International schools on the Costa del Sol: a buyer's guide to choosing the school before the home

How schooling works for a family moving to the Costa del Sol, and how it shapes the property search. There are three kinds of school in Spain, and the international schools are one part of the third. This guide sets out those kinds, then the curricula on offer, then every international school on the coast by area with its ages and qualifications, then the fees, then how admissions work at the international schools and at the state schools, and finally the checks I make when a client’s children are the fixed point of the move. The areas themselves are compared in where to buy on the Costa del Sol, and the residency routes for a working-age family in Spain’s non-lucrative visa and the routes that replaced the golden visa.

The three kinds of school in Spain

A public school (colegio público) is run by the regional government, in this case the Junta de Andalucía, teaches the Spanish curriculum in Spanish, and is free. A concertado is a private school, often religious, that receives state funding and charges little or nothing for the compulsory years, with places allocated under the same rules as the public schools. A private school (colegio privado) sets its own fees and admissions. Every international school on the coast is a private school in this sense. So are the Spanish private schools that teach in two languages, several of which now offer the International Baccalaureate and are worth a look for a family that wants a Spanish education with English alongside it.

Andalucía also runs a bilingual programme inside the state system. In a centro bilingüe at least half the timetable in the non-language subjects is taught in the foreign language, almost always English. It is a Spanish school with more English in it rather than an English school, and for a young child it can be the right answer, particularly where the family intends to stay for good.

What the international schools teach

Most of the coast’s international schools follow the English national curriculum. Children sit IGCSEs at sixteen and then either A-levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma at eighteen. Several schools offer both at sixth form. Spanish is taught throughout, and a number of the British schools also run the Spanish secondary programme alongside, so that a child leaves with the Spanish school-leaving qualification as well as the English one.

Two schools teach the full IB programme from primary to the Diploma, and two more offer the Diploma at sixteen. One school teaches the American curriculum to a US high school diploma, one teaches the German system to the Abitur, one teaches the French system to the baccalauréat, and three teach the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish systems. Each of those is in effect a national school abroad, and the natural choice for a family who expect their children to go on to university in that country.

University entry in Spain is straightforward for all of them. A student from an EU school system, the IB, or the United Kingdom, which has an agreement with Spain on university access, does not need their qualifications formally recognised. They apply through UNEDasiss, the service run by Spain’s distance university, which converts their grades to the Spanish scale out of ten. Universities can add up to four further points for subject exams that UNED runs each May and June, and the schools prepare their students for those where needed.

The schools, by area

Ages, curriculum and location are taken from each school’s own website in September 2026. Fees are annual tuition. Where a school publishes them, the figure is the school’s own and linked. Where it does not, the figure is what the school directories or family guides report, and it is marked as such. Every figure is a guide to the order of cost, not a quote.

Sotogrande and Estepona

• Sotogrande International School, Sotogrande. Ages from six months to eighteen. The full IB programme from primary to the Diploma, taught in English, with boarding for secondary pupils. Part of the Inspired group. Fees for 2026/27, from the school’s own schedule: 9,840 euros a year for the youngest, 15,650 to 16,810 for primary, 20,575 to 23,100 for secondary and 28,255 for the two IB years, with lunch included. A one-off membership fee of 3,000 to 4,000 euros per family and a refundable deposit of 2,000 to 2,500 euros are charged on entry. Boarding adds 22,720 euros. sis.ac
• Atlas American School of Málaga, Selwo Hills, Estepona. Ages three to eighteen. The American curriculum to a US high school diploma, with the IB Diploma as an alternative in the final two years. Fees for 2026/27, from the school’s own schedule: 8,550 euros a year for preschool, 11,300 for primary, 12,700 for middle school, 14,850 for high school and 16,350 for each IB year, plus a one-off family admission fee of 2,000 euros, 500 a year in registration and a refundable deposit of 1,000. atlas-asm.es
• Mayfair International Academy, Estepona. Ages three to eighteen. The English curriculum through Cambridge IGCSE to A-level, founded in 1997. Fees are not published. Third-party school guides report roughly 6,400 to 12,400 euros a year. mayfairschool.es
• The International School Estepona, Estepona. Ages two to twelve. The English primary curriculum with Montessori methods in the early years. A primary school only, so a secondary place elsewhere has to be planned for. Fees for 2026/27, as listed by the International Schools Database: 5,070 euros a year at ages two and three, 8,085 from four to six and 9,450 from seven to twelve, with a one-off registration fee of 1,050.
• Colegio San José, Estepona. A Spanish private school from infants to eighteen that also offers the IB Middle Years and Diploma programmes. Fees are not published. A Spanish school directory reports 600 to 1,200 euros a month including lunch. colegiopatrociniosanjose.es

The area itself is described on the Estepona page.

