Kathmandu International Study Centre

What Kathmandu International Study Centre does

Kathmandu International Study Centre (KISC) is a non-profit international Christian K-12 school operating in Thecho, Lalitpur, Nepal, serving over 200 students from more than 30 nationalities across Pre-K through Grade 12. Founded in 1987 by United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and International Nepal Fellowship (INF) to educate the children of missionaries, KISC transitioned in 2007 to ownership by Human Development and Community Services (HDCS), a Nepali Christian NGO, and is today the only K-13 international school in Nepal holding triple accreditation from Middle States Association, Cambridge International Examinations, and the UK Department of Education's British Schools Overseas (BSO) standards. The school delivers a British-style curriculum culminating in IGCSE and A-Level-equivalent qualifications, with English Language Learner support, a Duke of Edinburgh International Award programme, and inter-school academic and sporting competitions.

KISC's second core offering is EQUIP (Education Quality Improvement Programme), a teacher training and curriculum support initiative that partners with approximately 20-30 government, community, and private schools across urban and rural Nepal, delivering small-group training, model teaching, practical demonstrations, and classroom observations. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees (specific amounts not publicly disclosed; a $100 USD application fee is published) supplemented by donations routed through UK charity THEN and US partner RCE International, with tax-efficient vehicles including UK Gift Aid. The school is reached via a sales-led admissions process — guided campus tours, application submission, academic testing, and parent interviews — supported by a website, termly email newsletters, a Facebook page, and an active alumni network spanning multiple countries. KISC's competitive positioning rests on its unique triple-accreditation status, 40-year institutional history, multicultural community, and Christian foundational values within a Nepal education market that has limited internationally accredited alternatives.

Name

Kathmandu International Study Centre

Legal name

Kathmandu International Study Centre

Website

https://kisc.edu.np

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kathmandu International Study Centre is a non-profit, triple-accredited (MSA, Cambridge, BSO) Christian K-12 international school in Lalitpur, Nepal, serving 200+ students from 30+ nationalities and running the EQUIP teacher training programme across roughly 30 Nepali partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International 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)

Keywords

• International K-12 education
• Cambridge curriculum school
• British Schools Overseas
• Teacher training program
• Christian international school

Headquarters

HQ city

Thecho, Lalitpur

HQ country

Nepal

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Tuition fees from enrolled students in Pre-K through Grade 12. Application fee of $100 USD per student.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Donations from supporters worldwide including UK donors through THEN charity, US donors through RCE International, and direct bank transfers. Funds support student scholarships, EQUIP teacher training programme, and school operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Non-profit international day and boarding K-12 school (Pre-K through Grade 12) based in Thecho, Lalitpur, Nepal, delivering a British-style international curriculum to a multinational student body. The school is dually accredited by Middle States Association (MSA) and Cambridge International Examinations, with British Schools Overseas (BSO) accreditation awarded in 2022, and it also operates the EQUIP teacher training programme for staff from partner schools in Nepal and the wider region.

Product overview

Kathmandu International Study Centre operates as a unified educational institution comprising two core offerings: the KISC School providing British-style international education from Pre-K (reception) through Grade 12, and the EQUIP (Education Quality Improvement Programme) teacher training initiative. The school serves over 200 students from over 30 nationalities, while EQUIP extends quality education support to approximately 20 partner schools across urban and rural Nepal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EQUIP: Education Quality Improvement Programme - KISC's teacher training programme that works with around 20-30 schools in Kathmandu and rural/urban Nepal.

