American School of Madrid
🇪🇸 Madrid · Founded 1961 · American / IB · Ages 3-18
A long-established American international school in Pozuelo de Alarcon offering a triple-credential pathway (US diploma, IB Diploma, Spanish Bachillerato) backed by three independent accreditations.
Curricula
American, IB
Age range
3-18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD EUR 11,593-23,878/year (2026-2027, private rate; corporate rates higher)
Enrollment
974
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), Spanish Ministry of Education, International Baccalaureate Organization
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
The American School of Madrid (ASM) has educated students of all nationalities since its founding in 1961 by members of The American Club in Madrid. It is a not-for-profit K-12 school on a single campus in Pozuelo de Alarcon, serving roughly 1,000 students across Lower, Middle and Upper Schools (ages 3 to 18). English is the language of instruction, and the student body is described by the school as roughly one third American, one third Spanish and one third drawn from some 60 other countries.
Academically, ASM is distinctive for its triple-credential structure. The school states that a graduate can earn a US High School Diploma, the IB Diploma, and the Spanish Bachillerato. It is an IB World School authorized for the IB Diploma Programme, and the school reports that the average IB score of the top 30 percent of the Class of 2024 was 37.9 points. The Spanish program meets Spanish Ministry of Education requirements for Lingua and Cultura, letting graduates convert ASM grades into Spanish-system scores.
Oversight is unusually layered for a Spanish setting where there is no national graded-inspection band: ASM holds accreditation from three independent bodies. The Middle States Association re-accredits the school every seven years against operational standards, the International Baccalaureate Organization re-accredits every five years, and the school is recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. This triple-accreditation depth is the basis for an 'A' on the accreditation dimension.
Learner support spans K-12 and explicitly includes English Language Acquisition alongside reading, writing, math and executive-function support. The school notes a limit on its support capacity in upper grades: applicants to Grades 6-12 who would require substantial program modification are not accepted, so families needing heavy intervention should confirm fit before applying.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Spain has no national graded-inspection band, so 'S' is unavailable by rule. ASM rates 'A' on accreditation depth because it holds and maintains three independent accreditations - Middle States Association (re-accredited every seven years), the International Baccalaureate Organization (every five years), and recognition by the Spanish Ministry of Education - each with its own self-study and external review cycle.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Triple-credential pathway: graduates can earn a US High School Diploma, the IB Diploma, and the Spanish Bachillerato.
- Three independent accreditations (MSA, IBO, Spanish Ministry of Education) with active multi-year re-accreditation cycles.
- Strong reported IB outcomes - the top 30 percent of the Class of 2024 averaged 37.9 IB points.
- Long institutional track record, operating continuously since 1961 as a not-for-profit school.
- Genuinely tri-national community (roughly one third American, one third Spanish, one third from ~60 countries) with English as the language of instruction.
Trade-offs
- Learning support is capped in upper grades - applicants to Grades 6-12 needing substantial program modification are not accepted.
- Premium fees, rising to roughly EUR 23,878/year at the top grades on the private rate (higher at corporate rates).
- Single suburban campus in Pozuelo de Alarcon, less convenient for families based in central Madrid.
- No graded external inspection exists in Spain, so prospective families cannot benchmark against a published inspection rating.
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Internationally mobile families who want a recognized US diploma plus the IB Diploma in one school.
- ✓Spanish and dual-national families wanting access to both Spanish universities (via the Bachillerato pathway) and US/international universities.
- ✓Students aiming for high IB outcomes in an English-medium environment.
- ✓Families valuing long-standing, multiply-accredited institutional stability.
Not Ideal For
- ✕Students in Grades 6-12 who require substantial learning-support program modification.
- ✕Families seeking a boarding placement - ASM operates as a day school.
- ✕Families wanting a central-Madrid location rather than the Pozuelo de Alarcon suburb.
- ✕Families seeking a low-cost or budget international school.
Curriculum
An American college-preparatory K-12 curriculum taught in English, with the IB Diploma Programme in the Upper School and a Spanish program meeting Spanish Ministry requirements. The school states graduates can earn all three credentials - US diploma, IB Diploma, and Spanish Bachillerato.
Fees
Annual tuition on the private rate runs from EUR 11,593 (Early Childhood 3-4) to EUR 23,878 (Grades 9-12) for 2026-2027; corporate rates are materially higher (EC3-4 EUR 16,726 up to Grades 9-12 EUR 31,596). One-time fees include a EUR 250 application fee, a EUR 2,000 registration fee credited toward tuition, and a capital fee (EUR 6,000 private / EUR 8,100 corporate for Grades EC5-12); a EUR 950 annual matriculation fee also applies. Sibling discounts of 10 percent (third child) and 20 percent (additional children) are offered.
Admissions
Admissions describe a community roughly one third American, one third Spanish, and one third from some 60 other countries. English Language Acquisition support is available, but applicants to Grades 6-12 who would need substantial program modification are not accepted, so support fit is assessed before admission.
Campus Life
A single not-for-profit campus at Calle America 3, Pozuelo de Alarcon, on the western edge of Madrid, structured into Lower School (ages 3-11), Middle School (11-14) and Upper School (14-18). Bus service and cafeteria are offered, consistent with a day-school model serving the metropolitan Madrid area.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: the average IB score of the top 30 percent of the Class of 2024 was 37.9 points, and graduates pursue the US diploma, IB Diploma and Spanish Bachillerato giving access to US, international and Spanish universities.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- ASM official site - homepage (founded 1961, IB average 37.9 Class of 2024) · 2026-06
- ASM official site - accreditation (MSA, Spanish Ministry, IBO; IB Diploma) · 2026-06
- ASM official site - tuition and fees (EUR figures by grade) · 2026-06
- ASM official site - learner support (English Language Acquisition / EAL) · 2026-06
- Wikipedia - American School of Madrid (founding, enrollment 974, MSA) · 2026-06
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