Compare Premium International Schools in Ethiopia

Mauritania Rd, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Early Years 3 to Grade 12 (Primary, Middle, and High School)

Non-profit international school

80+ nationalities represented among our school community

Learning Support in each grade; English as an Additional Language (EAL); Occupational Therapy; Speech and Language Therapy; Counseling; Evaluations; Student Transition Educational Program

Ethiopia

School hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 AM–3:20 PM (3:25 PM for MS/HS); Wednesday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM (2:05 PM for MS/HS); After School Activities 3:30–4:30 PM

Uniform for physical education and sports is required for grades 4–12.

Lunch is an additional expense. There is an informal weekly on-campus food market called Food makes us happy, organized via a PTO WhatsApp group for preorders.

ICS Addis is a not-for-profit independent school governed by a Board of Governors acting on behalf of the ICS Association (parents and staff). The Board oversees the Mission, Vision and Strategic Plan and fiduciary oversight, and delegates operational authority to the Head of School. There are two standing committees, Finance and Governance, and statutes and bylaws govern the association.

ICS Addis is an IB World School offering a full IB continuum. It provides the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Elementary, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6–8 in the Middle School and Grades 9–10 in the High School, the Diploma Programme (DP) for Grades 11–12, and the Career-related Programme (CP) for Grades 11–12. The DP has been offered since 1982 and the CP was added to complete the continuum. The MYP is taught in the Middle School (Grades 6–8) and High School (Grades 9–10).

Student-Teacher ratio: 8:1.

High School Profile 2025-26 shows DP candidates: 35; bilingual diplomas awarded: 9; highest DP points awarded: 40. SAT score averages: total 1133 (Reading and Writing 565; Mathematics 568).

Graduates attend a wide range of universities worldwide, including Quinnipiac University, Randolph-Macon College, RISD, and others in the United States. Universities listed also include the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, among several institutions in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond.

Social-emotional learning is at the forefront of the Middle School Advisory program. Positive Action is an international curriculum that teaches self-management and responsible decision-making. Advisory meetings run 45 minutes at the start of school four days each week, with small groups that help students build connections with peers and a trusted adult. The focus of Advisory centers on promoting student wellbeing, gaining self-management skills, and taking ownership of their path to success through goal-setting. A focus on SEL is associated with improvements in academics and overall wellbeing.

The Department of Student Support Services includes Learning Support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Counseling, Evaluations, and a Student Transition Educational Program. Learning Support is offered in each section, with a learning support teacher in every grade from Early Years to Grade 5. EAL provides support for students developing their English language proficiency. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) with RTI identifies and addresses academic, emotional, and behavioral needs, providing Tier 1–3 interventions as appropriate. The school describes itself as responsibly inclusive and remains transparent about the scope of services offered.

EAL provides support for students developing their English language proficiency.

Counseling provides emotional and social support to students, as well as university and career guidance to help students plan for life beyond school. A Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is used to identify and address students' academic, emotional, and behavioral needs, with tiered interventions as required to support growth and wellbeing. The school is committed to supporting the academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of students.

Safeguarding and Child Protection are prioritized to prevent harm to children's health or development, with safeguarding living up to a whole-community responsibility. Staff, students, and families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the safeguarding handbook to identify and respond to concerns. Key safeguarding practices include a rigorous approach to suspected abuse, comprehensive community education, safe recruitment, clear reporting channels, and campus safety. There are clear reporting channels and confidential forms, with a dedicated safeguarding response team available to support the community.

1. Preparing to apply to ICS. The admissions team supports families through transition and aims to make the process welcoming and transparent. The school is committed to ensuring that all students learn and engage at high levels, and this begins during admissions as the applicant is met and assessed to understand their learning profile and how they might benefit from the ICS program.

2. Applying to Early Years 3 and 4. Early Years 3 and Early Years 4 include students aged 3 to 5. Applications open on November 1 for the next school year. EY3 and EY4 students may start school at any time; there is no deadline. For Admissions Regulations and placement, access the More Information option.

3. Applying from within Ethiopia. Local applicants are those living or attending school in Ethiopia. The local applicant process aims to support a planned transition for these students. Applications open on November 1 for the next school year; Starting School is August enrollment only; Deadline is May 15 for the next school year. For local applicant regulations, access the More Information option.

