The short answer

Barcelona has a deep bench of international schools, and American families have real choices. Two schools award a US high school diploma alongside the IB Diploma: the American School of Barcelona in Esplugues de Llobregat, just west of the city, and Benjamin Franklin International School in Sarrià–Sant Gervasi. Around them sit British, IB, French and German schools, most of them in the Zona Alta, the upper part of the city, or just outside it. For 2026-27, published tuition at the American and British schools runs from about €12,000 to €27,000 a year per child, plus one-off entry fees of up to €6,000.

Two things decide most outcomes: timing and grade. The schools with the most demand start their main admissions round between December and February for a September start, and places in popular grades go first. And if your child is in high school, check now whether they will stay on a US or IB track or move into the Spanish system, because from grade 11 that choice comes with paperwork. Public schools are free and open to residents, but teaching is mainly in Catalan.

Which curriculum fits your child?

Start with where your child is likely to finish school, not with a school name.

  • American (US high school diploma). The easiest move from a US school, and the obvious choice if your child will apply to US colleges or you expect to go back within a few years. ASB and Benjamin Franklin both award a US diploma; ES American School runs an American program with AP courses.
  • IB (International Baccalaureate). Recognized by universities in the US, Spain and Europe, and portable if you move again. Both American schools offer the IB Diploma in grades 11–12, and St. Peter’s runs the IB from early years to the Diploma.
  • British (English National Curriculum). Familiar classroom style for English speakers, with GCSE-style exams at 16 and A Levels or the IB at 18. A good fit for families who might move to the UK or elsewhere in Europe.
  • French or German. The Lycée Français and the Deutsche Schule are large, long-established and much cheaper than the English-language schools, but they are built around French and German. Without the language, they realistically work only for very young children.
  • Spanish system (public, concertada or private). The way to full integration and fluency in Catalan and Spanish. Easiest for children under about ten, and hardest for teenagers who need the language for every subject.

International schools in Barcelona at a glance

All figures are each school’s own published 2026-27 rates for families (not corporate rates), as of October 2026. Lunch, buses and exam fees are extra.

School Curriculum Ages / grades Where Annual tuition 2026-27 One-off and yearly extras
American School of Barcelona (ASB) American; US diploma for all; IB Diploma or IB Career-related Programme PK3 to grade 12 Esplugues de Llobregat €14,114 (early childhood) to €27,062 (high school); half-day PK3 €9,404 €250 application; €975 matriculation per year; capital levy €3,000 (PK3–K5) or €6,000 (grade 1+)
Benjamin Franklin International School (BFIS) American to grade 5, IB MYP grades 6–10, IB Diploma grades 11–12; US diploma Nursery to grade 12 Sarrià–Sant Gervasi €12,950 (early childhood) to €21,720 (high school) €250 application; €1,100 matriculation per year (first child); €6,000 entrance fee
ES American School American program, IB PYP in grades 1–5, AP in high school Grades 1 to 12 El Prat de Llobregat (tennis academy campus) €18,650 to €21,360 total compulsory fees for a new non-tennis student Included in the total: €250 application and €4,000 legacy fee; €2,000 reservation deposit credited to tuition
The British School of Barcelona (BSB) English National Curriculum; A Levels and IB Diploma at pre-university Age 2 to 18, across five campuses City (Sarrià–Sant Gervasi), Castelldefels, Sitges, Maresme, Nexus €12,220 to €20,930 full time; part-time pre-nursery from €6,100 €3,400 matriculation, paid once
St. Peter’s School IB continuum (PYP, MYP, Diploma), in English Age 1 to 18 Zona Alta (08034) €11,250 to €22,250 including the yearly registration fee (indicative) €4,500 enrollment fee, or €7,500 if extra English or Spanish support is needed
Lycée Français de Barcelone French program to the French baccalauréat Age 2 to 18 Pedralbes, plus a nursery school site at Munner €6,929 (maternelle, élémentaire) to €8,104 (lycée) €1,500 first registration fee
Deutsche Schule Barcelona German and Spanish curricula; German International Abitur and Spanish Bachillerato Age 2 to 18 Esplugues de Llobregat €6,570 to €6,600 Donation to the school’s foundation of at least €2,500 (kindergarten) or €3,000 (from preschool), on admission

On the extras: ASB charges €1,700 a year for lunch and €2,035 for a round-trip bus from Barcelona (€2,145 from Sant Cugat, €2,365 from Sitges or Castelldefels). At BFIS, lunch is €1,820 and the Barcelona bus €2,240. Our guide to the cost of living in Barcelona shows how school fees fit into a family budget.

