International Education in Bratislava
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Slovakia’s capital city, Bratislava, is a highly underrated expat destination. This compact city sits on the Danube and is surrounded by scenic forests, vineyards and hiking trails. Vienna is just an hour away by train, offering easy access to the rest of Europe by any means of transport. And compared to other European capitals, the cost of living is much lower.
When it comes to international schools, Bratislava doesn’t have as much choice as some other capital cities in Europe. But there are still a surprising range of curriculum options and education styles available. You’ll find British, American, German, French and Slovak curricula on offer, and of course, the International Baccalaureate is well represented too.
Bratislava’s international schools are popular with foreign diplomats living in the capital city. However, in many international schools Slovak children make up the majority of the student body.
School and class sizes tend to be smaller than in other European capitals - you’ll find some with fewer than 150 students and class sizes as small as 5 - 10 students. There are, however, a handful of large (700+ students) and more diverse international schools in the city too.
Some international schools in Bratislava cater for children from 2 years of age and up. This gives them an edge over public, Slovakian pre-schools, which will only accept children over 3 years of age. Education in Slovakia is compulsory up until age 16, but most international schools continue lessons up until age 18.
In most schools, the day begins at 8.30am and finishes at 3.30pm. Extra curricular activities are offered as standard in Bratislavan international schools. The facilities are as good as you’ll find anywhere else in Europe, and native English-speaking teachers are a standard feature.
As for location, Bratislava’s international schools are well spread out around the city and its outskirts. Everywhere from Dubravka in the north-west to Podunajské Biskupice in the east has an international school in the area. The schools situated further away from the city centre usually offer a school bus service.
International schools in Bratislava place a big focus on languages. Most schools teach through English but offer several different language classes including Slovak, German and others. Even at kindergarten level, you’ll find several languages on offer.
If you intend to make Slovakia a permanent home, then learning additional languages will be a huge benefit for your children. They will become more integrated with Slovakian life by learning the native language, but they will also be well prepared to attend university in the country. In order to attend higher education institutions in Slovakia, students must pass basic exams on Slovak and an additional foreign language.
Below, we have compiled the top 5 international schools in Bratislava according to our users. However, there are another 7 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 Bratislava based on your requirements.
