International schools in Mongolia

Are you looking for an international school in Mongolia? Search for the best international schools in Mongolia; you can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page.

Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world and some 30 per cent of its 3 million people maintain a nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life. Yet the adult literacy rate is 98 per cent while around two thirds of young people are enrolled in tertiary education, reflecting the nation’s strong educational culture.

The capital Ulaanbaatar is home to a vibrant cluster of international schools serving the children of expatriates and Mongolian elites, with most providing coeducational day schooling from kindergarten to senior secondary level. Among English-medium schools, there are several offering British programmes leading to IGCSEs and A-levels and one that follows the Massachusetts curriculum leading to an American school-leaving diploma. There is also a French-medium school for pupils aged three to 18 that delivers the national curriculum of France. 

Of Mongolia’s four IB World Schools, two teach in English, and one, the International School of Ulaanbaatar, is authorised to offer all three stages of the International Baccalaureate programme. The English School of Mongolia combines the IB Diploma with IGCSEs, while Shine Ue School provides a bilingual education in English and Mongolian that leads to the IB Diploma. 

A total of 25 schools offer IGCSEs and A-levels under the auspices of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), the examinations arm of the University of Cambridge. At least three public sector schools follow the Cambridge Pathway curriculum, which leads to IGCSEs and A-levels, under a collaboration between CAIE and Mongolia’s Ministry of Education.

Parents are advised to check that schools are accredited by a recognised body such as the Council of International Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, or the European Council of International Schools.  

Education is compulsory for 10 years from age six after the school entry age was lowered. Six years of primary school are followed by four years of junior secondary school and two years of upper secondary education offered in general, vocational and technical tracks.  

School attendance fell during an economic crisis that followed the introduction of market reforms in the 1990s. In 2019, net primary enrolment was 98 per cent and net secondary enrolment was 86 per cent, according to UNESCO.