Spain · Bilbao
ASB is a non-profit day school in Berango for ages 2–18. It offers the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes in English. New Diploma entrants pay substantially more than continuing ASB pupils.
American School of Bilbao (ASB) is a private, non-profit day school founded in 1967. All pupils attend its campus at Soparda Bidea 10 in Berango, outside central Bilbao.
The school offers an English-medium route from age two to Grade 12. Its clearest distinguishing feature is the full International Baccalaureate (IB) sequence, rather than an American national curriculum.
ASB divides the school into Early Years, PYP, MYP and Diploma stages:
The IB directory confirms PYP, MYP and DP authorisation. It records English as the teaching language and identifies ASB as co-educational and day-only.
The directory also lists subjects in which pupils are currently registered. That list can change, so a Diploma applicant should obtain the actual 2027 subject timetable before committing.
The DP requires six subjects plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity and Service. ASB reports a 97% average pass rate since 2015 and an average score of 34.
Those are school-published historical averages. Ask for the latest cohort size, pass rate and score distribution before using them to judge the current programme.
ASB’s current pages name the IB Diploma as the senior qualification. They do not confirm that pupils also receive a separate US high-school diploma, so families should not assume that second award.
For Spanish university applications, the IB Diploma is an eligible route. However, UNEDasiss says applicants generally need its accreditation, and requirements vary by university and course.
Some universities may also require subject recognition, language evidence or Specific Competency Tests. Diploma subject choice therefore matters well before the university application year.
ASB’s academic overview says academic teaching is in English. Pupils also study Spanish and Basque every day, while French becomes available in Middle School.
These language lessons do not make ASB a Spanish-medium or Basque-medium school. Families seeking substantial subject teaching in either local language should compare other options.
An IB-to-IB transfer is not automatic. PYP and MYP units vary by school, while Diploma completion depends on compatible subjects, levels and assessed work.
ASB does not publish a current policy for entry directly into Grade 12. A late Diploma applicant needs written confirmation that the existing subject combination and internal-assessment record can be continued.
The live admissions page still invites applications for 2026–27. Its FAQ says admissions are rolling and mid-year entry is possible.
No 2027–28 timetable or grade-by-grade vacancy list was public on 4 September 2026. Earlier priority rules and February deadlines are absent from the current page and should not be treated as live policy.
The practical sequence is:
Early Childhood and Grade 1 applicants receive a readiness evaluation. From Grade 2, ASB uses adaptive academic assessment, such as NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), to understand attainment and English proficiency.
The same page contains an unresolved inconsistency. Its introduction particularly targets pupils who are neither native English speakers nor from Council of International Schools (CIS) or IB schools.
The FAQ instead says the Grade 2+ assessment is waived only for pupils arriving directly from another IB World School. CIS-school applicants should ask which statement governs their application.
The current page publishes no admissions priority hierarchy or decision timescale. Sibling status, nationality and application date should therefore not be assumed to confer priority without written confirmation.
The PYP page names English-language learning and individual academic support. The MYP page adds weekly homeroom guidance, access to a school psychologist and university counselling in the upper grades.
The admissions page prices additional language or learning support at €82–€246 a month. It does not define the number of sessions, the charging months or which needs the school can accommodate.
Assessment is therefore also a capacity check. Before paying non-refundable fees, send current specialist reports and request a written plan covering frequency, staffing, classroom adjustments and review points.
The public site does not give detailed admissions criteria for special educational needs and disabilities, or an accessibility audit. A campus visit should test physical access and the proposed support against the child’s actual needs.
