindergarten 1–3: Tuition USD 4,600; Lunch USD 1,240; Total per year USD 5,840. - Reception: Tuition USD 11,560; Lunch USD 1,300; Total per year USD 12,860. - Year 1 & 2: Tuition USD 21,060; Lunch USD 1,600; Total per year USD 22,660. - Year 3–6: Tuition USD 23,010; Lunch USD 1,600; Total per year USD 24,610. - Year 7–9: Tuition USD 26,450; Lunch USD 1,760; Total per year USD 28,210. - Year 10: Tuition USD 26,450 per year; lunch optional USD 1,760 — total per year USD 26,450 (without lunch) or USD 28,210 (with lunch). - Year 11: Tuition USD 26,450 per year; lunch optional USD 1,760 — total per year USD 26,450 (without lunch) or USD 28,210 (with lunch). Year 11 payment frequency is listed as two half‑yearly payments in the published schedule. - IB1 (Year 12): Tuition USD 29,250 per year; lunch optional USD 1,760 — total per year USD 29,250 (without lunch) or USD 31,010 (with lunch). IB1 is shown as payable in two half‑yearly payments. - IB2 (Year 13): Tuition USD 29,250 per year; lunch optional USD 1,760 — total per year USD 29,250 (without lunch) or USD 31,010 (with lunch). IB2 is shown as payable in two half‑yearly payments.
Transport (bus) fees - Bus fee per term: One‑way USD 495; Two‑way USD 680.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Some year groups (Year 11 and the two IB years) are shown as payable in two half‑yearly payments; other year groups are presented with term and annual totals so fees are billed on a term or annual basis as indicated. - All fees must be paid by the published due date; parents must pay fees for the next term before the last day of the current term. Outstanding accounts may result in exclusion from class or withholding of official documents. - External examination fees (IGCSE and IB) are billed separately and must be paid prior to exam registration.
Boarding fees - Boarding is not available at this school; there are no published boarding fees.
Other costs and charges - Lunch: lunch fees are shown separately for each year group and may be optional for some grades (Year 10, Year 11, IB1, IB2 show optional lunch at the published rate). These lunch charges are included in the term and annual totals where noted. - Enrolment / admission-related top‑ups and staged enrolment charges (Early Years top‑up to Year 1, and the larger single enrolment charge for Year 1–IB2) are published as set amounts under the enrolment section. - External examination fees (IGCSE and IB) and other exam‑related charges are billed separately. - Co‑curricular clubs and activity sessions may charge separately; the school's published CCA guidance specifies that fees for CCA blocks are non‑refundable if a pupil cannot attend all sessions. - International trips and optional excursions are described as part of the school programme; such trips are typically charged separately from tuition and will appear as additional costs when offered. - Uniform costs are not listed in the published fee schedule and are not given as fixed amounts in the publicly available fee documents. Parents should expect separate uniform purchases or charges arranged through the school or approved suppliers.
Refunds and cancellation policy - Fees once paid are non‑refundable. The published financial agreement states that if a child is absent for more than three weeks or withdraws from the school, no refund will be issued. If a child is asked to leave for disciplinary reasons, no fees will be refunded.
Fee payment arrangements and contact for payment instructions - The school's financial terms state that payment is to be made to the Bursar's office; parents are required to follow the school's invoicing and bursar procedures and to settle all outstanding fees by the due dates. Specific bank account details or card/payment processor details are not published on the fee schedule pages; contact the Admissions or Office email addresses for the school's accepted payment methods and bank details. - Admissions and finance contact details published with the fee materials: admissions@kisu.com and office@kisu.com; Admissions phone +256 752 711882.
Notes on inconsistencies in published enrolment figures - The school's published materials include more than one enrolment figure: the Fees Structure shows Early Years as USD 580 (with top‑up) and USD 3,200 for Year 1–IB2, while the Agreement of Financial Terms and Conditions page records an enrolment fee amount of USD 2,350 payable on the day of enrolment. These differing published figures should be clarified with school admissions or the Bursar's office when arranging enrolment and payment.
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
—
Curriculum details
The school follows the National Curriculum for England with modifications for the Ugandan setting.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
—
Student teacher ratio
There are 32 certified teachers and over 450 students, giving an approximate student–teacher ratio of about 14:1.
Exam results
Exam results
—
Exam results
The IB Diploma Programme is offered at KISU. DP results have steadily improved, and the school underwent an IBO review in 2018 that commended its Diploma Programme. To begin the full Diploma Programme, students must achieve a grade B or higher in their IGCSE for Higher Level subjects and a grade C or higher for Standard Level; for Physics or Mathematics at Higher Level, an A is required. There are three DP pathways: the full Diploma Programme, a trial Diploma, and IB Courses certificates.
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
—
Higher education progression
—
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
—
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
—
Admissions
1. Step 1: Parents ask for an application pack, complete it, and return all required documents. Incomplete applications are discarded after 30 days. Applications are reviewed to assess the student's ability to succeed in an English-language environment, taking into account prior academic records and developmental history. The application must include all documents outlined in the procedure to be processed. 2. Step 2: Admissions invites the family for a campus tour, an interview, and interactions or assessments with the student. For grades 10–12, discussion may include IGCSE or IB options. Interviews may be conducted face-to-face or online, and English and Math assessments may be used as part of placement. Parents are interviewed to ensure understanding and alignment with the school's mission and policies. 3. Step 3: Admissions informs the family of the decision. The final admission decision rests with the Director. Accepted students are placed in the appropriate grade level if space allows; accepted conditionally are monitored and may be promoted or required to repeat a year. A waiting list is used when the grade level is full, with priority to the earliest completed application; if a seat is not found within the year, parents may apply for the following academic year; the option to decline is issued if the applicant does not meet requirements.
Scholarships
Scholarships
—
Scholarships
—
Waitlist
Waitlist
—
Waitlist
Waiting list is used when a grade level is full but admission requirements are met. Priority on the waiting list goes to the earliest completed application. If a seat is not found within the current academic year, parents may apply for the following academic year by contacting the admissions office by the beginning of May. Applications do not automatically roll over to the next academic year.