For HNW families who want the very best education that money can buy, look no further: this is the ranking of the five most expensive schools in the European Union, as per the Spear’s Schools Index 2025.
The reason for this unusual designation is that the list of the most expensive private schools in Europe is significantly skewed by the inclusion of Switzerland, which has a number of schools that charge six-figure sums. This index therefore focuses on the most expensive schools in the European Union, and separates the most expensive Swiss schools into a separate list.
[See also: The best private schools in Europe]
This ranking, which includes schools in France, Belgium, Austria and Monaco, is based on fees for day pupils as this data was available for all schools in the Spear’s Schools Index 2025.
Where are the most expensive private schools in the EU?
British School of Brussels: $20,200–$45,900 per year
Situated on a green and spacious campus about 20 minutes drive from the centre of Brussels, the British School of Brussels (BSB) has established itself as a leading international school, offering a world-class education to students from around the globe since it was opened by the late Duke of Edinburgh in 1970.
The British School of Brussels was awarded The School of the Year award at the Spear’s Awards 2023, presented in association with Thuso, in recognition of its excellence.
The judges said what set BSB apart is its ‘values-driven’ approach to education, with students selected based on their attitude to learning rather than academic achievement. The British School of Brussels does not put academic attainment at the centre of its application process. Instead, the admissions team is open to hearing from pupils who will benefit from the ‘education and range of opportunities’ provided, and who will ‘thrive under, and embrace, the BSB values.
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[See also: School of the Year: the British School of Brussels wins at the Spear’s Awards 2023]
The school curriculum is adapted from the UK national curriculum, providing students with a rigorous and comprehensive educational experience that prepares them for the most prestigious universities worldwide.
From early years to sixth form, BSB offers a wide range of subjects and qualifications, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. The BSB aims to ‘develop confident, caring and courageous people who engage actively, ethically and purposefully with the world’.
[See also: Are high-end private tutors worth the money?]
The school’s world-class facilities include dance and drama studios, a university standard music suite as well as 11 science laboratories, four art studios and seven technology workshops. The 240-seat Brel Theatre hosts several productions a year, including student-directed performances.
Along with a multi-purpose sports hall, gymnasium, and fitness suite, the BSB is the only international school in Belgium to have its own competition standard swimming pool. It also has the largest free-standing bouldering wall in any school in Europe.
And if that wasn’t enough, students can choose from 200 different clubs and activities, from tennis to tag rugby and choir to creative writing.
Read the British School of Brussel’s full profile on Spears500.com
International School of Paris: $25,200–$38,100 per year
The International School of Paris makes the most of its city-centre location, with its three campuses providing seamless access to Paris for field trips, sports excursions and other experiential learning opportunities. To them, ‘Paris is the classroom’.
Built upon learning for complexity, embracing diversity and language learning, the school has a strong focus on equipping young people to become global citizens.
Around half of all students who attend graduate with a bilingual diploma. The school offers the IB curriculum at three levels – primary years, middle years and diploma programme – preparing students ‘to engage with and succeed in a complex world’.
Read the International School of Paris’s full profile on Spears500.com
Amadeus International School Vienna: $16,200–$37,900 per year
An IB world school on the outskirts of Vienna, Amadeus is dedicated to unlocking young people’s potential, and has a core ethos of academic excellence while nurturing talent in music, dance and the arts.
Head of school Dr Jeremy G House describes the institution as ‘obsessed with discovering that unique and inimitable excellence which exists in us all’.
The school is renowned for its integrated music and arts academy, where classes are taught by those at the forefront of their industry, and offers the IB career-related programme focused specifically on music.
Read Amadeus International School Vienna’s full profile on Spears500.com
British School of Paris: $20,800–$34,300 per year
Established in 1954, the British School of Paris is the only accredited British international school in France inspected by British Schools Overseas. The school follows the England and Wales curriculum and students study GCSEs and A-levels, as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.
The school’s motto Validus Corpore Animoque, meaning ‘strength in body and mind’, captures the school’s ethos and is a mission it strives to carry into the daily lives of its students.
[See also: How to get your child into private school in the UK: the expert guide]
Teaching is in English, but French is compulsory up to the age of 16. The school provides support for pupils whose first language is not English in the form of EAL (English as an Additional Language) and has a programme of Intensive English.
While children are encouraged to aim high, the school wants children to be ‘happy and successful – in that order’. The school has a strong focus on pastoral care which underpins the BSP’s approach to teaching and learning.
The curriculum is rich and diverse, and children are given the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and enjoyment across a wide range of extracurricular activities.
Read British School of Paris’s full profile on Spears500.com
The International School of Monaco: $9,300–$34,300 per year
Monaco’s international population is reflected in the diversity of the bilingual International School of Monaco (ISM)’s student body.
The school’s curriculum is taught in French and English and is designed to challenge students academically as well as cultivate intellectual curiosity to prepare them for success in higher education and beyond.
The school is guided by five key ‘isms’: internationalism, intellectualism, dynamism, altruism and multilingualism. A key part of the education here is preparing future global citizens who have the independence and confidence they need to succeed in the world.
Read International School of Monaco’s full profile on Spears500.com
