Best International Schools in Barcelona: The 2026 Guide for Families

TL;DR

• The top three by IB results are Oak House School, St. Peter's School, and a tight group around Benjamin Franklin International School and the American School of Barcelona. All sit well above the global IB average.
• The British School of Barcelona is the largest English-medium school in the city and the only one in Catalonia rated BSO Outstanding in every category at its most recent inspection.
• Expat families typically settle in Sarrià and Pedralbes (upper city), Castelldefels and Sitges (coast, south), or central Barcelona itself. Each cluster has schools attached to it.
• Catalan and Spanish are both official. The international schools operate in English, but daily life outside school runs in both languages, with Catalan dominant in much of the public sector.
• Popular entry points (early years, Year 7, IB entry at 16) tend to fill up early at the most-asked-about schools. It is worth contacting schools well before you arrive rather than after.

The city

Barcelona is a comfortable city to live in. It is significantly smaller than Madrid, with a Mediterranean climate, a working metro, and a genuine cultural depth that does not rely on the expat scene. The cost of living is meaningfully below London, Paris, or Zurich, and slightly below Madrid for housing in the central districts. The beach is in the city, which sounds trivial until you have lived in a landlocked capital.

The language situation is the thing newcomers underestimate. Catalonia has two official languages: Catalan and Spanish. Public schools teach predominantly in Catalan, and Catalan is the working language for much of the regional government, signage, and local administration. Spanish is universal and you will get by on Spanish across daily life. For international school families this matters less than it sounds, because the English-medium schools operate in English with Spanish and often Catalan as additional languages. But if your children move into the local system, or if you plan to stay long-term, Catalan is worth taking seriously.

The international community is real but smaller and more dispersed than in Madrid. There is no equivalent to La Moraleja: no single neighbourhood concentrates the bulk of expat families. That generally suits people who want to live in the actual city rather than in a gated suburb, but it does mean school choice and neighbourhood choice are tied together more tightly here.

The schools

Oak House School

Oak House School is a non-profit IB World School in the Sarrià district that has consistently sat at or near the top of the Spain IB league table. The 2025 average IB Diploma score was 36.0, with a 97% pass rate, placing it first in Spain that year. It runs from age 3 through to 18, takes around 1,100 students, and operates trilingually (English, Spanish, Catalan) with French or German added later. Fees include lunch and exam costs, which is unusual and worth factoring in when you compare. Annual fees run roughly EUR 10,400 to EUR 13,000 (USD 12,000 to USD 15,000), which is also notably below the international-school average for the city.

St. Peter's School Barcelona

St. Peter's School was the first English-medium international school in Barcelona, founded in 1964, and remains the only school in the city to offer the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP and Diploma) entirely in English. It is in Les Corts, on the western side of the city. Around 630 students, ages 1 to 18. The 2025 IB Diploma average was 35.3, ranking fourth in Spain. Fees run roughly EUR 8,700 to EUR 17,300/year (USD 10,000 to USD 20,000). It is the most credible option for families committed to the IB pathway from the start.

Benjamin Franklin International School

Benjamin Franklin International School is Barcelona's only full American-curriculum school, running from Pre-K through Grade 12 with both IB MYP and IB Diploma overlaid on the American programme. Non-profit, founded in 1986, around 700 students from 60+ nationalities. It sits in Pedralbes. The 2025 IB Diploma average was 35.0 with a 98% pass rate. Fees run roughly EUR 11,300 to EUR 20,800/year (USD 13,000 to USD 24,000). It is the natural choice for US families and for those targeting US universities while keeping the IB option open.

British School of Barcelona

British School of Barcelona is the largest English-medium school in the city, with five campuses, including a central city campus and a main campus in Castelldefels south of Barcelona. It is owned by Cognita and runs the English National Curriculum through to A-Levels and IB Diploma. Over 2,000 students from 74+ nationalities. It is the only school in Catalonia that received a BSO Outstanding rating in every category at its most recent inspections (2023 and 2024). The 2024 IB Diploma average was 34.0. Fees run roughly EUR 12,100 to EUR 19,000/year (USD 14,000 to USD 22,000). If the priority is a recognisably British curriculum and a large school environment, this is the obvious starting point.

American School of Barcelona

American School of Barcelona sits in Esplugues de Llobregat, around 10km southwest of central Barcelona. It runs the American curriculum from PK3 through Grade 12 with IB MYP and Diploma. Around 970 students from 45+ nationalities, accredited by Middle States and IB. The 2025 IB Diploma average was 35.0, placing it in the top ten in Spain. Fees run roughly EUR 8,700 to EUR 25,100/year (USD 10,000 to USD 29,000). It is the practical alternative to Benjamin Franklin if you are based south or west of the city, or if Benjamin Franklin does not have availability.

