Over 13,000 students attend international schools in Catalonia

More than 13,600 students were enrolled in international schools in Catalonia during the 2023-24 academic year, representing 1.2% of all students in the region from primary to high school.

According to data from the Education Department analyzed by Catalan News, there are 25 schools in Catalonia offering foreign curriculums, a figure that has remained stable in recent years.

However, representatives from the sector report that demand has grown and that some schools are now operating at full capacity.

This increase is mainly due to the rising number of international families moving to Barcelona, drawn more by the "quality of life" than by work-related reasons.

These schools teach primarily in the language of the country they are based on. However, local students with Spanish nationality are legally required to achieve a minimum level of proficiency in Catalan and Spanish.

Most of these institutions are traditional international schools replicating the education systems of their home countries, with some even receiving funding from their respective governments. 

Several of these schools have a long-standing history in Catalonia, such as the German School of Barcelona, founded in 1894; the Swiss School of Barcelona, founded in 1919; and the Lycée Français de Barcelone, established in 1924.

46% of students are foreigners, French top the list

Of the 13,600 students enrolled in these schools, more than half are Spanish nationals, while 46% are foreigners.  

As for foreign students, two-thirds come from the European Union, followed by 10.6% from the rest of Europe, 9.9% from the United States, and 6% from Asia and Oceania.

By country, the French are the largest group by far: students born in France make up 37.9% of all foreign students at these schools, followed by Germans (9.8%), Americans (8.6%), Italians (8.2%), and Russians (4%).

In total, these schools host students from 107 different nationalities.

Most schools in Barcelona area

The majority of these schools are located in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Of the 25 international schools registered for the 2023-24 academic year, 19 are in this region, with nearly half of the total situated within the city of Barcelona itself. 

Barcelona is home to the international school with the highest number of students: the Lycée Français de Barcelone, which had 2,874 students enrolled during the 2022-23 school year, spanning from early childhood education to high school.  

The second-largest international school in Catalonia is the German School of Barcelona, located in Esplugues de Llobregat, with 1,682 students according to the most recent data from 2021-22. The same municipality in Baix Llobregat also houses the American School of Barcelona, which has 985 students.

Several coastal towns along the Barcelona coast are also home to a significant number of international schools. Castelldefels has the third-largest international school in the region, the British School of Barcelona, with 1,372 students enrolled in 2023-24, while Gavà hosts the fourth-largest, the Lycée Français de Gavà, with 1,283 students. 

Beyond the metropolitan area, Sant Pere de Ribes stands out as a hub for international schools, with three institutions—Lycée Bel Air, Richmond International School, and The Olive Tree—which together enrolled 1,012 students in the 2022-23 academic year.  

Families choose Barcelona for its 'quality of life'

Despite stable overall numbers, demand for these schools continues to grow, and the profile of the families attending them has evolved.  

Duncan Giles, president of the Barcelona International Schools Association (BISA), which represents 13 schools, and director of the Kensington School, notes that in the last 15 years, demand has steadily increased, and new schools have opened. 

He also highlights that schools like Kensington, with 260 students, are at full capacity and cannot expand further.   

The American School of Barcelona is another example of rising demand. Its director, Mark Pingitore, says that over the last decade, enrollment has risen from 600 to 1,000 students, reaching the school's full capacity.  

By March each year, all spots are filled, especially in secondary education, leading to waitlists. To address this, the school is planning to build a new facility on one of its current basketball courts.

The demand increase is attributed to a shift in the profile of international families. Giles explains that while most used to move for work-related reasons, many now come to Barcelona for its "quality of life," regardless of whether they work locally or remotely.

Pingitore adds that many parents at his school "could live anywhere in the world" but opt for Barcelona for its "culture, climate and diversity."

Catalan and Spanish: Mandatory for local students

Although these schools primarily use foreign languages for instruction, local students are required by law to take Catalan and Spanish.  

According to the Education Department, these schools "must ensure that students born in Catalonia or with Spanish nationality achieve the required language competencies in the official languages."

For foreign students, Catalan and Spanish are optional. Pingitore explains that the level of Catalan among foreign students at the American School of Barcelona varies depending on how long they have been in Catalonia and their families’ plans to stay.  

"Families planning to stay in Barcelona for a couple of years are likely to skip Catalan and focus on English," he says.

However, Pingitore explains that they "encourage" all parents to enroll their children in Catalan, as many families who initially plan short stays often come to love Barcelona and decide to extend their stay.

Teachers 'line up' to work in Barcelona

Recruiting native-speaking teachers remains a challenge for international schools due to the high cost of living in Barcelona, according to Giles. However, interest in teaching in the city is strong.

Pingitore mentions that at hiring fairs in London, the queue for positions in Barcelona is always long, allowing schools to be highly selective when choosing staff.

Despite difficulties with salary competitiveness, both Giles and Pingitore report that nearly all teachers at their schools, aside from those teaching Catalan and Spanish, are native speakers of the languages they teach.

To learn more about international schools in Catalonia, listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.