Products and services

• KISC School (Pre-K through Grade 12) Non-profit international day and boarding K-12 school delivering a British-style international curriculum to students from Pre-K through Grade 12, serving over 200 students from more than 30 nationalities in Thecho, Lalitpur, Nepal. The school holds dual accreditation from Middle States Association and Cambridge International Examinations and operates as a faith-based community.
• EQUIP Teacher Training Programme Education Quality Improvement Programme (EQUIP) delivered by KISC for teachers and staff from partner schools in Nepal and the wider region, designed to strengthen classroom practice and professional development of educators in low-resource contexts.
• Duke of Edinburgh International Award The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award offered at KISC, providing students with extracurricular opportunities in volunteering, physical activity, skills development, and expedition as part of the school's broader enrichment programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students successfully transition to universities worldwide including USA, UK, Korea, Australia, Bangladesh, Switzerland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Human Development and Community Services (HDCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2007HDCS, a Nepali Christian NGO focused on education, health, development and disaster relief, became the owner of KISC in October 2007. The Ministry of Education awarded HDCS ownership of KISC, enabling the school to positively impact Nepali school communities through its teacher training programme.
• United Mission to Nepal (UMN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987UMN co-founded KISC in 1987 along with International Nepal Fellowship to serve the educational needs of mission workers' children. UMN and INF jointly established the school and held ownership until 2007.
• International Nepal Fellowship (INF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987INF co-founded KISC in 1987 along with United Mission to Nepal to serve the educational needs of missionaries' children. INF and UMN jointly established the school.
• Middle States Association (MSA)coreOthersAmerican accreditation body that first accredited KISC in 2003. Provides ongoing quality assurance through accreditation.
• Cambridge International ExaminationscoreOthersUK-based examination board providing international qualification recognition for KISC students. School is accredited for Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level equivalent programmes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Woodstock School: A renowned Christian international K-12 boarding school in Mussoorie, India, originally founded in 1854 to serve the children of missionaries. Woodstock is highly comparable to KISC in mission, Christian foundation, K-12 international scope, and target demographic of missionary and expatriate families across South Asia.
• Hebron School: A Christian international K-12 boarding school in Ooty, India, serving missionary, expatriate, and local children. Hebron is highly comparable to KISC in mission, Christian foundation, K-12 international scope, and the missionary/expatriate target demographic across the South Asia region.
• Rato Bangala School: A leading private K-12 school in Kathmandu, Nepal, offering progressive, inquiry-based education. Rato Bangala is a direct peer sharing the Kathmandu location and similar mid-market to premium positioning for families seeking international-quality K-12 education for Nepali and expatriate children.
• Ullens School: A leading private K-12 school in Kathmandu established by the Ullens Foundation offering international curriculum to Nepali students. Direct peer sharing location and K-12 international education offering, though with a philanthropic foundation ownership model rather than mission-organization origins.
• Kodaikanal International School: An international Christian K-12 boarding school in Tamil Nadu, India, founded in 1901 for missionary children. KIS is a direct peer to KISC in mission, Christian foundation, K-12 international scope, and target demographic of missionary and expatriate families in South Asia, with a similar Cambridge/curriculum positioning.
• Budhanilkantha School: A selective K-12 boarding school in Kathmandu jointly operated under Nepal's Ministry of Education framework. Budhanilkantha is comparable to KISC in providing K-12 education to families in Nepal, though with a more selective public-scholarship model versus KISC's private international mission model.
• Lincoln School: An American-style international K-12 school located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Lincoln School is KISC's most direct geographic peer, serving a similar mix of Nepali and expatriate families in the same city with comparable English-medium international curriculum offerings and tuition-driven nonprofit model.

Broad incumbents

• Cognita: A global K-12 education group operating over 100 schools in 16 countries including Asia and Europe. Cognita is comparable as a broad incumbent in private international education serving premium markets, though its portfolio is broader than KISC's niche missionary and expatriate focus in Nepal.
• Nord Anglia Education: A global operator of premium international schools across 30+ countries. Nord Anglia is comparable as a broader incumbent in international K-12 education with differentiated premium offerings, although it competes in higher-income markets and doesn't serve the specific missionary/expat niche that KISC targets in Nepal.
• GEMS Education: One of the largest operators of K-12 schools globally with hundreds of schools across multiple curricula including British, American, IB. GEMS is comparable as a broad incumbent in international education with portfolio offerings that overlap KISC's general K-12 international school space, though at much larger scale and different geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KISC1987

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kathmandu International Study Centre