Madrid International School Intelligence Report 2026

Comparison table

# Madrid International School Intelligence Report 2026

Madrid · Market Report

Madrid runs one of Europe's most layered international school markets. The Comunidad de Madrid licenses roughly 59 schools that families typically describe as "international", but the term covers a wider span than the equivalent label in London or Paris. Inside that count sit British schools founded in the 1940s, century-old French and Italian lycées, a German school tracing back to 1896, American schools rooted in the postwar diplomatic community, Spanish colegios concertados with bilingual programmes, and a wave of private startups opened since 2015.

The result is a market where published annual tuition runs from around EUR 1,180 to EUR 41,625, where a family searching "international school Madrid" might be quoted prices differing by a factor of thirty, and where the regulatory frame (concertado, privado, público) does as much to set the price as curriculum or campus quality.

Market overview

Madrid sits inside the Comunidad de Madrid, a regional government that sets the regulatory frame all schools work within. Three categories matter:

• Privado: fully fee-funded. Most foreign-curriculum schools (British, American, French, German, Italian, Swiss, Swedish, IB-only) sit here. Fees run roughly EUR 5,000 to EUR 41,625.
• Concertado: a hybrid where the state covers teacher salaries in exchange for capped fees and regulated admissions. Many Spanish schools that added bilingual programmes sit here, with parent payments of EUR 2,000–8,000 for "complementary services".
• Público: state schools, free at the point of use. The Programa Bilingüe runs in over 800 state primary and secondary schools, embedding 30–50% English-medium instruction.

The bilingual programme has shifted the question parents ask. Twenty years ago, "international school" meant the only place to get a meaningful English-medium education. Today, a Spanish family in a strong bilingual concertado or público school can reach C1 English by age 16 without paying private fees. Privado international schools have repositioned around IB, A-Level, AP and university destination outcomes that the public bilingual stream does not deliver.

Of the 59 schools mapped here, about half offer IB Diploma (often alongside Spanish Bachillerato); around a third deliver a British pathway; a smaller cluster runs national systems; a handful offer American routes; and an emerging group runs bilingual Spanish-English hybrids.

Premium tier

The premium tier is shallower than the top of London or Singapore but broader than most European capitals outside Switzerland. Eight schools repeatedly surface in this band.

International School of Madrid sits at the top of published fees, at EUR 16,875 to EUR 41,625 for ages 2–18. Founded in 1971 in Chamartín, ISM runs a Pearson Edexcel and UK National Curriculum pathway, with 2025 results of *38% A/A at A-Level and 58% A/A at IGCSE*.

The Global College, opened in 2022 in Salamanca, occupies the next slot at EUR 20,940 to EUR 37,440 for ages 15–18. A sixth-form-only IB Diploma school targeting a global boarding-style intake, it posted an IB average of 36.2 in 2025, rising to 40.1 for the top third.

European School of Madrid in Retiro lists fees up to EUR 35,000, with a low entry of EUR 6,400 that reflects nursery provision.

International College Spain in La Moraleja runs the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) with COGNIA, CIS and NEASC accreditation, around 1,200 students, and fees of EUR 12,186 to EUR 25,635. ICS is the largest IB-throughline school in the city and a default for assignees wanting a single-curriculum journey from age three.

American School of Madrid in Pozuelo is the oldest in the premium cluster (founded 1961), running an American diploma with IB Diploma overlay at EUR 11,593 to EUR 23,878. The 2024 IB average for the top 30% was 37.9.

Hastings School operates three central campuses on a British plus IB Diploma model, EUR 7,700 to EUR 20,750, with around 1,375 students and a 2024 IB average of 35.

Runnymede College in La Moraleja, founded 1967, is the classic British academic powerhouse of Madrid. Fees of EUR 9,300 to EUR 23,700 sit below ISM and ICS, but 2025 results (67% A-A at IGCSE and 57% A-A at A-Level) are the strongest published in the city.

King's College, The British School of Madrid in La Moraleja anchors the King's Group network. Fees of EUR 8,115 to EUR 16,110 look modest against ISM, but 2025 results showed 52% A at IGCSE and 73% A-A. Colegio Brains International, with multiple campuses, completes the premium set with an IB Diploma 2024 average of 34 points.

Mid-tier

Below the premium cluster sits a deep mid-tier of roughly EUR 6,000 to EUR 15,000 at senior years, where most non-Spanish families with one or two children actually buy.

