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International schools in Dublin

children in class
Prostock-studio / Envato Elements
Written byDebbie O Halloranon 16 August 2025

The public education system in Ireland is free and offers a very high standard of education, so many °µÍø½ûÇø parents choose to send their children to a local public school. However, some °µÍø½ûÇø parents prefer their children to continue with the curriculum from their home country in an international school. So here's what you need to know if you're relocating to Dublin with your children.

How to choose the right school for your child in Dublin

As an °µÍø½ûÇø parent, choosing the right type of school for your child may seem like a daunting task. Should you send your child to an international school or a local public school instead? As you would expect, there are pros and cons to each.

International schools in Ireland are not as common as they are in other countries, so there are fewer to choose from. This can mean that demand outweighs supply. As such, parents are often faced with very long waiting lists. For families moving to Ireland at short notice, if you're not based in or around the capital city, you won't even be able to find an international school within commuting distance. On the other hand, there is no shortage of public schools in Ireland, no matter where you decide to live in the country.

Generally, children enrolled in public schools are required to study the Irish language (with some exemptions). Not every student can pick up a new language easily, and the longer a child spends getting to grips with the local language, the further they'll fall behind. There are international schools in Ireland offering the curricula of France, Spain, and Germany, as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB).

International schools usually have a lower student/teacher ratio than public schools. This is certainly advantageous for °µÍø½ûÇø children who may need extra support and guidance while they attend school in a strange country.

Many °µÍø½ûÇø parents find the cultural diversity of an international school more suited to dealing with the challenges their children face as °µÍø½ûÇøs. As international schools enrol new students every year from all over the globe, it may be easier for °µÍø½ûÇø children to settle in their new school and make new friends as their classmates are from a similar background.

International schools offer a diverse curriculum with qualifications based on International Baccalaureate (IB) that are globally recognised. This means that your child can move seamlessly from one school to another if you have to move to another country again, and it also helps with university admissions globally.

And lastly, many international schools come with very hefty tuition fees, while public schools in Ireland are free.

How much do international schools cost?

International schools are quite expensive to attend, so this might not be an option for every family moving to Ireland. Annual school tuition fees for international schools in Ireland average about €10,000.

The top international schools in Dublin

As mentioned above, most of the international schools in Ireland are located in Dublin, and we've outlined some of the best schools for you:

St. Andrew's College Dublin

Located in the leafy suburb of Booterstown, is a prestigious co-educational school that offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma at the secondary level, as well as an Irish curriculum. The school focuses on celebrating diversity, cultivating global-mindedness, and supporting inclusion. Booterstown has a diverse community and is home to many °µÍø½ûÇø families, mainly due to its proximity to Dublin city and its coastal location. Annual fees at St. Andrew's College are just over €11,000.

International School of Dublin

The , located in the upmarket neighbourhood of Ballsbridge, is the first accredited International Baccalaureate World Primary School in Ireland, for students aged between 3 and 12 years old. Instruction is in English, with all students learning Spanish as a second language. Annual fees are approximately €11,000 per year. It's popular with °µÍø½ûÇø parents who work in the embassy district or in tech hubs like Grand Canal Dock in Dublin city. The school focuses on nurturing inquiry, cultural understanding, and multilingual skills, perfect for globally minded families.

Nord Anglia International School Dublin

(NAIS Dublin), based in South County Dublin's Leopardstown, is the only private school in Dublin accredited to deliver the world-renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to students aged from 3 to 18. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a globally respected two-year university preparation course offered in the final years of secondary school. The IBDP enables students to grow as global citizens while building the knowledge, confidence, and independence to thrive at university and beyond. Tuition fees at the school start at over €15,000.

Rathdown School

is set within 16 acres of beautiful grounds in Glenageary, Co. Dublin, on a hill overlooking the sea at Dún Laoghaire and within easy reach of Dublin city. The school welcomes both girls and boys from preschool (2 years of age) to Leaving Certificate Level (18 years of age). International students are welcome to study for the Irish state exams—t³ó±ð Junior Cycle and the Leaving Certificate—whilst in Rathdown School. An assessment of each student's English level is carried out as part of the application process. Tuition fees are over €8,000, with an additional €2,000 for English language support lessons.

Lycée Français International Samuel Beckett

(LFI) offers classes from kindergarten through primary and secondary school. The primary school is located in Foxrock, and the secondary school is in Clonskeagh. The curriculum is based on the French system with classes taught in French. Named after Irish Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett, who wrote in French and English, the school embraces a philosophy of openness, exploration, and resilience. Fees start at around €5,000 a year.

St Kilian's Deutsche Schule Dublin

in South Dublin is a co-educational German/Irish school with a European culture and spirit for students aged 4 to 18 years old. Students are prepared for the Irish State exams—t³ó±ð Junior and Leaving Certificate—as well as the German Sprachdiplom and Sek-I examinations. Knowledge of German is not a requirement to enrol at St. Kilian's. Tuition fees are over €7,000 a year.

SEK International School

The exclusive in Co. Wicklow offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme for students from 11 to 18 years old. SEK-Dublin is an international day and boarding school, located between the coastal towns of Bray and Greystones and just 35 minutes from Dublin. The school is made up of a mix of local Irish and international day students, as well as international boarding students who reside in the campus boarding house or with local host families, guaranteeing language immersion in a warm and genuine atmosphere.

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About

Debbie has a degree in English, and also studied journalism in Dublin. She is a digital content writer for a number of online publications. She loves swimming in the sea or pool, walking her Labrador retriever Casper, thrifting, and travel. She takes the ferry to France every year with her beloved dog in toe, and one day hopes to own her own cottage in Brittany, preferably with blue shutters. She currently lives by the sea in Galway.

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