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Best 10 International Schools in Amsterdam

International Education in Amsterdam

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As a European business hub with a vibrant expat community, it’s no wonder that Amsterdam attracts so many people as a home away from home. Social amenities and infrastructure are excellent throughout the Netherlands, as are employment opportunities for a wide variety of industries.

There are an estimated 100,000 expats living in Amsterdam alone, so all of your needs - including international schools - are more than covered. Here’s a quick guide to finding the ideal international school for your child in the Netherland’s most famous city.

First of all, you should know that children must meet certain requirements to be eligible to attend an international school anywhere in the Netherlands.

Dutch children must have studied abroad in the past, or be planning on studying abroad for a significant amount of time within the next few years. Non-Dutch children can attend only if they are planning on staying in the Netherlands for a limited time.

For this reason, the ratio of native to non-native students in Amsterdam’s international schools is often lower than in other cities and countries.

International school fees in Amsterdam do not include extra curricular activities, school trips, or anything that isn’t directly related to your child’s day to day education.

If costs are an issue, the city does have some public international schools which are government subsidised. While they do offer an international curriculum, they may not be internationally recognised to the same extent that private international schools are.

Certain private schools, usually ones following a religious ethos, are also subsidised by the Dutch government. While their fees are cheaper, they’re still not exactly budget friendly and they’re also in short supply.

Either way, any private or international school in Amsterdam will have a waiting list that can stretch to two or even four years. The more sought-after the school, the higher the waiting list will be. So once you’ve found the right school for your child, don’t waste any time in applying!

Within Amsterdam, you’ll find a selection of international schools in Haarlem to the west of the city centre, and Hoofddorp and Amstelveen to the south-west and south. The rest are scattered just outside of the ‘old’ town, in easy reach of both the city centre and the leafy suburbs.

Outside of the city itself, there are a few locations within easy reach of Amsterdam that also have a choice of international schools. Hilversum and Almere are just two examples with a commute time of less than an hour. Since the Netherlands is a small country with excellent public transport, you could easily commute from other cities such as Utrecht, The Hague or Rotterdam also.

International curriculum rules the day in Amsterdam’s international schools and English is the most common language of instruction. However you can find a wider choice of curricula if you’d like - everything from French to Japanese is represented in this diverse city and its array of international schools.

Below, we have compiled the top 10 international schools in Amsterdam according to our users. However, there are another 11 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Amsterdam based on your requirements.

Recommended Schools

The British School of Amsterdam

The British School of Amsterdam is an international non-profit day school providing world-class learning for children from 3 to 18 years.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €17,604
to: €19,437
Reviews
(6 reviews)

International School of Amsterdam

The International School of Amsterdam is a globally-recognised leader in educating for international understanding. Founded in 1964, ISA was the first school in the world to offer all core IB programmes from the age of 2 to 18.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
2 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €22,975
to: €31,640

Amity International School Amsterdam

As an IB World School (offering the PYP, MYP and DP) and being located in an awe-inspiring monumental building surrounded by lush historical parkland, we pride ourselves on knowing the individual learning needs of each of our students (ages 3 - 18).
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €18,470
to: €23,380

Best 10 International Schools in Amsterdam

Out of a total of 21 International Schools in Amsterdam.

Based on the aggregated preferences of our users in the last 30 days.

Amity International School Amsterdam

As an IB World School (offering the PYP, MYP and DP) and being located in an awe-inspiring monumental building surrounded by lush historical parkland, we pride ourselves on knowing the individual learning needs of each of our students (ages 3 - 18).
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €18,470
to: €23,380

International French School Amsterdam

A school open to the world that doesn't only prepare students for academic success, a school that prepares its learners to face tomorrow's challenges by teaching the 21st century skills.
Curriculum
French
Language of instruction
French
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €10,200
to: €14,000

International School Haarlem

Passionate about learning!
The International School Haarlem is a member of the Dutch International Schools. These schools receive government funding and therefore operate within the framework of the Dutch educational system.
 
At Dutch International Schools we want to prepare all children for success in education and life beyond in the world. Therefore, these schools offer education of a high quality, that complies with international standards as well as the demands of the Dutch school inspection.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 16
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €4,990
to: €6,240
Curriculum
International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 11
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €5,070
to: €5,070

International School of Amsterdam

The International School of Amsterdam is a globally-recognised leader in educating for international understanding. Founded in 1964, ISA was the first school in the world to offer all core IB programmes from the age of 2 to 18.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
2 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €22,975
to: €31,640

Optimist International School

Optimist International School is a public international primary school in the Netherlands offering a happy, safe and encouraging learning environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. Surrounded by nature, our location in Hoofddorp (Haarlemmermeer) is 15 minutes from Schiphol Airport and the city of Haarlem, and only 20 minutes from Amsterdam.
Curriculum
British, International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 11
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €5,200
to: €5,200
Reviews
(1 review)

Amsterdam International Community School

We are a school for students who are able and prepared to value and handle differences and diversity. We offer international schooling in English. We are subsidised by the Dutch government which means we can offer affordable international education.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €5,804
to: €8,863

International School Hilversum Alberdingk Thijm

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The International School Hilversum “Alberdingk Thijm” is a long standing, highly experienced IB World School, offering three programmes and catering for all ages from 4 to 19 years. We are one of only a handful of select schools in Northern Europe to offer the continuum of all three programmes and so are able to bring the full IB experience to our students.
We are one learning community of students, all learning and growing together, located in one site, with a clear mission and with a respected, international education programme. 
Within our learning community we have over 50 different nationalities and a wide diversity of teaching staff, all studying together and learning from each other.
The ISHilversum is conveniently located between Amsterdam and Utrecht and easy to access by public transports.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €3,642
to: €5,617

The British School of Amsterdam

The British School of Amsterdam is an international non-profit day school providing world-class learning for children from 3 to 18 years.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €17,604
to: €19,437
Reviews
(6 reviews)

International School Utrecht

Our core values: Curiosity, Connection & Compassion
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: €5,290
to: €7,350
Reviews
(6 reviews)

Find the Best International School in Amsterdam FOR YOU!

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