International Schools in Ukraine

Diploma and graduate hat - Fotolia

You will find below a list of the most popular international and bilingual schools for expats in Ukraine with fee information. The list includes nursery schools, primary and secondary (high) schools for you to find the right school to prepare for the International Baccalaureate and other accreditation in Ukraine. Some schools may follow the American or British curriculums with English speaking programs while others are regulated under the French and German language and system.

Education in Ukraine

Since 2018, Ukrainian school education has been extended from 11 to 12 years. It now includes four years of elementary education, five years of middle school (basic secondary) education and three years of upper secondary (specialized) education.

New changes will be implemented in upper-secondary education in 2027. Education is provided free of charge at public schools, and is compulsory through grade 12 under the new system. However, pupils who started studying under the old system can still leave school after 11 years.

Elementary education starts at the age of six and is four years in length. The cycle is further subdivided into two phases: A basic phase 1 (grades one and two) that focuses on adaptation to school through play, while phase 2 (grades three and four) focuses on developing responsibility and independence. Children are admitted to school based on their place of residence. Each school serves a specific geographic area and guarantees seats for all school-age children residing in the area. There are no separate entrance examinations.

Basic secondary education lasts five years (grades five to nine) and is open to all pupils who successfully completed elementary education.

All graduates of basic secondary education are eligible to enrol in upper-secondary school.

Under the new regulations that will be in place by 2027, upper-secondary education will be three years in length (grades 9 to 12) instead of two years (grades 9 to 11). This will align the Ukrainian system with the 12-year systems found in most of the world.

Both the old and new systems introduce curricular specializations at the upper-secondary level. However, the new system will be designed to allow students greater flexibility in choosing their electives. Students will be able to choose between academic and professional tracks studied at either academic or professional lyceums.

International Schools

International schools can be the perfect solution for an expat student (multinational corporation executives, children of diplomats, NGO staff) in Ukraine. Many schools provide similar standards of schooling around the globe, providing for an easy transition between schools whether they are in France or Vietnam.

There may be some local population, but the schools are usually geared for an international student body. Schools may follow a curriculum model from the US, UK, France, etc. Primary instruction may be any language (and multiple languages are usually taught), but it is usually in English, French, Spanish, German, or Japanese. Schools also provide internationally accepted accreditation such as the international baccalaureate.

Admission and enrolment procedures vary from school to school. Space is often limited and preference may be given to students based on nationality. Tuition tends to be expensive based on local standards, but offers high standards of learning, boast smaller class sizes, first-rate facilities, and extracurricular. Boarding facilities are available at some schools, but most only provide day classes.

Accreditation & Membership

  • The CoIS (Council of International Schools) is a non-profit association of international schools and post-secondary institutions which provides educational accreditation, teacher and leadership recruitment services, links to higher education, governance assistance and help with founding new schools.
  • European Council of International Schools (ECIS) is a collaborative network promoting the ideals and best practice of international education, complemented by grants and awards.
  • Council of British International Schools (COBIS) is a responsive organisation that serves, supports and represents its member schools.
  • New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC) is a regional accrediting association which establishes standards for all levels of education, from pre-K to doctoral.
  • Agency for French Education Abroad (Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger, AEFE) is a national public agency under the administration of the French government that assures the quality of schools teaching the French national curriculum outside France.
  • National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) represents over 1100 independent schools and associations in the United States and abroad.

International schools in Kyiv

Kyiv International School
Address: 3A Svyatoshynsky Provulok,
Kyiv, 03115 Ukraine
Tel: +380 44 452 2792
Email: kyiv@qsi.org
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

Kyiv International School is a private, non-profit, day school, serving Preschool through Secondary IV (2 to 18 years old). The school is a member of Quality Schools International, a consortium of non-profit college-preparatory international schools with American-style curriculum. QSI has 37 schools in 31 countries. The world headquarters of QSI is in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The centre offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and it is proud to offer German, French, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian as languages in which students can study as either a first or second language.

British International School
Address: The schools provides its education in different campuses, depending on the education level.

Nivki Early Years and Lower Primary School
45 Tolbukhina Str., Kyiv
Tel: +38 (044) 239 21 21, +38 (066) 303 75 78
Email: info.np@britishschool.ua

Nivki Upper Primary and Secondary School
45 Tolbukhina Str., Kyiv
Tel: +38 (044) 502 39 09, +38 (050) 410 46 44
Email: info.ns@britishschool.ua

Pechersk Early Years, Primary and Secondary School
1 Dragomyrova Str., Kyiv
Tel: +38 (044) 596 18 28, +38 (050) 412 48 84
info.pe@britishschool.ua

Dnipro Early Years, Primary and Secondary School
39a Antonovychа Str., Dnipro
Tel: +38 (056) 767 18 28, +38 (050) 458 80 22
Email: info.dn@britishschool.ua

Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

British International School is an independent international school based in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It accepts students aged 3-18 to be educated in accordance with either the British National Curriculum (resulting in IGCSE certificate and facilitating entry into British universities) or the International Baccalaureate Programme.
The school is also an official examinations centre, approved by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). 

