How Much Does Boarding School Cost in Europe? Full Breakdown
Updated: October 2026
Ask “how much does boarding school cost in Europe?” and many published answers give one range that mixes day fees, term fees and prices before tax. This guide puts every quote on one basis: one year, one currency, with tax added where it is charged, and it shows what each figure still leaves out.
It is for parents of children aged about 12 to 18, including families outside Europe. It does not rank schools, price day schooling or give immigration advice.
Boarding School Cost in Europe: The Short Answer
According to the Independent Schools Council’s 2026 census, a year of boarding at one of its UK member schools costs about £53,900 on average, once 20% value added tax (VAT) is added. At the European Central Bank reference rate of 2 October 2026, that average is roughly €63,400.
The census average is £14,980 per term, before VAT. Most UK schools bill three terms a year.
Full boarding is a residential educational model in which students live at school and follow a structured academic and boarding programme.
Outside the UK, no comparable sector average was found, so schools’ own published schedules are the reliable figures.
Schule Schloss Salem in Germany quotes €4,680 a month for Classes 5 to 10 in 2027-2028. Across its 12 instalments, that is €56,160 a year.
Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland quotes CHF 164,400 a year for 2027-2028, about €177,200 at the euro rate of 2 October 2026.
A quote becomes comparable only as one annual full-boarding figure, in one currency, with tax and every extra added.
Key takeaways
- Fees are quoted per term, per month or per year: convert every quote to a year first.
- Day and boarding fees are different products. Never compare them.
- Ask what each fee includes before comparing amounts.
- Entry fees and deposits, where charged, raise the cost of year one.
- The calendar decides how many journeys home you pay for.
Jump to: What fees include · Five questions · Four figures converted · Costs outside the fee · Visas and guardians · Journeys home · Year one · “Affordable” lists · Worksheet · FAQ
What Do Boarding School Fees Include?
Tuition and boarding fees pay for a child’s whole week, not only lessons. Tuition fees are the annual cost of a school place, which at boarding schools typically bundles teaching, accommodation, meals, supervision and most activities. Families should check what is included and budget separately for exam fees, trips and personal expenses.
The word to test is “typically”. Before comparing two amounts, ask: what am I actually receiving for this amount?
Schools differ on six points:
- Homework: supervised by teachers, or left to the student?
- Meals: how many a day, and are diet plans included?
- Evenings and weekends: a timetabled programme, or free time?
- Study materials and devices: textbooks, a laptop, a calculator?
- Laundry and routine medical care: included, or billed?
- Day trips and activities: inside the fee, or charged per trip?
Schloss Krumbach International School (SKIS) publishes its own answer for 2026-2027.
| Area | Included in the annual fee, 2026-2027 | Charged separately, 2026-2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Academic | Academic tuition · maximum 10 students per class · academic support across the core curriculum · supervised homework · study and revision support · German lessons within the programme · textbooks, workbooks, stationery and dictionaries · personal school laptop on loan · access to school computers and academic resources | Individually arranged additional services, where applicable |
| Boarding | Accommodation on campus · six meals each day · daily residential supervision · structured boarding programme · evening routines and supervised walks | Mandatory Austrian health insurance · school and sports uniform |
| Activities | Regular sport · main extracurricular programme · regular cultural and educational day trips without overnight accommodation | Overnight study trips · individually arranged activities such as private tennis or horse riding |
| Travel and administration | School documentation and Admissions guidance for Austrian visa and residence procedures · unlimited IP telephone calls and two scheduled Zoom opportunities each week at no additional charge | Official visa and residence fees · airport transfers · travel during school holidays |
A separate page sets out the rooms, meals and supervision in full boarding at Schloss Krumbach.
Five Questions That Turn Any Fee Quote Into One Annual Figure
Five variables sit behind every fee quote. The five-question quote converter turns them into questions for any school, in any country.
| # | Ask the school | Why it changes the number | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is this per term, per month or per year? | Most UK schools bill three terms; some schools bill a monthly fee in 12 instalments | Term fee × 3. Monthly fee × the number of instalments on the schedule |
| 2 | Is this a day fee or a full-boarding fee? | A day fee leaves out the room, meals, evenings and weekends | Compare boarding with boarding only. A day fee cannot be converted |
| 3 | Is tax added on top? | Since 1 January 2025, UK private school fees, boarding included, carry 20% VAT; UK averages are published before VAT is added | Add 20% to a UK figure that excludes VAT. Elsewhere, ask whether the quote is the amount you will be invoiced |
| 4 | What sits outside the fee? | Entry fees, deposits, programme supplements and charged extras are billed separately | Add recurring supplements to the annual figure. Keep one-time items on a separate year-one line |
| 5 | Which currency, at which date? | Exchange rates move between quote and invoice | Convert at one dated rate, such as the European Central Bank’s euro reference rate, and write the date down |
The five questions cannot fix the school year: a fee for one year is not the price for another. The Independent Schools Council recorded a 4.2% like-for-like rise in boarding fees between its 2025 and 2026 censuses. Write the year beside every result.
