How costs change from infant school to upper secondary (Bachillerato)

Terms used

• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run school that receives public funding for certain stages, so teaching there is free or partly free.
• Concierto — The concierto is the funding agreement between a private school and the region that pays for teaching at specific stages.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school canteen, which families pay for separately from tuition.
• Bachillerato — Bachillerato is the two-year upper secondary course, ages 16 to 18, that leads to university entrance.

Key rules

• Public school: Tuition is free from age 3, but you still pay for comedor, transport, materials and activities.
• Concertada: Funding is most reliable for primaria and ESO, and patchy for ages 0 to 3 and for Bachillerato.
• Ages 0 to 3: Families pay in most schools, with fees based on income and some free places in certain regions.
• Region: Which stages are funded and what aid exists differs by region and by school.

The short answer

Your costs change by stage because public funding covers some stages and not others. Public schools charge no tuition from age 3. Subsidised private schools (concertadas) are funded for some stages only. Fully private schools charge for every stage. Which stages a concertada covers varies by region, and by school.

Ages 0 to 3 (primer ciclo de infantil)

This is the most expensive stage in a public school. You pay income-based fees, and some regions offer a few free places. Funding in concertadas is only partial. In a fully private school you pay the full cost.

Ages 3 to 6 (segundo ciclo de infantil)

Tuition is free in public schools. Many concertadas also have a concierto (a funding agreement with the region) for this stage. You still pay for the school canteen (comedor), transport, materials and activities. Many regions offer aid for these.

Primaria and ESO (compulsory stages)

This is where concertadas are most reliably funded, in all regions. Teaching is free in public schools and in concertadas. Concertadas can still ask for voluntary fees, plus comedor and extras. Many regions run book-loan schemes or aid, so ask the school what your region offers.

Bachillerato (ages 16 to 18)

Here the picture splits most.

• Public school: Tuition is free. You pay for textbooks and school material. Some schools ask a small voluntary contribution or charge for insurance and activities. University entrance exam fees are set by each region and charged separately.
• Concertada: Bachillerato is often paid in part or in full by families. Only some regions fund some of it. The Basque Country, Cataluña and Madrid have concertos for some Bachillerato, and Andalucía funds some too. The same applies to some vocational training (FP) courses.
• Fully private: You pay all fees.

What to do

1. Look at the stage your child is entering and the stage after it.
2. Ask each concertada which stages have a concierto this year. It is set school by school and can change by year. Your region publishes a list of concertos.
3. Add the costs that are never free: comedor, transport, materials and activities.
4. Ask your regional education department about aid and book loans.

The choice tool and the comparison below help you weigh school types. The FAQ answers common questions on Bachillerato and the 0 to 3 stage.

Choosing between options

Which type of school keeps your costs lowest at the stage your child is entering?

• Public school: Best if you want no tuition from age 3 through Bachillerato. You still pay for meals, transport, materials and activities, with regional aid and book-loan schemes in many regions.

• Subsidised private school (concertada): Fits for ages 3 to 16, where teaching is publicly funded. You pay voluntary fees, meals and extras.

• Fully private school: Fits if you want a specific programme and accept paying for every stage, including ages 0 to 3.

Check which stage your child is entering. From age 3 to the end of Bachillerato, public school has no tuition. A concertada is funded mainly through ESO, so the biggest gap appears at Bachillerato and at ages 0 to 3, and funding varies by region and by school.

Yearly school costs compared: public, subsidised, private and international

Which school type fits your budget

Public school costs the least, because it charges no tuition. Concertada schools come next, then fully private and international schools. The base fee is only part of the bill, so count every line before you compare.

How to read the table

• Concertada schools are privately run but publicly funded for the teaching itself. The fee you see is small, but the extras can add up.
• Fully private schools cost less in Valencia, Seville and smaller cities than in the three most expensive regions.
• Stage matters. Infantil (ages 0–3) is usually the dearest per hour, because it is mostly unfunded. Fees generally rise as the child moves toward Bachillerato.
• International schools often add enrolment and registration fees on top of the yearly fee. Ask whether these are charged once or every year.

Build your own yearly total

For each school on your shortlist, ask for a written list of every charge and add up these lines:

1. Base fee for your child's stage
2. Enrolment or registration fee
3. School meals
4. Transport
5. Uniform, textbooks and material
6. Extended hours and after-school activities
7. Trips and exam fees

Costs vary a lot by city and school, so the totals you get from your shortlist matter more than any general range. Compare those totals, not the headline fee.

Fees vary by school, city and region, and no euro ranges are given. Ask each school for its current fee list before comparing.

Frequently asked questions

Does a concertada cover Bachillerato fees?

Not always, because concertos mainly cover primaria and ESO, and Bachillerato is often paid in part or in full by families. Some regions, such as the Basque Country, Cataluña and Madrid, have concertos for some Bachillerato places. Ask the school whether the Bachillerato group you want is funded.

What do I still pay for public Bachillerato?

You still pay for textbooks and school material, even though tuition is free. Some centres also charge for school insurance and activities, and some regions run textbook loan or voucher schemes.

Is the 0 to 3 stage funded like the later infant years?

No, ages 0 to 3 are only partly funded, while the 3 to 6 stage is free in public schools. In public schools, families pay income-based fees for 0 to 3, with some regional free places. Fully private schools charge for every stage, including 0 to 3.