How private school fees work, from enrolment (matrícula) to monthly bills

Terms used

• Reserva de plaza — The reserva de plaza is a deposit paid to hold a place at a school.
• Matrícula — The matrícula is the annual enrolment fee, sometimes charged only to new pupils.
• Mensualidades — The mensualidades are the monthly tuition instalments, usually spread over 10, 11 or 12 months.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school lunch service.
• Infantil — Infantil is the pre-primary stage, for children up to age 6.
• Bachillerato — Bachillerato is the two-year upper secondary stage before university, for ages 16 to 18.
• Concertada — A concertada school is privately run but receives public funding for its teaching.

Key rules

• Reserva: The reservation fee is usually deducted from the first fees and is commonly non-refundable if you do not take the place.
• Instalments: Count how many mensualidades the contract sets, because 10, 11 and 12 months give different monthly figures for the same year.
• Extras: Lunch, transport, uniform and activities are billed on top of tuition, so add them to the annual total.
• Contract: The enrolment contract sets cancellation, deposit loss and the notice needed to leave.

The annual cost is four parts added together

A private school's price is never just the monthly figure. Add the reserva de plaza, the matrícula, the full run of mensualidades and the extras. That total is what you will really pay in a year.

The four parts

Reserva de plaza. This is a deposit that holds the place. It is usually taken off your first fees, so it is not an extra cost if you take the place. The refund rules are in the warning below. Read the withdrawal clause before you pay.

Matrícula. This is the annual enrolment fee. Some schools charge it every year. Others charge it only for new pupils. Ask which applies to you, because it changes your year-two cost.

Mensualidades. This is the monthly tuition. Most schools bill it over 10 months (September to June) or 11 months. Some spread the same annual total over 12 months, often with July included, to smooth payments. A lower monthly figure over 12 months can be the same yearly price as a higher one over 10. Always multiply the monthly fee by the number of instalments in the contract.

Extras. These are billed on top of tuition and usually go on the same monthly receipt, often by direct debit. Look for:

• Comedor (school lunch), charged per day or per month. It is usually the largest extra.
• School transport, billed monthly by route distance.
• Uniform, bought from a set supplier, per item or per set.
• Textbooks and digital devices.
• After-school clubs, sports, music, language exams and trips, charged per term or per activity.
• Insurance, and sometimes a one-off entry fee.

How to work out the yearly total

1. Take the reserva off your first fees. Do not count it twice.
2. Add the matrícula.
3. Multiply the monthly tuition by the number of instalments.
4. Add the extras you will really use, over the full year.

Ask the school for its full list of fees in writing. A message template is below.

What changes the price

Fees depend on the stage, the city and the school. Fully private schools tend to charge most in Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country. They charge less in Valencia, Seville and smaller cities. Infantil (ages 0–3) is usually the dearest per hour, and fees generally rise towards Bachillerato.

Concertada schools get public funding for the teaching itself. They can charge only voluntary or activity fees, which regional education authorities regulate, so you cannot be forced to pay for the funded teaching. Check the rules in your region.

Fee increases

Fully private schools set their fees freely. They normally revise them once a year for the next school year, often tied to inflation, and tell families at enrolment or renewal. A school cannot raise agreed fees mid-year without your consent. Check the contract for the notice period and any increase clause.

Timeline and deadlines

• Pay the reserva de plaza (deposit) to hold the place: At enrolment, before the school year starts; it is usually deducted from the first fees

• Pay the matrícula (annual enrolment fee), sometimes only for new pupils: At enrolment, often together with the first instalment

• Review the fee update for next year: Once a year, at enrolment or renewal time, before the next school year

Contract and fee clauses to check before signing with a private school

Check these clauses before you sign

• Non-refundable deposits: Reservation and enrolment payments are often stated as non-refundable in the contract. You could lose them if you do not take the place. Find the withdrawal clause before you pay and ask whether any refund applies if the school fills the place or you withdraw by a set date. The reservation rules are explained in Leaving a school: notice periods, deposits and refunds.

