A Guide to Schools and Education in Malaysia for Expat Families
Malaysia is an attractive destination for expat families, offering an affordable, high-quality lifestyle, diverse cultures, beautiful surroundings, English proficiency and excellent international schools.
For families moving to Malaysia, understanding the education system and options available is of paramount importance. This article gives an overview to expat education in Malaysia and a look at the best international schools.
Expats moving to Malaysia
Malaysia’s economy is improving and international families are returning. According to Malaysia’s immigration department, the number of Employment Passes for expats was 180000 in 2025, up from 160000 in 2024, a trend that is likely to continue. Malaysia’s expatriate liveability is improving, and it remains one of the more attractive Southeast Asian destinations for expats, ranking 10th according to InterNations.
“This is partly due to its social and geographic diversity as well as its proximity to Singapore,” says ECA’s Regional Director, Lee Quane.
The company’s MyExpatriate Market Pay Survey showed Malaysia was the cheapest place in Asia to hire expats in 2022. However, this is set to change in 2026 as the Malaysian government extends the duration of work permits and significantly raises the minimum salary for Employment Passes. While these changes make hiring foreign talent more expensive, they align Malaysia’s benchmarks with regional hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
The housing rental market in Malaysia for expatriates is characterized by high demand in prime urban areas, particularly within the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur/Selangor), Penang, and Johor Bahru. Rental prices have been steadily climbing. Despite general rising costs, accommodation, medical care, domestic help and school fees are still cheaper than in other regional hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong and Seoul, meaning Malaysia retains its place as an excellent value destination for expats.
How Does Public Schooling work in Malaysia?
The Malaysian education system comprises education from kindergarten to university.
Primary education in Malaysia begins at age seven and lasts for six years. It is open to all students aged 7-12 years old. Then, secondary education includes 3 years of Lower Secondary and 2 years of Upper Secondary. Students must take joint exams at the end of elementary, middle, and high school. Throughout 11 years of this stage, the tuition is completely free.
Expats can choose to educate their children in Malaysian public schools, but they must pay (relatively inexpensive) tuition fees, and must also obtain a foreign student pass, which is known to be administratively intensive. Enrolment depends on space availability near your residence, with placement not guaranteed at a preferred school. This, combined with the language barriers, makes this a less common choice for expats than choosing international schools.
International Schools in Malaysia
Malaysia’s private education sector is expanding rapidly, with spending on international and private schooling reaching RM12.3 billion by 2023, continuing an upward trend. Much of this growth is driven by Malaysian parents increasingly opting for international schools, prompting a steady rise in the number of private institutions.
This shift began in 2012, when the government lifted the cap that limited Malaysian enrolment in international schools to 40%. Introduced as part of a broader strategy to position Malaysia as a regional education hub, the rule change reshaped school demographics; today, many international schools comprise at least 50% local students.
Malaysia now has approximately 190 international schools across 16 cities nationwide, offering a wide range of fee levels. The highest concentrations are in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, followed by Johor Bahru and Penang. Several of the newer premium international schools also offer boarding options.
Kuala Lumpur is home to most international schools with the best known located in the popular expat areas of Mount Kiara and Bangsar. In recent years, international schools have opened campuses in Johor Bahru, a special economic zone close to the Singapore border.
“It is an attractive residential location for commuters and remote workers who benefit from higher salaries in Singapore and Malaysia’s lower cost of living,” says ECA’s Quane.
Nearly five years on from the pandemic, school capacity has stabilised, and places are generally available even in institutions that were once oversubscribed. However, according to Ken Research, private schools continue to face challenges in growing enrolment, driven by rising competition and Malaysia’s declining birth rate.
Choosing a curriculum
Malaysian international schools offer a good range of curriculum. Options include:
- British (English National Curriculum, IGCSEs, A levels)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- American (US High School diploma with Advanced Placement options)
- Australian
- Indian, French and German
The British curriculum remains the most widely adopted framework in Malaysia’s international schools, alongside the International Baccalaureate.
Top schools using the British system
The premium schools, charging the highest fees, include the through-train Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur, the British International School of Kuala Lumpur, part of the Nord Anglia group, and a clutch of British public school offshoots including Marlborough College and Charterhouse.
Alice Smith School
Alice Smith School was the first British international school in Malaysia, founded in 1946, and known for its sense of community. It has a spacious primary campus and a new purpose-built secondary campus and follows the British curriculum to IGCSE and A level.
“There is a good mix of ex-pat and local children at the school so it feels diverse but also familiar as many teachers are from the UK,” says one recently arrived parent.
The popular Garden International School is the largest private co-educational school in Malaysia (educating 2,000 students). It is a respected alternative for families living in the affluent Mount Kiara area looking for the British curriculum. Established in 1951, it was one of the first schools in Malaysia to cater for expats and still has high levels of British teaching staff. With over 65 nationalities, it is known for its inclusive community.
