IB schools in Barcelona: programmes, fees and how to choose

Quick answer: Which IB schools in Barcelona should families compare? SEK-Catalunya in La Garriga runs the PYP, MYP and Diploma and says it adds the Career-related Programme; St. George Barcelona and Hamelin-Laie in Montgat teach the Diploma after Year 11. For 2026-27 the Diploma costs EUR 15,491 in Year 12 at Hamelin-Laie and EUR 21,340 a year at St. George.

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

Key takeaways

The IBO directory lists SEK-Catalunya for the MYP (authorised 1996), the Diploma (2005) and the PYP (2010); the school also advertises the Career-related Programme, so ask to see that authorisation.
Under Orden EFD/550/2025, UNEDasiss converts the average of the six Diploma subject grades, marked 2 to 7, into a Spanish access mark of 5 to 10: in practice, the average plus 3.
At Hamelin-Laie, 2026-27 tuition for the first Diploma year is EUR 15,491, against EUR 12,764 for the national Bachillerato, and IB exam fees are extra.
The British School of Barcelona prices its 2026-27 IB years at EUR 19,650 in Castelldefels, Sitges and Nexus, EUR 500 more than its A Level route.

Most families who look for IB schools in Barcelona want one of two things: an international programme that travels if they move again, or a Diploma that still opens Spanish universities. The city offers both, but few schools run the whole IB continuum, and the Diploma sits next to very different routes, from A Levels to the US diploma and the Catalan Batxillerat.

This guide sets out which schools teach each IB programme, what the Diploma years cost in 2026-27, how the Diploma compares with the Batxillerat and how UNED converts IB grades. For the same questions in the capital, see our guide to IB schools in Madrid.

Which IB programmes can children follow in Barcelona?

All four exist in the Barcelona area, but only one school claims all four. Spanish and Catalan school websites often use local acronyms, so it helps to match them:

PYP (PEP): the Primary Years Programme, for ages 3 to 12.
MYP (PAI): the Middle Years Programme, for ages 11 to 16, which in Spanish-system schools usually runs alongside ESO.
DP (PD): the two-year Diploma Programme from 16, with six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, a 4,000-word Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), as Hamelin-Laie describes it.
CP (POP): the Career-related Programme, which pairs Diploma courses with a professional pathway.

British and American schools in Barcelona tend to use only the Diploma, as a sixth form or high school option after their own curriculum.

Which schools offer each IB programme in and around Barcelona?

The Diploma is common; the PYP and MYP are rarer. The table covers the main international schools with published information.

School	Area	IB programmes	2026-27 Diploma year fee
SEK-Catalunya	La Garriga	PYP, MYP, DP (CP per school)	Not published online
St. George Barcelona	Upper Barcelona	DP	EUR 21,340
Hamelin-Laie	Montgat	DP	EUR 15,491 (Year 12)
The British School of Barcelona	Castelldefels, Sitges, Nexus	DP or A Levels	EUR 19,650
Benjamin Franklin International School	Upper Barcelona	DP with US diploma	EUR 21,720 (High School)
American School of Barcelona	Esplugues de Llobregat	DP with US diploma	EUR 27,062 (Grades 9 to 12)

Programmes from the IBO directory, the IB World Schools Yearbook and school websites; fees from each school's 2026-27 page, tuition only. The European International School of Barcelona was authorised for the Diploma on 15 March 2024, in English and Spanish, according to the IBO.

Three IB schools in Barcelona to compare

SEK International School Catalunya

In La Garriga, north of the city, SEK-Catalunya takes children from four months old and offers boarding. The IBO lists the PYP in English and Catalan, the MYP in Spanish and Catalan and the Diploma in English and Spanish. At 16, according to the school, students choose between the Diploma, the Career-related Programme and the national Bachillerato, and SEK calls itself the only school in Catalonia with all four IB programmes; the IBO directory does not list the CP. Admissions stay open all year, subject to places. SEK does not post fees online, so request the 2026-27 schedule.

St. George Barcelona

On Passeig de la Reina Elisenda de Montcada, St. George teaches the British curriculum with compulsory Spanish and Catalan, then moves Year 12 and 13 students to the Diploma. Tuition in those years is EUR 21,340 for 2026-27, plus a one-off EUR 3,500 payment for new pupils and a EUR 1,000 enrolment payment in March, refunded if the pupil is still at the school in September. The school reports a Diploma average of 35.26 points and a 100% pass rate for its latest cohort, against a world average of 30.58.

