List of 6 Best Schools in Netherlands (2026 Fees)

In the Netherlands, education is compulsory for children ages 5 to 16. While most primary schools teach in Dutch, there are bilingual primary schools where children are taught in English for 30% to 50% of the day. Most forms of education are government-funded as there is a belief in free education.

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Facts about schools in the Netherlands:

• There are private and public institutions at all levels of education
• The private institutions are predominantly based on religious or ideological principles
• Primary and secondary schools teach in Dutch and English
• Children are only allowed to miss school if there is an emergency or for family-related reasons; this is because the Dutch school attendance law (leerplichtwet) is very strict.
• As ranked by the World Economic Forum, the Netherlands is the third most educated country in the world
• The ‘leerlingvolgsystem’ monitoring system is used to register the achievements of elementary school students
• Public schools in the Netherlands are state schools, but some base their education on some philosophic or special pedagogic principles
• Other types of schools in the Netherlands include international schools, private international, special schools (for those of special needs) and iPad schools (where children use only iPads and educational apps instead of traditional school equipment).

Edarabia showcases all private schools in Netherlands 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 Netherlands 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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