Top Secondary Schools in Cotonou, Benin Republic: Parent's Guide

Looking for a good secondary school in Cotonou? The first question is not "which school is best". It is "which exam should my child finish with". Cotonou has secondary schools that end with Cambridge A levels, with American Advanced Placement, with the Indian CBSE board, with the French baccalauréat and with Benin's own BAC. This guide lists the schools we could check on their own websites in October 2026, what each one teaches, and what it costs where the school publishes its fees.

• Heading to a university in the UK or another country that knows British exams: look at a British school with IGCSE and A levels.

• Heading to the US or Canada: look at an American-system school with Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

• Heading to a university in Benin, France or another French-speaking country: look at a French-system school (French baccalauréat) or a Beninese school (Benin BAC).

• Heading back to a Nigerian school system: you need WAEC or NECO. We could not confirm online any Cotonou school that is a registered WAEC or NECO centre. Ask each school directly, and get the answer in writing.

Benin's own secondary school runs seven years: four years of collège ending with the BEPC, then three years of lycée ending with the baccalauréat (BAC), which is the entry ticket to university in Benin. Public schools teach in French. For the full picture of the system, read our guide to primary and secondary schools in Benin Republic.

Every fact below comes from the school's own website, read on 20 October 2026. We list them side by side: the right school depends on the exam your child needs.

English International School (EIS), Haie Vive: British, IGCSE and A levels

• Founded: 2000.

• Curriculum: Cambridge International and the British National Curriculum.

• Ages: from age two up to university entry. The upper school covers Year 10 to Year 13.

• Exams: Cambridge IGCSE at the end of Year 11, AS levels at the end of Year 12 and A levels at the end of Year 13. The school also says it is a College Board test centre for the SAT and AP exams.

• Admission: your child may sit a test in English and Mathematics. The year group is set by the child's age on 1 September.

• Fees: not published on the website. Ask the school for the current fee sheet.

• Contact: Haie Vive, Cotonou · education@eis-benin.org · eis-benin.org

QSI International School of Benin, Camp Guezo: American, AP courses

• Opened in Cotonou: August 2012. Accredited by the Middle States Association (MSA), a US accreditation body.

• Ages: pre-K through "Secondary IV", students aged 3 to 17. Teaching is in English, with an Advanced Placement (AP) programme.

• English: children with no English are accepted up to age 13. Older secondary students must pass the school's English test.

• Admission: applicants aged 7 and older sit the MAP placement test (reading, language arts and mathematics).

• Fees: not published on the website. Ask the school.

• Contact: Lot 126 and 127, Zone Résidentielle de la Radio, Camp Guézo, Cotonou · benin.qsi.org

EFE Montaigne (the French school), Les Cocotiers: French system, brevet and French bac

• Status: part of the network of French schools abroad run by the AEFE, the French government's agency for French education abroad. The school calls itself "homologué et conventionné": its programme is approved by France.

• History and size: opened in 1984, about 1,100 pupils, from nursery to the final year of lycée, on one site.

• Exams: the French Brevet des collèges and the French baccalauréat (both appear on its 2026–2027 fee sheet).

• Language: French. This school suits a child who already reads and writes French well.

• Contact: Quartier Les Cocotiers, Cotonou · efemontaigne-cotonou.com

EFE Montaigne is the only school on this list that publishes its fees. Its official 2026–2027 fee sheet charges per year, by nationality:

• Collège (lower secondary): 2,478,000 FCFA for French nationals, 3,264,000 FCFA for Beninese, 3,837,000 FCFA for other nationalities (Nigerians included).

• Lycée (upper secondary): 2,904,000 FCFA for French nationals, 3,825,000 FCFA for Beninese, 4,542,000 FCFA for other nationalities.

• First registration: 500,000 FCFA, or 350,000 FCFA if a brother or sister is already at the school. Re-registration each year: 65,000 FCFA.

• Exam fees: Brevet 19,000 FCFA; bac (première) 70,000 FCFA; bac (terminale) 90,000 FCFA.

Fees are billed per term. For 2026–2027 the first term was due by 14 October 2026.

Indian International School, Benin: Indian CBSE, up to Grade 10

• Board: affiliated to India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), affiliation number 7830001, school code 90016.

• Classes: playgroup to Grade 10. It does not offer Grades 11 and 12, so a student needs another school for the last two years.

• Fees: not published on the website. Ask the school.

• Contact: Rue 1684, Cotonou · iisbenin.com

Older versions of this page, and parents who write to us, mention Oak International School, Trinity Montessori School, Zenith International School (formerly Kiddies World), Cotonou International School and Mercyland International College. We could not confirm their curriculum, exams or fees online in October 2026, so we say nothing more about them here. They may be good schools. Visit them and ask the questions in the checklist below when you visit.

For a wider map, Ceety Boy lists schools in Cotonou by neighbourhood, with the road route from a known landmark. It is useful to judge the school run. Two of the schools above sit in the Haie Vive and Cocotiers area.

1. The final exam. Which exam will my child sit at the end, and is the school an approved centre for it? Ask for the centre number.

2. Approval. Ask to see the school's authorisation from Benin's Ministry of Education.

3. Class placement. Bring the last two report cards. Get the year group confirmed in writing at enrolment.

4. The full fee sheet. Tuition, first registration, re-registration, books, uniform, transport and exam fees, all on one dated sheet. Ask which fees are non-refundable.

5. Language. How many hours a week are taught in English and in French?

6. The school run. Do the drive at 7 a.m. once before you decide. Cotonou traffic changes the picture.

7. Visit. See classrooms, labs and toilets, and talk to two parents whose children are already there.

Many families choose a Cotonou secondary school with university in mind. If your child will go on to a university in Benin, know this first: Nigeria's evaluation of Benin and Togo degrees for NYSC is currently suspended. Your school's licence and courses are not affected. Our top 10 universities in Cotonou explains the suspension and the schools we recommend.

Are there English-speaking secondary schools in Cotonou? Yes. The English International School (British, IGCSE and A levels) and QSI International School of Benin (American, AP) teach in English. The Indian International School teaches the Indian CBSE programme up to Grade 10.

Which Cotonou schools offer IGCSE and A levels? The English International School in Haie Vive says it enters students for Cambridge IGCSE at the end of Year 11 and AS and A levels in Years 12 and 13.

How much does a secondary school in Cotonou cost? It depends on the school, and most international schools share their fees on request. One that publishes them: EFE Montaigne charges 3,837,000 FCFA a year for collège and 4,542,000 FCFA for lycée for non-French, non-Beninese students in 2026–2027, plus a 500,000 FCFA first registration fee.

Can my child write WAEC or NECO in Cotonou? We could not confirm a registered WAEC or NECO centre in Cotonou online. Ask any school that offers a Nigerian curriculum where its students sit the exam, and ask for proof.

When does the school year start in Benin? For Benin's national schools, the 2026–2027 year started on 14 September 2026 and ends on 25 June 2027. International schools may set their own calendar, so check with the school.

Last reviewed by Beninfo247: October 2026. Fees and details change every year. If you run one of these schools and something here is out of date, contact us with your current documents.