International School of Prishtina (ISP)

What International School of Prishtina (ISP) does

International School of Prishtina (ISP), operating under the Mehmet Akif Schools (MAC) brand, is a private K-12 education network headquartered in Lipjan, Kosovo. Founded in 2000 as the first private school established in post-war Kosovo, the institution operates three physical campuses across Lipjan (main campus since 2010), Prizren (since 2006/2011), and Gjakova (since 2010), offering preschool through upper-secondary education in the scientific stream. The network is part of the Gulistan Educational Institutions umbrella and serves students from across Kosovo, including boarders from outside Lipjan housed in on-site dormitories. The core offering combines standard K-12 classroom instruction with several differentiated programs: a Character Education curriculum organized around 24 monthly values, career counseling using the MAPP assessment tool, the MAC Teacher Academy for educator development, structured academic competitions (Olympiads in English, Chemistry, Math, IQ, Knowledge, and Essay), and a merit-based Certificate System tied to a points reward mechanism.

The business model is a recurring tuition-based subscription: parents pay ongoing fees for educational services, with ancillary revenue from dormitory/food services for non-local students and add-on career counseling. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer enrollment through school-run admissions, including entrance examinations for grades 5-9 covering Mathematics, Logic, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. The customer base is fragmented across individual Kosovo families, with no enterprise or institutional B2B component. The institution has no disclosed external funding, no public listing, and limited digital/technology infrastructure beyond a WordPress marketing site, Facebook/Instagram/YouTube social presence, and integration with a third-party learning platform (Educare). Operations are managed by on-site principal/vice-principal teams at each campus under the Gulistan network, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or proprietary technology stack.

Name

International School of Prishtina (ISP)

Legal name

Mehmet Akif Schools

Website

https://mackosova.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International School of Prishtina (ISP), operating as Mehmet Akif Schools, is Kosovo's first private K-12 education network, operating three campuses in Lipjan, Prizren, and Gjakova, offering preschool through upper-secondary scientific-stream education with character education, career counseling, and dormitory services to students across Kosovo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Preschool education services
• Secondary school education
• Academic competition training
• Career counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Prishtina, Kosovo

HQ country

Albania

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Private school providing education services at preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels. Revenue derived from tuition fees for educational services. Boarding and food services also provided for students from other cities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International School of Prishtina (ISP), operating as Mehmet Akif Schools, is Kosovo's first private K-12 education network, providing preschool through upper secondary (scientific direction) education across three campuses in Lipjan, Prizren, and Gjakova. Core services include classroom instruction, dormitory and food services for out-of-city students, career counseling with MAPP assessments, character education programming, and academic competition preparation (olympiads in English, Chemistry, Math, IQ Challenge, Essay, and Knowledge competitions).

Product overview

International School of Prishtina (ISP), operating under the Mehmet Akif Schools brand, is Kosovo's first private education network established in 2000. The institution operates a platform of three school branches (Lipjan, Prizren, Gjakova) offering comprehensive K-12 education (preschool through upper secondary in scientific direction). The portfolio includes core educational services (classroom instruction, dormitory facilities, food services) supported by integrated modules: MAPP Assessment for career guidance, Career Counseling services, MAC Teacher Academy for educator training, Character Education Program with monthly themes, Academic Competitions (Olympiads in multiple subjects), and a merit-based Certificate System. The schools also provide Character Education with monthly focus areas (Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, etc.) and specialized programs including the Sistemi i Pikëve (Points System) and Sistemi i Certifikatave (Certificates System). The institutions are part of Gulistan educational institutions network and emphasize combining academic achievement with personal, moral, and social development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mehmet Akif School - Lipjan Private school branch located in Banullë, Lipjan, Kosovo. Main campus since 2010. Offers preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education in the scientific direction, with food and accommodation in separate dormitories for boys and girls.
• Mehmet Akif School - Prizren Private school branch in Prizren offering preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education in the scientific direction. Opened in 2006 and relocated to its own facility in Boka-Korishë in 2011.
• Mehmet Akif School - Gjakova Private school branch in Gjakova offering preschool, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education in the scientific direction. Opened in 2010 on Zidi Sadik Agës street.
• MAC Teacher Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 878 total competition achievements (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Mention) over 20 academic years from 2004-2024
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• British School of Prishtina: Private English-medium international school in Pristina offering primary and secondary education to expat and local families. Directly comparable to Mehmet Akif Schools as a competitor for the same pool of Kosovo families seeking private English-language/international-style K-12 education.
• Linja Education (Gulistan Educational Institutions network): Sister private schools operating under the same Gulistan Educational Institutions parent network that owns Mehmet Akif Schools. Functions as a direct comparable within the same ownership umbrella, sharing governance and teacher pipelines.
• Prishtina International School: Private international K-12 school in Pristina serving Kosovo-based and expat students with international curriculum. Operates in the same city and competes for the same private-school families as Mehmet Akif Schools.

Broad incumbents

• Cognita Schools: Global network of over 80 private schools operating in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Comparable as a multi-region private K-12 incumbent pursuing premium positioning, character education, and standardized operations similar to Mehmet Akif's model.
• Nord Anglia Education: Global operator of premium international schools (IB and national curricula) across multiple countries. Comparable as a private K-12 incumbent using international curricula, university-placement support, and character/wellbeing programs analogous to what Mehmet Akif markets to Kosovo families.
• GEMS Education: One of the largest global operators of premium private K-12 schools, including in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Comparable as a broad incumbent in private K-12 with international-curriculum positioning and brand-led admissions model relevant to Mehmet Akif's target segments.

Regional players

• International School of Tirana: Private international K-12 school in neighboring Albania serving local and expat families with international curricula. Comparable as a regional private K-12 operator in the Western Balkans targeting similar middle-class families seeking English-language and internationally oriented education.
• Canadian International School of Skopje: Private English-medium K-12 school in North Macedonia offering international curriculum. Functions as a regional comparable for Mehmet Akif Schools on international private K-12 positioning, admission testing, and olympiad participation in the Western Balkans.

Others

• Mensa of Kosovo (academic competitions channel): Regional channel for IQ Challenge and knowledge competitions that Mehmet Akif students participate in. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem organization rather than a direct competitor — useful in understanding the assessment/competition market the school operates within.
• Foxton Education (foxtonreaders.com): Reading-level assessment and English-language learning platform used by Mehmet Akif Schools per the embedded site footer. Functions as an adjacent service provider/supplier in the ESL and reading-instruction market surrounding private K-12 schools in Kosovo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbHGw3LYRm8-FHOrLwRnZVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/mackosova
• Instagraminstagram.com/MACkosova
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-of-prishtina-isp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International School of Prishtina (ISP)