Best Private and International Schools in Barcelona
A private school in Barcelona is privately owned, often with its own educational project, bilingual or international. You can view the schools ordered according to the real ratings from families, as reflected in our methodology; when choosing, consider the continuity of the project throughout all stages, languages and the total cost, not just the monthly fee.
List of Private and International Schools in the Catalan Capital
La Salle Bonanova
Lasallian educational center located on Passeig de la Bonanova offering from Early Childhood Education to International Baccalaureate and Batxibac, with complementary schools of languages, music, dance and chess integrated into the project.
Services:
Colegio Privado Highlands School
Catholic school that combines the national curriculum with the British curriculum from early childhood. Cambridge International School that works with English from 1 year of age in Esplugues de Llobregat.
Services:
Colegio Xaloc
Authorized educational center to teach the IB Continuum, with 60 years of experience since 1964. Offers education from I5 through high school and vocational training programs in face-to-face and online formats.
Services:
St Peter’S School
The only school in Barcelona offering the IB Continuum in English from ages 1 to 18. Science laboratory for children aged 0 to 6 and subjects such as blockchain, nanoscience and neuroscience.
Services:
Kensington School
British school founded in 1966 that delivers the British curriculum in a family environment. One of the institutions with the longest track record in Anglo-Saxon education in Spain.
Services:
Escuela Internacional (IB) Zürich Schule
First school in Spain combining the International Baccalaureate with German as the language of instruction from Early Years, progressively incorporating Spanish, English and Catalan until reaching C1 level in German.
Services:
Colegio Internacional La Miranda
Educational center from 9 months to 18 years old with fluency in up to 5 languages and access to the International Baccalaureate or Catalan National Baccalaureate in Barcelona.
Services:
Escuela Suiza
Swiss-Spanish dual certification with German as the teaching language and simultaneous learning of five languages from age three through international baccalaureate.
Services:
The British School of Barcelona
Services:
Most Relevant FAQs When Deciding to Send Your Children to an International School
Rarely. Several additional costs are usually added to the monthly fee, which you should total before deciding:
- Annual enrollment or place reservation fee.
- Uniform, books and materials.
- Cafeteria and extracurricular activities.
- Trips, outings and, in some cases, foundation contributions.
By the hours and actual use of the language, not by the label. "Bilingual" is not strictly regulated, so ask how many subjects are taught entirely in the other language and what training that teaching staff has. A school that only teaches English class in English is not bilingual; it's a school with an English class.
Not automatically. Paying more sometimes buys smaller groups, facilities or languages, but doesn't guarantee better results or better treatment than a good charter or public school. What matters is the fit between the school's project and your child, not the label. There are excellent private schools and others that are just expensive.
That you'll have a school change ahead, and it's worth anticipating. If the school ends at primary or secondary level, your child will need to adapt to another environment in the middle of adolescence, precisely when social aspects matter most. It's not insurmountable, but choosing a school with continuity through high school saves you that transition if stability is important to you.
It depends on your plans. If you're considering your child studying abroad or want an internationally recognized qualification, a program like the IB or the British system opens doors and provides a different approach. If their future will be local, you might be paying for an international element you won't take advantage of. Think about the destination, not just the prestige.