4. Applying from outside of Ethiopia. International applicants are considered in order of receipt of all application requirements and are admitted on a space-available basis if they meet admissions criteria. Applications open on November 1 for the next school year. Starting School is Open throughout the school year for Early Years 5 to Grade 8; contact ICS for Grades 9–12. Deadline is None. For Admissions Regulations, access the More Information option.

5. Space Availability. Spaces may be limited in some grade levels and in some student support services programs. Families with children who might need special services are encouraged to contact ICS early to determine if appropriate supports can be provided. As an international community school, spaces for Ethiopian citizen students are limited. Contact the Admissions Office for up-to-date information on space availability.

6. Take the Next Step. Online Application: Complete the initial application form on a computer and upload electronic passport-style photos of the applicant and parents/guardians. You can access your account and stay up-to-date with the application through the OpenApply mobile app.

Application Requirements: After submitting the application form, a personalized checklist of requirements is shown; Parents are responsible for obtaining the application requirements.

Application Review and Feedback: After all admissions requirements are received, the Admissions Committee will review the applicant's file and may request additional information, including assessments, interviews or observations, to determine the best fit. During the school year, feedback is provided within two weeks of receipt of a completed application.

Admissions Decision: If accepted and space is available, an offer of acceptance is issued with an Enrollment Contract. If accepted but no space is available, the applicant is placed on the wait list or wait pool based on Applicant Priority Guidelines. If the school cannot meet the applicant's needs, the family is notified and the admissions team can provide recommendations for alternative schooling options in Addis.

Enrollment: Upon receiving the Enrollment Contract, the space is confirmed. If applying for enrollment at a future date, the Admissions Office will stay in touch to support the transition and start of school. If applying for immediate enrollment, internal enrollment processes are initiated and family orientation is organized prior to the first day of school.

Admissions Policy: The school serves the educational needs of the international community in Addis Ababa. ICS Addis accepts students who can be successful in the regular academic program and does not discriminate on religion, ethnicity or national origin, or gender in its admissions and educational policies. Admission is based upon completed application forms, previous school records, and results from previous or current academic testing to determine the applicant's potential to benefit, the school's capacity to meet educational needs, and the ability to meet behavioral or emotional needs.

ICS Addis provides four merit scholarships each year to high achieving Ethiopian students entering Grade 9. The merit scholarship is need-blind and based on merit. Applicants must be nominated by their school and cannot apply independently. Applicants take a three-hour exam in English, mathematics, and cognitive ability. Each year there are 16 scholarship students in Grades 9–12. The scholarship covers full-tuition for four years, enrolling each scholarship recipient into ICS throughout High School.

Waitlist. If an applicant is accepted but no space is available, the applicant is placed on the wait list or wait pool. The wait list/pool is used to fill spaces as they become available. Decisions regarding placement follow the Applicant Priority Guidelines.

Churchill Avenue, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (P.O. Box 1496).

Preschool through high school, comprising Maternelle (preschool), Elémentaire (elementary), Collège (middle school) and Lycée (high school).

French-Ethiopian lycée (French international school) affiliated with Mission Laïque Française and AEFE.

France

The school maintains a general dress code and clothing should be neat. Sportswear and appropriate shoes are required for physical education, and cleats are forbidden outside the football field. Clothes must be labeled with the students name; discreet religious signs are tolerated, but ostentatious signs promoting proselytism or discrimination are prohibited.

A catering service for meals begins on September 8, 2025. Families provide a lunch box labeled with the childs name, a water bottle labeled with the childs name (metal bottles are not permitted), and a cap labeled with the childs name; a pair of sports shoes and a school bag are also required. We advise bringing lunch and water for children staying in the afternoon; soft drinks are not allowed and meals delivered at lunchtime are prohibited.

The school is a Mission Laïque Française establishment within the AEFE network.

The school is an Établissement en Pleine Responsabilité (EPR) of the Mission Laïque Française (MLF) and is a signatory of an AEFE convention, certifying the French model of education and enabling it to serve as a center for the Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB) and the Baccalauréat. The French education system is organized in three cycles here: Ecole élémentaire (5 years), Collège (4 years), and Lycée (3 years). At the end of collège, students take the DNB; at the end of lycée, they take the Baccalauréat. The school offers a double curriculum (French and Ethiopian) during compulsory schooling and provides a multilingual program described as “Two cultures, three languages,” with French as the main language of schooling, plus English and Amharique, and Spanish available from the 5ème; In Première and Terminale, students may specialize in Langues, Littératures et cultures étrangères. Most graduates pursue higher education in France or North America, and the school allows transfers to other French establishments worldwide.