Question 3 rests on HM Revenue & Customs’ GOV.UK guidance on applying VAT to private school fees.
Ask for all five answers in writing.
Boarding School Fees Comparison by Country: Four Published Figures, Converted
No single document states what boarding school costs in Europe. The converter is run here on four primary documents instead, one per country, and each stays in its own box (they span three school years). The boxes are not a ranking.
Conversions are our arithmetic, rounded to the nearest €100, at the European Central Bank euro reference rates of 2 October 2026.
United Kingdom: A Per-Term Average Before VAT
| Question | As published | Converted |
|---|---|---|
| Source and year | Independent Schools Council (ISC) Census 2026, member schools, fees at January 2026 | School year stays as published |
| 1. Period | £14,980 per term, average boarding fee | × 3 terms = £44,940 |
| 2. Day or boarding | Boarding fee (the census does not say whether this means full boarding only) | Use as is, with that limit |
| 3. Tax | Excluding VAT | + 20% VAT = £53,928 |
| 4. Outside the fee | Not in an average | Ask each school |
| 5. Currency | Pounds sterling | At €1 = £0.85033: ≈ €63,400 |
| Comparable annual figure | January 2026 | ≈ €63,400, before each school’s extras |
An average is not a quote: the ISC Census and Annual Report 2026 describes member schools as a group.
Germany: A Monthly Quote Billed Twelve Times
| Question | As published | Converted |
|---|---|---|
| Source and year | Schule Schloss Salem, “Informationen zum Schul- und Internatsgeld”, 2027-2028 | School year stays as published |
| 1. Period | €4,680 per month in 12 instalments, Classes 5–10 | × 12 = €56,160 |
| 2. Day or boarding | School and boarding fee | Use as is |
| 3. Tax | Ask the school | No tax step added here. Confirm the quote is the amount you will be invoiced |
| 4. Outside the fee | One-time admission fee €2,000 and administration surcharge €2,000 · refundable deposit · ancillary costs billed separately | One-time items go on the year-one line |
| 5. Currency | Euro | No conversion |
| Comparable annual figure | 2027-2028, Classes 5–10 | €56,160, before ancillary costs |
Multiply a monthly quote by its instalments, not by its teaching months: Salem’s 12 instalments run to 31 August.
Switzerland: An Annual Franc Quote With Supplements
| Question | As published | Converted |
|---|---|---|
| Source and year | Institut Le Rosey, “Financial and Contractual Conditions 2027-28 School Year”, Cadets-Seniors (Classes 5 to Terminale), version September 2026 | School year stays as published |
| 1. Period | CHF 164,400 a year (three terms of CHF 54,800) | Already annual |
| 2. Day or boarding | Boarding and tuition | Use as is |
| 3. Tax | Ask the school | No tax step added here. Confirm the quote is the amount you will be invoiced |
| 4. Outside the fee | IB supplement CHF 13,900 a year · one-time registration fee CHF 3,000 · guarantee deposit for extra expenses CHF 18,000, due on admission · obligatory school-supplied uniform · extras invoiced four times a year | IB: + CHF 13,900 = CHF 178,300. One-time items go on the year-one line |
| 5. Currency | Swiss francs | At €1 = CHF 0.9279: ≈ €177,200; IB ≈ €192,200 |
| Comparable annual figure | 2027-2028 | ≈ €177,200, or ≈ €192,200 for an IB student, before extras |
A guarantee deposit for extra expenses is held against charges invoiced during the year; Le Rosey returns any balance after the student leaves.
Austria: An Annual Euro Quote, Paid Yearly
| Question | As published | Converted |
|---|---|---|
| Source and year | Schloss Krumbach International School, fees 2026-2027 | School year stays as published |
| 1. Period | €39,900 for Middle School, Grades 7-9, or €43,680 for High School, Grades 10-12, per academic year | Already annual |
| 2. Day or boarding | Full boarding only | Use as is |
| 3. Tax | No separate tax line is stated in the published fee | Use the published annual figure as quoted |
| 4. Outside the fee | Application Fee €300 · Enrollment Fee €3,000 · Capital Fee €2,000 · refundable Security Deposit €3,000 · insurance · uniform · overnight trips · holiday travel · airport transfers · official visa or residence fees · individually arranged activities | One-time fees and deposit go on the year-one line. Recurring extras should be added according to the family’s needs |
| 5. Currency | Euro | No conversion |
| Comparable annual figure | 2026-2027 | €39,900 or €43,680 before separately listed expenses |
None of the four figures is yet a full annual cost: each still excludes items billed separately.