Hamelin-Laie International School

Part of Nord Anglia, Hamelin-Laie sits in Montgat, on the coast north-east of Barcelona, and takes day pupils plus boarders aged 14 to 18. After ESO, students choose the Diploma or the national Bachillerato, priced separately: EUR 15,491 for the first Diploma year and EUR 12,764 for the first Bachillerato year in 2026-27, with IB exam fees on top. Boarding costs EUR 49,272 a year including school fees.

IB Diploma or Batxillerat: which route suits your child?

The Diploma suits a student who may study abroad or wants a broad six-subject programme; the Batxillerat is the direct route to the Spanish PAU. Some schools make families choose. At Hamelin-Laie the two run as separate tracks, and the school reports an average access mark of 7.480 out of 10 for its Bachillerato students in the 2026 PAU. SEK-Catalunya also offers both, at 16.

Other schools stack the two. In Catalan public institutes that teach the IB, students also take the compulsory Batxillerat subjects outside the Diploma and finish with both qualifications, with more weekly class hours, according to a 3Cat report from April 2024. The same report counted about 30 IB centres in Catalonia, including ten public institutes such as Moisès Broggi, L'Alzina and Pedralbes in Barcelona and Arnau Cadell in Sant Cugat, with a fee of about EUR 950 a year and an ESO average of 8 or more for entry. Check current conditions with each institute before pre-registration.

How does the IB Diploma convert for Spanish universities?

Through UNEDasiss, and without the PAU. Article 6.1.c of Royal Decree 534/2024 exempts holders of the IB Diploma from the entrance exam; the Career-related Programme is not named, so CP students should ask how they will reach a Spanish degree. Orden EFD/550/2025 sets the IB scale at 2 to 7 per subject and converts the average to the Spanish 5 to 10 range, which works out as the average plus 3.

A worked example: a student with 35 points, including 2 bonus points for the core, has 33 subject points across six subjects, an average of 5.5 and an access mark of 8.5. Universities may also weigh specific subjects (article 23.3 of the decree) and must publish that list at the start of each year. Because May results arrive in July, the order requires UNED to accept provisional documents for pre-registration. Royal Decrees 482/2025 and 535/2026 amended the decree without touching these articles.

When should you apply to an IB school in Barcelona?

Earlier than the school calendar suggests. SEK, Hamelin-Laie and St. George all accept applications year-round, but the Diploma is a two-year course that should start in September of Year 12.

Shortlist by programme and commute in the autumn before entry.
Visit and send reports; St. George may invite pupils for a trial day or online interview.
Prepare for an English assessment and an interview at secondary level.
Answer offers quickly: St. George gives five to seven days to accept.
For a public IB institute, check the spring pre-registration window with the Departament d'Educació.

If you are also weighing the US diploma, our guide to American schools in Barcelona compares the schools that pair it with the IB.

Compare international schools in Barcelona

For fees, curricula and locations side by side, see our ranking of the best international schools in Barcelona.

Sources: BOE; IBO school directory; IB World Schools Yearbook; 3Cat; 2026-27 fee and admissions pages of SEK, St. George Barcelona, Hamelin-Laie, The British School of Barcelona, Benjamin Franklin International School and American School of Barcelona.

More guides to schools in Barcelona

Frequently asked questions

Can my child join the IB Diploma in Barcelona without having done the MYP?

Yes. The MYP is not a requirement for the Diploma. St. George Barcelona moves its own Year 11 IGCSE students into the Diploma, and Hamelin-Laie offers it after ESO alongside the national Bachillerato. Expect an English assessment and an interview, and aim to start in September of Year 12, because the Diploma is a two-year course.

Is the IB Diploma recognised by Spanish universities?

Yes. Article 6.1.c of Royal Decree 534/2024 lets holders of the IB Diploma enter Spanish universities without the PAU. UNEDasiss issues the access mark under Orden EFD/550/2025, which in practice equals the average of the six subject grades plus 3, so a subject average of 6 gives 9 out of 10.

How much does the IB Diploma cost in Barcelona in 2026-27?

Published tuition for a Diploma year ranges from EUR 15,491 at Hamelin-Laie (Year 12) to EUR 27,062 for Grades 9 to 12 at the American School of Barcelona. St. George Barcelona charges EUR 21,340 and The British School of Barcelona EUR 19,650 in Castelldefels, Sitges and Nexus. Entry fees, lunch, buses and IB exam fees come on top.