Almaty International School, Almaty | International Schools Guide

The QSI Almaty campus, opened in 1993 and one of the older schools in the QSI network. American curriculum with AP courses for high school, MSA-CESS accredited, and a long-standing default for the diplomatic and oil-and-gas community in Almaty.

The student body of around 600 spans more than 30 nationalities. The QSI mastery learning model is the structural feature most parents either value or push back on, with consistent feedback that academics are solid and pastoral care is strong.

The international community in Kazakhstan has shifted progressively towards Astana over the past decade, and the Almaty cohort now includes a higher proportion of local Kazakhstani families than it once did. Facilities are functional rather than impressive, and the AP route is the clearest university pathway. The natural choice for diplomatic and corporate families staying in Almaty for two to four-year postings.

Year level	Age	Fee
Preschool 3-4yr (half-day)	3	KZT 3,431,000
Preschool 3-4yr (full-day)	3	KZT 4,042,000
Kindergarten and above (K-12)	5	KZT 11,233,000

Year level

Age

Fee

Preschool 3-4yr (half-day)

KZT 3,431,000

Preschool 3-4yr (full-day)

KZT 4,042,000

Kindergarten and above (K-12)

KZT 11,233,000

Item	Age	Fee
Application Fee (non-refundable)		KZT 141,000
Capital Fund Fee (annual, K-12)		KZT 752,000

Item

Age

Fee

Application Fee (non-refundable)

KZT 141,000

Capital Fund Fee (annual, K-12)

KZT 752,000

The longest-running English-medium international school in Almaty, AIS sits inside the QSI non-profit network and carries partial US State Department funding, which shapes the diplomatic and expat feel of the community. The American curriculum and AP Capstone offering are the headline pull. Long-tenured families speak warmly. Recent Russian-language commentary is more uneven, with bullying response and administrative communication coming up repeatedly.

Considerations

Bullying and admin response. Russian-language reviews from 2024 and 2025 flag repeated bullying concerns and frustration with how the administration handles complaints. Anti-bullying programmes are visible, but parents say outcomes lag the messaging.
Communication and front office. Phone responsiveness and admissions follow-up draw recurring complaints. Parents describe difficulty reaching the school by phone and inconsistent answers.
Teacher consistency. Most teachers are described as caring and qualified, with North American and other international hires. Some parents flag uneven creativity and engagement, especially in elementary art and project work.
Fees and extras. K to 12 tuition is USD 25,000 for 2025-26 plus a USD 1,600 capital levy and a USD 300 registration fee, all payable in dollars. Transport is billed for all school days regardless of usage, and activity add-ons attract additional charges.
Mixed external ratings. Online ratings split sharply by source, with larger map-based pools running positive and smaller pools running negative. The split tracks the gap between long-time expat households and more recent local-family entrants.

American curriculum and AP Capstone. Full American programme with AP Capstone (Seminar and Research) and a wide AP menu across sciences, humanities and languages. Counselling pipeline pushes graduates into US and other universities.

Established expat and diplomatic anchor. Founded in 1993 and partially funded by the US Department of State, AIS is the default choice for embassy and corporate-expat families in Almaty. Around 600 students from 28-plus nationalities.

Campus and facilities. Purpose-built seven-hectare site in Kalkaman with three gymnasiums, sports fields and modern classrooms. Sports calendar (Snow Leopards) runs through CEESA and Central Asian tournaments.

Long-term family loyalty. Multi-year and decade-long enrolments describe a settled community and teachers they trust. The English-immersion environment is a consistent draw for Kazakh and mixed-nationality households.

Mr. Jon Routh