Notes / Madrid
International Schools in Madrid Under EUR 15,000
The EUR 15,000 ceiling in Madrid covers fourteen international schools spanning British, French, German, Italian and IB pathways. Here is what the bracket looks like.
# International Schools in Madrid Under EUR 15,000
Madrid · Fees & Costs
The EUR 15,000 ceiling sits below where most full-package expat families end up looking, which in Madrid means the EUR 17,000 to EUR 25,000 premium tier. Under EUR 15,000 the picture is different. The bracket fills with Spanish privado and centro privado autorizado schools running international or bilingual programmes, plus the embassy-linked French, German and Italian schools, which are heavily subsidised.
Fourteen schools fit under the threshold at their highest year group. The range is wider than the price suggests: full IB continuum, Cambridge centres, French Baccalauréat, German Abitur, Italian Esame di Stato, plus Spanish-rooted bilingual programmes.
Written by Mia Windsor · Originally published: 8 June 2026 · 6 min read
TL;DR - Fourteen international schools in Madrid keep their highest year group fees under EUR 15,000 - The bracket includes French, German, Italian, British, IB and Spanish bilingual options - Three top-of-bracket schools push close to the ceiling: TEMS, The British School of Madrid and Colegio Base - Embassy-linked schools sit unusually low: Lycée Français at EUR 7,650, Deutsche Schule at EUR 7,990, Liceo Italiano at EUR 1,180 - Geography splits between Pozuelo, Aravaca and Majadahonda on one side, central Madrid and outer satellites on the other
On this page - The full table - What this bracket looks like - Schools that stand out - What separates EUR 7,000 from EUR 14,000 - FAQs
The Full Table
Every school below keeps its most expensive year group under EUR 15,000. Sorted by high-end fee, ascending.
| School | Location | Curriculum / Exit Quals | Fees (high end) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liceo Italiano de Madrid | Central Madrid | Italian Esame di Stato | ~EUR 1,180 |
| Fontenebro International School | Madrid | IPC, Spanish Bachillerato | ~EUR 6,280 |
| Logos International School | Outer Madrid | Bilingual, IB DP, Cambridge | ~EUR 7,200 |
| Mirasur School | Madrid (south) | IB DP, Spanish Bachillerato | ~EUR 7,535 |
| Lycée Français de Madrid | Outer Madrid | French Baccalauréat | ~EUR 7,650 |
| Engage International School | Madrid | UK National Curriculum | ~EUR 7,870 |
| Deutsche Schule Madrid | Outer Madrid | German Abitur, IB, A-Level | ~EUR 7,990 |
| Liceo Sorolla International School | Madrid | IB PYP, MYP, DP | ~EUR 9,010 |
| LIFE International School | Madrid | American (ACSI / MSA-CESS) | ~EUR 9,350 |
| Internacional Aravaca | Aravaca | IB PYP, MYP, DP, Spanish | ~EUR 9,850 |
| The English Montessori School (TEMS) | Central Madrid | British, Montessori, Cambridge, IB DP | ~EUR 13,450 |
| The British School of Madrid | Pozuelo de Alarcón | British, Spanish BiBac, Cambridge | ~EUR 14,070 |
| Colegio Base | Madrid | IB DP, Spanish Bachillerato | ~EUR 14,450 |
| Thames British School Madrid | Majadahonda | British, IB DP, Cambridge | ~EUR 14,480 |
All figures approximate and reflect the highest year group. Many Madrid schools charge additional enrolment fees, capital quotas and material levies on top of tuition. Verify directly with each school.
What This Bracket Looks Like
Madrid's international school market splits cleanly along fee lines. The premium tier, Runnymede, ICS Madrid, King's College, SEK, Hastings, sits in the EUR 17,000 to EUR 25,000 band. Below EUR 15,000, the schools fall into three distinct groups.
The embassy and consular schools. Lycée Français de Madrid at EUR 7,650, Deutsche Schule Madrid at EUR 7,990, and Liceo Italiano de Madrid at EUR 1,180 are linked to their home-country education ministries (AEFE, the German federal system, Italian USR) and receive significant subsidy. The Italian figure is not a typo. These schools are exceptional value for families needing those specific national pathways, with the constraint that curriculum and language of instruction are fixed.
The Spanish privado international schools. Spanish-rooted private schools that have layered international curricula on top: Colegio Base, Logos International School, Mirasur School, Internacional Aravaca, Fontenebro International School, Liceo Sorolla. They typically run IB Diploma alongside the Spanish Bachillerato, with bilingual English-Spanish instruction lower down, authorised by the Comunidad de Madrid as centro privado autorizado.
The British-system schools at the top of the bracket. The English Montessori School, The British School of Madrid, Thames British School and Engage International School all run UK pathways (IGCSE + A-Level or equivalent) under EUR 15,000. Engage is the lowest priced British-curriculum option in the bracket and is CIS-accredited.
At this price point in Madrid, families are usually choosing between a national-system school where the curriculum is the value, a Spanish bilingual school where the English exposure is the value, or a British school at the top of the bracket where the international pathway is the value.
Schools That Stand Out
With fourteen options, families need a way to filter. Several schools in this bracket stand out for specific reasons.
Deutsche Schule Madrid, the strongest published outcomes in the bracket. 38-point IB Diploma average in 2024 (the world average sits around 30), with 52% A*/A at A-Level. CIS-accredited. EUR 7,990 high end. For families with German connection or who want academic rigour at a moderate price, this is the first name to investigate. German is the primary language of instruction in the German section, which constrains the audience.