Marbella, San Pedro and Nueva Andalucía

• Aloha College, Nueva Andalucía. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE, then a choice of A-levels or the IB Diploma. Run as a not-for-profit foundation, with pupils of more than fifty nationalities. Primary fees for 2025/26, from the school’s own schedule: 7,805 euros a year for nursery rising to 11,570 for Year 6, with lunch about 1,500 and the bus 1,180 to 1,880 on top. On entry there is a 200 euro application fee, a 2,500 reservation fee that comes off the first invoice and a one-off inscription fee of 3,000 for the first child. Secondary fees are given on application. aloha-college.com
• Swans International School, Marbella. Ages three to eighteen, with the primary school in central Marbella and the secondary in Sierra Blanca. English curriculum to GCSE and the IB Diploma in the sixth form. Teaching for more than fifty years. Fees are not published, and the school has asked the directories not to list them. swansschool.com
• The British International School of Marbella, central Marbella. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE and A-level. Fees are given on application. bism.es
• Laude San Pedro International College, San Pedro de Alcántara. Ages two and a half to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE and A-level, with the Spanish secondary and Bachillerato taught alongside so that pupils leave with both. Part of the International Schools Partnership. Fees are not published. Third-party guides report roughly 6,000 to 11,000 euros a year. laudesanpedro.com
• Calpe School, San Pedro de Alcántara. Ages two to eleven. English primary curriculum, established more than fifty years ago. A primary school only. Fees are given on application. calpeschool.com
• English International College, Elviria, east Marbella. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE and A-level, teaching for more than forty years. Fees are given on application. eicmarbella.org
• Deutsche Schule Málaga, Ojén, above Elviria. Ages three to eighteen. The German system to the German International Abitur, recognised in Spain as the Bachillerato, taught in German and Spanish. Founded in 1898 and running nine bus routes from Málaga to Estepona. Fees for 2026/27, as listed by the International Schools Database: 5,660 to 7,385 euros a year, with a one-off enrolment fee of 1,400 and a refundable deposit of 1,500. dsmalaga.com
• Colegio Alborán, Marbella. A Spanish private school teaching in both languages from infants to eighteen. Fees are not published. A Spanish school directory reports 300 to 700 euros a month. colegioalboran.es
• Svenska Skolan Marbella. A Swedish school in Marbella, separate from the larger one in Fuengirola. Listed at 8,200 to 13,000 euros a year for 2026/27. svenskaskolanmarbella.com

The neighbourhoods are on the Marbella and the Golden Mile page.

Fuengirola, Mijas and inland

• St Anthony’s College, Mijas Costa, on the Coín road. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to GCSE and A-level, with the Spanish curriculum recognised alongside. Fees for 2025/26, as listed by the International Schools Database: 5,020 euros a year at three and four rising to 9,935 for the sixth form, with a one-off registration fee of 800. stanthonyscollege.com
• Svenska Skolan Costa del Sol, Fuengirola. The Swedish system from preschool at three to upper secondary, and one of the largest Swedish schools outside Sweden. Its own fee page, last updated for 2024/25, gave 7,080 euros a year for preschool, 7,100 to 7,500 for the compulsory years and 8,810 for upper secondary, plus 1,000 per family on enrolment. skolan.es
• Aurinkorannikon suomalainen koulu, Fuengirola. The Finnish school, from preschool through to Finnish upper secondary, open since 2007. Funded by the Finnish state, so its fees for 2026/27 are 2,050 to 2,700 euros a year, with a 600 euro reservation fee. suomalainenkoulu.net
• Novaschool Sunland International, Cártama, inland from Málaga. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE and A-level. Listed at 7,180 to 8,262 euros a year for 2026/27. sunland.novaschool.es

The towns are on the Fuengirola and Mijas Costa page.

Benalmádena and Torremolinos

• The Benalmádena International College, Benalmádena. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum with elements of the Spanish one. Fees are given on application. benalmadenainternationalcollege.com
• Colegio Internacional Torrequebrada, Benalmádena. Ages two to eighteen. A Spanish private school teaching in both languages, and the first in the province to run all three IB programmes from primary to the Diploma. Listed at 4,180 to 5,680 euros a year for 2026/27. colegiotorrequebrada.com
• Den Norske Skolen Málaga, Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena. The Norwegian school, ages six to sixteen, supported by the Norwegian state. Its own price list for 2026 gives about 2,860 to 3,080 euros a year across the two terms. dnsmalaga.com
• Sunny View School, Cerro del Toril, Torremolinos. English curriculum from preschool to secondary, founded in 1971. Fees for 2026/27, as listed by the International Schools Database: 6,690 euros a year at two rising to 12,900 for the final two years, with a one-off registration fee of 500. sunnyviewschool.com

The resorts are on the Torremolinos and Benalmádena page.

