Europe has been producing forward-thinkers for centuries – from Galileo to Einstein, Erasmus to Curie. It is a continent that has always taken education seriously, and its schools reflect that inheritance.
The international schools featured in this index share a common ambition: to produce graduates who are genuinely global in their outlook. Many prepare pupils for GCSEs, A-Levels and the IB alongside the curricula of their home countries, an approach that ensures leavers are equipped for universities and careers far beyond the continent’s borders.
The demographic driving demand has also shifted. International schools in Europe were once the preserve of diplomats and corporate assignees on three-year postings. Today, they are attracting a different kind of family. Since the UK tightened its tax rules on non-doms, a growing number of wealthy Britons have been drawn to the financial realities of Italy and Monaco, and their schools along with them. St Louis School Milan has felt this directly, as UHNW émigrés increasingly look to northern Italy as a place to put down roots.
Explore other schools within the Spear’s Schools Index:
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- UK senior schools
- UK prep schools
- Switzerland schools
- North America schools
- Middle East schools
- Asia Pacific schools
- Rest of the world schools
Some of the schools on this list carry considerable history of their own. Schule Schloss Salem was founded in 1920 by the educational pioneer Kurt Hahn, the same figure who would go on to establish Gordonstoun in Scotland, where Prince Philip completed his schooling after his early years in Germany. The British School of Paris, founded in 1954, remains the oldest and largest British school in France.
One notable absence: Switzerland. The country’s schools are covered in a separate roundup – they operate, as any informed observer would agree, in a league of their own. The schools featured here represent the best of what the rest of Europe has to offer, as assessed by the Spear’s Schools Index expert judging panel.
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- Methodology
- The best private schools in Europe: some names to know
- The complete list of top private schools in Europe (excluding Switzerland)
- Find out more
Methodology
Spear’s has worked closely with the expert team at Thuso to refine the methodology underpinning the index, and to convene an expert panel of leading international educationalists to contribute their knowledge and insight to the research and selection process.
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The Spear’s Research Unit collected data and information directly from candidate schools, using a combination of online forms and interviews. This was supplemented with additional research and intelligence and insight from Thuso and the panel of expert educationalists.
The Spear’s Schools Index has also been underpinned by the following key principles:
- While examination results and academic attainment are key considerations, they are not the only things that matter. Leading schools are not necessarily the most academic. ‘Hot houses’, therefore, are not to be viewed with approbation.
A wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral factors have been weighed in finalising the index. In some cases, some schools with strong academics have been omitted where they fall short in relation to these wider considerations. Notably, the team have been cognisant also of ‘cultural’ and ‘value based’ factors which are of growing concern in relation to many families. This is especially relevant in a climate in which some schools may be viewed as adopting an ‘indoctrinatory’ approach that might risk stifling free debate and the associated critical thinking. - Families are increasingly mobile, with new global cities emerging as key hubs. This is particularly the case for cities such as Dubai, as well as established regional hubs in Europe, Africa, Latin America, South-East Asia, and the Pacific. Likewise, a growing number of families, often citing concerns over cultural considerations, are opting for more ‘traditional’ institutions, in Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East, in preference to institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland.
- Reputation and standing are not insignificant. The reputation and standing of a school shape and influence its character, the parents and pupils it attracts, and its position both regionally, and internationally. In particular, some of the schools best established in the Index continue to draw many generations of international families, demonstrating the extent to which they have retained the trust of alumni.
Further information about the composition of the panel is available here.
The best private schools in Europe: some names to know
St George’s International School, Luxembourg
- Focus: Flourishing in a complex, conflicted world
- Country: Luxembourg
- Day fees: $17,100-$22,600
Situated just 15 minutes from the centre of Luxembourg City, St George’s International School is an independent day school for pupils aged 3 to 18. It has a diverse community of around 850 students representing more than 70 nationalities.
Learning extends well beyond the classroom, with a number of co-curricular activities on offer. The new Elsy Jacobs gymnasium has a double-sized sports hall, and the sports programme includes basketball, cricket, dance and more. Pupils are able to participate in STEAM activities or art, design and performance, or complete a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as part of their studies.
Read St George’s International School, Luxembourg’s full profile on Spears500.com
St George’s British International School, Rome
- Focus: Tolerance, respect and understanding
- Country: Italy
- Day fees: $16,400-$30,800
Founded in 1958, St George’s British International School Rome is the oldest British international school in Italy, and with close to 100 nationalities represented within the student body, the school is also one of the most international in the world. St George’s is a non-selective school and serves British, international and expatriate communities, giving priority to families who have relocated from overseas. It mixes the UK national curriculum with the IB diploma, with exam results that are on par with leading international schools across Europe. A-Levels have been reintroduced at the school for the 2025/26 academic year.
Read St George’s British International School’s full profile at Spears500.com
St Julian’s School
- Focus: Shaping a brighter future
- Country: Portugal
- Day fees: $14,700–$35,400
Portugal is an increasingly alluring destination for HNW families looking for a foothold in the European Union, and St Julian’s stands out as one of the most attractive schools in the country.
Founded in 1932 and located just outside of Lisbon, it is one of the oldest and biggest British schools in Portugal, offering UK and Portuguese curriculums concurrently so that each student may attend classes taught in English and Portuguese. Secondary students sit IGCSEs and the IB, and the school has seen a number of students matriculating at the UK’s top universities over recent years.
Read St Julian’s School’s full profile at Spears500.com
The complete list of top private schools in Europe (excluding Switzerland)
Find out more
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