How much does school cost in Spain?
The kids are now back at school in Spain after a long 3 month summer holiday, and I thought I would talk about some of the costs involved in attending school in Spain for those of you considering a move with children.
Our daughter has been attending a Spanish state funded primary school for the last 4 years and has now joined high school, also a Spanish state school. As such we don’t have personal experience with private schools but I will touch on them later in this post.
Costs and fees also can vary per autonomous region, so these are based on our schools in the Comunidad de Valenciana.
Here are some of the costs of attending a state funded school in Spain:
How much does school cost in Spain?
Fees – €0
There are no fees payable for a public Spanish state school as these are funded by the government.
Uniform – €0
Public Spanish schools don’t require children to wear uniforms, so there’s no clothes with logos, PE kits, or school shoes to buy.
Lunch fees – from approximately €35 per month (if applicable)
Some schools will charge a monthly fee for lunch. The amount this costs will depend on the school, but as an example our local primary charges €35 per month.
Schools without a comedor (dining room) will not charge a fee and children will take a snack for break time instead and finish school around 2pm so they can have lunch at home.
Books – up to €400 per year
In Spain you are required to buy your own text books. However, in our region you can join the school’s Banco de Libros or Book Bank. At the start of the term you borrow used text books and sign a paper to say you will return them in the same condition. As long as the books are not ruined or lost, you don’t have to pay anything. This can save you up to €400 on books.
You may have to buy several reading books or work books, the most we have paid is €60 for the year and these were all bought on Amazon.
Stationery Supplies – up to €100 per year
At school in Spain children have to take their own stationery, everything from pens, pencils, colouring pens and erasers to folders, paper, and notebooks. At the start of the school year we spend around €60 on stationery supplies and a new pencil case. You’ll likely have to buy a few new items during the year and you will also probably be asked for some money towards class and art supplies, this is usually only €5-10 for the year.
School bus – €0
As our daughter was at a small village school for primary there was no school bus. However, for high school there is a bus to and from school though there is no cost for this bus as it is paid for by the regional government. This may of course vary from region to region.
How do the fees vary with other types of schools in Spain?
Obviously there will be a huge variation in costs amongst other types of schools in Spain. Fees for private international/British schools can range from €2,000 – €20,000 per year. Other than uniform, the fees will usually cover things like books, stationery, supplies and lunch.
You also have Concertado schools in Spain which are semi-private schools partly funded by the government. At these schools parents pay a smaller fee than at fully private schools which usually vary from €200 – €2,000 per year and go towards facilities for the school. On top of these annual fees you will also need to pay for stationery, books (unless they also offer the Banco de Libros) and uniforms are also usually compulsory at Concertados.
So there you have an idea of the types and amounts of annual fees you can expect to pay for school in Spain. As mentioned above, these fees will vary by type of school and region, so we would recommend contacting your chosen school to find out more information prior to your move.
You may also like our post with tips for an English child starting school in Spain.