Lycée Français de Madrid, 99.7% French Baccalauréat pass rate with 93% honours/mentions, 99% pass rate on the Diplôme National du Brevet. AEFE-accredited, EUR 7,650 high end. The only realistic option for families who need their children kept on the French national track at Madrid prices.
The English Montessori School (TEMS), in central Madrid with a Montessori foundation extending into a British secondary. 98% A-Level pass rate in 2024 with 58% A*/A, 100% EvAU pass rate with a 7.95 average. Runs IB Diploma as an alternative pathway. EUR 13,450 high end.
The British School of Madrid in Pozuelo de Alarcón, the BSO-accredited option in this bracket. 55% A-A at IGCSE in 2025, 74% A-B. Runs Spanish BiBac (dual Bachillerato + UK qualification route) with a 7.91 PAU average. EUR 14,070 high end.
Colegio Base, the strongest Spanish-rooted IB option under the ceiling. 96% IB Diploma pass rate with a 31.21 average, 100% Bachillerato pass rate, 100% pass rates on Cambridge C2 English, DELF French and Goethe German exams. EUR 14,450 high end.
Internacional Aravaca, full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) with WASC accreditation. EBAU average 7.40. EUR 9,850 high end. One of the lower-priced full-IB-continuum options in the area.
Liceo Italiano de Madrid, EUR 1,180 at its highest year group is not a market price, it is a subsidised one. Italian Esame di Stato is the exit qualification.
What Separates EUR 7,000 from EUR 14,000
The fee spread inside this bracket is wider than it looks. A school at EUR 7,000 and one at EUR 14,000 in Madrid are doing different things, even when they both claim to be international.
Curriculum scope. At the bottom of the bracket, schools tend to run a single national pathway (French Bac, Abitur, Italian Esame di Stato, Spanish Bachillerato with bilingual delivery). At the top, schools typically run two or three pathways in parallel, IGCSE plus A-Level plus IB Diploma, or Spanish Bachillerato plus BiBac plus IB Diploma. The dual-pathway model costs more to deliver.
Teacher recruitment. Schools at EUR 13,000 to EUR 14,500 compete for native-English teaching staff in a market where the premium tier pays meaningfully more. Schools at EUR 7,000 to EUR 9,000 staff predominantly from Spanish-trained bilingual teachers with overseas-trained department heads. Both models work; they produce different classroom experiences.
Accreditation depth. CIS appears at three schools in this bracket: Deutsche Schule, Engage, and Thames. BSO at The British School of Madrid. AEFE at Lycée Français. WASC at Internacional Aravaca. ACSI and MSA-CESS at LIFE International School. Below those, schools rely on Comunidad de Madrid authorisation plus IB or Cambridge centre status, which are programme-level rather than whole-school accreditations.
Facilities and scale. Schools in Pozuelo, Aravaca, Majadahonda and the wider M-40 corridor tend to occupy purpose-built campuses with sports facilities, pools and performing arts spaces. Schools in central Madrid often operate from converted urban buildings with more compact provision.
The fee difference is rarely arbitrary. Two schools at EUR 8,000 and EUR 14,000 are usually offering meaningfully different products, and the cheaper school is not necessarily the worse one, particularly if its curriculum matches the family's exit plan.
Ready to explore?
FAQs
Which schools in this bracket have the best published exam results? Deutsche Schule Madrid (38-point IB average, 52% A/A at A-Level) and Lycée Français de Madrid (99.7% French Bac pass rate, 93% with honours) lead on published outcomes. Colegio Base (96% IB pass rate, 31.21 average), TEMS (98% A-Level pass rate, 58% A/A) and The British School of Madrid (55% A*-A at IGCSE) all publish credible figures.
Are any of these schools CIS-accredited? Three schools in this bracket hold CIS accreditation: Deutsche Schule Madrid, Engage International School, and Thames British School Madrid. The British School of Madrid holds BSO accreditation, which is the equivalent inspection regime for British schools overseas.
How does this bracket compare to the EUR 17,000 to EUR 25,000 premium tier? The premium tier (Runnymede, ICS Madrid, King's College, Hastings, SEK) pays higher teacher salaries, runs larger sports and arts programmes, and holds stacked international accreditations. The top of the under-EUR 15,000 bracket overlaps with the premium tier on academic outcomes but not on scale or staffing depth.
I only want a British curriculum. What are my options? Engage International School (EUR 7,870), TEMS (EUR 13,450), The British School of Madrid (EUR 14,070) and Thames British School Madrid (EUR 14,480). Engage sits at the lower end and is CIS-accredited. The British School of Madrid runs the dual Spanish BiBac alongside the UK pathway, which matters for families staying in Spain long-term.
What about families needing French, German or Italian? Lycée Français de Madrid (EUR 7,650, AEFE), Deutsche Schule Madrid (EUR 7,990, plus IB and A-Level streams), and Liceo Italiano de Madrid (EUR 1,180, Italian Esame di Stato). All three are linked to their home-country education systems and offer pathways back into the French, German and Italian university routes respectively.
Are there hidden fees on top of tuition? Yes. Madrid private schools commonly charge enrolment fees, capital quotas, material levies, and meal and transport on top of advertised tuition. Ask for the total annual cost in writing before committing.
For a wider view of the Madrid market, see International School Fees in Madrid. All fees approximate and reflect the most expensive year group at each school. Verify directly with each school before making decisions.
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