Best International Schools in Sofia: 2026 Guide for Families

Quick answer: What are the best international schools in Sofia? Four schools cover most expat needs: the Anglo-American School (IB Diploma, PreK to Grade 12), the British School of Sofia (British and IB, ages 2 to 18), the American College of Sofia (IB Diploma for Grades 11 and 12) and St. George (Cambridge plus Bulgarian diploma). Published 2026-27 tuition runs from about EUR 10,400 to EUR 25,600 a year.

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

Sofia is a small market for international education, and that is mostly good news for families. Instead of sorting through dozens of options, you are choosing between a handful of established schools that differ sharply in curriculum, price and who sits in the classroom. The best international schools in Sofia are not interchangeable, and the right one for a diplomat's child arriving in Grade 9 is rarely the right one for a Bulgarian-British family with a three-year-old.

This guide is built around that idea. We checked each school's own 2026-27 fee schedule and admissions pages, looked at accreditation records, and put the numbers side by side in euros, which since January is simply the local currency. There is no single winner below. There is a shortlist, with a note on which family each school suits and where the catches are.

Sofia for families: where the schools are and how you get there

Most international families in Sofia arrive with an employer: embassies, EU-linked agencies, outsourcing and IT firms, and a growing number of remote workers who chose the city for its cost of living and its position between Western Europe and the Black Sea. The relocation logic tends to be the same: a job in the centre or in Business Park Sofia, and a home somewhere in the south of the city, closer to Vitosha mountain.

That geography matters because the schools follow it. The Anglo-American School sits at 1 Siyanie Street in the Pancharevo district on the south-eastern edge of the city. The American College of Sofia is on Floyd Black Lane in Mladost 2. The British School of Sofia lists two Sofia addresses, one for its kindergarten and lower primary and one for the older school and college. Families who live in Lozenets, Boyana, Dragalevtsi or Simeonovo are usually within reach of all of them, but the ring road at rush hour can turn a 15-minute drive into 40.

A simple test: visit the school at 7:45 on a weekday before you sign a lease. Bus routes exist at most schools (AAS and BSS publish annual transport prices), yet the pick-up times for families at the far end of a route can be very early.

Curricula you will actually find in Sofia

International Baccalaureate Diploma: offered at the Anglo-American School, the British School of Sofia and the American College of Sofia, each in a different setting.
American high school diploma: awarded by AAS alongside or instead of the IB Diploma, and by ACS to students in its international curriculum.
British and Cambridge pathway: Cambridge Primary, IGCSE and, at St. George, A Levels; the British School of Sofia runs IGCSE before its pre-IB and IB years.
Bulgarian national curriculum combined with international exams: St. George says its students leave with a Bulgarian diploma as well as Cambridge qualifications, and ACS runs a Bulgarian track for its national students.

The shortlist: four schools and who each one suits

Anglo-American School of Sofia

AAS teaches from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 in English and says it has more than 50 nationalities on campus, with a 7:1 student to teacher ratio. Older students choose between the IB Diploma and the school's own AAS Diploma, and the school lists accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges along with membership of the Council of International Schools, ECIS and CEESA. It is also the most expensive option in the city: 2026-27 tuition is EUR 22,300 for Kindergarten to Grade 5 and EUR 25,619 for Grades 9 to 12, before an annual capital fee of EUR 3,402.

Who it fits: families on a corporate or diplomatic package who expect to move again within a few years and want an American-style school with a large international peer group. If your employer pays tuition but not the capital and registration fees, check that clause before you accept the offer, because new students pay EUR 2,809 in one-off fees on top.

British School of Sofia

BSS takes children from age 2 to 18 and says it has 420 pupils from 42 nationalities, an average class of 15 and a maximum of 20. The kindergarten and Grades 1 to 4 sit on one site and the school and college on another. Its curriculum combines British and Cambridge programmes with the IB, ending in the IB Diploma. A 2015 British Schools Overseas inspection report published by COBIS records that the school opened in 2009 and at that stage served pupils up to Grade 9, so the IB years are a more recent addition worth asking about.

Who it fits: families who want British structure in the early years and a recognised exit qualification, at a lower price than AAS. Fees for 2026-27 range from EUR 10,370 in Nursery to EUR 18,750 in the IB years, and the school offers payment in one, two or three instalments.