Aquinas American School in Pozuelo runs American plus IB Diploma at EUR 8,200 to EUR 15,000. Thames British School Madrid in Majadahonda sits at EUR 5,950 to EUR 14,480. Colegio Base runs at EUR 4,900 to EUR 14,450 with a 100% first-sitting Bachillerato pass rate and 96% IB pass rate.

The British School of Madrid in Pozuelo, founded 1940, runs a distinctive BiBac hybrid at EUR 5,100 to EUR 14,070, with a BiBac PAU average of 7.91 in 2025. TEMS layers Montessori, British and IB pathways at EUR 5,000 to EUR 13,450.

Spanish-origin bilingual schools, including Internacional Aravaca, Liceo Sorolla, Logos International School and Mirasur School, sit between EUR 3,520 and EUR 9,850 and publish IB Diploma scores alongside PAU averages.

National-system schools run tighter bands. Deutsche Schule Madrid, founded 1896, sits at EUR 5,050 to EUR 7,990 with a 2024 IB Diploma average of 38 points, the highest in this dataset. Lycée Français de Madrid, founded 1884, runs at EUR 6,200 to EUR 7,650 with a 99.7% French Baccalauréat success rate across roughly 4,100 students.

Fee analysis

Madrid's fee structure reads as a set of pricing logics rather than a single continuum:

• Diplomatic and corporate-relocation premium (EUR 20,000–41,625): ISM, The Global College, European School, ICS, ASM, Hastings, Runnymede, Brains International. Priced for assignees on relocation packages and high-net-worth Spanish families.
• Established British mid-premium (EUR 12,000–20,000): King's College, Hastings and Runnymede entry points, British Montessori. The 2024–2025 fee data shows roughly 5–8% annual increases at this tier.
• Spanish-origin private with bilingual or IB overlay (EUR 4,000–10,000): Colegio Base, Logos, Mirasur, Liceo Sorolla, Internacional Aravaca. The fastest-growing buyer segment.
• *National systems and concertado options*: Lycée Français, Deutsche Schule, Liceo Italiano (EUR 920–1,180, the lowest in the dataset), Scandinavian School, Colegio Suizo.

The gap between premium ceiling and mid-tier ceiling is wider in absolute terms than in 2020, and The Global College plus Brighton College Madrid will widen it further. Families should expect non-refundable enrolment deposits of EUR 1,500–4,000 at premium schools and EUR 500–1,500 at mid-tier schools.

Curriculum trends

Five curriculum lines are visible:

1. *Spanish Bachillerato*** remains the legal anchor for any school enrolling Spanish nationals through to age 18. Even fully international schools run it in parallel with IB or A-Levels to satisfy the EvAU/PAU entrance examination.
2. The Comunidad de Madrid bilingual programme is the de facto baseline for any Spanish private school describing itself as bilingual. Schools whose identity was simply teaching in English now face a public-sector comparator that did not exist in 2005.
3. IB Diploma is the single most adopted international qualification, present at 25-plus schools. Published averages cluster around 31–36 points; Deutsche Schule's 38 and The Global College's top-third 40.1 represent the ceiling.
4. Cambridge IGCSE plus A-Level remains the British standard, with Runnymede, King's, ISM, Hastings, ICS, Brighton College Madrid and Kensington the most visible.
5. *AP, French Baccalauréat and the German Abitur*** serve their respective national communities; the footprint is stable.

A subtler trend is the "international Spanish" model: schools rooted in the Spanish system that now deliver in English from infants and run IB Diploma in senior years, producing graduates with both PAU and IB results. Mirabal, Kensington, Alegra and Brains International are clear examples, and this is the fastest-growing curricular category in Madrid.

Admissions pressure

Admissions pressure in Madrid is concentrated, not generalised. Demand at the longest-established names with capped intake (Runnymede, King's College, ASM, ICS, Deutsche Schule, Lycée Français) runs ahead of supply at the standard entry points of age 3, age 11, and pre-Sixth Form. Mid-year arrivals frequently encounter full year groups in Years 1, 6 and 7.

Newer or peripheral schools (Thames British, Dallington, Richmond Park, several SEK sites) typically have capacity outside the standard September entry. The Global College, despite premium positioning, was still building its first full senior cohort through 2025.

