List of 4 Best Schools in Berlin (2025 Fees)

Berlin's education system mirrors that of the country, Germany. Compulsory education begins at age six. However, students go to nursery and kindergarten schools in Berlin. Unlike most countries, preschoolers get free childcare and kindergarten education. However, the residency location determines the type of kindergarten your child will attend. There are various types of child care facilities in Berlin that cater to kids of different ages, such as:

Kinderkrippe or creche is a type of daycare for children between the ages of eighteen months to three years
General kindergarten for children aged three to six year olds
Kitas daycare which offers after-school activities for children up to the age of 12 years

Parents have the option of choosing either a public or private kindergarten. However, the Federal state funds tuition fees for public kindergarten schools only. Pre-school does not exist as a separate entity from kindergarten. Instead, there is a progressive curriculum that allows the children to progress from Krippe to kindergarten. Still, kindergarten is optional, and only runs for either half-day or a full-day.

In Germany, all children must attend School for nine years. However, in Berlin, the compulsory age is ten years. Berlin has a six-year primary education system and students are not restricted by zones, meaning they can learn in any school district regardless of their residential address. However, the child's academic performance determines the type of school they'll attend.

Unlike other German cities, Berlin has several independent/private and international schools. In fact, the city leads with the most numbers of state bilingual schools. Parents who opt to enroll their children for state bilingual schools do not have to pay tuition fees. Additionally, the quality of education in these schools is often cited as the reason why private schools in Berlin have not thrived.

Primary school in Berlin consists of six grades. The first and second graders study in the same classroom and later separate once they join the third grade. In the third grade, students begin learning a foreign language, especially English or French. There are three main types of schools, which include:

Open Schools: Learning in these schools takes place from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. Tutoring and daycare are also available after School. Moreover, students have the option of attending morning daycare from 6:30 am to 7:30 am or late afternoon daycare from 4:00 pm to 5:00pm. Daycare is also available during school holidays as well. Additionally, children can attend tutoring or afternoon activities from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm.
Compulsory All-Day Schools: These schools offer a combination of daycare, tutoring, and mandatory education. The school day begins at 8:00am to 4:00pm for four days a week.
Part Compulsory All-Day Schools: These institutions offer a combination of compulsory and open schools. After School, daycare is also provided for four days a week.

Children progress to secondary school after completing primary education, unless they attend gemeinschaftsschule or Interdenominational education in English. There are different types of secondary schools in Berlin, including:

Grammar School (Gymnasium): Grammar school prepares students for university or a dual academic and vocational learning. After completing grammar school, students sit for an exit exam then progress to tertiary learning.
Comprehensive School: This type of School is a pilot program that was launched in 2008-2009. Unlike other types of secondary schools that separate students while in the 7th grade, these schools allow students to stay together up to the 10th, 12th, and 13th grade. The option to continue after the 9th grade depends on the leaving certificate that the students opt to complete.
Integrated Secondary Schools: These schools combine the systems of Germany's general secondary school or Hauptschule, upper secondary school or realschule, and comprehensive school or gesamtschule. Students get all-day instruction, with supervision from 7:30 am to 4:00pm. Lastly, the School offers all the different types of leaving certificates.
Occupational Grammar School: Studies in this secondary school focus on a particular subject. Grades begin from eleventh and lead to A-levels (Fachabitur) certification.

Generally, there are three main types of secondary school leaving certificates, which include:

The General Secondary school leaving certificate/Hauptschulabschluss: This certificate allows students to pursue full-time vocational training under the dual system, which refers to a combination of apprenticeship and theory.
Intermediate School Leaving Certificate/ Realschulabschluss: This certificate offers students a broader option in terms of vocational training. Aside from pursuing vocational training under the dual system, students can also pursue full school-based vocational training.
Hochschulreife/ Abitur or Higher Education Entrance Exam: This leaving exam allows the student to pursue higher education in universities in Berlin. Students can either attend University or the University of Applied Sciences as well as pursue vocational training if they so wish.

Facts about schools in Berlin

Germany, Berlin include, offer free education in all Public universities in the country.
Schools offer welcome classes for immigrant students who cannot speak German. The classes aim to help the students learn German as soon as possible before integrating them into the education school system. Once the student masters German, he or she is integrated into the regular lessons and the right classes based on their age.
Private Berlin schools offer different learning approaches, from traditional German, bi-lingual, or multicultural education.
Germany's education is based on the rules and regulations of the basic law, which stipulates that the Federal Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs and Science is in charge of all matters regarding education. But in Berlin, education is under the Senate Department for Education, youth and families.
The country performs averagely well in the PISA rankings. For instance, in 2018, the country ranked 16th compared to other OECD countries.
Berlin is one of the first in Germany's sixteen states to abolish pre-school fees.
Berlin also offers after-school daycare for primary school students. This daycare is known as Schulhort.
Parents wishing their children to learn a second language from the moment they join the first grade, can enroll them in European Schools, which are public schools that prioritize bi-lingual studies.
As of today, there are 17 primary schools and 13 secondary public European schools. All primary schools offer after school daycare. However, access to this service depends on the economic and social needs of the parents/guardian. Parents are required to get a voucher, which determines how much daycare the child is allowed depending on the needs of the family.

Edarabia showcases all private schools in Berlin through which parents can filter by tuition fees, curriculum, rankings & ratings. There are many public, private and charter schools near you that cater to both expat and local students.

Depending on the level of education; kindergartens (pre-schools), primary, secondary and high schools will all have varying tuition fees. Most K-12 schools offer different curriculums and extra-curricular activities to support the intellectual and physical wellbeing of students. Admissions for the top international schools in Berlin tend to have waiting lists so it is recommended that parents apply well in advance to secure a spot for their children. Additionally, each school has ratings based on parent reviews and are ranked below accordingly.

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