Best International Schools in Bucharest: 2026 Guide for Families

Quick answer: What are the best international schools in Bucharest? Four schools lead most shortlists: the American International School of Bucharest (full IB, EUR 24,850 to 28,050 from Kindergarten), the British School of Bucharest (A Levels, EUR 21,294 to 24,683), Cambridge School of Bucharest (EUR 12,900 to 21,400) and the International School of Bucharest (roughly EUR 10,800 to 19,400).

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Ask an expat in Bucharest where the international schools are and the answer is usually one word: Pipera. Three of the four schools in this guide sit in the northern corridor that runs from Pipera into the town of Voluntari, just outside the city boundary. That clustering shapes where families rent, how long children spend in traffic and which school ends up feeling "local".

Picking among the best international schools in Bucharest is therefore less a hunt for a single winner than a set of trade-offs. IB or A Levels? A large American-style campus or a smaller British school? A fee paid by an employer or out of your own pocket, possibly in lei? This guide works through those questions with each school's published 2026-27 fees and accreditations.

Bucharest for families: the northern corridor and beyond

Bucharest draws families working in IT and outsourcing, energy, banking, embassies and international organisations, alongside a growing number of Romanian families choosing English-medium education. Many expatriates live in the north of the city: Aviatorilor, Primăverii and Herăstrău closer to the centre, or the newer residential compounds around Pipera, Băneasa and Voluntari, where houses with gardens are easier to find.

The American International School and the British School of Bucharest are both in Voluntari, and Cambridge School of Bucharest is on the same street as the British School. The International School of Bucharest is the exception, on Șoseaua Gării Cățelu in Sector 3, in the east of the city. A family living in the centre and commuting to Pipera at rush hour should expect a slow journey; Bucharest's traffic is a regular complaint among newcomers, so living near the school you choose often matters more than living near the office.

Curricula you will find in Bucharest

International Baccalaureate (full continuum): AISB teaches the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes, plus its own Global Impact Diploma pathway.
English National Curriculum to A Levels: the British School of Bucharest follows the National Curriculum for England through IGCSE and GCSE to A Levels.
British curriculum with the IB Diploma in the Sixth Form: Cambridge School of Bucharest and the International School of Bucharest both teach a British programme to IGCSE, and both describe themselves as IB World Schools offering the Diploma Programme.
Other national systems: the city also has French and German schools for families who want to stay in those systems.

Four leading schools, and who they suit

American International School of Bucharest (AISB)

AISB was founded in 1962 and runs as a not-for-profit school for students aged 2 to 18. The school says it has more than 850 students from over 60 nationalities on a purpose-built 10-hectare campus on Bulevardul Pipera in Voluntari, with a theatre, Design Center, science labs, a Makerspace, gyms, playing fields and tennis courts. Unlike the other three schools here, it runs the full IB continuum from early years, and it reports an average Diploma score of 34 against a world average of 30.

Who it suits: families on international postings who want the IB from early years to graduation, and those who value a large campus with extensive facilities. Tip: AISB does not run its own buses or kitchen; lunch is bought directly from the catering company and transport from a private bus firm, so add both to your budget. Families joining mid-year pay a EUR 1,500 mid-year enrolment fee, and those paying personally can split tuition into two instalments for a EUR 1,000 service charge.

British School of Bucharest (BSB)

BSB, on Strada Erou Iancu Nicolae in Voluntari, follows the National Curriculum for England from Pre-Nursery to A Levels, and makes the case for A Levels over the IB on its website, arguing that they allow greater specialisation. It is recognised as a British School Overseas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which rated it "excellent" in 2018, 2022 and 2025. It is also a full international member of HMC, an accredited member of COBIS and accredited by ARACIP, Romania's quality assurance agency for pre-university education.

Who it suits: families heading for UK universities, or children already in English or British-curriculum schools. Tip: BSB's fees include English as an additional language lessons for the first twelve months, lunch in the Early Years, insurance and some after-school activities. From Year 1, lunch and transport are extra, and exam fees are charged in Years 10 to 13.

Cambridge School of Bucharest (CSB)

CSB teaches from Nursery (age 3) to Year 13 following the British Key Stages. It describes itself as a British School Overseas, a Cambridge International centre, a COBIS member and an IB World School offering the Diploma Programme, which gives Sixth Form students an IB route after IGCSE. Its fees sit between the large schools and the more affordable options, and a "Long Programme" with extended hours is available for younger children at a higher fee.

Who it suits: families who want a British school of moderate size with the IB Diploma at the end. Tip: CSB accepts applications throughout the year but warns that some year groups fill quickly, and it offers a 5% discount for paying the full year by the end of March.

International School of Bucharest (ISB)

ISB is a non-profit day school offering a British-style education from age two and a half to 19. It has been fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) since August 2012, a COBIS member since 2013 and a Cambridge International school for IGCSE and A Level since 2000, and it is authorised by the Ministry of Education to teach a non-Romanian curriculum. Its Sixth Form runs the IB Diploma Programme. The school says Romania's Ministry of Education recognises its Year 10 and 11 studies and accepts the IB Diploma as equivalent to the Romanian Baccalaureate.