American College of Sofia

ACS is not a typical international school. It is a selective secondary school with 946 students, most of them Bulgarian, and an international track that runs to the IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12. International applicants need a B average over the last two years and sit the ISEE Upper Level exam in English at the school, followed by an interview for some candidates. For 2026-27 the school charges international students EUR 22,200, against EUR 10,540 for Bulgarian students.

Who it fits: academically strong teenagers who would like to be part of a mostly Bulgarian community rather than an expat bubble. It does not take young children, so it only works for families arriving at secondary age or planning a move later on.

St. George International School and Pre School

St. George describes a hybrid model in which students finish with a Bulgarian diploma as well as Cambridge IGCSE and A Level qualifications. The school says it is a registered Cambridge International School and an accredited COBIS member, and that it offers ESL support and programmes for gifted pupils and those with special educational needs. We could not open its website for this review and it does not publish fees we could verify, so treat any figure you hear second-hand as provisional.

Who it fits: mixed Bulgarian and international families who want to keep the national diploma open while working towards A Levels for UK university applications. Ask how many hours a week are taught in Bulgarian at each stage.

What the best international schools in Sofia cost in 2026-27

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026, with the lev converted at a fixed rate of 1.95583 BGN per EUR, so all four schools now invoice in euros. That removes the currency risk Western families used to carry, though AAS notes that some extra charges may still be billed in EUR or USD.

Published annual tuition for 2026-27 looks like this:

Nursery and kindergarten: EUR 10,370 to EUR 11,130 at BSS; EUR 12,008 for Pre-K and EUR 22,300 from Kindergarten at AAS.
Primary: EUR 13,800 to EUR 15,180 at BSS; EUR 22,300 at AAS.
Middle years: EUR 16,260 to EUR 17,590 at BSS; EUR 23,983 at AAS.
Diploma years: EUR 18,750 at BSS; EUR 22,200 for international students at ACS; EUR 25,619 at AAS (roughly USD 21,000 to USD 29,000).

Extras that change the real total:

Registration and entrance fees: AAS charges new families EUR 1,102 registration plus a EUR 1,707 entrance capital fee; BSS charges a one-off enrolment fee of EUR 600 for kindergarten and EUR 1,000 for school.
Annual capital levy: EUR 3,402 at AAS, every year, for every student.
Transport: EUR 2,900 for full bus service at AAS; EUR 2,000 to EUR 3,350 at BSS, depending on zone.
Meals: EUR 1,690 for kindergarten and EUR 1,860 for school at BSS.
Uniforms, devices and exam entries: rarely included; ask each school for its list.
Late payment: AAS adds a EUR 250 late fee for first-semester payments made after 1 July and a 10 per cent surcharge for payments made after 1 September.

Practical advice before you choose

Start with the exit, not the entrance. If your child is 14 or older, decide first whether you want the IB Diploma, A Levels or a US diploma, because that alone narrows Sofia to one or two schools. Switching programmes in Grade 11 is possible but painful, and ACS only admits international students who pass its entrance test.

Read the payment calendar carefully. AAS and BSS both want first-semester money by late June, months before the school year starts. Families relocating in August often discover they need to pay in full before their relocation allowance arrives. Ask the business office whether the deadline can be moved once your employer's letter is on file.

Ask about the peer group. BSS says about 65 per cent of its pupils are international, while ACS is mostly Bulgarian. Neither is better; they simply produce a different everyday experience, especially for teenagers who will spend weekends with classmates.

Compare Sofia schools on our ranking

For a wider view, including smaller nurseries and newer schools that did not make this shortlist, see our ranking of the best international schools in Sofia, where you can compare stages, curricula and family ratings.

More guides to schools in Sofia

Frequently asked questions

Which international school in Sofia offers the IB Diploma?

Three schools in Sofia teach the IB Diploma: the Anglo-American School of Sofia, the British School of Sofia and the American College of Sofia. AAS also awards its own US-style diploma, BSS charges EUR 18,750 for the IB years in 2026-27, and ACS runs the Diploma in Grades 11 and 12 for students on its international track.

Are international school fees in Sofia paid in euros or leva?

In euros. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at a fixed rate of 1.95583 BGN per EUR, and the schools now publish 2026-27 fees in EUR. AAS warns that some additional charges may still be invoiced in EUR or USD, and bank transfer costs are paid by families.

Can an expat child join the American College of Sofia?

Yes, if the student is of secondary age and meets the entry bar. International applicants need at least a B average for the last two years, sit the ISEE Upper Level exam in English at ACS and may be interviewed. Admission runs year-round subject to places, and 2026-27 tuition for international students is EUR 22,200.