How to Choose an International School in Alcobendas: 2026 Family Guide

Quick answer: How do you choose an international school in Alcobendas? Start with curriculum and language: Liceo Europeo offers IB and an American high school diploma (about EUR 11,840 to 20,980 a year in 2026-27), the Swedish school's international section follows Cambridge in English, and Brewster La Moraleja is American. Then compare commute, entry age and admissions timing.

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

Knowing how to choose an international school in Alcobendas mostly comes down to three decisions: which curriculum your child will follow until 18, which language they will actually study in, and how long you are prepared to spend on the road every morning. The town has only a handful of options, so the useful work is understanding what each one is built for rather than ranking them.

This guide looks at three schools that sit within a few minutes of each other on the northern edge of Madrid: Liceo Europeo, the International section of the Swedish school (formerly the Scandinavian school) and Brewster La Moraleja. They differ more than their postcodes suggest, in curriculum, age range, size and how settled they are.

Alcobendas and La Moraleja: where the schools are and why families come

Alcobendas is a business town just north of the M-40 and the Madrid ring, home to many regional offices of multinational companies, which is the main reason expatriate families end up here. La Moraleja is the residential area on its eastern side, with detached houses, gated developments and wooded plots. All three schools below have a 28109 postcode, so they sit in or beside La Moraleja rather than in the town centre.

That matters for the school run. Most families live within a short drive, but there is little useful public transport between La Moraleja and the rest of the city, and morning traffic on the A-1 and the M-12 corridors is slow. Liceo Europeo publishes a network of bus routes on its website, including routes from central Madrid (the Salamanca and Paseo de la Castellana areas) as well as from Alcobendas itself, so a central address is workable there. Check each school's transport offer before you commit to a house, not after.

Curricula on offer

International Baccalaureate (IB): Liceo Europeo is authorised for all three programmes, according to the IB's own school listing: Diploma (authorised 2013), Middle Years (2016) and Primary Years (2017). Brewster says the IB Diploma will be offered at La Moraleja from next year, and we found no IB authorisation listed for it, so ask about its status.
American high school diploma: offered for Grades 9 to 12 at Liceo Europeo American School. Brewster describes itself as an American school, so ask which diploma and AP courses it will run.
Cambridge: the International section of the Swedish school follows the Cambridge pathway, which runs from Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary through Upper Secondary (IGCSE and similar qualifications) to Cambridge Advanced (AS and A Level).
Spanish national curriculum: Liceo Europeo also runs national Bachillerato years, which suits families who want to keep Spanish university entry open.

There is no school in this group following the English National Curriculum in the way British schools in other parts of Madrid do, so if that is your priority, the wider Madrid list is a better starting point.

The schools, and who each one suits

Liceo Europeo

Liceo Europeo takes children from one year old to 18 on a single campus at Camino Sur 10-12. It is the one school of the three offering the full IB continuum, and it also offers its American School programme for Grades 9 to 12, taught, it says, in full English immersion with Spanish as a second language.

Language is the detail to read carefully. The IB listing shows the Diploma and Primary Years programmes taught in Spanish and the Middle Years Programme in English, and the school describes its model as bilingual Spanish and English, with full English immersion in the infant stage. Its stage pages add Mandarin Chinese, French and German, with some subjects and exams in those languages in secondary. Ask what Spanish support exists for a child who arrives without it. A child arriving at 15 with no Spanish will therefore be better placed in the American School than in the IB Diploma.

Practical points: the school day runs from 7:30 to 18:00 on the published schedule, and lunch is included in the tuition. Ask for the current number of pupils and how class groups are formed in your child's year, since the school's website does not give a headcount.

Scandinavian School, International Section (British)

This is the English-language half of the Swedish International School of Madrid, at Camino Ancho 14. The school has two sections, a Swedish one and an international one that follows the Cambridge programme, and takes children from about 18 months to 18. It has roughly 400 pupils in total and describes itself as owned and run by a non-profit association of pupils' parents.

The entry rules are unusually clear. In the international section no English is needed at ages two to three or in Reception, basic English is expected for Year 1, a good level for Year 2, a high level for Year 3 and a very high level from Year 4. The school says that pupils who fall short may still be offered a place conditionally, with English language support. That makes it a realistic choice for younger children who are new to English, and a harder one for a 10-year-old with none. The school says it holds NEASC accreditation and Council of International Schools membership; we could not confirm either in an independent directory, so treat both as the school's own claims. Its Cambridge approval can be checked on the Cambridge International website; ask to see the current certificates.