Who it suits: families living in the east or centre of the city, families who want a British base with the IB at 16 to 18, and value-conscious families paying fees personally. Tip: the school says it charges no campus or development fees on top of tuition, but new families pay a one-off EUR 1,500 registration fee, and pupils entering Years 3 to 10 who are placed in the ESL programme pay an extra EUR 2,000 a year.

Fees in Bucharest for 2026-27

Annual tuition for a primary-age child ranges from roughly EUR 15,000 to 26,000, and from roughly EUR 19,000 to 28,000 in the final years. At the European Central Bank's reference rate on 16 October 2026 (EUR 1 = RON 5.3310), AISB's Grade 9 to 12 fee of EUR 28,050 is about RON 149,500.

AISB: EUR 7,810 for half-day EC2 and EUR 13,600 for full-day EC2 to EC4, then EUR 24,850 (Kindergarten), EUR 26,040 (Grades 1 to 5), EUR 26,270 (Grades 6 to 8) and EUR 28,050 (Grades 9 to 12).
BSB: EUR 3,948 for half-day and EUR 7,819 for full-day Pre-Nursery, EUR 21,294 from Nursery to Year 6 and EUR 24,683 from Year 7 to Year 13.
CSB: EUR 12,900 (Nursery) to EUR 18,500 (Years 4 to 6), EUR 19,500 (Years 7 to 9), EUR 20,500 (Years 10 and 11) and EUR 21,400 (Years 12 and 13).
ISB: EUR 10,835 in the Early Years, EUR 17,470 in Primary, EUR 18,355 in Years 7 to 9 and EUR 19,430 in Years 10 to 13.

Extras that change the total:

Application fees: EUR 250 at AISB and EUR 275 at BSB, both non-refundable.
Registration and admission fees: at AISB, EUR 3,500 for a first child from Kindergarten (EUR 2,000 for a second, EUR 1,000 for a third) or EUR 800 in the Early Learning Center; at BSB, EUR 3,674 for a first child from Year 1 (EUR 981 in the Early Years); at CSB, EUR 2,200; at ISB, EUR 1,500.
Annual building fee: EUR 1,000 a year at AISB from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Deposits and advance payments: a EUR 5,789 reservation deposit at BSB, which holds a place until 15 April, when the balance of fees falls due; a EUR 2,500 advance payment at CSB, deducted from tuition.
Lunch, buses, exams and uniform: extra at most schools and stages; ask for current prices from each school's catering and transport providers.

Two official details help with planning. On currency, AISB accepts euros from non-residents but bills Romanian residents in lei at the National Bank of Romania (BNR) rate on the day of payment, so families earning in lei carry the exchange-rate risk. On the calendar, Ministry of Education Order 3,194 of 9 February 2026 sets the 2026-27 state school year at 36 teaching weeks in five teaching intervals, or modules, from 7 September 2026 to 18 June 2027 for most year groups, with a one-week winter holiday chosen by the Bucharest school inspectorate between 15 February and 7 March 2027. International schools set their own term dates, so a family with one child in a Romanian school and another in an international school may face different holidays.

Practical advice for Bucharest families

Choose the school before the apartment. With three schools in Voluntari and Pipera and one in the east, the school run decides your daily life. Test the drive at 7.45am on a weekday before signing a lease.

Decide between IB and A Levels around age 14. All four schools lead to recognised university entry, but in different ways. AISB, CSB and ISB offer the IB Diploma in the final two years; BSB offers A Levels. Students planning to study in Romania should ask each school how it supports recognition of its diploma.

Read the payment rules if you are paying yourself. CSB's discount of up to 5% for paying the full year early, AISB's two-instalment option and BSB's 15 April balance date can each move the real cost by hundreds of euros. Corporate packages often cover tuition but not registration, building or deposit fees, so check what your employer pays.

See the full Bucharest ranking

For a wider comparison, including French, German and smaller British schools, see our ranking of the best international schools in Bucharest.

More guides to schools in Bucharest

Frequently asked questions

Do international schools in Bucharest charge fees in euros or lei?

Most publish fees in euros. AISB, for example, accepts euros from non-resident families but bills Romanian residents in lei at the National Bank of Romania rate on the day of payment. If your salary is in lei, a weaker leu raises your real cost, so ask each school how it converts and when invoices fall due.

Which international schools in Bucharest offer the IB Diploma?

AISB runs the full IB continuum, from the Primary Years Programme to the Diploma. Cambridge School of Bucharest and the International School of Bucharest teach a British curriculum to IGCSE and then offer the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. The British School of Bucharest follows the A Level route instead.

When does the school year start in Bucharest?

Romanian state schools start the 2026-27 year on 7 September 2026 and finish on 18 June 2027 for most year groups, in five teaching modules set by Ministry of Education Order 3,194/2026. International schools publish their own calendars, which can start and end on different dates, so check term dates carefully if siblings attend different systems.