Cairo American College
Key Stats
Annual Fees: US$9K - US$28K
Curriculum: American · IB
Age Range: 3-18
Students: ~970
Location: Maadi, Cairo
Updated April 2026
In Brief
If you are on a diplomatic or corporate package and want a genuinely international American school with a tight-knit Maadi community, CAC is the default choice. The US$14,000 registration fee is a real upfront commitment - budget for it before visiting.
CAC sits at the top of Cairo's international school hierarchy by reputation. Around a third of students are American (many connected to the US Embassy or military), with the rest drawn from 50-plus other nationalities. Priority in admissions goes to US-passport families with policy-mandated appointments, which shapes the community feel - it is genuinely diverse but with a clear American cultural centre of gravity.
The Maadi campus has been a constant for families in Cairo since 1945, and the loyalty it generates is real. Alumni send their own children back, sports and arts programmes are active, and the IB Diploma (offered since 1993) has a track record that competes with schools charging twice the fees in Gulf cities. The Harkness discussion-based teaching method is used across subjects - something families coming from rote-learning environments find refreshing.
The catch is the cost structure. Annual tuition of US$27,000-28,600 for high school is roughly in line with Gulf competitors, but the one-time registration fee of US$14,000 (for kindergarten entrants) and a non-refundable US$1,000 admission deposit mean getting in is expensive before you have paid a term. Families who are self-funding should run the full four-year cost carefully.
What parents value
- –Strong IB Diploma track record - six students scored 40+ out of 45 in 2019. Graduates regularly place at Brown, Princeton, UCLA, McGill and leading UK universities.
- –Green campus in the heart of Maadi, Cairo's main expat district. Most students live close enough to walk or use a short bus run - a genuine convenience in a congested city.
- –Genuinely diverse student body of 58 nationalities with a community culture that families describe as unusually loyal and close. The more you put in, the more you get out.
Points of consideration
- –US$14,000 registration fee on entry (kindergarten rate) is non-refundable after the first ten days. This is a material upfront cost that should be factored in before committing.
- –Admissions priority heavily favours US citizens and families with embassy or institutional connections. Families without those ties may find places harder to secure in popular year groups.
- –Like most Cairo schools, student behaviour in the senior school is worth asking about on a campus visit. The school is academically competitive, which some students find motivating and others find pressured.
Annual Fees
| Year Group | Age | USDTotal Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K 3 | 3 | NaN |
| Pre-K 4 | 4 | NaN |
| KG1 / Grade 1 | 5 | NaN |
| Grades 1-5 (Elementary) | 6 | NaN |
| Grades 6-8 (Middle School) | 11 | NaN |
| Grades 9-12 (High School / IB) | 14 | NaN |
Fees converted from EGP. For the most up to date and accurate figures please double check with the school.
Additional Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | NaN |
| Admission Deposit | NaN |
| Registration Fee (K-12) | NaN |
| Annual Capital Fee | NaN |
| Plant Fee | NaN |
Photos
Academic Results
| IB DP average | ~35 (2019) |
| University acceptances | 90-95% to top US colleges |
Key results: IB DP average ~35 (2019), University acceptances 90-95% to top US colleges.
Extra Curriculars
Contact the school for details on co-curricular activities, facilities and what a typical week outside lessons looks like 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
Cairo's international schools serve a mix of diplomatic, corporate-expat and Egyptian-international families. Contact the school for current enrolment and nationality breakdown.
Leadership
Dr Jared Harris
Previously high school principal at CAC for five years. Before Cairo, served as principal of an international school in Santiago, Chile. Married with three children, all educated at CAC.