Top 20 Best International Schools Barcelona, Spain

Top 20 Best International Schools Barcelona, Spain

Image supplied by American School of Barcelona


International Schools in Barcelona

There are 41 international schools in Barcelona and the surrounding areas, with a good mix of British schools, American schools, IB schools, French and German. Annual fees range from as little as €4,000 all the way up to almost €26,000 for the most exclusive American schools. 

About Barcelona

Apart from having one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Barcelona has so much to offer for expat families that move to Spain. Sitting right next to the Mediterranean it offers the kind of lifestyle that people living and working in more northern latitudes could only dream of. Summer by the sea, winter in the mountains only two hours away and historically important architecture in all directions. What’s not to like?

Since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, it has grown to be one of the most important international cities in Europe. In recent years, concerns around political instability have caused some companies to think twice about relocating but the reality on the ground is that life hasn’t been greatly affected apart from the occasional protest or strike. Companies such as Amazon, Facebook, PepsiCo and more have ignored the noise and continued their investments in this beautiful city.

Language Considerations

Language in and around Catalonia can be slightly complicated - Castellano is the accepted language across Spain and in Spanish-speaking countries around the world. However, Spain is more complicated than you would imagine before you live here! Regions around Spain have their own languages with around 8 other languages spoken in total. For those regions, they represent the uniqueness of the people there and their differences from the Spain of Madrid. Catalonia is no different where Catalan is the official language taught in schools; this can make life much more complicated for expats who may not see Catalan as a language that would benefit their children in the same way Castellano would. The reality is that something like 440 million people speak Castellano versus 10 million for Catalan.

Location of International Schools in Barcelona

International schools in and around Barcelona offer an alternative where children can be taught in English, French and German. The majority of schools are located close to Barcelona but some of the best known schools such as The British College of Gava, The British School of Barcelona or The Olive Tree School can be found in areas such as Castelldefels and Sitges just south of Barcelona.

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Before the ranking, check out our Featured Best Schools in Barcelona:

Benjamin Franklin International School

 Amazing teachers. Excellent School Principal. It is a Great small international school.  

Benjamin Franklin International School logo

Ages
3 to 18

Curriculum
American, IB, Spanish

Primary Language
English

St. Peter's School Barcelona

 Great team. Fantastic place for study!  

St. Peter's School Barcelona logo

Ages
1 to 18

Curriculum
IB

Primary Language
English

Learnlife

 A wonderful, innovative and fun approach to learning  

Learnlife logo

Ages
6 to 18

Curriculum
American

Primary Language
English

Barcelona High School

 Staff are super supporting and always attend anyone who needs help  

Barcelona High School logo

Ages
12 to 18

Curriculum
American

Primary Language
English

American School of Barcelona

 I love this school, all teachers are really nice.  

American School of Barcelona logo

Ages
3 to 18

Curriculum
American, IB

Primary Language
English

Hamelin-Laie International School

 Great school, I have my two kids there and they are loving it.  

Hamelin-Laie International School logo

Ages
1 to 18

Curriculum
Spanish,IB

Primary Language
English

The Olive Tree School

 The best school in this area! Excellent teachers..  

The Olive Tree School logo

Ages
3 to 16

Curriculum
English

Primary Language
English


Where Barcelona international schools are distributed (view our List of International Schools in Barcelona to see a live map):

Best international schools in Barcelona

Best International Schools in Barcelona - Rankings

Note: our rankings are based on parent, pupil and teacher reviews. If you think your Barcelona school should be in the top 20, get reviewing - we want to hear from real people with real experiences at schools so parents, teachers and pupils get the real story when they research their next school. You can find your school in the full List of International Schools in Barcelona, or search by name here.


Benjamin Franklin International School logo Benjamin Franklin International School 

5.0 from 16 reviews

Curriculum

American, IB, Spanish

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Max Class Size

20

Description

Benjamin Franklin International School Benjamin Franklin International School offers a differentiated American curriculum from Nursery to Grade 10 and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in Grades 11 and 12. With near 700 students, BFIS is a truly international school in Barcelona with more than 50 different nationalities.

Instruction at BFIS is entirely in English, with language courses offered in Spanish, Catalan and French. Benjamin Franklin International School is a private, non-for-profit school located in the beautiful Sarrià-Sant Gervasi neighborhood, with many public transportation options nearby. Excellent International Baccalaureate Diploma Program results and university acceptances from some of the most prestigious colleges in the world.