St. George Barcelona

St. George Barcelona is in Sarrià and runs the English National Curriculum through IGCSEs, with IB Diploma in Years 12-13. ISP-owned, around 700 students from 60+ nationalities, ages 2-18. It has been listed in the Forbes Top 100 Schools in Spain for both 2025 and 2026. Fees run roughly EUR 10,400 to EUR 19,900/year (USD 12,000 to USD 23,000). A reasonable alternative to BSB and Oak House if you are looking in the upper city.

Kensington School Barcelona

Kensington School Barcelona is a smaller, family-founded British school in Pedralbes, now part of Inspired Education. Around 260 students from 50 nationalities, ages 3 to 18, taking the British curriculum through GCSEs and A-Levels. Founded in 1966; the current head Duncan Giles is the son of the founder. Recent A-Level results were 61% A*/A in 2025, and 65% of GCSE entries scored 9-7. Fees run roughly EUR 13,000 to EUR 17,300/year (USD 15,000 to USD 20,000). It is the option for families who want a small, settled British school rather than a large multi-campus operation.

Hamelin-Laie International School

Hamelin-Laie International School is a Nord Anglia school on the Maresme coast, about 20 minutes north of Barcelona by train. It takes around 600 students from 45+ nationalities, ages 1 to 18, and is one of very few schools in the area offering boarding (up to around 45 students). It runs the IB Diploma alongside the Spanish National Bachillerato. Fees run roughly EUR 10,400 to EUR 13,900/year (USD 12,000 to USD 16,000). Worth considering if you are based on the Maresme coast (Premià, Vilassar, Mataró), or if boarding is a useful option.

A note on French, German, and Spanish-curriculum schools

Barcelona has an unusually deep set of national-system international schools. The Lycée Français de Barcelone (around 2,900 students, established 1924) and the Deutsche Schule Barcelona (around 1,660 students, founded 1894) are both large, long-established, and significantly cheaper than the English-medium schools (typically USD 7,000-9,000/year). They are obvious choices for French and German families respectively, and worth considering if your children already have the language. Several Spanish-curriculum private schools, including the IB-affiliated Col·legi Montserrat in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, also run the IB Diploma in addition to the Spanish system at fees well below the English-medium schools. These work well if your children are bilingual or near-bilingual.

IB results in context

The global IB Diploma average in 2025 was 30.5. Barcelona's leading schools sit well above that:

Source: IB-Schools Spain league table.

Where people live

Barcelona has three main expat-family clusters. There is no single dominant one, and which works best depends mostly on which school you choose and where you work.

Sarrià, Sant Gervasi, and Pedralbes

The upper city. Sarrià-Sant Gervasi sits in the foothills above the Eixample, with leafy streets, a quieter feel than the lower city, and good links to Diagonal and Plaça Catalunya by metro and train. Pedralbes is just to the west, more residential, with detached houses, larger flats, and a recognisable upper-middle-class character. Several of the international schools sit in or close to this cluster: Oak House (Sarrià), St. George (Sarrià), Kensington (Pedralbes), Benjamin Franklin (Pedralbes), and Lycée Français (Pedralbes). Three-bedroom apartments typically run EUR 2,500 to EUR 4,500/month; larger family houses in Pedralbes from around EUR 4,000/month upwards. This is the most efficient zone if you want to live close to school and have the children walk or take a short bus.

Castelldefels, Gavà, and Sitges

The coast south of Barcelona. Castelldefels is the closest of the coastal towns to the city (around 20-25 minutes by car or train), with a long beach and a lower-rise, suburban character. The British School of Barcelona's main campus is here, which anchors a large British-leaning expat community. Gavà sits between Castelldefels and the airport. Sitges, further south, is a smaller resort town with an established international and creative population. Family houses with outdoor space are easier to find here than in the city, often at EUR 2,500 to EUR 4,000/month for a four-bedroom. The trade-off is the daily commute into central Barcelona, which is workable but adds up.

Central Barcelona (Eixample, Gràcia, Sant Gervasi lower)

The Eixample is the gridded central district, dense, walkable, and where most professionals working centrally live. Gràcia is bohemian, smaller-streeted, and popular with younger families. Both work well for families using St. Peter's, the city campus of BSB, or Lycée Français. A three-bedroom flat in Eixample or Gràcia typically runs EUR 2,200 to EUR 3,500/month. The case for central Barcelona is that you actually live in the city rather than commuting in from a suburb.