The British International School in Selangor, about 40 kilometres from the city centre, opened in 2009 and also follows the British curriculum. It educates around 1,200 students from 2-18 years and is part of the Nord Anglia group which has 78 premium schools in 31 countries.
Top schools using the IB, American or Australian systems
The International School of Kuala Lumpur is located on a 25-acre, state-of-the-art campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and is home to students representing more than 70 nationalities. Students benefit from its robust international curriculum that combines leading North American educational frameworks with global best practices. ISKL is a fully inclusive school and offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) on a non-selective basis. As the longest-running World IB School in Malaysia, ISKL has seen more than 1,900 students graduate with an IB Diploma over the past 32 years.
IGB International School (IGBIS) is one of the leading independent day schools situated in a pleasant residential neighbourhood in the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur and Selangor), where there are a significant number of expatriate families. It is the only IB World School in the country offering all four International Baccalaureate programmes, from preschool to pre-university. The teaching staff at IGBIS is highly regarded and comprises an impressive 92% of expatriate teachers from various countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The student population at IGBIS is diverse and includes students from 35 countries, creating an environment that fosters cross-cultural exchange and understanding.
Many Australian families choose the Australian International School, established in 2000 in the MINES Resort City at the southern end of Kuala Lumpur, around 40 minutes from the centre. It follows the Australian curriculum leading to the New South Wales Higher School Certificate.
The growth in branded education
As in other Asian cities there has been an influx of UK branded schools including Marlborough, Charterhouse, Epsom and, the latest, Stonyhurst. In exchange for premium fees, these schools offer superior facilities, sophisticated extra curricula programmes and the opportunity to board.
Marlborough College Malaysia
In 2020 Repton International opened, a rebranding of the Excelsior International school, on a 20-hectare forest site in Johur Bahru. Repton carried out a major refurbishment and delivers a curriculum leading to IGCSE followed by A levels and IB in the sixth form. In 2024 Repton re-branded to Invictus Spring Hills.
“International schools have established campuses in Johor Bahru in recent years due to its proximity to Singapore and the large expat community who work there,” says Lee Quane.
Epsom College opened in 2014, the first international branch of Epsom College in Surrey. It is a boarding and day school located on 50-acre campus one hours’ drive south of Kuala Lumper in Bandar Enstek, 15 minutes from the airport. Students take IGCSE and A level exams.
Charterhouse International School have a sixth-form college close to the centre of the city and premium residential area Sri Hartamas. Pupils study the A level Cambridge curriculum in the purpose built “university inspired” campus in classes of no more than 12 pupils.
The latest of the UK branded schools to expand into Malaysia is the more affordable Stonyhurst International School in Penang which opened in September 2022. The K-12 school says it will build enrolments in phases and will eventually have 1,200 pupils including over 300 boarders.
Reputation tends to be the deciding factor of parents enrolling their children in international schools in Malaysia. Families who can afford it choose schools with long-standing reputations.
Janelle Torres, ISC Research
Affordable options
More affordable school options include Cempaka International School in Damansara Heights, popular with locals; GEMS International School; Sunway International School, which combines the Canadian curriculum with the IB and Taylor’s International. The least expensive schools include Wesley Methodist College which has schools in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and St John’s International.
The more affordable schools tend to employ locally-trained teachers and have more local students, while the premium schools usually employ international staff and have a more international student population. Most growth is coming from locals looking for mid-market schools.
“An increasing number of parents want an international education at an affordable price… During the pandemic parents who were financially impacted transferred their children to schools with lower fees. Others transferred from national schools to the more affordable international schools, which offered better online learning,…” says ISC Research’s Janelle Torres.
Demand is also coming from other Asian counties. Malaysian international schools are getting more enquiries from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
Some key pointers when choosing a school in Malaysia
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- A diverse mix
International schools in Malaysia typically have large numbers of local Malaysian students as well as many students from other Asian countries. This impacts the school culture, community, parent involvement norms and language exposure. If you’re expecting a mostly expat only and largely Western school environment, Malaysia is different — and in a good way. - Calendar alignment
International schools do not follow the government school calendar unless they choose to. Most operate on a three term calendar – August to June, common in British, American and IB schools. Others follow the four term calendar – January to December as in the Australian schools. You should always check each school’s academic calendar individually, as dates vary widely. - Traffic!
This can be terrible in Kuala Lumpur and Johor. Daily commutes can be stressful and public transport isn’t always available outside the major hubs. A school that’s 5 km away from home can take 45 minutes in rush hour. Keep this in mind when choosing a school in relation to where you live. - Extra fees
Look out for extra things that are not included in the base tuition fee. Things like application, registration, deposit, building, ICT, transport, uniforms. Some schools appear “affordable” on paper but end up costing much more once everything is added.
- A diverse mix
By taking time to compare curricula, campus environments, locations, and long‑term academic pathways, parents can confidently identify a school that supports both their child’s growth and their family’s lifestyle. With thoughtful planning, Malaysia offers an educational journey that is enriching, diverse, and well‑aligned with global standards.