• Notice dates for leaving: Schools usually ask for written notice, by email or a form at the secretaría (school office), about a month before the end of the month or term. If you are late, the school typically bills the next month's fee. Note the notice period and the way to give notice. Send notice in writing and keep a copy.

• Penalty clauses: A large penalty for withdrawing can be challenged as abusive if it is out of proportion. A fair charge for a service already reserved, or for a real loss, can be valid. Ask the school to explain any penalty in writing. If it looks disproportionate, ask your town hall's consumer office (OMIC) before signing.

• Yearly increase clauses: A clause that lets the school raise fees whenever it wants, without a stated reason, can be treated as abusive. Private school contracts fall under consumer law. Ask how and when fees can rise, and on what basis. If the contract gives no clear reason, ask for it in writing or raise it with the regional consumer authority.

Message asking a school for its full list of fees

Send this to the school's secretaría by email before you enrol or pay anything. Ask for the reply in writing, so you have the full list of fees on record. Fill in the blanks in square brackets.

English

Subject: Request for full list of fees for the 2026/27 school year

Dear Secretaría,

My name is [your full name]. I am thinking of enrolling my child, [child's name], in [year or course, for example 3º de Primaria] at your school for the [school year] school year.

Could you please send me, in writing, an itemised list of every amount a family pays? Please include:

• Monthly tuition (cuota mensual), and how many months it is charged
• Enrolment fee (matrícula) and any reservation payment (reserva de plaza), and whether either is refundable
• Annual fees, such as materials, digital platform or insurance
• School meals (comedor), transport (ruta), and the before- and after-school care
• Uniform, sports kit and books
• Trips, extracurricular activities and any other extras
• Any fee that is not on this list, and any planned increase during the year

Please also tell me which items are compulsory and which are optional, and the payment dates and conditions if my child leaves the school during the year.

Thank you very much. I look forward to your reply.

Kind regards, [Your full name] [Phone number]

Español

Asunto: Solicitud del listado completo de tarifas del curso 2026/27

Estimada Secretaría:

Me llamo [su nombre completo]. Estoy valorando matricular a mi hijo/a, [nombre del niño/a], en [curso, por ejemplo 3º de Primaria] en su centro para el curso [curso escolar].

¿Podrían enviarme por escrito un listado detallado de todos los importes que paga una familia? Les ruego que incluyan:

• La cuota mensual y el número de meses en que se cobra
• La matrícula y cualquier pago de reserva de plaza, indicando si son reembolsables
• Las cuotas anuales, como materiales, plataforma digital o seguro
• El comedor, el transporte (ruta) y el servicio de acogida de mañana y tarde
• El uniforme, la ropa deportiva y los libros
• Las excursiones, las actividades extraescolares y cualquier otro extra
• Cualquier cuota que no figure en esta lista y cualquier subida prevista durante el curso

Les ruego también que indiquen qué conceptos son obligatorios y cuáles opcionales, así como las fechas de pago y las condiciones si mi hijo/a deja el centro durante el curso.

Muchas gracias. Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.

Un saludo, [Su nombre completo] [Teléfono]

Frequently asked questions

Can a private school raise fees during the school year?

No, a fully private school cannot raise fees you already agreed during the year without your consent. Schools normally revise fees once a year for the next school year, often tied to inflation, and tell families at enrolment or renewal time. Your contract and regional rules set the notice period.

Will I pay for 10, 11 or 12 months of tuition?

It depends on the school: most bill tuition over 10 months (September to June) or 11 months, and some spread the annual total over 12 months, often including July. Ask whether the 12 instalments are the same yearly total spread out or extra months. Your enrolment contract sets the pattern.

Which extras should I add to the annual total?

Add the school lunch (comedor), transport, uniform, activities and trips on top of tuition. Lunch is usually the largest extra, transport is billed monthly by route distance, and activities are charged per term or per activity.

Do fees differ much between cities and stages?

Yes, fully private fees are highest in Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque Country, and lower in Valencia, Seville and smaller cities.