Best Online School in Spain: How To Choose

We are a US-accredited international online school that coexists with local schooling. Families are responsible for ensuring compliance with any local education requirements applicable to their situation.

Understanding the Spanish Online Education Landscape

When families search for an online school in Spain, they’re often looking at three completely different things at once. There are Spanish language schools targeting adult learners who want to study Spanish as a foreign language – institutions like CLIC International House or Camino Barcelona, which operate centers in Spain and teach Spanish to international students. There are online degree programs from private universities offering business administration, international relations, and management degrees to adult learners. And there is the K-12 market: schools serving children from kindergarten through grade 12.

These are not interchangeable. A Spanish language school in Barcelona that offers group classes in language instruction is not an alternative to a full school curriculum for a 14-year-old. Keeping that distinction clear saves families significant time.

Spanish Language Schools: Who They’re For

Spain has a long-established network of Spanish language schools, particularly in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. Camino Barcelona, CLIC International House, and similar centers offer structured programs in Spanish as a foreign language for adult learners and older teenagers. Classes range from intensive short courses to longer programs. These schools do not offer accredited K-12 academic curricula and are not designed to fulfill compulsory education requirements for children.

For families where language acquisition is a component of the move to Spain – a child joining a Spanish-speaking school, for instance – supplementary Spanish language instruction from these providers can be useful alongside a main school placement.

Online Degrees from Spanish Universities

Private universities in Spain have developed online learning programs extensively over the past decade. Institutions in Madrid and Barcelona offer distance learning options in business administration, international relations, communication, and other disciplines at university degree level. Students worldwide can enroll. Universities in Spain that offer internationally recognized programs attract learners from Latin America, Europe, and beyond.

This category is for adult learners and university-age students. It is not relevant to families looking for a K-12 school for their child. For those families, the choice narrows to international schools and accredited online providers.

International Schools in Spain: The Traditional Option

For expat families who want face-to-face instruction, international schools remain the established route. British schools, American schools, and international baccalaureate programs exist in Madrid, Barcelona, and other major cities. Class sizes vary, tuition typically runs from €10,000 to €25,000 per year depending on the school and grade level, and admission is competitive in major cities.

Taught in English, following internationally recognized curricula, these schools provide a structured environment with physical presence. The tradeoff is cost, geographic dependence, and the difficulty of maintaining curriculum continuity when a family moves between countries.

Accredited Online Private School: What Legacy Offers

Legacy Online School is a WASC-approved private online school founded in 2023. We serve over 1,200 children in 30+ countries, including expats across Spain. Live daily lessons, qualified teachers, a maximum of 15 learners per live group class, and an American curriculum through FLVS (FlexPoint Education Cloud) are the foundation.

What that means practically: a child in Madrid or Valencia attends live classes with a teacher and classmates, follows a sequenced curriculum from elementary through high school, and works toward a US high school diploma accredited by WASC. The school is affiliated with the College Board at Level I status (school code 000114) and offers 19 AP courses – credits recognized by over 3,900 universities worldwide.

“WASC accreditation is a school improvement process and therefore is a process that serves as the foundation for quality education. An accredited school is a statement to the broader community and the stakeholders that it is a trustworthy institution for student learning and committed to ongoing improvement.”

— ACS WASC, Frequently Asked Questions

Three learning plans are available. Live Group brings children into real-time classes with up to 15 peers. One-on-One delivers individual lessons on a fully customizable schedule. Self-Paced allows learners to move through the curriculum on their own timeline, with teacher feedback and grading throughout. All three are equally valid – the right choice depends on your child’s learning style and your family’s schedule.

Tuition and fees start significantly below comparable international school costs.

Legacy AP Courses and College Prep for Families in Spain

For families in Spain with older children targeting American or internationally recognized universities, the Advanced Placement program is available without restriction. AP is administered by the College Board and accepted by universities across the world.

“Most colleges and universities use AP as a factor in evaluating candidates for admission. Two-thirds of admissions and enrollment leadership indicate that AP courses are extremely or very helpful in evaluating candidates for admission.”

— College Board, Using AP in College Enrollment

Legacy offers 19 AP courses alongside structured college guidance programs and dual enrollment partnerships with Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of South Florida (USF). For older learners who want a concrete college-prep track while living in Spain, this is a substantive offering. A 16-year-old in Barcelona taking AP Calculus and AP Spanish Language through Legacy sits the same College Board exams in May as peers at top US high schools – same exam, same score scale, same university credit.

Summer school and part-time K-12 programs are also available – useful for families whose children attend a local Spanish school for most subjects and want to add American-curriculum courses, English instruction, or AP preparation.

Who Uses Legacy in Spain

Expat families across Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella, Malaga, and the Canary Islands use Legacy as a primary or supplementary school. Digital nomads on short stays. Families on non-lucrative visas who need curriculum continuity. Children who have moved multiple times and cannot afford to start over academically each time. One family relocated from Madrid to Malaga mid-year – their son continued the same Legacy curriculum without interruption, same teacher, same cohort.

Virtual clubs and extracurricular activities are included in all plans, which matters for social development – a concern parents regularly raise about online schooling.

A Note on Legal Compliance in Spain

For full K-12 enrollment: expat families on temporary visas may use Legacy as their primary provider with the understanding that visa conditions vary. Families must verify whether their specific visa requires proof of enrollment at a Spanish school. Legacy’s Enrollment Confirmation Letter is available on request and supports administrative processes, but it does not substitute for legal advice.

AP courses, College Prep, English Language Learning (ELL), and summer school are available to all families in Spain – expat and local – without restriction.

Locals and permanent residents looking at full K-12 replacement should verify their legal situation with a qualified Spanish lawyer before withdrawing their children from a Spanish school.

Want to explore whether Legacy is the right fit for your child? Book a free trial class and speak with our team.

Top Tips from Our Expert

Maya Robinson, College Prep Advisor at Legacy Online School

• Don’t conflate “accredited” with “internationally accredited” – these are different claims. Legacy is WASC-accredited, which is one of six US regional accrediting bodies. That carries real weight in US and international university admissions. “Internationally accredited” is a marketing phrase, not a standards body.
• For families in Spain who want their child to apply to American universities, start AP coursework no later than 10th grade. Admissions offices at competitive US colleges expect to see AP scores on a transcript from 11th grade onward at a minimum.
• Dual enrollment with ASU or USF means your child earns real university credits while still in high school. This is not a conceptual benefit – it is credits that transfer. Confirm transferability with the specific receiving university before enrolling in a dual enrollment course.
• If your child is in middle school right now, the curriculum decisions you make in the next two years directly affect which AP courses are accessible in high school. Sequence matters. Speak with our college guidance team early.
• If your child is joining a Spanish school and you want them to keep an American academic track in parallel, enroll in part-time K-12 before the school year starts – not halfway through. Course sequencing matters, and catching up mid-year costs more time than it saves.