International schools on the Costa del Sol

The short answer: pick the school belt first, then the town

International schools on the Costa del Sol cluster in four belts. Marbella and Nueva Andalucía hold Aloha College, Swans and several smaller British primaries. San Pedro de Alcántara and Guadalmina feed Laude San Pedro and St George's. The Mijas and Fuengirola corridor carries St Anthony's College and Benalmádena's British options. West toward Estepona and Sotogrande you find Atalaya International School, Mayfair and the full IB campus at Sotogrande International School. Almost every family drives: even a 15 minute school run at rush hour shapes which urbanisation feels liveable, so the buying order is school shortlist, commute test, then property search.

British, IB and bilingual: what the labels mean in practice

British schools follow the English national curriculum through IGCSEs, then split between A Levels and the IB Diploma in the sixth form. Aloha College Marbella runs both IB and A Level pathways in the upper years. Sotogrande International School is a through-IB school from primary to Diploma. St George's School Málaga and St Anthony's College are British to 16 with Spanish ESO and Bachillerato options for families who want both systems. Bilingual schools such as Atalaya International School teach core subjects in English while keeping Spanish language and culture on the timetable. None of this changes Spanish law: compulsory basic education runs from age 6 to 16 for resident children, with public places free at the point of use aside from books, meals and materials.

Basic education in Spain is compulsory and free for pupils from age 6 to 16 in publicly funded schools, under the framework set by the Organic Law on EducationSource: Ministerio de Educación, Formación Profesional y Deportes · 2026 · View market data →

Published fees for 2025-26: three schools with open schedules

Many campuses quote fees only after an application. The table below uses only fee PDFs or tariff sheets the schools publish. All figures are day tuition for the 2025-26 academic year unless noted. Enrolment, registration, bus, lunch, uniform and exam fees sit on top, and sibling discounts apply at several schools.

St George's School Málaga lists 2025-26 annual tuition from €4,200 for pre-nursery half day to €11,350 for Year 12, plus €1,150 admission and €240 annual re-enrolmentSource: St George's School Málaga, published fee tariff 2025-26 · 2025-26 · View market data →

Aloha College Marbella's 2025-26 primary fees run from €3,115 per term in nursery to €4,630 per term in Year 6; secondary Year 7 is €3,975 per term and Year 13 is €9,470 invoiced across two termsSource: Aloha College Marbella, Primary and Secondary fee schedules 2025-26 · 2025-26 · View market data →

Sotogrande International School publishes 2025-26 annual tuition from €9,370 in early childhood to €26,990 in IB Diploma years, with lunches and compulsory curricular trips included in tuitionSource: Sotogrande International School, Fee Schedule 2025-2026 · 2025-26 · View market data →

What the fee sheet leaves out

• One-off admission, registration and reservation fees, often €200 to €3,000 per child at first entry.
• School transport, typically €350 to €760 per term at Aloha College for zone-based bus routes.
• Lunch and after-school clubs where not included in tuition.
• Uniform, devices and external exam fees, called out separately at British schools through GCSE and A Level years.
• Learning support or examination access arrangements, billed as extras when a child needs specialist assessment.

Budget a full year, not the headline tuition row. A family with two children in secondary at a premium campus can carry well over €40,000 a year in tuition alone once published per-term rates and enrolment charges are added, before housing and cars.

Spanish public schools: free tuition, paperwork-heavy entry

Children registered as residents can attend public colegios and institutos at no tuition cost. Places are allocated by catchment and available spaces, with priority for siblings and local empadronamiento. Instruction is in Spanish, with regional language where applicable, which suits bilingual families but is a harder landing for older teenagers with no Spanish. You still pay for books, materials, meals if you use the comedor, and extracurricular activities. The practical sequence matches healthcare registration: empadronamiento at the town hall, residency paperwork in order, then application through the Andalucían education portal during the annual window.

Where families buy relative to the school map

School choice and housing choice are one decision on this coast. Fuengirola remains the lowest-median year-round town among the big family centres, with a €547,000 median across 448 active resale listings in October 2026 and a Cercanías link toward Málaga city schools. Benalmádena sits at €620,000 with 201 listings, handy for airport-side commutes and several British schools. San Pedro de Alcántara and Guadalmina sit between Marbella fees and Estepona space, feeding Laude and St George's. Estepona carries the coast's deepest resale stock at 885 listings and a €610,000 median, with Atalaya International School in the municipality for buyers who want a western commute. Compare every town on our live price pages and the area-by-area verdict in our best areas guide.

In October 2026 our Costa del Sol resale inventory shows 7,827 active listings at a €659,000 coast median, with Fuengirola at €547,000 across 448 homes and Benalmádena at €620,000 across 201 homesSource: Hometailor market data · October 2026 · View market data →

Day-to-day living costs beyond school fees, from groceries to the convenio especial healthcare buy-in, are broken down in our Costa del Sol cost of living guide. Visa and residency income tests for families relocating full time sit in the residency guide.