· updated monthly
The five schools Lisbon parents researched most this year, chosen from the 41 international schools in the city. Ranked by how many families opened each school’s profile and spent time reading it between July 2025 and June 2026, then the full picture on curricula, class sizes and fees.
The 2026 ranking
Ranked purely by parent interest — the number of families who opened each school’s profile and spent time reading it between July 2025 and June 2026.
King's College School Cascais is a private international school in Portugal offering a blended Cambridge-IGCSE curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and A-Levels pathway for senior students. The school delivers Cambridge International Primary and Secondary curricula up to Year 11, complemented by a bilingual Portuguese-English stream through Year 5. In Years 12 and 13, students may choose between the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and A-Levels, while the school is pursuing authorization to offer the IB Diploma Programme as a candidate IB World School. The new private campus, inaugurated in September 2025 on a 40,000 m² site, provides university-grade science laboratories, technology-rich classrooms, and spacious performing and visual arts studios. A Boarding House for up to 50 students aged 13–18 offers a safe residential experience. The curriculum is enhanced by the Inspired global network, exchanges and collaborations, and sport facilities including a 25 m pool and full-size pitches for student wellbeing.
St. Julian's School is a British international school in Greater Lisbon, Portugal, welcoming students from ages 3 to 18 and international families worldwide. It has educated region since 1932 and offers pathways: English Curriculum and Bilingual Curriculum. The English pathway follows the National Curriculum for England from Nursery to Year 13, leads to GCSEs in Year 11, and provides IB Diploma or Career-related Programme in Years 12–13. The Bilingual Curriculum teaches the Portuguese National Curriculum in English and Portuguese for ages 6–15, with a foundation to GCSE before IB Year 12. Portuguese is compulsory to Year 9 in both routes. The school is accredited by CIS, COBIS, NEASC and the International Baccalaureate Organisation, and its Head is a member of the Heads' Conference. Its 18th-century palace sits on grounds at Carcavelos beach, with a €50 million Second Century project enhancing facilities and green spaces. Activities include MUN, Eco-Schools and CAS.
Almada International School delivers the Cambridge Primary through Lower Secondary curriculum, and is Cambridge Curriculum Certified. The school teaches in English and Portuguese with bilingual instruction that supports fluency in both languages and alignment with the national curriculum in the early years. Cambridge Primary and Cambridge Lower Secondary programmes form the core, with a future pathway toward IGCSEs and the IB Diploma Programme. In Lower Secondary four languages are taught—Portuguese, English, French and AI/digital literacy—and Computing promotes digital competence with a zero-screens approach. The campus emphasizes active, project-based learning and outdoor experiences through the AIS Nature & Farm, with wellbeing integrated as a daily priority. Facilities include outdoor spaces designed to stimulate creativity and interaction with nature. Meals are included and offered with a Mediterranean-based menu including vegetarian and vegan options. The school prepares students for international higher education through interdisciplinary study and real-world application across subjects and global perspectives.
St. Dominic's International School is an IB World School in Portugal offering the full IB Continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) for students aged 3 to 18. The Primary Years Programme runs Nursery to Grade 5 as a transdisciplinary, inquiry‑based programme organized around six themes. The Middle Years Programme covers Grades 6–10, using Global Contexts and including Service as Action and the Personal Project across eight subject groups. The Diploma Programme is for Grades 11–12, with core elements Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Action and Service and the Extended Essay, alongside a range of DP courses. The campus sits in a green setting about 25 kilometres from Lisbon. Facilities include 82 classrooms, two libraries, science, technology and computer labs, art, music and drama rooms and two multi‑use gymnasiums for football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton. The SDIS Educational Garden supports outdoor learning, complemented by an arts program and EAL support for international students.
Oeiras International School (OIS) is a non-profit, parent-founded International Baccalaureate World School offering a full IB Continuum for ages 6 to 18. The curriculum spans the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for ages 6 to 10, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for ages 11 to 16, and the Diploma Programme (DP) for ages 17 to 18. The school is housed on the Quinta de Nossa Senhora da Conceição estate in Barcarena, Oeiras, a historic 17th‑century property with riverine and woodland spaces that support hands‑on learning. Facilities include the Palace library, science labs, art and music rooms, classrooms in the Pavilion and White/Orange Building, and on‑site sports amenities such as a swimming pool, basketball court, football pitch, and a multisport pavilion. The campus also runs social projects from its garden farms and offers diverse co‑curriculars, languages, MUN, and the Duke of Edinburgh award. Students graduate ready for university admissions and global citizenship.
What’s on offer
The mix of programmes and teaching languages across all 41 schools. Many offer more than one curriculum, so totals run higher than the school count.
Number of schools teaching each curriculum.
Number of schools teaching in each language.
Size & classes
School size and class size shape day-to-day experience as much as curriculum does.
Schools grouped by total enrolment.
Average school size is 666 students · based on the 29 schools that report enrolment.
Schools grouped by typical class size.
Average class size is 18.3 students · based on the 29 schools that report it.
What it costs
Fees shown are one year for a 12-year-old (or the closest age available), excluding one-time enrolment costs.
Across the 34 schools that publish a price for a 12-year-old. All figures in EUR.
How many schools sit in each annual-fee range.
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