Good to know
Good to Know
- Danila Kumar International School and the European School Ljubljana are the two lower-cost, publicly-linked options — both meaningfully cheaper than the fully private British, American and Erudio/Vector schools.
- Several schools (BISL, LIS, École Française) do not publish full tuition schedules online — get a current written fee quote directly from the school before budgeting, since figures found via aggregators can be a year out of date.
- Vector International Academy is secondary-only (ages 15-18) and is the only Ljubljana school combining IGCSE with the IB Diploma, which suits families arriving mid-way through their child's schooling.
- For families needing English-medium schooling before age 14, Danila Kumar (IB PYP) and LIS (American + IB PYP) are the main options, since Erudio and Vector only start at age 14-15.
- Most Ljubljana international schools run rolling admissions and will enroll a child mid-year if a seat is open — you don't need to wait for a September start.
- Applying 6-12 months ahead gives the best shot at your preferred grade, especially for entry years like kindergarten or Grade 1, but families relocating on short notice still regularly find placements.
- English fluency is generally not required to enroll — schools place younger children into mainstream classes and support older students through an Intensive English/EAL track — but ask specifically how that support is delivered and whether it costs extra.
- If a grade is full, ask exactly how the waitlist works and how quickly you must respond to an offered spot — at least one school revokes the offer if you don't confirm within two weeks.
- Homeschooling is a real, legal option in Slovenia, but it comes with real paperwork: written notice to a local school at least three months before the school year starts, an approved curriculum, and required exams — it is not an informal or unregulated arrangement.
- If a Ljubljana-based homeschooling meetup or co-op matters to your decision, don't assume one exists — verify current, active groups directly (e.g. via local expat Facebook groups) before relying on it, since we could not confirm a specific, currently active group.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Ljubljana has a relatively small but genuinely varied international/bilingual school market for a capital of its size: a British school, an American/IB school, a French AEFE school, a state-run English-medium IB school, a government European School, and two smaller specialist IB/GCSE providers. Total of 7 recognized international schools.
Schools
British International School of Ljubljana (BISL)
- Ages
- 3 to 18 (some school materials cite from age 2)
- Curriculum
- British — English National Curriculum through Primary, then IGCSE/GCSE (Cambridge and AQA boards) and A-Levels at Secondary
- Location Note
- Črnuče district, just outside the city centre
Tuition
- Detail
- BISL does not publish its fee schedule online; prospective families must request current fees directly from the school.
- Status
- not publicly published
3 to 18, across two campuses
- Name
- Ljubljana International School (LIS) — formerly QSI International School of Ljubljana
- Curriculum
- American — U.S. high school diploma track with AP Capstone, plus the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) run in parallel
Erudio International School
- Ages
- 14 to 19
- Tuition
- €15,998
- Curriculum
- IB — Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) only (no primary years)
Danila Kumar International School
- Ages
- 3 to 14 (pre-school through lower-secondary)
- Tuition
- €6,056
- Curriculum
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the first three years of Middle Years Programme (MYP); a Slovenian public school with an English-medium international department
- Location Note
- Bežigrad district
European School Ljubljana
- Ages
- 4 to 18
- Curriculum
- European Schools system curriculum, concluding in the European Baccalaureate; taught in parallel Slovene and English language sections
Tuition
- Detail
- Established in 2018 by the Government of Slovenia and run within the Ljubljana School Centre; as a state-established European School it operates on a public-funding model rather than private tuition, though exact fee/contribution levels for non-eligible families were not confirmed in available sources.
- Status
- publicly funded / minimal fees
Vector International Academy
- Ages
- 15 to 18 (secondary only)
- Tuition
- €16,060
- Curriculum
- IB Diploma Programme plus Pearson Edexcel International GCSE — the only school in Slovenia combining IGCSE and IB DP
- Location Note
- On the St Stanislav's Institute campus, Štula 23
ÉCole Française Internationale De Ljubljana
- Ages
- 0/1 to 18 (kindergarten through lycée)
- Curriculum
- French national curriculum (AEFE-affiliated) with a bilingual French–Slovenian ethos; English and Slovenian taught as foreign languages by native speakers
Tuition
- Detail
- As with most AEFE network schools, fees are typically set annually by the school's management committee; specific current figures were not found in public sources and should be requested directly from the school.