 Read Benjamin Franklin International School reviews

St. Peter's School Barcelona logo St. Peter's School Barcelona 

5.0 from 9 reviews

Curriculum

IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

1 to 18

Max Class Size

20

Description

St. Peter's School Barcelona St. Peter's School Barcelona is the only school in Barcelona with the IB Continuum taught in English. We offer the three International Baccalaureate programmes: Early and Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programme. Is the only school with a Science Lab for Early Years, the first centre that has introduced subjects such as blockchain, nanoscience, neuroscience and artificial intelligence in their curriculum. St. Peter’s has a strong focus on Science, Technology, Critical Thinking and Change Making. St. Peter’s has been ranked as the best school in Spain by the prestigious magazine Forbes.

Not only do they give the children the academic excellence they need to enter the most prestigious universities around the world, but also, they encourage them to become well-informed, independent and open-minded individuals, ready to study, work or live wherever they wish.

 Read St. Peter's School Barcelona reviews

Oak House School 

5.0 from 8 reviews

Curriculum

English, IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Description

Oak House School Barcelona is a private, co-educational school, situated in Sarrià, in the north of Barcelona. The school is a Non-Profit Foundation with a Board of Governors. The Board is comprised of seven parents, elected through the Parents’ Association. The Oak House School teaching staff is composed of 106 educators (teachers and teaching assistants) and has a low turnover rate (2% per year in the previous two years). The average tenure is 11 years and in the last three years the staff has been increased by 13% due to the International Baccalaureate offer and more coverage of educational needs.

A considerable part of the whole-school budget is allocated to continual professional development. At Oak House information gleaned from an individual training course is cascaded to colleagues so that everyone benefits from the course. A key objective at Oak House School is to support and develop effective teaching and learning and help staff to improve their practice through self-reflection based on evidence, and high quality training and professional development opportunities.

We encourage our teachers to be reflective practitioners and engage in research which promotes excellence in teaching and learning. We also support Bachillerato and IB teachers in collaborating with universities and business schools because these enrich our knowledge, offer us updated content for our students and a different approach to many topics.

 Read Oak House School reviews

Learnlife logo Learnlife 

5.0 from 6 reviews

Curriculum

American

Primary Language

English

Ages

6 to 18

Description

Learnlife Learnlife is not just a school - we are a community of learning that prepares and empowers children and lifelong learners to thrive in the world of the future.

Our personal learning programmes, based on years of research and best practices of top educators from around the globe, guide learners through an individual journey of exploring their passions, skills, and needs, and take place at our physical Learnhubs in Barcelona and Castelldefels and online from anywhere in the world.

 Read Learnlife reviews

Kensington School 

5.0 from 5 reviews

Curriculum

English

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Description

Kensington School Barcelona is one of the oldest British curriculum schools in the whole of Spain, being founded in 1966, and the values and ethos have changed little in almost fifty years.

Kensington School follows a ‘pure’ British curriculum and is able to dedicate all of its curriculum time to subjects within the National Curriculum for England and Wales. We remain very much a family run school, with the founder´s sons – all of whom were educated at Kensington – now ensuring we continue to thrive as a happy, purposeful and dynamic community.

We are fully authorised and regularly visited by Her Majesty's Inspectorate. Indeed we were very honoured that our splendid purpose-built school building was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II herself.

 Read Kensington School reviews

Anne Sullivan International School 

5.0 from 5 reviews

Curriculum

IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 11

Description

Anne Sullivan International School (ASISB) implements teaching methods that have proven successful in other countries. We discover the talent of our students by providing them with skills that strengthen their self-confidence and responsibility, which enable them to follow their own motivations.

Leading their life towards autonomy, critical reasoning, and the necessary training to achieve the freedom to choose. Building on the possibilities and strengths of each child’s personality. Developing self-awareness and leadership, empowering our students to become the agents of change.

A Demanding Currículum that allows them to discover the world, recognize other perspectives, communicate their ideas and take action.

A Multicultural Vision that allows them to turn the world into their classroom and growth. We work within in a network of with schools all around the world.

 Read Anne Sullivan International School reviews

Barcelona High School logo Barcelona High School 

5.0 from 5 reviews

Curriculum

American

Primary Language

English

Ages

12 to 18

Max Class Size

8

Description

Barcelona High School Founded in 2020, Barcelona High School (BHS) is a non-traditional, innovative, American school academy start-up, located in the center of Barcelona Spain, easily accessible by all modes of transportation.

The academics consist of accredited US curriculum courses taught in native English. AP courses are also available if students want courses equivalent to International Baccalaureate (IB) or A levels, although they are not mandatory.