Costs Outside the Fee: What to Budget on Top
Some costs sit outside every boarding fee; others sit outside only some schools’ fees. Put these questions to each school:
- Are exam entry fees for the IB Diploma Programme or Cambridge International A Level included, or billed on top? The Swiss schedule above bills IB students a separate yearly programme supplement for administration and diploma matriculation.
- Is the uniform included, and is sports kit a separate charge?
- Is medical insurance included, and does the host country require specific cover?
- Are multi-day trips, paid sports and music lessons extras? Check the list of charges against the activities on offer, for example one school’s co-curricular programme and study trips.
- Is extra language tuition or private tutoring billed separately?
- Who arranges airport transfers, and at what price per journey?
- What pocket money does the school suggest, and who holds it?
The comparison should also take account of what is already inside that annual figure. At SKIS, the fee includes full boarding, six meals and snacks each day, supervised homework, academic support, study materials, school technology, regular sport, the main extracurricular programme and regular non-overnight educational and cultural trips.
Ask for every charge, priced in writing, for the school year you are applying for.
Visas, Residence Permits and Guardians
Austrian government guidance says pupils without EU, European Economic Area or Swiss citizenship need a residence permit to stay in Austria for more than six months. The permit for pupils is called the Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Schüler. Eligibility depends on the type of school, so ask how each school’s international pupils obtain residence.
The oesterreich.gv.at guidance on the residence permit for pupils, updated 10 August 2026, sets the application fee at €218. Applicants also need health insurance covering all risks and proof of sufficient funds against a monthly threshold set each year under Austrian law. A minor needs proof of care by an adult living in Austria.
For families applying to Schloss Krumbach International School, the Admissions Team provides the school documentation required for Austrian visa and residence procedures and guides families through the school-related requirements. Once a student is enrolled, the school continues to manage the relevant school documentation connected with the student’s status. Official application fees and decisions remain with the Austrian authorities.
GOV.UK lists the Child Student visa fee at £558 from outside the UK. GOV.UK’s healthcare surcharge page sets the Immigration Health Surcharge for students and children at £776 a year, paid with the application. Some UK boarding schools require an educational guardian when parents live abroad, an ongoing cost with no standard price.
This is current guidance as of October 2026, not immigration advice. Rules change and vary by nationality, so confirm them with an immigration adviser or consulate before budgeting.
The Calendar Cost: How Many Journeys Home You Pay For
None of the fee schedules cited here prices the journeys home. Each school sets its own calendar, and that calendar decides how many return journeys a family pays for.
Ask which breaks close the boarding house, and whether a child can stay on campus.
At Schloss Krumbach International School, we close the school and the school hotel for every break, and all students leave campus. Our school year runs from the end of August to the end of June, with these breaks:
- Autumn: 2 weeks
- Christmas: 2.5 weeks
- Ski Break: 1 week, between semesters
- Easter: 2 weeks
- Summer: 2 months
That makes five return journeys per school year, by our count. The campus stays open on Austrian national holidays.
SKIS is 90 km from Vienna, about an hour’s drive, and airport transfers are charged separately in 2026-2027.
For any school, multiply your return fare by the number of closures, and add an adult’s fare if a younger child travels accompanied.
A school with a lower fee but more closures can cost more over a year.
Year One Costs More: Entry Fees and Deposits
Some schools charge one-time fees on entry, on top of the annual fee. The names differ: application, registration, admission, capital or enrolment fee.
A capital fee is “a one-time school-entry charge separate from annual tuition and boarding fees.” A deposit is “a refundable sum paid as part of enrolment and held according to the school’s contractual conditions.”
Schloss Krumbach International School publishes its entry fees for 2026-2027.
| SKIS, 2026-2027 | Middle School (Grades 7–9) | High School (Grades 10–12) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual full-boarding fee | €39,900 | €43,680 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | €300 | €300 |
| Capital Fee (non-refundable) | €2,000 | €2,000 |
| Enrollment Fee (non-refundable) | €3,000 | €3,000 |
| Security Deposit (refundable) | €3,000 | €3,000 |
| Year-one total, before items charged separately | €48,200 | €51,980 |
| of which refundable | €3,000 | €3,000 |
The Application Fee, €300 in 2026-2027, is paid before the subject assessments can be taken.