Who each school suits

American School of Barcelona. Families who want a US-style school from pre-K to graduation. Every graduate receives a US High School Diploma accredited by the Middle States Association, and students can add the IB Diploma or the IB Career-related Programme. Core subjects are taught in English, with Spanish and Catalan classes alongside. The school says it gives preference to native and advanced English speakers and expects an advanced level of English from grade 3. Its student body is roughly 25% North American, 30% Spanish and 45% other nationalities. The campus is in Esplugues, so families tend to live in Pedralbes, Sarrià, Les Corts or Esplugues itself, or rely on the bus.

Benjamin Franklin International School. Families who want an American start and a full IB finish inside the city. The curriculum is American up to grade 5, then the IB Middle Years Programme, and the IB Diploma is the only program in grades 11 and 12; completing it also meets the credits for the American high school diploma. Spanish is mandatory for every student. Children up to grade 2 can join with no English; older students are assessed.

ES American School. Student athletes, especially tennis players, and families who want a small American school. It sits on the Emilio Sánchez Academy campus in El Prat de Llobregat, near the airport, and its 2026-27 information sheet lists about 120 students. Students who do not train with the academy can enroll but must take the school’s PE and enrichment program, which is why their fees are higher.

The British School of Barcelona. Families comfortable with a British school year and exams, and those who want a campus outside the city. BSB City has two sites in Sarrià–Sant Gervasi; Castelldefels takes ages 3 to 15 and Sitges ages 2 to 11. No English is required up to Reception; from Year 3, children take a spoken and written English assessment.

St. Peter’s School. Families who want the IB in English from the start, in the upper part of the city. It recommends applying by February for September.

Lycée Français and Deutsche Schule. Families who speak French or German at home, or with very young children ready to learn one. The Deutsche Schule takes children without German into its kindergarten at age two or three, or into grade 5 after a one-year German preparation course; Catalan is compulsory for all students.

Other schools worth a look include Kensington School, a British-curriculum school in Pedralbes. It does not publish its fees online, so ask admissions directly.

How public and concertada schools work

Spain has three kinds of school. Public schools are run and funded by the government and charge no tuition. Concertada schools are privately run but publicly funded, and usually ask families for monthly contributions for extra activities and services. Private schools, including all the international schools above, set their own fees.

In public and concertada schools in Catalonia, Catalan is by law the normal language of teaching and learning, with Spanish and a foreign language, usually English, also taught. Children who arrive from abroad are not left to sink or swim. Under Department of Education guidance, foreign pupils who joined the Catalan system in the last 24 months and do not know Catalan can get support in an aula d’acollida, a reception class that teaches Catalan intensively while the child stays in a regular class group. The goal is an A2 level of Catalan. Not every school has one, so ask.

Places are allocated in one central round each spring, called preinscripció. For 2026-27, primary applications ran from March 4 to 18, 2026, with final lists on June 10 and enrollment from June 22 to 30. Points decide who gets a place when a school is oversubscribed: 50 for a sibling at the school, 30 for living in the school’s educational zone and, in Barcelona, 15 for living in the same district.

If you arrive outside that window, Catalonia has a separate procedure for admission during the school year, open at any time, for children not yet schooled in Catalonia. You can list up to four schools in order of preference, but a place in any of them is not guaranteed. You need the child’s passport, and the system checks your address on the municipal register (padró, or empadronamiento).

When to apply: admissions timing and waiting lists

Most international schools accept applications all year, but the best chance of a place is in the first round.

  1. 12 to 9 months before you move: shortlist schools and book visits or virtual tours. BFIS asks for at least two weeks’ notice to visit.
  2. December to February: apply for a September start. ASB asks for complete applications by January 31 and sends decisions in mid-to-late February. BFIS and St. Peter’s recommend applying before February. The Lycée Français opened applications on December 1, 2025, with a first deadline of January 30, 2026 and two later rounds in April and May.
  3. After an offer: move fast. ASB gives one week to pay the matriculation fee and four weeks for the capital levy; offers from its waiting pool must be accepted within three business days.
  4. Later in the year: applications are reviewed on a rolling basis if there is space. ASB and BFIS usually reply within about two weeks of a complete application. The Deutsche Schule’s deadline is July 1 of the year of entry.