Academic learning is supplemented with STEAM education principles through social and creative activities, group projects, international speakers, coding techdegree certificate courses, and much more to help students increase their emotional intelligence while simultaneously expanding their opportunities and finding their passions in life.

Students receive an official American High School Diploma from USA when they complete 12th grade, which allows them to attend English speaking international universities throughout the world, including in Spain, the UK and throughout Europe, as well as in USA or Canada, through the BHS university placement program.

Also, many student athletes choose Barcelona High School due to its flexible school hours and to help them obtain athletic scholarships to universities in the US.

 Read Barcelona High School reviews

École Francaise Ferdinand de Lesseps 

5.0 from 3 reviews

Curriculum

French

Primary Language

French

Ages

3 to 11

Description

Founded in 1859 by  Ferdinand-de-Lesseps , former Consul General of France in Barcelona, our school is the oldest French school in the Iberian Peninsula. With a long history, the school continues to fulfill its mission of French education and openness to local and European culture.

 Read Ã‰cole Francaise Ferdinand de Lesseps reviews

The British College of Gavà 

4.9 from 20 reviews

Curriculum

English, IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Max Class Size

25

Description

Welcome to The British College of Gavà, a leading international school in Barcelona providing first class education in a green and friendly environment, an IB World School where your children are encouraged to become empathetic, confident global citizens.

At the British College of Gavà (BCG) our mission is to foster an exciting, meaningful and lifelong passion for learning and academic curiosity. The BCG community is dedicated to providing students with every opportunity to fulfil their potential through the taught curriculum and in extra and co-curricular activities. All children at BCG are heard, noticed and given the opportunity to shine.

A strong academic culture permeates throughout the school: students appreciate the opportunities they have and take responsibility for their own learning.

We follow the highly-regarded British Curriculum and the well-known International Baccalaureate curriculum. The combination of both provide our students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their future careers.

 Read The British College of Gavà reviews

ES American School 

4.9 from 11 reviews

Curriculum

American

Primary Language

English

Ages

6 to 18

Max Class Size

22

Description

ES American School offers an independent, private, co-educational American curriculum for 6 to 18 year olds (1st through 12th grades). It is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, offers the Advanced Placement (AP) program in High School, and is approved as an International Baccalaureate (IB) school for the Primary Years Program (PYP), 1st through 5th grades only.

The school is located within the campus of the Emilio Sanchez Academy, a world-class tennis training center. Tennis and sports are an essential part of the school curriculum and the academic and athletic programs are coordinated so that students can achieve significant success, both in their sport and in their schooling, without compromising one for the other.

 Read ES American School reviews

Zurich Schule 

4.9 from 7 reviews

Curriculum

Swiss

Primary Language

German

Ages

2 to 16

Description

The quality of our teaching at Zurich Schule Barcelona is based on a pedagogy based on collaboration and teamwork, in small groups and on an ongoing evaluation. We highlight the positive aspects of the learning process and trust in our students, valuing their opinions and prioritizing their human formation in a family atmosphere.

 Read Zurich Schule reviews

American School of Barcelona logo American School of Barcelona 

4.9 from 8 reviews

Curriculum

American, IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Description

American School of Barcelona American School of Barcelona (ASB) was established in 1962. The American School of Barcelona educates nearly 1000 students from more than 60 nationalities and backgrounds, offering the best American and IB curriculums. Our state-of-the-art campus and facilities allow our students and teachers to remain on the cutting edge of innovation and advanced learning. Our graduates go to the finest, best-fit universities in the world to pursue their passions and serve their individual needs. Our experienced and dedicated faculty and administration provide a premier educational experience, bringing joy and expertise to our students' learning. ASB is a private international school with a rich assortment of heritages and cultures. Our competitive IB results and highly qualified native-English teachers enable students to access top-tier universities globally. The school is renowned for its personal and familiar approach to our diverse community and partnership with parents.

ASB's mission is to empower preschool through 12th grade students to become global citizens with the critical thinking skills, and self-confidence to maximize their potential.

ASB is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) is recognized in Spain as a Centro Extranjero (foreign school) by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Spanish Ministry of Education receives a grant from the US Department of State's Office of Overseas Schools belongs to the Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS) and European Council of International Schools(ECIS) regional associations participates in the European Sports Conference (ESC), a regional sports league made up of schools from around the region leads the Barcelona International School Association (BISA) and has close ties with other international schools in Spain.

