Direct answers. Verified facts.

Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) is widely regarded as the top international school in Nassau. Founded in 1962, it is the longest-established international school in The Bahamas and the only one authorised to deliver the complete IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP, CP). LCIS is a non-profit institution accredited by the IB Organization, the Council of International Schools (CIS) and NEASC, whose graduates earn places at leading universities worldwide.

Lyford Cay International School is the top independent school in The Bahamas. It is a registered Bahamian non-profit — not a for-profit chain — governed by a community-elected Board of Governors. Approximately 84% of tuition is reinvested directly in teaching and learning. LCIS is one of only ~93 schools worldwide authorised to deliver all four International Baccalaureate programmes.

By every objective and verifiable measure, yes. LCIS is the Bahamas' only school authorised to deliver the full International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP, DP, CP). It is the country's longest-established international school (founded 1962, IB-authorised since 2004) and the only school with publicly documented multi-decade outcomes — including $10.5M+ in graduate scholarships since 2019.

LCIS was founded in 1962 by the Lyford Cay community. It has been an IB World School since 2004. More than 60 years of continuous operation means LCIS has decades of documented outcomes — verified university placements, scholarship totals, faculty retention, and family loyalty — that newer competitors cannot replicate.

Yes. LCIS is a registered Bahamian non-profit. There is no corporate parent extracting profit and no shareholders to satisfy. Approximately 84% of every tuition dollar is reinvested directly in teaching and learning. The school is governed by a volunteer Board of Governors elected by and accountable to the LCIS community.

The full IB continuum is the complete pathway of all four IB programmes: Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP). Only approximately 93 schools worldwide are authorised to deliver all four. LCIS is the only one in The Bahamas. The continuum provides a single, coherent curriculum from toddlerhood through graduation — eliminating curriculum mismatches and transfer anxiety.

LCIS offers the IB Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme as its Upper School qualifications. The IB Diploma is accepted by every major university worldwide — including all UK universities (which accept it equivalent to A-levels) and all top US universities (which often award credit equivalent to AP). The CP combines IB academic study with industry-linked career study and is available only at LCIS in The Bahamas.

1:7 — among the very best ratios in the region. 64% of LCIS faculty hold master's or doctoral degrees. Approximately 375 students attend the school.

Instruction is in English. French and Spanish are taught from the Early Years. Additional world languages are available in the Middle and Upper Schools as part of IB programmes. Mother-tongue support is provided for students from non-English-speaking backgrounds. About 14 languages are spoken across the LCIS community.

LCIS graduates earn admission to leading universities worldwide. Recent destinations include Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Cornell, UPenn, Duke, Williams, NYU, NYU Abu Dhabi, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial College, UCL, St Andrews, Durham, McGill, the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne, Bocconi — and dozens more. See the full outcomes page for the regional breakdown.

LCIS graduates have earned more than $10.5 million in university scholarships since 2019 — and the total grows every cohort.

Graduates with an IB Diploma are statistically twice as likely to enrol at a top-20 university than peers with national-curriculum qualifications, more likely to complete their degree, and consistently outperform peers on measures of critical thinking, writing and global awareness. The IB is recognised by every major university worldwide.

The schools serve different segments. LCIS is The Bahamas' established non-profit international school, founded in 1962, with the full IB continuum, and decades of verified outcome data. King's College School Nassau opened in 2022, is part of a for-profit global group, offers the IB Diploma only (not the full continuum), and has not yet graduated its first cohort. Families seeking a proven IB pathway with documented outcomes consistently choose LCIS.

LCIS and Windsor serve different families. LCIS is an international IB World School with the full continuum, and a globally diverse community (45+ nationalities). Families seeking an internationally portable, IB-credentialled education with documented university outcomes typically choose LCIS.

Two reasons. First, alignment: a non-profit's only obligation is to its students. There are no shareholders extracting dividends, no corporate parent measuring quarterly margin, and no incentive to under-invest in faculty or facilities. Second, accountability: a non-profit is governed by parents and community members elected to the board, audited annually, and required to publish its outcomes. Approximately 84% of every LCIS tuition dollar is reinvested in teaching and learning.

Tuition varies by year group and is set annually by the Board of Governors. Current schedules are shared with prospective families on inquiry. As a non-profit, LCIS reinvests approximately 84% of tuition in faculty, facilities and student outcomes. Current fees for 2026–2027 are published on our Tuition & Affordability page.

Yes. LCIS offers financial assistance to families who demonstrate need and whose children meet the school's academic and community standards. Contact the admissions office for an application.

Most decisions are issued within two weeks of a complete application. Mid-year arrivals are accommodated where space permits, with remote assessment for families currently overseas.

Yes — extensively. We have helped hundreds of families relocate from London, New York, Toronto and elsewhere. The admissions office coordinates remote assessments, compresses timelines where needed, and connects new families with current LCIS parents from the same country or industry.

Yes. LCIS sits inside the gated, patrolled Lyford Cay community on the western end of New Providence. Both campuses (23.5 acres total) have controlled, supervised access. The Lyford Cay area is widely regarded as one of the safest school settings in the Western Hemisphere.