Baccalauréat 2025: 100% pass rate; 80% earned a mention, including 44% with Good (Bien) and Very Good (Très Bien) mentions. Brevet 2025: 96% pass rate; 89 mentions, including 64% with Good or Very Good mentions. Grade 8 (Ministry Exam) 2025: 87% pass rate for Ethiopian-nationality students in 5th grade.

For entry into higher education, the Lycée prepares students to obtain the French Baccalauréat; after graduation, the majority pursue studies in France or in North America (Canada and the United States).

Excellence-Major scholarships are offered, funded by the French government through AEFE and MEAE to support top foreign baccalaureate graduates in pursuing advanced studies in France; eligible candidates must be non-French, in Terminale at a French school abroad, have excellent academic results, and intend to pursue French higher education; candidates must apply via Parcoursup or institutional procedures, and recipients must obtain a Very Good or Good grade at the baccalaureat.

The Vie Scolaire manages daily student life, including handling lateness and absences and maintaining a strong link with families. The team includes a CPE (Conseiller Principal d'Education), the Vie Scolaire secretariat, and an Assistant d'éducation. It runs études, the CDI (library), Devoirs faits, the Association Sportive, sports clubs, and a reading club in Amharic. AED provide personalized support to students or groups facing difficulties in school life or personal difficulties. The Vie Scolaire actively fosters close relationships with families to ensure a calm, supportive climate that underpins learning.

Elèves à Besoins Educatifs Particuliers are cared for through a dedicated SEN pole, enabling inclusion for all pupils in line with directives from the French Ministry of National Education.

From Moyenne Section, children benefit from 3 hours of initiation to foreign languages as part of the language pathway. The learning of French remains a priority in the school's educational project. The Plus de Maîtres que de Classes approach supports oral French instruction and addresses difficulties faced by some pupils. The maternelle program includes a language track with English or Amharic as the dominant language.

The school emphasizes pupil development and well-being through projects that foster growth and engagement with digital tools. The Vie Scolaire maintains close links with families to ensure a calm climate conducive to learning. The inclusion and well-being focus runs across the early years and throughout the school.

The Vie Scolaire unit works with families and school leadership to guarantee a serene climate and to support student safety and well-being. The dedicated SEN pole and ongoing family engagement contribute to safeguarding and inclusive practices.

1. Determine the appropriate admissions stream. The Lycée Guebre-Mariam accepts new students in Petite Section (PS) for early childhood, MS-CM2 for the elementary to lower primary range, and 6th to Terminale for secondary. Each stream has its own application process and timing for the 2025-2026 academic year. 2. Submit the application via Eduka. Dossiers must be completed on the Eduka platform using the school code 544899. If a family already has an existing account for another child, use the same login (your registered email) and follow the instruction walk-through; the school provides information in a Tutoriel and an English admission page for English speakers. 3. Prepare and attach required documents and a motivation letter. In all streams, a letter of motivation is required; the letter may be written in French, English, or Amharic and will be used to assess interest in the school and the proposed schooling project. In PS, MS-CM2, and Secondary, incomplete dossiers will not be processed, and some documents may be treated as confidential (financial documents, medical form). 4. Complete dossier review and response. After the dossier is complete and accepted, the school will email an acceptance notice and request payment of the registration fees; once the payment is received, the registration is definitively validated. 5. Tests for admission (where applicable). For MS-CM2 and CP-CM2 applicants from non-homologated schools, placement tests are held in the second half of June and are contingent on initial dossier validation; for 6ème-Terminale applicants from non-homologated schools, placement tests occur in the last days of August with dates communicated in due course. 6. Ethiopian nationals and passport alignment. For Ethiopian children, registration is done according to the passport, and there is an age-to-class equivalence framework published for reference; it is advisable to consult the Equivalence age/class guidance when planning entry. 7. Admission in English option. An English-language admission page is available for each stream, providing the English version of the process and links to English-language registration where offered. 8. General notes. The school provides an English and a French version of admission information and maintains a dedicated contact channel for admissions inquiries and financial questions through the listed addresses and office contacts.