 Read American School of Barcelona reviews

ISCAT International School of Catalunya 

4.7 from 24 reviews

Curriculum

English

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Max Class Size

20

Description

The International School of Catalunya (ISCAT) is a coeducational British Day School located in La Garriga, Barcelona. Through our personalised and authentic learning programmes, we provide students aged 3-18, from Nursery to Year 13, with a formal British education. We follow the British National Curriculum, the portal to study across the UK, USA, Spain and the rest of the world.

Learning to learn, learning to be, learning to think. At the International School of Catalunya (ISCAT), the personal growth of each student is at the heart of our educational programme. Our students prepare for the future through academic challenge and stimulation.

We fully believe that when the delicate balance between academic endeavor and emotional wellbeing is achieved, our students are most open to the entire learning experience. At ISCAT, we nurture the spirit of each and every one so that, armed with self-knowledge, a belief in themselves, and a solid academic record, they face the world fully prepared to shoulder responsibilities and give of their best.

 Read ISCAT International School of Catalunya reviews

John Talabot School 

4.6 from 6 reviews

Curriculum

English, Spanish

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 18

Description

John Talabot School is a partially subsidised, secular and multicultural school that offers a solid education in academic, cultural and in human values, based on the curriculum established by the Generalitat of Catalonia and with an exclusive project in the English language that is backed up by 40 years of experience.

 Read John Talabot School reviews

Highlands School Barcelona 

4.6 from 10 reviews

Curriculum

English

Primary Language

English

Ages

1 to 18

Description

Highlands School Barcelona is a private, bilingual, catholic school with the mission of educating leaders of the future through academic excellence and integral formation, accompanied by personal guidance. Highlands was born with the idea of offering an innovation, vanguard, and distinctive catholic school, with a high level of English within the cosmopolitan city of Barcelona. That idea became reality in 2000.

Highlands has managed to make a name in Catalan society offering a quality service, looking towards the future but without forgetting it origins. Nowadays, Highlands School Barcelona is going through a period of remodeling, moving towards to an international projection, helped by a privileged location close to Barcelona and with a unique project in the city.

 Read Highlands School Barcelona reviews

St. George Barcelona 

4.6 from 9 reviews

Curriculum

English

Primary Language

English

Ages

2 to 18

Description

St. George Barcelona is a private British school, located in the upper side of Barcelona city, with classes from two years of age. We have students from more than 45 different nationalities who from the first day, learn English with native teachers.

We believe in helping each child reach their own maximum potential and giving them the tools they will need to excel in their personal and professional lives. Students follow the full British National Curriculum, as they would if they were in the UK.

St George Barcelona follows all the fundamental principles of British education while taking advantage of the richness of the local environment and culture. This multicultural context is what makes their education different as they complete their studies with compulsory subjects such as Castilian Language and Catalan and Social Studies which are taught weekly in different courses. Thanks to their complete training in both systems, they can choose whether their university studies are going abroad or whether they prefer to stay in Spain.

 Read St. George Barcelona reviews

Princess Margaret School 

4.4 from 18 reviews

Curriculum

Spanish, IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 16

Description

Princess Margaret International School is a private, innovative and international school founded in 1967 and located in the city of Barcelona. It is a one form entry school, and the number of children in every class is 25.

Princess Margaret International School was the first school in the city of Barcelona that implemented the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IB) programm, and also integrates the statutory National Curriculum designated by Generalitat de Catalunya. Our school is a one form entry primary and secondary school, for students aged 3 to 16.

The school undertakes the (PYP) Primary Years Programme from P3 to 6th of Primary, children aged 3 to 12, and the (MYP) Middle Years Programme for Secondary School students, aged 12 to 16. The IB curriculum is based on Units of Enquiry that allow children to question, explore, think and reflect on their own practice, leading them to master academical concepts and acquire an open mind to solve real context situations. The IB ethos aims to encourage all students to be actively involved in their learning in order to take action and ownership of their own inquiries. At Princess Margaret knowledge is obtained through the exploration of concepts, research and the development of competences that stimulate creativity and critical thought.

The school supports multilingualism and integrates three main languages which are taught to the highest standard. English immersion is set 100% in the first two years in school, P3 and P4, and from then onwards Catalan and Spanish is introduced and taught equally (25%/25%), keeping English as a 50% in every year group. Being a non-local language, English language is taught intensively in all year groups, which leads students to perform and obtain high results in the official English Cambridge exams.

