Ullens IB world school

What Ullens IB world school does

Ullens Education Foundation (UEF) is a Nepali non-profit, profit-not-distributing company registered in 2006 with the Office of the Company Registrar in Kathmandu, founded on an initial grant from Belgian philanthropists Baron Guy Ullens and Myriam Ullens. UEF operates Ullens School, the first and only IB World School in Nepal authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and Nepal's Ministry of Education to deliver the IB Diploma Programme (since August 2009). The Foundation runs a portfolio of brick-and-mortar educational programmes anchored by two campuses — Ullens School Lalitpur at Khumaltar (K-12 plus IBDP) and Ullens School Kathmandu at Bansbari (K-10) — and supported by the Nala Outdoor Learning Center in Kavrepalanchowk, the Ullens LEAP gap-year programme, Ullens College (a planned liberal arts college with the long-term vision of evolving into Ullens University), and the Ullens Center for Educator Development (UCED) teacher-training wing accredited by Kathmandu University.

Instructional delivery is grounded in the progressive, child-centred Bank Street College of Education (New York) Lab School model — imported through a foundational partnership with Bank Street and reinforced by faculty training there — and supported by a conventional K-12 technology stack including ActivBoard interactive whiteboards, on-premise computer labs (35 systems in each of the junior and senior buildings), high-speed internet, and an online library management system that enabled full online instruction during COVID-19. The school also operates IBO-certified biology, chemistry and physics laboratories and a fleet of 83 vehicles supporting Kathmandu Valley transport.

The revenue model is predominantly recurring tuition from approximately 80% of the ~1,461 enrolled students across Kindergarten through Grade 12 and IBDP, with fees set through a transparent participatory process requiring a two-thirds majority of the parent body and final approval by Lalitpur Metropolitan City (the school is classified as a Grade 'A' Special Category institution). Approximately 20% of seats are full scholarships cross-subsidised by paying-student tuition surplus, the Ullens Education Foundation endowment, and philanthropic donations from the Nepali business community (e.g., IME Group, Nepal Rastra Bank-linked trustees). Indirect revenue support comes from Government of Nepal Social Security Fund reimbursements and ancillary services (transport, residential outdoor programmes, UCED short courses, LEAP fees). Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via on-campus Admissions Offices in the Kathmandu Valley, with no digital or international delivery channels.

Name

Ullens IB world school

Legal name

Ullens Education Foundation

Website

https://ullens.edu.np

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ullens Education Foundation operates Ullens School, the first and only IB World School in Nepal, delivering K-12 and IBDP programmes at two Kathmandu Valley campuses using the Bank Street progressive pedagogy to roughly 1,461 students with a 20% scholarship cross-subsidy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 and IB Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

IB Program Tutoring (PYP/MYP/DP; HL/SL) (EDANAKAB)

Keywords

• International baccalaureate education
• K-12 schooling
• Progressive pedagogy
• IB diploma programme
• Teacher training

Headquarters

HQ city

Khumaltar, Lalitpur

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees (Paying Students): Recurring tuition revenue from approximately 80% of enrolled students (Kindergarten through Grade 12 and IBDP), classified by Lalitpur Metropolitan City as a Grade 'A' Special Category school. Fees are set through a transparent, participatory process and approved by a two-thirds majority of the parent body.
2. Scholarship-Cross-Subsidised Enrolment: Approximately 20% of students attend on full scholarships funded by the operating surplus from paying students, philanthropic contributions, and the Ullens Education Foundation endowment, enabling socio-economic diversity.
3. Government & Social Security Fund Reimbursements: Indirect revenue support through Nepali government Social Security Fund contributions and tax-related reimbursements tied to the school's standing as a recognised contributor from the education sector.
4. Foundation Endowment & Donor Contributions: Capital and operating support originating from founders Guy Ullens and Myriam Ullens (Belgian philanthropists) via the Ullens Education Foundation, supplemented by private donor contributions from the Nepali business community (e.g., IME Group, Nepal Rastra Bank-linked trustees).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ullens IB World School, operated by the Ullens Education Foundation, delivers progressive K-12 and IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) schooling from campuses in the Kathmandu Valley (Khumaltar, Lalitpur and Bansbari, Kathmandu). Its offering includes elementary and senior school programs, the first IBO-authorised IBDP in Nepal, a residential Nala Outdoor Learning Centre, a gap-year programme (Ullens LEAP), a liberal arts college, and a teacher training wing (UCED) accredited by Kathmandu University, all anchored in the Bank Street College of Education pedagogy.

Product overview

Ullens Education Foundation (UEF) operates a portfolio of educational products under the Ullens School brand rather than a single unified software product. The core platform is the K-12 academic offering at the Khumaltar, Lalitpur campus, which is delivered through three integrated programmes — Ullens Elementary School (Grades I-VIII), Ullens Senior School (Grades IX-XII, NEB streams in Management and Science), and the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP, the first in Nepal since 2009). These academic programmes are supported by a set of complementary modules: the Nala Outdoor Learning Center (residential experiential facility), the Ullens LEAP Gap Year Program, Ullens College (planned Liberal Arts College evolving into Ullens University), and the Ullens Center for Educator Development (UCED) teacher training wing accredited by Kathmandu University. The second campus, Ullens School Kathmandu (Bansbari, K-10), is operated as a parallel sub-brand, and the Ullens Excellence Award Scholarship is layered on top as a merit/need-based add-on. All instructional products are anchored in the Bank Street College of Education progressive-pedagogy approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ullens School Lalitpur: K-12 and IBDP campus in Khumaltar, Lalitpur
• Ullens School Kathmandu
• Ullens LEAP
• Ullens College
• Ullens Center for Educator Development (UCED)
• Nala Outdoor Learning Center

