International schools in Croatia

Are you looking for an international school in Croatia? 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 or US national curriculum or the International Primary Curriculum.

A growing trend of inward migration since the millennium has fuelled the development of a fledgling international school sector in Croatia’s capital Zagreb.

The American International School of Zagreb, which was founded in 1966, has expanded steadily over the period and opened a brand new campus in 2018. It offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma alongside an American school-leaving diploma.  

The French-medium École Française Internationale de Zagreb, which opened in 1996, teaches the national curriculum of France to students aged three to 18 culminating in the French baccalaureate. Grade six students take a bilingual programme in English and French leading the brevet exam and the international option of the French baccalaureate, which was renamed the baccalauréat Française international.

The Deutsche Internationale Schule Zagreb, which delivers the German national curriculum from kindergarten to high school, opened its doors in 2005 on a dedicated EuroCampus shared with the French school. The two schools also share after-school clubs, extra-curricular activities and social events to promote multi-cultural understanding.  

The British International School of Zagreb, which offers the English national curriculum and International Primary Curriculum leading to GCSEs and A-levels, was launched in 2013 and opened a boarding house in 2018. 

Croatia has six IB World Schools, five of which are state schools. The American International School of Zagreb is one of five schools that are authorised to offer the IB Diploma. English is the medium of instruction at five schools, while one teaches in English and Croatian.

Accrediting bodies active in the country include the Council of British International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Education is compulsory from age six to 14 and public schools are free up to age 18. Eight years of primary education are followed by four optional years of secondary education at gymnasium or vocational school. 

In 2019, net enrolment was 70 per cent in pre-primary settings, 87 per cent at primary level and 93 per cent for secondary education. Croatia has more than 50 tertiary institutions with gross enrolment of 79.5 per cent for women and 56.5 per cent among men.