Pechersk School International
Address: 7A Victora Zabily
Kyiv, Ukraine 03039
Tel: +380 44 377 5292
Email: communication@psi.kiev.ua and admissions@psi.kiev.ua
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

Pechersk School International is an IB World School since 2000, serving more than 45 nationalities in Kyiv, Ukraine. The school educates over 500 students between the ages of 3 and 19 from approximately 48 different countries. Pechersk School International uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum as it is accredited with the World School status and fully authorized to teach all three IB programmes.

Meridian International School
Address: Kvitnevy Provulok 5a,
Kyiv, Ukraine, 04108
Tel: +380 44 484 7739
Email: info@meridian.com.ua
Tuition Rates: From 140,000 ₴ ($4,670) to 215 000 ₴ ($7,200)

Meridian International School, established in 2001, is an international day school in Kyiv, Ukraine, catering for children from pre-school to the 11th grade. MIS is a member of Quality Schools International and the European Council of International Schools. The curriculum integrates the national curriculum of Ukraine and British International Programmes (Pearson Edexcel) for children aged 2 to 18 years.

French Schools in Kyiv

Lycée Français Anne de Kiev
Address: 21 Viacheslava Lypynskoho, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine
Tel: +380 44 200 1993
Email: secretariat@lyceeadk.com
Tuition Rates: From 5,500€ ($6,195) to 8,665€ ($9,760) [school year 2021-2022]

Lycée Français Anne de Kiev (LFADK) is a French public co-educational international day school from Maternelle – Grade 12 located in Kyiv, Ukraine. It is linked to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is approved by the AEFE (Agency for French Teaching Abroad), and regulated by French authorities. It was established in 1994 as the Petite école Anne de Kiev. In 2005 it was renamed to the Collége Anne de Kiev since it gained collége (junior high school) classes. In 2010 the name changed to its current one as it gained lycée (sixth form/senior high school) classes.

German Schools in Kyiv

DSK Deutsche Schule Kiew
Address: Wul. Nowomostytska, 10, Kiew 04108, Ukraine
Tel: +380 44 333 9680
Email: sekretariat@dskiew.com.ua
Tuition Rates: From 7195€ ($8,105) to 8930€ ($10,060) [school year 2021-2022]

The Deutsche Schule Kiew is an international meeting school that was licensed by the Ukrainian school supervisory board and recognized and supported by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany. It runs a single-stream primary and secondary school (level I and from 2016/17 level II) with a grammar school character. After successfully passing their final exams at the end of grade 10, students can prepare for the Abitur text with the support of the Free State of Saxony.
The German language diploma or Cambridge certificates at different language levels can also be acquired at the DSK. Native German teachers teach the core subjects. The school awards certificates that are recognized in Germany and thus enables unrestricted transfer to and from the German school system. Ukrainian children also receive lessons in the Ukrainian mother tongue and also have the opportunity to obtain German qualifications in addition to Ukrainian ones

International schools in Odessa

Odessa International School
Address: Odessa, 16 Kamanina Street
Tel: +380 93 293 1613 / 93 170 59 06
Email: odesa@odesa.school
Tuition Rates: Around $3,500 [school year 2021-22]

Odesa International School is a progressive educational institution where students study English in depth and study in Ukrainian and American educational programs, both at elementary and high school levels. During high-school, students in grades 5-11 study remotely at an American school in parallel with the core curriculum.
In-depth study of English, the preparation for the IELTS and TOEFL international exams help them enter American colleges and universities.

French Schools in Odessa

Ecole Française Privée d'Odessa - Одесская французская школа
Address: Неделина 82а Odessa,
Odessa Oblast,
Ukraine 65049
Tel: +380 50 490 4070
Email: info@efpo.com.ua
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

The international French comprehensive school enrols in the classes Maternelle (kindergarden) and école primaire (primary school). The school offers certified French teachers that follow both the French baccalauréat, accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and the Ukrainian matriculation certificate. The duration of the academic year is 10 months, from 1 September to 1 July. Children from 3 to 7 years old of all nationalities are accepted without taking into account the knowledge of the French language. Depending on age and skills, they will be divided into groups-classes corresponding to the French system:

  • Petite section - 3 years
  • Moyenne/grande section - 4-5 years
  • Cours préparatoire - 6 years
  • Cours élémentaire niveau 1 - 7 years.