Waiting lists work differently from what many Americans expect. ASB’s waiting pool is “not an ordered list”: the school picks from it when a place opens, and a place on it does not carry over to the next year. BFIS and BSB also keep waiting lists by grade. Apply to two or three schools at once.

Documents to prepare, and homologating US records

Each school sets its own list, but expect:

  • Passports for the child and both parents
  • The last two years of report cards or transcripts, plus the current year so far
  • Teacher references or questionnaires (BFIS asks for three from grade 6)
  • Vaccination records and a health form
  • Admissions tests from about grade 4: BFIS uses MAP tests and a writing sample; BSB and St. Peter’s assess English
  • Any learning support reports, which schools ask you to share up front

BFIS asks for scanned copies with an English translation where needed. If the school is in the Spanish system, the rules are stricter.

If your teenager will move into the Spanish system for the last two years of school, start the homologation paperwork in the US. According to Spain’s Ministry of Education, a student entering 1º de Bachillerato (grade 11) must have their studies homologated to the Spanish ESO title, and one entering 2º de Bachillerato (grade 12) needs grade 11 convalidated. The original transcripts must be notarized and apostilled, which is far easier to arrange before you leave.

Here is how the Ministry’s guide for US students breaks it down:

Your child will enter (Spanish system) US equivalent What you need
Primary up to 4º ESO Up to grade 10 No homologation; the transcripts are enough
1º de Bachillerato Grade 11 Homologation to the ESO title (no fee)
2º de Bachillerato Grade 12 Convalidation of grade 11
A Spanish university, with a US diploma After grade 12 Homologation to the Bachillerato title (fee; amount changes yearly)

Students who earn the IB Diploma generally do not need to homologate it to apply to Spanish universities. Original transcripts and diplomas must be legalized (notarized, then apostilled) and translated by a sworn translator recognized by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once you live in Catalonia and are on the padró, you apply to the Generalitat; from the US, the education offices at the Spanish Embassy and consulates handle it. Filing the application gives you a conditional enrollment form (volante de inscripción condicional) that lets your child start school while the file is resolved. Families moving into an international school that awards a US diploma or the IB do not need any of this to enroll.

Choosing a home around the school

Pick the school first, then the neighborhood. A 15-minute school run and a 50-minute one are two different lives.

  • ASB and the Deutsche Schule (Esplugues): Pedralbes, Sarrià, Les Corts and Esplugues. Both schools are reachable by car and school bus rather than metro.
  • BFIS, BSB City and St. Peter’s (Zona Alta): Sant Gervasi–Galvany, Sarrià, Les Tres Torres and Bonanova, many within walking distance or a short bus ride.
  • Lycée Français (Pedralbes): Pedralbes, Les Corts and Sarrià.
  • BSB Castelldefels and Sitges, ES American School (El Prat): Castelldefels, Sitges, Gavà and the south coast.
  • Sant Cugat: a common choice for families who want a house and garden. ASB and BFIS both run Sant Cugat bus routes, though BFIS runs its route only with enough students.

Before you sign a lease, check the bus stop and timetable for your exact street, not just the neighborhood. Our guide to the best neighborhoods in Barcelona for families compares these areas by commute, feel and rent.

What we see go wrong

  • Signing a lease before the school confirms a place. You end up with a lovely apartment and an hour each way in traffic.
  • Applying in April for September. The main rounds close in January and February, and popular grades fill first.
  • Applying to one school only. Waiting lists are not ordered queues. Apply to two or three.
  • Assuming a teenager will pick up Catalan quickly. Young children tend to adapt faster; a 15-year-old facing chemistry in Catalan has a much harder time.
  • Leaving transcripts until you land. Notarizing and apostilling US records from Barcelona is slow. Request official copies before your child’s last day at their US school.
  • Forgetting the visa and the padró. Your children need the right visa too, and public school admission checks your address on the padró. Our guide to Spain visas for Americans covers the family options.

