How much does an international school cost on the Costa Blanca?

On the Costa Blanca, a year at an international school costs between 5,200 and 15,650 euros depending on the school and your child's year group, with an average of around 8,442 euros a year across all schools (2025/2026 school year data, international-schools-database.com, recorded 30 July 2026). The region lists 33 international schools, 23 of which follow a British curriculum, which tells you the headline price is only part of the story, because registration fees and deposits almost always come on top. Here is the real budget, school by school, to help you decide without a nasty surprise.

How much does an international school cost on the Costa Blanca on average?

The recorded average sits around 8,442 euros a year for 2025/2026 (source: international-schools-database.com, 30 July 2026), but that average hides huge gaps. The cheapest starting price is around 5,200 euros a year (Magno International School, entry level) and the top of the range climbs to 15,650 euros a year (Lady Elizabeth School, sixth-form level). In practice, two neighbouring families can pay anywhere from one to three times as much depending on the school and the year group attended. The British curriculum dominates the offer by far (23 out of 33 schools), which explains why most of the fees below relate to English-style courses, sometimes combined with Spanish or the International Baccalaureate (IB).

What does each Costa Blanca international school charge?

The ranges below run from the youngest year group (nursery or primary) to sixth form. The older the child, the higher the fees: that is close to a universal rule on the coast. The figures are those published for 2025/2026, unless stated otherwise.

A note on Xabia International College: a second source gives a slightly different range (5,900 to 14,800 euros for 2025/2026). We flag it as it stands, without picking between the two figures: this is the kind of gap worth confirming directly with the school when you enrol.

Also worth knowing: some schools in the region do not publish their fees online. In that case there is no shortcut, you need to contact the school directly for a personalised quote based on your child's age and entry year.

What does the budget look like year by year? The AIS Altea example

Most schools announce a broad range without breaking down each year group. AIS International School (Altea), which combines a British curriculum with Waldorf pedagogy, instead publishes its fees by stage for the 2026/2027 year, which gives a good sense of how costs rise with age.

Between primary and sixth form, the annual bill rises by nearly 2,745 euros at AIS, around 38 percent more. That progression holds for almost every school on the Costa Blanca: budget with sixth form in mind, not just the first year of enrolment.

What costs come on top of the annual tuition fees?

The annual fee is never the final amount. Almost everywhere, you need to add a one-off registration (or admission) fee and a deposit, often refundable, whose amount varies by school. Lacking a single reliable scale for the whole region, we would rather say so plainly than invent a figure: always ask the school for the full breakdown of the first year.

AIS Altea gives a telling order of magnitude: for a first enrolment, the extra costs (deposit, registration, administrative fees) reach around 8,545 euros in total on top of the annual tuition. That is almost a second year of fees concentrated into the entry year. This figure is specific to that school and cannot be assumed elsewhere, but it shows why the first year always weighs more heavily than the following ones.

Before you decide, it is worth cross-checking the school budget against where you choose to live and the kind of qualification you are aiming for. If you are weighing up the British system against local alternatives, see our guide to choosing a school on the Costa Blanca, and for the French-Spanish dual diploma route, see also the Bachibac on the Costa Blanca (Elche, Altea and equivalences).

Frequently asked questions about international school budgets on the Costa Blanca

Which is the cheapest international school on the Costa Blanca?
Among the fees published for 2025/2026, Magno International School (Alicante) has the lowest starting price, from 5,200 euros a year, followed by Willow International School (from 5,520 euros a year) and Elian's British School (from 5,850 euros a year). Source: international-schools-database.com, recorded 30 July 2026.

How much does an international school cost per year on average in the region?
Around 8,442 euros a year across all schools for 2025/2026, according to international-schools-database.com (30 July 2026). But actual amounts range from 5,200 to 15,650 euros a year depending on the school and the year group.

Do the annual fees cover everything?
No. You almost always need to add a one-off registration fee and a deposit, whose amount varies by school. As an example, AIS Altea puts its first-year costs (deposit, registration, admin) at around 8,545 euros on top of tuition.

Why do some schools not publish their prices?
Several schools in the region do not publish fees online and work on a personalised quote based on the child's age and entry year. In that case, contact the school directly for a costing.

Sources: international-schools-database.com, database of international schools in the Alicante/Costa Blanca region, 2025/2026 school year (data recorded 30 July 2026); doris.school, Costa Blanca school profiles (recorded 30 July 2026); fees by year group and first-year costs from AIS International School (Altea) for the 2026/2027 year.

Information verified in August 2026. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human review.