The current fee table distinguishes annual tuition from the registration contribution. Registration is described as a one-time, non-refundable contribution to the school’s Social Fund.
| Programme / grade | Annual tuition | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Preschool, age 2–3 | €7,160 | €3,518 |
| Nursery, age 3–4 | €7,923 | €3,518 |
| Pre-Kinder, age 4–5 | €7,923 | €3,518 |
| Kindergarten, age 5–6 | €7,923 | €3,518 |
| Grade 1 | €8,770 | €3,518 |
| Grade 2 | €9,234 | €3,518 |
| Grades 3–5 | €9,985 | €3,518 |
| Grades 6–7 | €9,985 | €4,725 |
| Grade 8 | €10,341 | €4,725 |
| Grades 9–10 | €10,922 | €4,725 |
| Grades 11–12, continuing ASB pupils | €11,980 | €6,300 |
| Grades 11–12, new DP entrants | €15,246 | €6,300 |
The two Diploma tuition rates differ by €3,266 a year. A new Grade 11 entrant’s published core first-year cost is €21,821, including registration and the supplies fee but excluding optional services and support.
The registration contribution is paid in two instalments: €1,500 in April and the balance in May. A mid-year entrant should ask for a different written due-date schedule.
The table creates an important ambiguity. It repeats €6,300 beside continuing ASB pupils in Grades 11–12, while the text says registration is charged only once upon admission.
Families already at ASB should ask whether that figure is reference information or an additional transition charge. Do not include it in a continuing-pupil budget without confirmation.
New applications carry a €300 pre-registration fee. ASB deducts it from registration after admission and refunds it if the child is not admitted.
The current page does not say what happens if the family withdraws the application or declines an offered place. Resolve that point before paying.
ASB says tuition includes IB materials and standard activities, yet it separately charges €275 for books and supplies. Ask what each category covers and which trips, devices or examinations remain outside both.
Registration discounts apply to siblings enrolled simultaneously. They are 15% for the third child, 20% for the fourth and 25% from the fifth child.
Tuition discounts are 20% for the third child and 25% from the fourth. The page does not publish a financial-aid or bursary programme.
Tuition, bus and lunch are normally billed in ten instalments from September to June. A 1.25% annual-tuition discount required a single-payment request before 15 July, so that 2026–27 window has closed.
Enrolled pupils are charged a €500 reservation in February or March for the following year. It is credited to the September bill.
The public 2026–27 page does not set out withdrawal notice, remaining tuition liability, late-payment consequences or refunds after the school year starts. It also omits the reservation fee’s treatment if a pupil does not return.
Do not apply cancellation terms from ASB’s summer or after-school English programmes to full-time school enrolment. Those are separate services with separate contracts.
ASB has no boarding. Its campus page gives approximate hours of 08:15–15:30, with variations by age, and identifies Berango metro nearby.
The paid bus serves broad route areas, not guaranteed stops. Confirm availability, stop location, supervision and journey length from the intended home before choosing accommodation.
ASB does not publish a guardian service or immigration sponsorship. An offer of admission does not itself establish a child’s right to live in Spain.
EU citizens staying beyond three months should check Spain’s residence-registration requirements. Non-EU families should identify the applicable family, study or pupil-mobility route through the Spanish immigration authority.
A child relocating without a parent needs specialist advice on immigration, parental consent and the responsible adult in Spain. Obtain that advice before paying non-refundable school charges.
ASB is a strong shortlist choice for a family wanting English-medium IB continuity and daily exposure to Spanish and Basque. It is less suitable when boarding or a guaranteed high-support placement is essential.
The financial decision is most sensitive for new Diploma entrants. Their tuition is higher, the entry contribution is substantial, and the current public page leaves withdrawal liability unpublished.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
A British day school for ages 2–18 in Leioa. Confirm the available secondary courses and request current tuition together with compulsory service charges.
Esplugues de LlobregatASB is a co-educational day school for ages 3–18 in Esplugues de Llobregat. Core teaching is in English, with Spanish and Catalan courses. Every graduate earns a US high-school diploma and can add an IB pathway.
MadridASM is an English-medium, co-educational day school from EC3 to Grade 12. Every graduate earns its US diploma; eligible pupils may add the IB Diploma or Spanish Bachillerato.
ValenciaASV is an English-medium day school in Puçol. It teaches from Nursery through Grade 12 and offers the optional IB Diploma in Grades 11–12. Spanish Bachillerato certification depends on completing specified Spanish subjects.
The American School of Bilbao in Berango offers the full IB continuum. St. George’s in Leioa follows the British curriculum through IGCSE and A Levels.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.