Princess Margaret International school is an inclusive school where all students are welcomed and valued. Our vision sets out to ensure that all students reach their year level expectations and above, regardless of their initial skills. Every member of the staff team is committed to the success of all our children and our learning culture is strong. The offer involves a broad and engaging curriculum that provides enhancing opportunities for children to increase their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

Princess Margaret International School will take responsibility for nurturing every child’s interest and boost up their confidence to one day feel independent and capable to accomplish their dreams.

 Read Princess Margaret School reviews

English School Barcelona 

4.3 from 7 reviews

Curriculum

IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

3 to 16

Description

The English School Barcelona is a unique, friendly international school which offers an exceptional level of linguistic and cultural education. Children here start their full English immersion at 3 years of age. The school has just one class per year group, with a limited number of pupils in each class. This limit on class size really sets us aside from other schools.

The English School Barcelona prides itself on the time and attention we dedicate to each of our students, time and attention that are simply not an option for most schools.

 Read English School Barcelona reviews

Hamelin-Laie International School logo Hamelin-Laie International School 

4.2 from 19 reviews

Curriculum

Spanish,IB

Primary Language

English

Ages

1 to 18

Description

Hamelin-Laie International School Hamelin-Laie International School is an international prestigious day and boarding school located in Barcelona, Spain. We’re proud to be a part of the Nord Anglia Education group: the world’s leading international school network. Our international community welcomes students from more than 40 nationalities.

We bring together an international curriculum with world-class learning opportunities and global experiences to create an outstanding educational experience for your child. We’re fully accredited to deliver the Spanish National curriculum along with the world-renowned IB Diploma Programme.

Hamelin-Laie students benefit from our trilingual learning programme. English is the official language of instruction, with both Spanish and Catalan embedded into the curriculum ensuring our students enjoy the full cultural experience of living in Spain and Barcelona.

 Read Hamelin-Laie International School reviews

Barcelona Montessori School 

4.2 from 5 reviews

Curriculum

Montessori, English

Primary Language

English

Ages

2 to 11

Description

We signed the contract of Barcelona Montessori School on the 31st of January 2020. By the time we did the Open House on the 28th of February we were in lockdown. We emerged from it with a 3 months delay in the plan of development. We still managed to open on time, on the 4th of september 2020. Therefore we built this school in 4 months.

It is common knowledge that God built the world in 7 days, but look at the world… And look at our school! ;)

Our school is designed to encourage children to explore the universe. This starts in the early years of life and continues the child progresses through school. As children grow older, they look further afield to find answers to their questions. We want to reap the natural curiosity of children, to create lifelong learners whose natural interest in the world drives them to seek the best from life.

In the early years, this begins by exploring new relationships outside the home. In our Infant Community we focus on developing close relationships with the adults who care for us and with our new friends. This plants the seeds of social development. The Infant Community environment encourages children to explore language, practical life skills and hand-eye coordination. Independence is key and for this reason, a calm and peaceful environment gives children time to develop these skills at their own pace.

 Read Barcelona Montessori School reviews

Other International Schools in Barcelona

There are 21 other international schools in Barcelona that didn't make it into our Top 20, either because they didn't have enough reviews or its review rating was too low. If your school is one of those and you think it should make the Top 20, make sure you add your review and tell your story via the school links below.

School Curriculum Rating
Lycée Francais de Barcelone French 4.1 / 5
English Academy Santa Claus English 4.1 / 5
SIL School English,Spanish 4.0 / 5
St. Patrick's International School English 3.9 / 5
Akua School IB, Spanish 3.9 / 5
Santa Clara International School Spanish, International 3.9 / 5
European International School of Barcelona English, Spanish, Catalan 3.9 / 5
St. Paul's School Spanish, Catalan 3.8 / 5
Lycée Francais de Barcelone - École Maternelle French 3.8 / 5
The Olive Tree School English 3.7 / 5
Lycée International Barcelona Bon Soleil French, IB 3.7 / 5
The British School of Barcelona English 3.7 / 5
SEK International School Catalunya IB 3.6 / 5
Deutsche Schule Barcelona German 3.6 / 5
Waldorf-Steiner El Til-ler School Steiner 3.2 / 5
Richmond International School English,IB 3.0 / 5
Schweizerschule Barcelona Swiss 3.0 / 5
International Rural School English 3.0 / 5
Agora Barcelona International School Preschool to IB 2.9 / 5
Lycée Francais Bel Air French, IB 2.9 / 5
Agora Sant Cugat International School Preschool to IB 2.8 / 5

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Ian Ryder

Ian has lived in three different countries with his family of five. He currently teaches ICT in an international school near Barcelona.


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