If you would like help shortlisting schools, booking visits and finding a home near the one you choose, that is the core of our Expat Families service.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an American school in Barcelona?

Yes. The American School of Barcelona (Esplugues de Llobregat) and Benjamin Franklin International School (Sarrià–Sant Gervasi) both award a US high school diploma and offer the IB Diploma. ES American School, on the Emilio Sánchez tennis academy campus in El Prat de Llobregat, follows an American program with AP courses.

How much do international schools in Barcelona cost?

For 2026-27, published tuition at the schools in this guide runs from about €6,570 a year at the German School to €27,062 for high school at the American School of Barcelona, before one-off entry fees of up to €6,000. American and British schools mostly fall between €12,000 and €27,000 a year per child.

When should I apply to an international school in Barcelona?

As early as you can, ideally between December and February for a September start. The American School of Barcelona asks for complete applications by January 31, Benjamin Franklin and St. Peter's recommend applying before February, and the Lycée Français's first deadline for 2026-27 was January 30, 2026. Most schools accept applications later if a place is free.

Can my child go to a public school in Barcelona without speaking Catalan or Spanish?

Yes. Children who live in Catalonia can enroll in public schools whatever language they speak, and foreign pupils who joined the Catalan system in the last 24 months can get support in an aula d'acollida, a reception class focused on Catalan. Teaching is mainly in Catalan, which tends to be easier for younger children than for teenagers.

Do I need to homologate my child's US school records in Spain?

Only from the end of compulsory secondary school. A student entering 4º ESO (grade 10) or below in the Spanish system just needs their transcripts. Entering 1º or 2º de Bachillerato, or a Spanish university with a US diploma, requires homologation or convalidation.

Can my child start school in Barcelona in the middle of the year?

Usually, yes. Most international schools admit students mid-year if the grade has space, and for public and state-funded schools Catalonia has an admission procedure for families who arrive during the school year, which you can file at any time.

Sources

  1. American School of Barcelona: fees 2026-27 (checked October 12, 2026)
  2. American School of Barcelona: admissions FAQs (checked October 12, 2026)
  3. American School of Barcelona: high school (checked October 12, 2026)
  4. Benjamin Franklin International School: school fees 2026-2027 (checked October 12, 2026)
  5. Benjamin Franklin International School: admissions FAQ (checked October 12, 2026)
  6. Benjamin Franklin International School: application process (checked October 12, 2026)
  7. ES American School: costs and fees, academic year 2026-2027 (checked October 12, 2026)
  8. Emilio Sánchez Academy: ES American School (checked October 12, 2026)
  9. The British School of Barcelona: fees 2026-2027 (checked October 12, 2026)
  10. The British School of Barcelona: admissions process (checked October 12, 2026)
  11. The British School of Barcelona: BSB City campus (checked October 12, 2026)
  12. St. Peter's School Barcelona: admissions and school fees 2026/27 (checked October 12, 2026)
  13. Lycée Français de Barcelone: tarifs scolaires 2026-2027 (checked October 12, 2026)
  14. Lycée Français de Barcelone: calendrier des inscriptions 2026-27 (checked October 12, 2026)
  15. Deutsche Schule Barcelona: Schulgebühren Schuljahr 2026/27 (checked October 12, 2026)
  16. Deutsche Schule Barcelona: Anmeldung (checked October 12, 2026)
  17. Kensington School Barcelona: official site (checked October 12, 2026)
  18. Spanish Ministry of Education (Education Office in the US): homologating US non-university studies, step by step (checked October 12, 2026)
  19. Generalitat de Catalunya: homologation or convalidation of foreign non-university studies (checked October 12, 2026)
  20. Generalitat de Catalunya: primary school pre-enrollment calendar 2026-2027 (checked October 12, 2026)
  21. Generalitat de Catalunya: school admission criteria (preinscripció) (checked October 12, 2026)
  22. Generalitat de Catalunya: admission during the school year (checked October 12, 2026)
  23. Generalitat de Catalunya, Department of Education: Aules d'acollida, guidance (September 2024) (checked October 12, 2026)
  24. BOE: Catalan Education Act, Ley 12/2009 (consolidated text) (checked October 12, 2026)

Rules and prices change. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.