The Maresme coast (Premià, Vilassar, Mataró)

A narrower cluster, north of Barcelona along the coast, served by Hamelin-Laie. Quieter than Castelldefels, lower density, and less of a fixed expat scene. The train into Barcelona is reliable but the journey is longer than from Castelldefels. Mostly chosen by families already settled at Hamelin-Laie or working north of the city.

On the commute question

Barcelona traffic is significantly worse than Madrid's at peak times, and the geography (sea on one side, hills behind) limits the road network. Most international schools run school buses with reasonable area coverage, so the children are usually fine. For parents, a daily commute from Castelldefels into the centre, or from the Maresme to Pedralbes, is doable but real. Worth thinking about before you commit to a neighbourhood.

Practical notes

Getting set up: EU citizens register for residency and obtain an NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero); non-EU citizens apply for a TIE card. Empadronamiento (city registration) is the second step and matters for school admin and healthcare. Neither is fast. Start before you arrive if you can.

Healthcare: Catalonia's public health system (CatSalut) works and is free once you are registered. Most international families also take out private health insurance (typically EUR 80 to EUR 180/month for a family) for faster specialist access and English-speaking consultants. Quirónsalud, Hospital HM Delfos, and Hospital Universitari Dexeus are the networks most used by the expat community.

Cost of living: A family of four in the upper city or coast, running a car, with private health insurance and reasonable lifestyle, should typically budget EUR 4,000 to EUR 6,000/month before school fees. Eating and drinking out is materially cheaper than northern Europe. Utilities sit roughly in line with the rest of Spain.

Transport: A monthly T-Usual transport pass is around EUR 22, which covers metro, bus, and Rodalies (regional trains) within Zone 1. The metro is good in the central districts but thinner in the upper hills. Castelldefels and Sitges are on the R2 Sud Rodalies line. Most families in the upper city run a car, but you can manage centrally without one.

Language: International schools operate in English. Day-to-day life works in Spanish. Catalan is widely used in regional government, public schools, and parts of daily life, particularly outside the central districts. You do not need Catalan to live here, but Spanish is essentially required. Free Catalan courses are offered by the Generalitat (Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística) once you are registered.

FAQs

Which Barcelona international schools have the best IB results? Oak House School topped the Spain IB league in 2025 with an average of 36.0. St. Peter's School Barcelona was fourth in Spain at 35.3. Benjamin Franklin International School and the American School of Barcelona both averaged 35.0. The global IB Diploma average in 2025 was 30.5. Source: IB-Schools Spain league table.

Is there a good American school in Barcelona? Two credible options. Benjamin Franklin International School in Pedralbes is the only school in central Barcelona running a full American curriculum (PK to Grade 12) with IB MYP and Diploma. American School of Barcelona in Esplugues de Llobregat runs the same combination on a larger campus south-west of the city. Both produce strong IB results.

Do I need Catalan for the international schools? No. The English-medium international schools operate in English. Most also teach Spanish, and several add Catalan as an additional language, but Catalan is not a barrier to entry. For day-to-day life outside school you will need Spanish; Catalan is useful for long-term integration but not required.

Where do most expat families live? There are three main clusters. Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Pedralbes (the upper city) sit close to several international schools and tend to attract families wanting a quieter, more residential setting near central Barcelona. Castelldefels and Sitges (the coast south of the city) attract families wanting space, beach access, and the British School of Barcelona main campus. Central Barcelona (Eixample, Gràcia) works for families using St. Peter's, BSB City, or Lycée Français and wanting a more urban life. Unlike Madrid's La Moraleja, no single neighbourhood dominates.

How early should I apply? Popular entry points (early years, Year 7, and IB entry at 16) tend to be oversubscribed at the most asked-about schools, particularly Oak House, St. Peter's, BSB, and Benjamin Franklin. Contact schools several months before your intended start date if you can; some families with corporate moves get in touch before the country decision is final. Specific availability changes year to year, so worth checking directly.

Are there cheaper international schools in Barcelona that still lead to recognised qualifications? Yes. The Lycée Français de Barcelone and Deutsche Schule Barcelona are large, established national-system schools at fees well below the English-medium options (typically USD 7,000 to 9,000/year), if your children have the language. Several Spanish-curriculum private schools, including Col·legi Montserrat, run the IB Diploma alongside the Spanish system at significantly lower fees than the English-medium schools, which works for bilingual families.

Fees correct as of May 2026. Exchange rate: approximately USD 1.155 per EUR 1 (2 May 2026, indicative for fee comparisons in text). We work hard to make every figure, date and description on this page accurate. We don't always get it right. If you spot an error, a fee that's changed, a fact that's out of date, something we've got wrong, please tell us. Use the feedback button above or email us directly. We'll check it and update the article.