How much does education cost in Spain?

Education in Spain

It’s probably one of the most important things in a child’s life and yet it varies in price, quality, structure and technique all over the world. In the UK the price of educating a child to the age of 21 is roughly £72, 832, including uniforms, school clubs, and university. Including private school fees could be an extra £100,000. Meaning the average child costs £222,458. In the US raising a child can cost around $234,000, around $45,000 on child care and education. College can be an extra $100,000 on top. So how much does it cost to educate a child in Spain?

For those of you who have been brought up or moved to Spain, you will be well aware of the influx of immigrants and internationals that have raised the number of English speaking schools in Spain. But when it comes to Spanish primary schools and Spanish secondary schools, in terms of price and quality, how do you choose between going private, state, or international?

International schools in Spain

These differ from private and Spanish state schools because the main language at the school is English. International schools vary significantly in price and quality. The problem with these schools are a lot of children grow up illiterate in Spanish and form their own English/ German /French etc. community.

Private schools

Before the recession these were becoming increasingly popular in Spain, especially for parents who have uprooted to a different country and are keen to keep their children in a similar style of education.

The differences between private schools and state and international schools are:
a) They cost more
b) The standard of education is supposedly better

Primary school

Compulsory and free between the ages of 6 and 12. The Spanish authorities are keen for children to begin learning English straight away as it is one of the most prominent foreign languages. In the 6 years that you spend in primary school, you are split between 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12 years old. Average classroom sizes vary by region but are roughly 25 students per class.

Secondary school

Also compulsory and free between 12-16 years old. Secondary education is split into 4 areas, between 12-14 and 14-16 years old. The children here will be taught a broad range of subjects from mathematics, sciences, to literature and art, so that they can continue into employment of higher education. Average classes tend to be at 30 students. Upon completion they receive a certificate from the school which will enable them to continue onto higher education.

Upon successful completion of secondary school, students have the choice between:

Bacilerato

Lasts 2 years and lets students continue education in arts, natural sciences, health sciences, community and social science, and computing and technology.

Vocational Education

Students can train in specific areas of employment, with good work experience and teaching through a hands on practical approach.

University in Spain

Students can then move onto study at university should they wish too. In Spain there are private and state universities. Public universities charge between 700-1300 euros per academic year, with private costing anywhere between 5000-15,000 euros a year.   

The government funds the Spanish state educational system just as the governments of the UK and US do. In this way education is free between 6 and 16 years old. The state does not pay for International and private schools and so people will have to fork out some cash for this service. The price will depend entirely on the region but roughly speaking the price for private and international schools vary from 4,000 to 8,000 euros a year.

Conclusion: So to answer my original question, the cost of raising a child in Spain is anywhere between 98,000 euros in the state sector, to 250,000 euros in the private sector. To put it in perspective, the cost of raising a child is the same as a Ferrari.