High Tech Academy
Key Stats
Annual Fees: US$12K - US$18K
Curriculum: American · Finnish · Minerva Baccalaureate
Age Range: 4-18
Students: ~550
Location: Medeu, Almaty
Updated April 2026
In Brief
HTA suits families who want their child in an English-medium school with a genuine educational philosophy behind it - project-based, inquiry-led, no uniforms, no rote learning. It is not the right fit if your child is moving up for A-Levels or needs IB for a specific university pathway; the Minerva Baccalaureate is credible but newer than IB or Cambridge.
High Tech Academy occupies a different position from every other school on this list. It is not a conventional international school chasing IB or A-Level results. Opened in 2020 in a US$25 million Finnish-designed building on Kok-Tobe hill in Medeu, it runs a project-based curriculum through primary and secondary, then transitions students at Grade 10 into the Minerva Baccalaureate - a US-developed interdisciplinary programme taught partly online via Minerva's Forum platform and partly in person. The campus is genuinely impressive: a swimming pool, 12-metre climbing wall, Budokan sports and arts centre, and Fablab making space.
Around 550 students attend, and the school is trilingual - English, Kazakh, and Russian - with English as the main language of instruction from pre-school upwards. CIS accreditation came in 2022, with ARQA institutional accreditation following in 2023. Fees cover three meals a day and school transport, so the headline figure is close to all-in. The admissions process has no entrance exam for primary; from Grade 6 onwards, students take an English level test.
Families considering HTA should understand that Grades 6-9 use Russian substantially alongside English in lessons, which can be a real adjustment for children arriving without Russian. The school's educational model - co-designed curriculum, teacher autonomy, no predetermined syllabus - works well for students who are curious and self-directed, but it can unsettle children who have come from more structured systems. Ask to see how the school handles entry from a conventional British or IB school, particularly into the middle school years.
What parents value
- –The campus is among the best-equipped in Almaty. The Budokan sports centre includes a 25-metre pool, climbing wall, fight club studio, and art centre - all included in the fee with no significant add-ons.
- –CIS-accredited since 2022. The Minerva Baccalaureate at Grades 10-12 is recognised by universities as equivalent to Honors or AP courses, and the programme builds a university-application portfolio from day one.
- –No uniform, no entrance exams for primary, and a scholarship programme (based on financial need, not academic selection) covering up to 20 percent of places. That mix of access and ambition is unusual in Almaty.
Points of consideration
- –Grades 6-9 are meaningfully trilingual, with Russian used heavily in lessons. Families arriving without Russian at secondary level should ask specifically how the school supports English-dominant students in those year groups.
- –The Minerva Baccalaureate is less than a decade old and is not yet as widely recognised as IB or A-Levels by all universities. Worth confirming with your target universities before committing at Grade 10.
- –Staff review data suggests leadership culture and teacher retention is worth asking about directly. Ask the school for its average teacher tenure and the proportion of staff in their second year or beyond.
Annual Fees
| Year Group | Age | USDTotal Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| PreK (4-5 years) | 4 | NaN |
| Kindergarten (5-6 years) | 5 | NaN |
| Grades 1-5 (Primary) | 6 | NaN |
| Grades 6-9 (Secondary) | 11 | NaN |
| Grades 10-12 (Minerva Baccalaureate) | 15 | NaN |
Fees converted from KZT. For the most up to date and accurate figures please double check with the school.
Additional Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Interview Fee | NaN |
| Admissions Fee (non-refundable) | NaN |
| Minerva Platform Fee (Grades 10-12, annual) | NaN |
Photos
Academic Results
| Accreditation | CIS (2022), ARQA (2023) |
| High school programme | Minerva Baccalaureate (Grades 10-12) |
Key results: Accreditation CIS (2022), ARQA (2023), High school programme Minerva Baccalaureate (Grades 10-12).
Extra Curriculars
Contact the school for details on co-curricular activities and facilities. Ask what a normal week looks like outside lessons for your child's age group.
Inspections & Accreditations
Inspection
No published inspection details are currently available.
Accreditations
Accreditation details are not publicly listed.
Memberships
Membership details are not publicly listed.
Student Body
Almaty's international schools draw a mix of corporate-package families, diplomatic staff, and locally-based families seeking an English-medium education. Contact the school for current enrolment breakdown.
Leadership
School leadership
Contact the school for details.