Málaga city and the east

• The British School of Málaga. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to IGCSE and A-level, with Spanish taught throughout. Part of the International Schools Partnership. Fees for 2026/27, as listed by the International Schools Database: 9,880 euros a year at three rising to 13,150 for the sixth form, with a one-off registration fee of 1,100 and an annual enrolment fee of 1,100. britishschoolmalaga.com
• Lycée Français International de Málaga, Cerrado de Calderón, in the east of the city. The French system from age three to the baccalauréat, part of the French state’s network of schools abroad. Fees for 2026/27 are reported at 5,670 to 7,200 euros a year for EU citizens and 6,530 to 8,290 for others, with a first registration fee of 1,400 to 2,000. lfmalaga.com
• St George’s British International School, in a residential district in the east of the city. An English-curriculum school in a bilingual setting. Fees are given on application. stgeorgeinternational.es
• Novaschool Añoreta, Rincón de la Victoria. A Spanish private school with a dual Spanish and English programme at secondary, and the IB Diploma. Its own fee page for 2026/27 gives 287 euros a month for the youngest rising to 685 a month for the final year, over ten months, so about 2,900 to 6,850 a year, plus an enrolment fee of 333 to 630. anoreta.novaschool.es
• Almuñécar International School, on the coast east of Nerja. Ages three to eighteen. English curriculum to GCSE and A-level. Fees are reported at 8,556 to 12,622 euros a year, and the school’s fee page states that they include the bus, lunch and exam entries. almunecarinternationalschool.org

The city is on the Málaga page and the eastern coast on the Nerja and Torrox page.

What the schools cost

Taking the published figures together, a nursery or reception place runs from about 5,000 euros a year at the smaller schools to just under 10,000 at the larger ones. Primary sits between about 6,000 and 17,000. The final two years, whether A-levels or the IB, run from about 10,000 to 28,000, with Sotogrande at the top of every band. The German and French schools, and the Spanish private schools with an IB programme, sit well below the British ones at between roughly 4,000 and 8,000 a year. The Finnish and Norwegian schools, funded by their home states, are lower again.

Three things are true across the schools. Fees are paid termly, and a registration or enrolment fee is due when the place is accepted. At the larger schools that first-year entry cost is substantial: Aloha’s inscription fee is 3,000 euros for the first child, Sotogrande’s membership fee 3,000 to 4,000 per family. Lunch, the school bus, uniform, residential trips and external exam entries are almost always charged separately, and at Aloha the bus alone is 1,180 to 1,880 a year depending on zone. Sibling discounts are common, usually from the third child.

For a family budgeting the move, the school fees are the largest recurring cost after the home itself and they belong in the same sum. The costs of the purchase are in what a Costa del Sol purchase really costs and the running costs of the home in what it costs to own a home in Spain.

Admissions and timing

The international schools admit through the year but the popular entry points fill early: the nursery year, the first year of primary and the first year of secondary. Aloha College’s admissions page sets out the pattern most of the larger schools follow. A first application window from 1 November to 31 January for entry the following September, a second from 1 March to 31 May, an interview for the youngest children and an entry assessment plus interview from Year 3 upward, and, where no place is free, an offer of a place on the waiting list. The practical rule is to apply in the autumn a year before the move, and to apply to more than one school.

A state school place works differently. Every child living in Spain from three to sixteen has the right to one, free. The Junta’s admissions calendar for the 2026/27 year had applications open from 1 March to 7 April 2026, with places published on 14 May and enrolment in June. Priority is scored by points, chiefly for how close the family lives or works to the school and whether a sibling is already there. A family arriving after the window applies through the school or the provincial education office, and an admissions committee places the child in a school with space, in order of the date of application. Applying late means losing the priority points, so you take the school that has room rather than the school you would have chosen. Every route needs the family registered as living at a local address, the padrón, which requires a home first. That is the point at which the school and the property search meet.

Why the school comes before the home

The coast is a hundred kilometres long and the schools sit in clusters. The Marbella schools draw from Nueva Andalucía, San Pedro, the Golden Mile and the town, with the two eastern schools drawing from Elviria, Las Chapas and Ojén. Sotogrande and Estepona serve the west. The Nordic schools are in Fuengirola and Benalmádena. Málaga has its own British and French schools. The coast road between them is slow in term time, and a home that looked twenty minutes from the school on a Sunday in August can be forty in October at half past eight.

So for a family the order is the reverse of the usual one. The school is chosen first, and an application is made, and the home is then searched for inside the radius that the school’s bus routes or a reasonable drive define. A school like Deutsche Schule Málaga with nine bus routes from Málaga to Estepona opens up a wide radius. A school with no bus narrows it to a few neighbourhoods. Either way the search gets shorter and better once the school is fixed.

The checks I make for a family

1. Which school, and is there a place? An application in, a place offered or a position on the list known, before the property search begins in earnest.
2. The real journey. I drive it, in term time, at the school’s start and finish times, from any home that reaches the shortlist.
3. The bus. Whether the school’s route passes the home, where the stop is, and how long the ride is for the youngest child.
4. The address for the padrón. That the home can be registered as the family’s residence from completion, which matters for the state-school route and for residency.
5. The full annual sum. Fees for every child, plus transport and lunch, alongside the running costs of the home, so the family knows the figure before they commit to either.

If you are moving with children, tell me the school before you tell me the area. I will search inside the right radius from the start, and the homes I show you will be the ones that work at half past eight on a Tuesday in October. To talk it through, book a call.

Dated guidance, September 2026. Ages, curricula and locations are taken from each school’s own website at that date and change from year to year. Fees are the schools’ own published figures where they publish them and directory or guide figures where they do not, and both change every year. Confirm the current position with the school before you decide.

Common questions