Products and services

• Ullens Elementary School
• Ullens Senior School (High School)
• IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)
• Nala Outdoor Learning Center (OLC)
• Ullens LEAP Gap Year Program
• Ullens College (Liberal Arts College)
• Ullens Center for Educator Development (UCED)
• Ullens School Kathmandu (Bansbari K-10 Campus)
• Ullens Excellence Award Scholarship

Quantifiable outcome

• First and longest-running IB World School in Nepal (20+ years)
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Sapana Village Social Impact (SVSI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 28 January 2022Memorandum of Understanding signed on 28 January 2022 with SVSI in Chitwan to deliver community-impact initiatives. The partnership extends Ullens' progressive, service-oriented ethos beyond the campus into rural Chitwan communities through Sapana Village Social Impact's on-ground programme expertise.
• Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2021Memorandum of Understanding signed on 27 October 2021 to establish the Ullens Centre for Educational Development (UCED). The partnership supports joint teacher development, educational research, and capacity-building aligned with Ullens' progressive pedagogy and Bank Street lineage.
• Bank Street College of Education, New YorkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundational pedagogical partnership dating back to the school's inception. Ullens follows the Bank Street College of Education Lab School model, which underpins its child-centred, experiential, progressive curriculum across K-12 and the IBDP. The relationship is the source of Ullens' core instructional philosophy and remains central to its teacher practice and student outcomes.
• Banepa MunicipalityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCivic partnership in which Ullens collaborated with Banepa Municipality on a community tree-planting drive, contributing to a 10,000-tree initiative with 700+ student participants. The partnership supports environmental stewardship and provides a co-branded community-engagement platform.
• International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUllens is authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organization to deliver the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), making it the first and longest-running IB World School in Nepal. This accreditation underpins its ability to issue internationally portable secondary credentials and produce top-tier outcomes such as 45/45 scores.
• Future School Leaders, IndiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA delegation from Future School Leaders (India) visited Ullens to observe the Bank Street-based pedagogy and IB operations. The engagement positions Ullens as a reference site for South Asian educators seeking proven progressive-education implementation models.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: GEMS Education is a global K-12 operator running dozens of premium schools (including in South Asia) with IB, British and American curricula. Comparable to Ullens as a multi-campus international-school operator, but at vastly larger scale and as a for-profit platform — a relevant benchmark for what UEF could become if it scales the Ullens University vision.
• Nord Anglia Education: Nord Anglia is a leading global premium K-12 operator running IB and other international curricula across 80+ schools, including collaborations with MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF. Comparable to Ullens on premium IB positioning and international partnerships (Ullens' Bank Street linkage plays a similar role), though at much greater scale and as a PE-backed for-profit platform.
• Aga Khan Academies: The Aga Khan Academies operate a network of IB-authorised residential schools across East Africa and South Asia, including the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, with a mission-driven, scholarship-supported model. Comparable to Ullens in combining premium IB credentials with a meaningful scholarship cohort and a multi-campus foundation structure, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• The Doon School (Dehradun, India): Doon is an elite all-boys residential school offering a strong academic programme with IB DP, known for producing leaders across South Asia. Comparable to Ullens as a premium South Asian secondary school with strong university outcomes and elite family catchment, though it does not use the Bank Street pedagogy model.
• Kathmandu International School (KIS): KIS is one of Kathmandu's established international schools offering IB and other international curricula to expatriate and Nepali families. Directly comparable to Ullens as a Kathmandu Valley-based IB World School competing for the same premium family segment.
• Pathways School (Gurgaon/Noida, India): Pathways World School is an IB-authorised day/boarding school offering PYP, MYP, DP and the NEB/IGCSE track. Comparable to Ullens as a premium South Asian IB World School emphasising experiential and global education for affluent families.
• Rato Bangala School: Rato Bangala is one of Nepal's oldest and most prominent private K-12 schools in Kathmandu, offering progressive, child-centred education rooted in community engagement. It is directly comparable to Ullens on premium private K-12 positioning in the Kathmandu Valley, English-medium instruction, and progressive pedagogy, though it does not offer the IB Diploma Programme.
• Woodstock School (Mussoorie, India): Woodstock is a long-established K-12 residential school in India offering IB PYP, MYP and DP, with a Christian/values-based progressive ethos. Comparable to Ullens as a South Asian premium international IB school with strong university-placement outcomes and outdoor/experiential programmes, serving a similar elite regional family demographic.
• Lincoln School (Kathmandu): Lincoln is an international K-12 school in Kathmandu offering IB and American curricula to Nepali and expatriate families. Directly comparable to Ullens as a Kathmandu Valley IB World School competing in the same premium, English-medium segment.

Regional players

• Kathmandu University High School / KUSOED-affiliated schools: Kathmandu University, through its School of Education (KUSOED), is the academic accreditation partner for Ullens' UCED teacher-training wing and overlaps on K-12/NEB curriculum in the Kathmandu Valley. Comparable as a domestic Nepali higher-education and teacher-training peer that shapes the same teacher pipeline and curriculum standards Ullens depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzc4TiIv3AK1r7KzfVKih1w
• Facebookfacebook.com/theUllensSchool
• LinkedInnp.linkedin.com/company/ullensschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/ullensschool_official

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ullens IB world school