Spain's school landscape is easy to misread from outside. Families often assume a simple split between state and private, but there is a third category in the middle that educates a large share of children and is both privately run and publicly funded. Knowing the difference between a colegio privado and a colegio concertado is the first step to making sense of fees, admissions and what you actually get.
The three types of school
Spanish schools fall into three groups.
- Public schools (colegios públicos) are run by the regional education authorities and are free.
- Publicly funded private schools (concertados) are privately owned, often by religious or cooperative organisations, but receive public funds under educational agreements known as conciertos.
- Private schools without public funding (privados) are financed by family fees and, where applicable, other private entities.
Eurydice, the European Commission's education information network, describes the second group as publicly funded private institutions and the third as schools funded by fees. It also reports the scale of the sector. In 2023/24, 9,385 of 28,710 non-university general education schools in Spain were private, or 32.69%. Of those private schools, 5,854 (62.38%) were fully or partially publicly funded, and 3,531 (37.32%) were entirely private. These figures count schools, not pupils, so they should not be read as the share of children enrolled.
How a concertado works
The agreements between the state and a school are set annually in the General State Budget and cover salaries and maintenance. Eurydice distinguishes two kinds.
- General agreements cover compulsory or legally free education. They are fully funded.
- Singular agreements cover non-compulsory education, provide partial funding and may allow authorised supplementary fees.
Publicly funded schools must provide free education within the funded stages, apply the same admission criteria as public schools and have a School Council. Families still pay for items such as books, school materials, meals, transport and extracurricular activities, according to Eurydice's description of how education is funded in Spain.
In practice, this means that concertados can be an attractive middle route for families living in Spain. They are usually less expensive than a fully private school, but they admit pupils through the public points system and may have limited places. Many have a religious character, and families should look at how that shapes daily life.
For a relocating family, admission to a concertado generally depends on factors such as home address and siblings already enrolled, rather than on a negotiation with the school. If you are arriving mid-year, availability may be limited.
Fully private schools
A colegio privado is free to set its own fees. Eurydice states that in private non-grant-aided schools, families pay the full cost of tuition. Private schools still need administrative authorisation and must meet general requirements for buildings, safety and staffing ratios, set out in Royal Decree 132/2010.
Within this group there is wide variety. Some follow the Spanish curriculum in Spanish, some teach bilingually in Spanish and English or in the co-official regional language, and some follow a foreign system.
Fully private schools can be selective, but admissions are generally a matter of the school's own policy. Visit, ask about the waiting list and ask what the registration fee covers.
International schools in Spain
International schools are a subset of private schools, and they typically combine a foreign curriculum with at least some Spanish content. The offer commonly includes British-style schools leading to GCSE or IGCSE and A-Levels, American schools, French or German state-linked schools and schools that teach the IB Diploma. The key questions are:
- Which curriculum and qualification does the school award? Check that it fits your child's university plans, in Spain or elsewhere.
- Is it also recognised in the Spanish system? The Spanish structure runs through primary (ages 6 to 12), compulsory secondary or ESO (12 to 16) and upper secondary, either bachillerato or intermediate vocational training (16 to 18), according to Eurydice. Ask how the school helps pupils who want to move into or out of that system.
- What is the language mix? In some schools, nearly all teaching is in English, and Spanish is a separate subject.
Spanish is the language of daily life, and in several regions a co-official language such as Catalan also plays a role in public life and in many schools. If you plan to stay in Spain for years, check how the school handles the local languages.
Fees and extras
Eurydice does not give fee levels, and we do not quote them here. Costs vary enormously by region, by school type and by age group. What matters more than the headline figure is what it includes. Common additional costs include:
- Registration or enrolment fee, and sometimes a one-off place fee.
- Meals, transport and after-school care.
- Uniform, books and digital devices.
- Trips, exchanges and extracurricular activities.
Our separate guide to the real cost of private school looks at these in more detail. Tax treatment of school fees is covered in the guide to tax relief across Europe. Eurydice's description of Spanish education funding does not mention any tax deduction for school fees, and we have not verified any, so check with an adviser before assuming one applies.
Choosing between the options
A practical way to decide is to start from your situation.
- Settling long term in Spain, content with a Spanish education. Compare local public schools and concertados first, then private schools if you want smaller classes or a particular approach.
- Staying a few years and returning home or moving on. An international school with a recognised foreign curriculum may make the transition easier.
- Wanting a specific qualification for university abroad. Start from the qualification and work backwards to the school.
Whichever route you choose, visit more than one school, ask for the most recent inspection or evaluation information that the regional authority publishes, and confirm the school is properly authorised.