Boarding International Schools in Malaysia 2026: Marlborough, Epsom, KTJ and Nexus Fees and Boarding Ages
The main international schools with boarding in Peninsular Malaysia are Marlborough College Malaysia in Johor (the IB, or International Baccalaureate, in the final years), Epsom College in Malaysia near KLIA in Negeri Sembilan (British A-Levels), Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar (KTJ) in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan (A-Level), and Nexus International School in Putrajaya (IB). On each school's official 2026/27 fees, a full boarder in Year 7 (about 11 to 12 years old) costs from about RM126,000 a year (KTJ) to about RM220,000 (Marlborough), plus 6% service tax (SST).
Marlborough and Nexus take boarders from Year 5 (about 9 to 10 years old); Epsom and KTJ usually from Year 7. International schools in central Kuala Lumpur such as ISKL, Alice Smith and Garden do not offer boarding. Malaysia has no official ranking of international schools; online "rankings" are compiled by media or private organisations.
How much do the four boarding international schools cost a year?
| School | Location | Curriculum (final years) | Boarding from | Year 7 full boarding a year | Year 12 full boarding a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlborough College Malaysia | Iskandar Puteri, Johor, about 30 min drive to the JB Causeway | IGCSE, then IB | Year 5 | RM219,600 | RM259,800 |
| Epsom College in Malaysia | Bandar Enstek, Negeri Sembilan, about 15 min drive to KLIA | IGCSE, then A-Level | Year 7 (Year 5-6 in select cases) | About RM170,910 | About RM179,310 |
| Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar (KTJ) | Mantin, Negeri Sembilan, about 45 min drive to KL | IGCSE, then A-Level | Year 7 | RM125,820 | RM135,765 |
| Nexus International School | Putrajaya, about 30 min drive to KL and KLIA | IGCSE, then IB | Year 5 (ages 10 to 18) | About RM138,660 | About RM161,040 |
The biggest gap is Marlborough: the most expensive, and the only one in Johor near Singapore. The cheapest is KTJ, under RM140,000 a year for tuition and boarding together.
The table leaves out one-off costs: application and enrolment fees, and a refundable deposit that is often one term's fees. Epsom, for example, charges a RM20,000 enrolment fee and a RM25,000 to RM30,000 deposit; KTJ's deposit is RM25,000. Budget extra cash for the first year.
Marlborough or Epsom: how to choose?
| Marlborough College Malaysia | Epsom College in Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Johor, near Singapore | Negeri Sembilan, next to KLIA |
| Final-year curriculum | IB Diploma | A-Level (no IB) |
| Youngest boarding year | Year 5 | Year 7 (Year 5-6 in select cases) |
| Year 12 full boarding a year | RM259,800 | About RM179,310 |
| Boarding options | Full, weekly (Sunday night to Friday), three nights a week | Full, weekday (Malaysian students and MM2H families only) |
| Results the school publishes | IB 2025: 78 candidates, average 35 points | A-Level 2025: 74% A* to B |
| UK link | Marlborough College, UK | Describes itself as the only sister school of Epsom College UK |
Both are British-style boarding schools. The real differences come down to three things:
- IB or A-Level. If your child wants the IB, of these two only Marlborough offers it; for three or four focused A-Levels, Epsom and KTJ fit better.
- Where you live. For weekend pick-ups, Epsom is about an hour from KL; Marlborough is over three hours, better for families in JB or Singapore.
- Budget. At Year 12, Marlborough costs about RM80,000 a year more than Epsom.
Which other schools offer boarding?
| School | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Raffles American School | Iskandar Puteri, Johor | American curriculum. Boarding RM47,000 a year (twin) or RM62,000 (single), plus tuition (RM98,500 a year for grades 5 to 8) |
| Prince of Wales Island International School | Penang, boarding at the Balik Pulau campus | British curriculum with full and weekly boarding; the fee schedule link on its site is broken, so fees are not published |
| Seri Botani International School | Ipoh | Has a boarding fee page, but the figures are an image with nothing we can quote |
Older sources say Uplands in Penang has boarding, but its current website no longer has a boarding page, so we do not list it as a boarding school. Ask the school directly if you are interested.
What to ask the school before you apply
- Is SST included? Marlborough, Epsom and KTJ secondary fees add 6%. On RM200,000 of fees, that is RM12,000.
- One-off fees and deposits. Enrolment, application and deposit together can equal a full term.
- Are you eligible for weekday boarding? Epsom's weekday boarding (home at weekends) is only for Malaysian students and MM2H families; foreign families choose full boarding.
- Youngest boarding age. Websites state year groups, not ages; if your child's birthday falls mid-year, ask which year they join.
- How results are counted. Published results only cover students who sat the exam; ask how many did.
Our view: with boarding, your home does not need to be next to the school
Many parents' first instinct is to buy near the school. Boarding works the other way: your child lives at school on weekdays, so your home should suit weekend pick-ups and your own commute. Living in KL with a child at Epsom, KTJ or Nexus means roughly an hour or less each way, so you can choose your home around your work.
Day-school families are the ones who should buy close by. For condos near KL's international school clusters, see condos near international schools in KL; for day-school fees, see international school fees in Malaysia. Foreign families buying under MM2H can check the rules in MM2H property rules.
Frequently asked questions
Are there boarding international schools in Kuala Lumpur?
The main international schools in central KL, such as ISKL, Alice Smith, Garden, Tenby and the International School @ ParkCity, have no boarding. The nearest boarding international school to KL is Nexus in Putrajaya, about 30 minutes away.
Which boarding schools offer the IB?
Marlborough College Malaysia and Nexus International School teach the IB Diploma in the final years; Epsom and KTJ teach A-Levels.
What is the youngest boarding age?
Marlborough and Nexus from Year 5 (about 9 to 10 years old); Epsom and KTJ usually from Year 7 (about 11 to 12).
Is there an official ranking of international schools in Malaysia?
No. The Ministry of Education does not rank international schools; rankings online are compiled by media or private organisations. Curriculum, published results and fees are more useful for comparing.
Is Marlborough or Epsom cheaper?
Epsom. For a Year 12 full boarder, Marlborough is RM259,800 a year and Epsom about RM179,310, both plus 6% SST.
All fees are from each school's official 2026/27 fee schedule, read on 17 October 2026; schools revise fees, so confirm the latest figures before applying. Annual boarding at Epsom and Nexus is our calculation from per-term fees x 3. Exam results are as published by each school. Drive times are approximate. PropertySifu has no partnership with these schools.
Tell us which school and where you work. We will suggest the areas that make weekend pick-ups easiest, with the new launches and subsale homes there.