Good to know
Good to Know
- Across Greece, international-school tuition typically runs roughly €6,000–€18,000 per year, and Thessaloniki's options sit generally in the lower-to-middle part of that range compared with Athens's most expensive schools.
- Beyond tuition, budget for one-time or annual extras: American-style schools like Pinewood charge a separate one-time 'Capital Levy' (enrollment fee) and a non-refundable transportation fee if you use the school bus.
- If IB is a priority, Thessaloniki's main pathway is the joint Anatolia-Pinewood IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12) — there isn't yet a full standalone IB World School covering all grade levels in the city the way Athens has several.
- Anatolia College runs one of the more substantial need- and merit-based scholarship programs in the city, which is worth investigating if budget is a concern.
- For French-, German-, or Greek-bilingual-curriculum families, École française de Thessalonique, Deutsche Schule Thessaloniki, and Mandoulides Schools are the main named options, but published tuition figures for the latter two are hard to find online — get a direct quote from the school before budgeting.
- If you're eyeing Pinewood -> Anatolia continuity for elementary school, the transfer window is tight and capacity-limited (only 3 reserved places, first-come-first-served, deadline October 10 of the prior year) — this is one to plan a full school year ahead for, not something to leave for a few months before your move.
- Non-EU citizens need an already-valid Greek residency permit (with more than a year left before expiry) in hand before Pinewood will even process an application — sort out your residence permit timeline before starting the school application.
- If your child holds only Greek citizenship, budget an extra 4-6 weeks for the Ministry of Education exemption process, which needs to run before/alongside the school's own admissions process.
- Homeschooling is not a realistic legal fallback plan for residents in Greece outside of documented special-needs cases — don't count on it as a backup if international-school admission falls through; non-resident families registered elsewhere have more flexibility to continue a home-country distance program.
Schools And Curricula
Pinewood – The American International School of Thessaloniki
- Location
- Thermi/Pylaia, Thessaloniki metro area
- Curricula Offered
- American college-preparatory curriculum (Pre-K–Grade 12) with an American High School Diploma track, plus the IB Diploma Programme for Grades 11–12 delivered jointly with Anatolia College as the 'Anatolia-Pinewood IBDP'. Also offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses, Global Online Academy courses, and a Greek Diploma Equivalency option.
- Notes
- Boarding option available from Grade 7 with a separate boarding fee set by the school.
- Accreditation Notes
- Accredited by MSA; affiliated with the IBO, College Board, AAIE, COIS, NESA, and the U.S. State Department Office of Overseas Schools.
Additional Fees
Capital Levy (one-time enrollment fee, Grades 1-12)
- Amount
- €3,000
Transportation Fee (non-refundable, annual)
- Amount
- €1,100
Tuition Per Year
- Max
- €10,812
- Min
- €6,300
Pylaia, Thessaloniki
- Name
- Anatolia College (comprising Anatolia Elementary School, Anatolia High School, and the American College of Thessaloniki)
- Tuition Per Year
- not consistently published in available sources; Anatolia is a non-profit that runs an extensive scholarship program
- Curricula Offered
- English-medium, American/British-influenced college-preparatory curriculum through Anatolia High School, plus the IB Diploma Programme delivered jointly with Pinewood as the 'Anatolia-Pinewood IBDP' for Grades 11-12.
- Notes
- Anatolia funds scholarships from endowments and donations; around 28% of students currently receive scholarships ranging from 100% to 25% of tuition, and more than 1,000 scholarships have been awarded to date based on financial need and performance.
ÉCole Française De Thessalonique (French School of Thessaloniki)
- Location
- Leoforos Stratou, central Thessaloniki
- Curricula Offered
- French national curriculum, part of the AEFE (Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger) network; trilingual instruction in French, Greek, and English, from nursery through the lycée (upper secondary) level.
- Notes
- Tuition figures come from an older directory listing; treat as an approximate historical reference rather than a confirmed current rate.
Tuition Per Year
- Max
- €4,185
- Min
- €3,150
Deutsche Schule Thessaloniki (German School of Thessaloniki, DST)
- Location
- Thermi, Thessaloniki
- Tuition Per Year
- not clearly published in available sources — contact the school directly for current rates
- Curricula Offered
- German curriculum, recognized by the German government, serving both native German speakers and bilingual German-Greek students from pre-school through Grade 12.
- Notes
- Caters to both native German-speaking students and those in a bilingual German-Greek track.
Mandoulides Schools
- Location
- Thessaloniki (Panorama area)
- Tuition Per Year
- not published in available sources — contact the school directly for current rates
- Curricula Offered
- Bilingual Greek-English education (Kindergarten through Grade 12) with an emphasis on mathematics, science, and technology, following the Greek national curriculum framework with English-language instruction alongside it.
- Notes
- Offers robotics, sports, and music extracurriculars alongside its bilingual STEM-focused track.
American Farm School
- Location
- Thessaloniki
- Tuition Per Year
- not published in available sources — contact the school directly for current rates
- Curricula Offered
- American-adapted curriculum with English as the language of instruction; historically rooted in agricultural/vocational education alongside general academics.
