International schools in Belgium

Search for the best international schools in Belgium; you can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page. Use the search filters to select only girls' or boys' schools, prep schools, senior schools or sixth forms; or you can search for schools that offer a particular curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate, the UK national curriculum, a US-style model or the International Primary Curriculum.

Home to a raft of European Union institutions and NATO’s headquarters, Belgium has attracted a spectacular array of international schools to serve its high-powered, multi-national workforce. Most are centred on Brussels with a smaller cluster around Antwerp. 

There are French, German, Scandinavian, Polish, Czech, Dutch, British, American, Japanese and Indian schools, bilingual ones offering international education in diverse languages, and foundations advocating novel methods such as Montessori, Steiner and Freinet.

The Brussels American School and SHAPE International School educate the children of NATO staff, while five bilingual European Schools that were jointly devised by member states provide for employees of EU institutions and their families as well as other children.

The European School of Mol, which admits students age three to 18, teaches in English, French, German and Dutch and prepares students for the European Baccalaureate using programmes that are also compatible with national curriculums.

There are 12 IB World Schools in Belgium, and all bar one are authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Of these, six have English as the medium of instruction and six teach in French and English. St John’s International School, which offers such bilingual instruction, is one of four schools that teach all three stages of the IB curriculum.

Brussels International Catholic School, which is a test centre for Cambridge Examinations, provides bilingual instruction in English and French towards IGCSEs and A-levels. 

Education is compulsory from age six to 18. The state-funded system is free of charge and schools teach in French, Flemish or German, depending on the area and community served. Schools come in three types: those run by Belgium’s three official language communities, public schools managed by local councils, and subsidized free schools mainly run by the Catholic church.

Pre-school is free from age two and primary school lasts six years to age 12. Secondary schooling takes six years and is divided into three cycles leading to the diploma of secondary education. As well as general programmes, technical, vocational and specialist arts tracks are provided. 

Higher education is also divided between the language communities. There are six Flemish universities and seven French ones, plus numerous colleges and institutes. In 2019, net enrolment was 96 per cent at pre-schools, 98 per cent at primary level and 95 per cent for secondary schools, while gross tertiary enrolment was 80 per cent.

If you are looking specifically for International Baccalaureate World Schools in Belgium, you can find selected schools on our sister website: www.ibyb.org.