The bottleneck is sharpest at Sixth Form. Families in the bilingual concertado or público stream often decide at age 16 they want an IB or A-Level pathway, and the supply of strong IB or A-Level Sixth Forms is narrower than the supply of bilingual primaries. Schools publishing IB averages above 34 (Deutsche Schule, ICS, Hastings, Mirabal, Kensington, Alegra) see disproportionate demand at this entry.

New developments

Three developments deserve attention through 2027:

• Brighton College Madrid (founding date 2027) extends the UK independent school brand-export model into Madrid. Brighton College already operates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and Singapore; the Madrid project, if it lands on its published timeline, will sharpen the field at the top of the British segment.
• The Global College's 2022 opening in Salamanca created the city's first dedicated sixth-form international school. Its early IB results suggest the niche-premium model is viable in Madrid.
• Continued SEK and Highlands expansion points to a consolidation play: large Spanish-origin groups acquiring or building additional sites and standardising on IB Diploma as the senior offer.

Regulatory direction in the Comunidad de Madrid favours further private capacity; licensing remains relatively accessible compared with Catalonia.

Regional context

Set against its peers, Madrid runs broader and cheaper than Paris, deeper at the top than Lisbon, and less centralised than Barcelona.

• Madrid vs Barcelona: Barcelona's international market is smaller (roughly 30 schools at comparable tiers), and Catalan-language regulation adds a layer Madrid does not have. Madrid's premium ceiling is slightly higher; mid-tier pricing is broadly comparable.
• Madrid vs Lisbon: Lisbon has grown sharply since 2020, but the premium set is narrower. Mid-tier pricing is roughly aligned; Madrid offers more curricular choice and more national-system options.
• Madrid vs Paris: Paris pricing at the top runs ahead of Madrid, routinely above EUR 45,000 at the most expensive schools. Madrid's mid-tier (EUR 6,000–15,000) is materially cheaper than the Paris equivalent, and the depth of Spanish-bilingual options has no Paris counterpart.

For mobile families weighing southern European postings, Madrid sits at a favourable price-to-quality point.

Outlook

Three forces will shape Madrid through 2027.

The bilingual public sector will continue to absorb demand that would have gone to mid-tier private schools a decade ago. Schools in the EUR 4,000–10,000 band will need to articulate what they offer beyond English-medium teaching; IB Diploma, A-Level pathways and university counselling are the natural answers.

The premium tier will widen, with Brighton College Madrid, growth at The Global College, and selective fee increases at established names pushing the EUR 30,000-plus band to deepen.

The Spanish-international hybrid model, schools rooted in Bachillerato delivering IB and bilingual outcomes, will be the largest growth category. The open question is whether their senior-year results can sustain the higher fee tiers some are now charging.

Families relocating in 2026 should plan on a longer admissions runway than listed timelines suggest, particularly at age 11 and Year 12.

FAQs

How many international schools does Madrid have? Roughly 59 in this dataset across the Comunidad de Madrid. The number rises if every concertado school with a bilingual programme is included.

What is the cheapest international school in Madrid? Liceo Italiano de Madrid posts the lowest published fees in the dataset at EUR 920–1,180, reflecting its status as an Italian state-aligned school. Most low-fee private options sit in the EUR 3,000–6,000 band.

What is the most expensive school in Madrid? International School of Madrid tops the table at EUR 41,625, with The Global College and European School of Madrid next at EUR 37,440 and EUR 35,000.

Which schools post the strongest IB results? Deutsche Schule Madrid (38, 2024), The Global College (40.1 top third, 2025), ASM (37.9 top 30%, 2024), Hastings (35, 2024), Kensington (34 with 53% bilingual diploma rate, 2025), Mirabal (34.5, 2025).

Where do most British families enrol? The northwest corridor (La Moraleja, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Aravaca, Majadahonda) concentrates the British schools. Central options include ISM in Chamartín, Hastings central campuses and TEMS.

*How does the concertado system change the picture? Concertado schools cover salary and core costs through state subsidy in exchange for capped fees and regulated admissions, charging EUR 2,000–8,000 for "complementary services". Foreign-curriculum schools are almost all privado*.

Is the bilingual public programme a real alternative? For Spanish-speaking families, yes. It delivers credible English outcomes by age 16 but does not replicate an IB or A-Level pathway; families targeting English-language universities mostly move into private senior schools by Sixth Form.

Are waiting lists active in 2026? Active at the established premium names (Runnymede, ASM, King's, ICS, Deutsche Schule, Lycée Français) at standard entry points. Newer schools and outlying campuses generally have capacity.