Schooling your child in the Balearic Islands: your options

The right answer depends first on your island. In Mallorca, you have real choice: international schools with a British or IB curriculum, the free Spanish public school (in Castilian and Catalan), and even a French lycee for bilingual or French-speaking families. In Menorca and Ibiza, the international offer is much thinner: the Spanish public school becomes the main route, with only a handful of smaller international options. In other words, if continuity with an English-medium curriculum matters to you, the choice of island is part of the decision.

What are your schooling options in the Balearics?

Whether you are here for two years or settling for good, you will face the same question as any family landing here (we cover the wider picture in our guide to settling in the Balearics: the first 90 days). Here is the panorama, from the most international to the most local.

International schools (mostly British and IB curriculum)

Concentrated in Mallorca, these suit families who want continuity with a British or International Baccalaureate education. Two representative examples:

• Agora Portals International School (Portals Nous): the largest school in Mallorca, from primary through to 18, offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Spanish Bachillerato. Annual fees between 7,750 and 13,400 euros for 2025/2026.
• Queen's College (Palma): founded in 1977, around 315 pupils aged 3 to 18, British curriculum (GCSEs, A-levels) with Spanish equivalences, annual fees around 15,465 euros.

Both curricula are widely recognised for university applications in the UK, the US and beyond, and both offer a smoother transition for a child arriving mid-education.

The Spanish public school

Free and compulsory from age 6 to 16, this is the fastest route to integration. Teaching is delivered through immersion: Castilian and Catalan, the latter being co-official in the Balearics (with local variants, mallorqui in Mallorca, menorqui in Menorca, eivissenc in Ibiza). For a young child, this double immersion is usually an asset rather than an obstacle.

The French lycee, a niche but real option

The archipelago also has one homologated French school, the Lycee Francais International de Palma, run by the Mission laique francaise, with more than 550 pupils from age 3 through to the French baccalaureate. It only exists in Palma, and it is aimed at French-speaking or bilingual families, but it is worth knowing about if that describes your household. Annual fees are in the region of 7,100 to 8,800 euros, though you should confirm the current figure with the school.

How do the options compare at a glance?

Why does the choice of island change everything?

This is the point too many families discover too late: the international and French school offer is concentrated in Mallorca, around Palma. Menorca and Ibiza have no homologated French school, and a much smaller international offer. On those two islands, English-speaking families mostly rely on the Spanish public school, with only a limited number of smaller international options. In concrete terms: if you want continuity with an English-medium curriculum through to graduation, your geography narrows around Palma and its surroundings. If you are open to the Spanish public system, the field widens considerably on the other islands. This criterion can weigh as much as rent or commute distance in your decision, a subject we also cover in where to live in the Balearics.

Which criteria help you decide?

• Your child's age: the younger they are, the more naturally immersion in the Spanish public system takes hold. Approaching secondary school, curriculum continuity (British, IB or French) matters more.
• Length of stay: a two-year posting with a return home argues for an international or the French curriculum; a long-term move makes the Spanish public school very relevant.
• Budget: free on one side, several thousand euros a year on the other. The difference is structural.
• The language spoken at home and your family plan: keeping your home language alive changes the calculation if you choose local immersion. Many families also lean on other parents at the school gate to find their bearings in a new place.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an international or British school in Menorca or Ibiza?

The offer is much thinner than in Mallorca. There is no homologated French school outside Palma, and international options in Menorca and Ibiza are limited, so English-speaking families there mostly rely on the Spanish public school.

How much do the international schools in Mallorca cost?

Roughly 7,750 to 15,465 euros a year depending on the school (Agora Portals, Queen's College), based on 2025/2026 figures. Treat this as an order of magnitude: fees change and vary by year group, so confirm the exact amount with each school.

Will my child have to learn Catalan at the public school?

Yes. In the Balearics, public education is delivered in Castilian and Catalan, a co-official language (with the mallorqui, menorqui and eivissenc variants). For a young child, this double immersion is usually an asset for fast integration.

Fees are indicative and drawn from schools' published figures for 2025/2026; always confirm current tuition directly with each school before you budget. Information verified in August 2026. The Daily Baleares is an AI-assisted publication with human review.