- Notes
- One of Thessaloniki's oldest private international-style institutions, historically known for its agricultural-education heritage.
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legality In Greece
- Compulsory school attendance is set out in Greek law (Law 1566/1985), and homeschooling is only explicitly allowed for children with special needs, where in exceptional cases education can occur in the home with direct supervision and materials from the school under Article 32, Section 4 of that law. For resident children without a qualifying disability, Greek authorities generally require enrollment in a licensed public or private school, and homeschooling, international online schools, or foreign distance-learning programmes are not legally recognised for resident children. Some expat-oriented sources describe the situation as murkier ('not explicitly prohibited but not formally recognized'), but the more authoritative reading — from the compulsory-education statute itself and homeschool-legal-status trackers — is that it functions as effectively illegal/not viable for resident families outside the special-needs exception.
- Apolytirio Consideration
- Even where families attempt home education informally, students must meet the compulsory education requirements, which include completing nine years of education and obtaining a school leaving certificate (Apolytirio), and homeschooled students may need to take exams at a registered school to obtain this certificate.
- Local Homeschool Community In Thessaloniki
- No specific, documented homeschooling co-op or organized in-person support group based in Thessaloniki itself was found. The only city-specific reference located was a general, unelaborated mention that alternative education options exist in cities including Thessaloniki, without naming a concrete group, venue, or program. Broader Greece-wide resources exist — the homeschooling community in Greece is small, but there are some groups and resources available, including online forums, social media groups, and local support groups — but these are national/informal rather than a confirmed Thessaloniki-specific institution, so we are not asserting a dedicated local co-op exists here.
- Practical Note For Non Residents
- Families who are not legally resident in Greece and remain registered in another country's education system may generally continue that country's home education or distance-learning framework while physically based in Thessaloniki, since Greek compulsory-attendance rules are tied to residency status rather than nationality alone.
International Bilingual School Enrollment
- Overview
- Thessaloniki's main option for foreign families is Pinewood, the American International School of Thessaloniki, which operates a partnership with Anatolia College for the IB Diploma Programme. Admissions are rolling/space-based rather than a single fixed intake date, but several hard deadlines exist for specific transfer and scholarship pathways.
Waitlist Reality
- IB Diploma Programme
- Admission decisions or wait-list statuses are announced during April–May for the following school year, so families applying mid-cycle should expect to be placed on a waitlist rather than get an immediate answer.
- Anatolia Elementary Transfer
- Anatolia reserves three places for Pinewood students and enrollment is on a first come first serve basis — this is a genuinely competitive, capacity-limited pathway, not a formality.
Required Documents
- Completed online application via the school's Parent Portal, with all required attachments uploaded before the file is considered complete
- Copy of passport or identity card for the student
- Academic transcripts from the previous 2-3 years, officially translated to English (and notarized for older grades)
- Financial documents and a letter of interest if applying for need-based scholarships
- A small photograph of the student
- For Non-EU citizens: a valid Greek residency permit is required prior to applying, and it must not be within 1 year (365 days) of expiration
- For students who hold ONLY Greek citizenship: an application for exemption from the Hellenic Ministry of Education from Greek public schools, filed with the school's guidance before starting the admissions application
Testing And Process Steps
- Schedule a campus visit/tour and admissions meeting (optional but offered)
- Create an account in the online Parent Portal and complete the application form, saving progress before uploading attachments
- Pay the admissions application fee before an admissions test can be scheduled
- Sit the school-administered English/placement admissions test at the Middle & High School Campus (required from Grade 6 upward; younger children in Pre-K-Grade 5 are exempt from language testing at application stage, but get a diagnostic test once admitted)
- For students with ONLY Greek citizenship: allow 4-6 weeks for the Ministry of Education exemption process to clear before/alongside the school application — the process and waiting time for the status of the application is 4–6 weeks
Fees Relevant To Enrollment
Admissions Application Fee (per Student, PreK-Grade 12)
- Cost
- €90
- Cost
- €1,000
- Item
- Anatolia Elementary transfer deposit (for Pinewood students moving into Anatolia's first form)
Re-enrollment Deposit (Non-refundable, Credited Toward Tuition)
- Cost
- €2,000
How Far In Advance To Apply
General Pinewood admission (Pre-K to Grade 12)
- Detail
- Acceptance and transfer for Early Years, Elementary, Middle, and High School is based on space availability rather than a single annual cutoff, so applying well before the school year you need is the realistic path to secure a spot, especially in popular grade levels.
- Detail
- Pinewood parents interested in enrolling their children in the first form of Anatolia Elementary School should apply directly to Anatolia College by October 10th of the previous year and are required to pay the deposit of (1000 euro).
- Pathway
- Transfer from Pinewood into Anatolia College's first form (Elementary)
Anatolia & Pinewood IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11-12)
- Detail
- Applications for the Anatolia & Pinewood IB Diploma Programme for 2026-27 are accepted from December 1, 2025 through April 24, 2026, with admission decisions or wait-list statuses announced during April-May. Applications submitted after the deadline are considered based on space availability and subject offerings.
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