International schools in Italy

Search for the best international schools in Italy; 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.

The birthplace of European Renaissance, Italy has long been a magnet for writers, artists and intellectuals from around the world. Today, it boasts a large and thriving international education sector, with most major towns and cities having an international school. 

Larger clusters are found in Rome, Milan, Florence, Genoa and Naples. Schools offering the curriculums of Britain, America, France and the International Baccalaureate Office predominate, while Swiss, German and Canadian education and the Montessori method are also offered and some schools have a Catholic foundation. 

There are 39 IB World Schools in Italy. Among these, 34 are authorised to offer the IB Diploma and 13 teach all three IB programmes.

Virtually all schools are coeducational and the vast majority teach day pupils, with many offering through-train education from pre-school to age 18. St George’s British International School in Rome, which was founded in 1958, follows the English national curriculum and offers GCSEs, IGCSEs and the IB Diploma.

There are several boarding schools, including St Stephen’s School in Rome, a high school offering both the American high school diploma and the IB Diploma and St Louis School in Milan, which offers boarding from age 14 and combines the IB Diploma with IGCSEs.

A number of international education chains operate in Italy, including the International School of Europe, which is part of the Inspired group and operates schools following the IB curriculum in Milan, Modena, Monza, Siena and Como as well as ISE Kiddy English, an English-medium kindergarten that follows the Reggio Emilia approach.

There are also many private schools that offer bilingual instruction in English and Italian especially at primary level. Schools are accredited with bodies including the Council of International Schools. 

Education is compulsory from age six to 16. State schools teach in Italian and are free to all children including foreign nationals. They are divided into primary, lower secondary and upper secondary stages, lasting five years, three years and five years respectively. 

School enrolment is close to 100 per cent. Study at the academic liceo leads to the maturita exam for university entrance. Italy has more than 60 public universities, including Europe’s oldest one, the University of Bologna. In 2019, the net enrolment rate was 94.5 per cent for primary schools and 94 per cent for secondary education, while gross tertiary enrolment was 66 per cent.

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