Of the year-one amount, €3,000 is a refundable Security Deposit. The remaining entry fees are paid once on admission and are not repeated in subsequent years.
A child entering in Grade 9 pays the Middle School fee; a child entering in Grade 10 pays the High School fee. See the admissions process, step by step.
Affordable Boarding Schools in Europe: What the Cheap Lists Leave Out
Lists of “affordable” boarding schools often compare figures that were never the same kind of number. The ranking looks precise. The inputs are not.
Four patterns recur in published boarding-cost pages and in lists of affordable boarding schools in Europe. Day tuition is shown as boarding, a term fee is read as a year’s price, and prices appear before tax. Public boarding places at state schools sit beside private international boarding, as if both were one market.
The first pattern is the easiest to miss — some international cost tables give tuition figures with no boarding column at all.
Our view: affordable means the lowest full annual cost for what your child receives, not the lowest headline number. That view has a limit: it will not always favour the school with the smallest fee, and it takes more work than reading a list.
Your Full-Year Boarding Cost Worksheet
The only figure worth comparing is the full annual cost, school by school. Entry fees and deposits sit below it, because they fall in year one only.
| Line | Where to find it | School A | School B | School C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee, converted (period, tax, currency, school year) | Fee schedule + the five questions | |||
| Programme or exam supplements | Fee schedule, extras list | |||
| Charges you will use (trips, sports, language support, uniform, insurance) | List of charges | |||
| Journeys home (return fare × closures) | School calendar | |||
| Visa or residence permit, health surcharge, guardian | Government sites, adviser | |||
| Full annual cost | ||||
| One-time entry fees (year one only) | Entry-fee schedule | |||
| Refundable deposits (returned under the contract) | Contract | |||
| Year-one cash |
So how much does boarding school cost in Europe for your family? The answer is the full annual cost line, set beside what each school includes. Ask each school for its fee schedule, list of charges and calendar in writing, for the same school year where possible, then fill in one column per school.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does boarding school cost in Europe per year?
The only measured sector average found in Europe comes from the Independent Schools Council’s 2026 census of its UK member schools: £14,980 per boarding term before VAT. With three terms and 20% VAT, that is about £53,900 a year. Elsewhere, schools quote in different periods, currencies and school years. Convert each quote to one yearly full-boarding figure, with tax and extras, before comparing.
Are boarding school fees charged per term, per month or per year?
Boarding fees are quoted per term, per month or per year. Multiply a UK term fee by three, and a monthly fee by its number of instalments, not by the months of teaching. Compare schools only on yearly figures.
Do international students pay VAT on UK boarding school fees?
Yes. Since 1 January 2025, education and boarding at UK private schools have carried 20% VAT, according to HM Revenue & Customs. VAT applies because the school is in the UK, so families living abroad pay it too. Independent Schools Council averages exclude VAT, so add 20% before comparing.
What extra costs should I budget for beyond the boarding fee?
Budget for one-time entry fees and deposits, exam or programme supplements, uniform, medical insurance, trips, paid sports, journeys home and visa or residence-permit fees. Schools differ on which of these the fee covers, so ask each one for its charges in writing.
How much are the annual school fees at Schloss Krumbach International School for 2026/27?
For the 2026/27 academic year, the annual full-boarding fee is €39,900 for Middle School, Grades 7 to 9, and €43,680 for High School, Grades 10 to 12. The annual fee covers the core academic and boarding experience, including tuition, accommodation, six meals and snacks each day, supervised homework, academic support, study materials, a school laptop on loan, regular sport, the main extracurricular programme and regular cultural and educational day trips without overnight accommodation. Families receive the current Fees Policy and enrolment documentation setting out one-time entry fees, the refundable Security Deposit and costs that sit outside the regular programme.
What is included in the Schloss Krumbach boarding school fee?
The annual fee includes much more than tuition and accommodation. It covers academic teaching in classes of maximum 10 students, supervised homework and study support, full boarding, six meals and snacks each day, learning materials, a school laptop on loan, regular sport, the main extracurricular programme and regular educational and cultural day trips without overnight accommodation. Insurance, uniform, airport transfers, overnight trips, official visa or residence fees and individually arranged activities are listed separately.
Is there a refundable security deposit at Schloss Krumbach International School in 2026/27?
Yes. A €3,000 refundable deposit is required upon entry. The conditions governing the deposit and its refund are set out in the school contract and current Fees Policy provided to families during the admissions process.
About the Author
Viktoryia Tejada-Correa, Admissions at Schloss Krumbach International School. Her work covers international admissions, academic assessments, entry requirements, fees and the practical preparation of families joining the school from abroad. This guide puts every quote on one basis, her own school’s included.