1. AEFE scholarship. The consular section of the French Embassy in Ethiopia informs French residents that the second scholarship campaign for the 2022-2023 academic year is open. The local commission will examine requests from families in the consular district after the first commission or in cases of financial need, and there are provisions for revision and renewal requests. Documentation procedures and the required forms (including the scholarship application form and the list of documents) are provided, with a deadline for submissions; renewals are handled by the French service, and first-time requests require appointment through the diplomatic channels. This program is part of the AEFE network and is administered for French residents living abroad. 2. Bourse Excellence-Major. The French government, through AEFE and MEAE, funds Excellence-Major scholarships to support top foreign high-school graduates in pursuing higher education in France. Eligibility requires not having French nationality, being in terminale at a French-education abroad school under homologation, achieving excellent academic results, presenting an orientation project in the French education system, and intending to pursue demanding studies in France. Applicants must also submit Parcoursup or the equivalent application pathway, demonstrate motivation and adaptability for life in France, and have their dossier digitized and evaluated by the AEFE via the cooperation and cultural action service of the French Embassy. Selected candidates must have a top-tier baccalauréat result and be admitted to a French higher education program. 3. Bourses d'étude du Gouvernement Français (bourses scolaires for French children abroad). A formal government scholarship process exists for French children living abroad, with a dedicated application form and detailed family financial information. The form requires data on family composition, resources, housing, assets, and potential supports, along with a declaration of truth and a data-protection notice. Submissions use the official government channels, and data are processed under applicable education and privacy rules with the AEFE responsible for handling the dossier. The forms and guidance are published on the school site, including editable PDFs and instruction documents, to assist families in applying for these government scholarships.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is located on Belai Zeleke Street in Addis Ababa; the campus comprises three buildings (one for primary, one for lower secondary, and one for upper secondary) within a complex that includes the Italian Institute of Culture. The postal address is P.O. Box 970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Preschool (3-5), Primary (6-10), Lower Secondary (11-13), Upper Secondary (14-18)

Italian state school operating abroad

Italy

The school is a state-run Italian institution located in Addis Ababa. It is governed by the Italian government as part of the Italian state education system.

The institute follows the Italian national curriculum across all levels. In the Primary School, compulsory subjects are Italian, English, Mathematics, Science and Technology, History and Geography, Music, Art and Image, Physical Education, and Amaric Language and Culture; Amharic L2 is available for non-Ethiopian students, and I.R.C. or an Alternative to I.R.C. The primary timetable totals 25 hours per week (8:00–13:00) with per-subject allocation: Italian 8, English 1, Mathematics 6, Science and Technology 1, History and Geography 2, Music 1, Art and Image 1, Physical Education 1, Amaric/L2 3, I.R.C./Alternative 1. In the Secondary School (First Grade), there are 174 students taught by 14 teachers; the weekly allocation is Italian, History and Geography 9 hours; Science and Mathematics 6; English 3; French 2; Technology 2; Music 2; Art and Image 2; Physical Education 2; Religion 1; totaling 30 hours; timetable runs 8:00–14:00. Upper Secondary offers three study tracks: Technological Sector – Costruzioni, Ambiente e Territorio (five-year); Economic-Social Sector – Liceo delle Scienze Umane (four-year) with classes I–III; and a third track. Education Civica is integrated as a transversal program across levels, with dedicated coordination and at least 33 hours per year at upper secondary, reflecting a cross-curricular approach across the school.

Primary: 313 students with 29 teachers (25 MAECI from Italy; 3 local teachers funded by the school; 1 MAE appointee); approximate primary student–teacher ratio about 11:1; average primary class size around 21 students. Secondary I: 174 students with 14 teachers; approximate ratio about 12–13:1. Secondary II details vary by track, with 15 teachers reported for upper secondary.

1. Applications for the 2025/2026 school year may be submitted from January 20, 2025 to February 20, 2025. Parents or guardians provide essential information about the student and express their preferences regarding the educational offer. If applicants do not have access to a computer, assistance is available at the school on Mondays 8:00–10:00 and 14:00–16:00, and on Thursdays and Fridays 14:00–16:00.