A small roll and a music emphasis, both school claims, suit children who do better in a smaller setting. Ask what the Swedish section's presence means day to day: it is a Scandinavian school first, so find out how much of the culture, holidays and school calendar follows Sweden.

Brewster La Moraleja

Brewster is the newest of the three. According to its own campus page, the La Moraleja campus opened in September 2025 as the second Madrid campus of Brewster Madrid (the first, in Chamberi, opened in 2023), part of the network linked to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. The school describes itself as a K to 12 American school and currently enrols Kinder to Grade 11 at La Moraleja, at Paseo del Conde de los Gaitanes 23.

Its academics page lists the IB Diploma, which it says it will offer at La Moraleja from next year, without giving a start year, and we could not confirm on the school's website which American diploma and Advanced Placement courses will run, or its class sizes. It publishes a three-step admissions route (inquire, connect, apply) with rolling applications and a decision within about two weeks. Because the campus is young and the oldest grades are still being added, ask exactly which grades and which IB subjects will be running when your child reaches Grade 11, and when the first full graduating class is expected.

Fees: what the published figures show

Only Liceo Europeo's schedule could be read in full for this guide. For 2026-27 it lists annual tuition (September to June) of roughly EUR 4,280 for ages one and two on a short day (EUR 8,010 for a full day), EUR 9,210 to 9,540 for ages three to five, EUR 11,840 for Primary Years 1 to 5, EUR 12,440 to 13,510 for Year 6 to Year 10, and EUR 14,560 to 14,580 for national Bachillerato. The IB Diploma is listed at about EUR 16,740 to 16,750 a year and the American School at EUR 20,640 (Grades 9 and 10) and EUR 20,980 (Grades 11 and 12). In dollar terms, EUR 12,000 a year is roughly USD 13,000, though the exchange rate moves.

The Swedish school and Brewster publish fees on request or on pages that need a login or form, so ask for the current schedule in writing. Budget extras on top of tuition:

Enrolment fee: EUR 630 at Liceo Europeo, plus a place reservation payment.
Transport: EUR 164 a month for a full route at Liceo Europeo, EUR 120 for a half route, EUR 10 for a single day.
Insurance and materials: EUR 48 a year for insurance and EUR 56 a term for materials at Liceo Europeo.
Digital resources: a small charge in the high teens of euros on the same schedule.
Trips, exams and uniforms: about one day trip a month at Liceo Europeo, with study trips charged separately; confirm uniform and exam entry costs elsewhere.

Practical advice for choosing

Work backwards from the last two years. If your child will finish school in Spain, the IB Diploma, Bachillerato or Cambridge A Level routes lead to very different university applications. If you may move again in two or three years, a curriculum that exists in your next country (IB, American or Cambridge) matters more than the school's facilities.

Be honest about language. Check which subjects are taught in which language at your child's age, and whether the school will support a child who arrives mid-year. Under Spain's education law (LOE, article 4), compulsory basic schooling runs from six to sixteen, and Spanish is part of every pathway, so a child who is not learning any is the exception. Ask for a trial day and speak to a teacher in your child's year group.

Visit all three and compare the process. Liceo Europeo describes three steps: contact, an interview with the stage director that it says is not an admission test, and enrolment, available throughout the year. Brewster gives a decision within about two weeks of a complete application. Apply early for popular year groups anyway, and keep a second option open until you hold a written offer.

Compare more schools

If you want to look beyond Alcobendas, our list of the best international schools in Madrid shows how these three compare with schools elsewhere in the region.

More guides to schools in Alcobendas

Frequently asked questions

Which curriculum is best for an expat child in Alcobendas?

It depends on where your child will finish school. Liceo Europeo offers the IB from primary to the Diploma plus an American high school diploma, the Swedish school's international section follows Cambridge in English, and Brewster describes itself as American, with the IB Diploma announced for La Moraleja. Pick the pathway that exists in your likely next country, and check the language of instruction for your child's year.

Do I need to speak Spanish to enrol in an Alcobendas international school?

Not necessarily. The Swedish school's international section says it asks for no English at ages two to three and teaches in English, and the Liceo Europeo American School runs in English with Spanish as a second language. Liceo Europeo's infant stage is fully in English, but ask each school what Spanish support it gives a child who joins in primary or secondary.

How much do international schools in Alcobendas cost?

Liceo Europeo's 2026-27 schedule runs from roughly EUR 9,200 a year for ages three to five to EUR 11,840 in Primary, about EUR 16,700 for the IB Diploma and about EUR 20,600 to 21,000 for the American School, with lunch included. Add EUR 630 enrolment and transport at EUR 164 a month. Ask the other schools for written fee schedules.