- Status
- not publicly available in sources checked
Enrollment And Homeschooling
- Overview
- Ljubljana has a handful of international/bilingual schools (British International School of Ljubljana, Ljubljana International School, École Française Internationale de Ljubljana, European School Ljubljana, Vector International Academy) that all run broadly similar enrollment pipelines: inquiry/tour, application form with documents, a placement assessment for some schools, an offer letter, then a deposit/registration fee to secure the seat.
- Waitlist Expectations
- Where a specific grade is full, schools place students on a waiting list and offer a conditional place in that grade when an opening appears; one school's policy specifies that if the offered slot isn't confirmed within two weeks of being offered, the application is revoked and the place passes to the next family on the list. In practice, entry-level grades (early kindergarten, Grade 1) are the tightest, while capacity opens up more for mid-year international arrivals in upper grades because families rotate in and out with corporate/diplomatic postings.
- How Far In Advance To Apply
- Most of these schools describe rolling, year-round admissions rather than a single hard deadline, so relocating families can apply and start mid-year if space exists. That said, third-party relocation guidance for expat families in Slovenia recommends applying roughly 6-12 months ahead of the intended start date, since space in specific grade levels can be limited and popular entry years (e.g. kindergarten, Grade 1) fill first.
- Assessment And Language Notes
- Schools generally state that fluent English is not a requirement to enroll; younger children usually pick up English within the classroom, while older applicants (roughly age 12+) are more likely to need demonstrated English proficiency, with an Intensive English or English-as-an-Additional-Language track offered for students who test below grade level.
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Local Community Or Co Op
- We could not find documented evidence of an organized homeschooling community, support group, or co-op specifically operating in Ljubljana. An older academic/reference source noted that as of the early 2010s there were no organized home-education groups in Slovenia at all, and we found no more recent, city-specific source confirming one now exists. Some general expat-guide sites vaguely mention 'homeschooling associations' and 'online forums' being available to families in Slovenia, but without naming a specific, verifiable Ljubljana-based group, so we are not asserting that one exists.
- Legal Basis And Requirements
- Homeschooling (domače šolanje) is legal in Slovenia under the Primary Education Act. Parents have the right to homeschool, but must notify in writing the primary school where the child is enrolled no less than three months before the start of the school year, stating the approved curriculum to be followed, the child's name, where the schooling will take place, and who will be teaching. The enrolling school is required to keep documentation on the homeschooled pupil's progress, the child must reach an educational standard at least equivalent to the mandatory public-school curriculum, and the school issues a publicly recognized homeschooling certificate. An academic comparative study on homeschooling in Southeast Europe likewise confirms that homeschooling is legal in Slovenia, in contrast to neighboring Croatia where it is not.
- Practical Notes
- Homeschooled children sit the same exams as traditionally-schooled peers, and for university admission they must meet the same requirements as other applicants, including passing the national matura exam.
Typical Process Steps
- Initial inquiry and school tour (in person or, for families still abroad, an online meeting)
- Submit an online application form with required documents
- Placement/assessment test and sometimes a parent-student interview for older applicants (used mainly to determine grade level and English-support needs, not as a competitive gatekeeper)
- Application reviewed and approved by the school's Principal/Head of School
- Formal offer letter issued if a place is available
- Family signs the offer/enrollment contract and pays a registration fee plus a refundable deposit to secure the place
- Tuition paid in full or in instalments, with the first instalment due before the child's first day
Representative Fees At Enrollment
British-curriculum international school
- British Curriculum International School
- €750
American-curriculum/IB international school
- American Curriculum/IB International School
- €1,050
American-curriculum/IB international school
- American Curriculum/IB International School
- €300
Required Documents Typically Requested
- Completed online/paper application form
- Copies of the child's and parents' passports
- Previous school academic records/transcripts
- Proof of residence (relevant once the family has arrived or secured Slovenian housing)
- Birth certificate (commonly requested alongside passport copies for younger children)
- Any special-needs or learning-support documentation, if applicable
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
More About Ljubljana
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.