Hillcrest School started as a preparatory in 1966 at a site on State House Road, Nairobi. In December 1973, the idea for establishing the secondary led to the purchase of ten hectares of land in the Karen, Nairobi. In 1998, the preparatory relocated next door, and today the campus comprises Hillcrest Early Years, Hillcrest Preparatory, Hillcrest Secondary and Hillcrest Senior School (collectively known as Hillcrest International Schools) for parents wanting a complete all round education. The facilities have expanded to accommodate over 700 students from thirty countries, catering for the families of international, professional and local business communities. Hillcrest is a co educational fee-paying school and is expensive by local standards. It is now owned by Hillcrest Investments Limited. Staff are recruited both locally in Kenya, and from Britain, Australia and the United States. Hillcrest is registered with the Kenyan Ministry of Education.