The Best International Schools in Italy

Nestling at the foot of the Aventine, the most exclusive of Rome’s seven hills, and a stone’s throw from the city’s great imperial sites, our international, non-profit, non-denominational high school for boarding and day students has built its academic program and reputation on the classical heritage of our host country, Italy, and the rigor of two prestigious educational models: the American, independent college-preparatory curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The St. Stephen’s Family and our values

At three hundred students, we are small; fifty-eight boarders constitute our ‘nuclear’ family. The experiential dimension of our curriculum, which includes an extensive trip program, confers a ‘hands-on’ feel to our academics, and our location, in the heart of the Eternal City and at the crossroads of Europe, provides a rich cultural context in which to learn and grow. The faculty at St. Stephen’s are scholars, artists, writers, and scientists who are passionate about their subjects and illuminate the minds and lives of the students they teach each day and every year. Our students come from all over the world to pursue their high school education in an atmosphere of scholarly endeavor, creative exploration, and multicultural exchange. The motto of the School’s founders in 1964 articulates the dedication to academic excellence shared by students and faculty alike:

• Mens (mind): the ability to think critically, creatively, and scientifically, coupled with a good dose of natural curiosity;
• Voluntas (will): the motivation to succeed and the potential to excel academically;
• Gratia (influence): interpreted as personal and social integrity, cooperation and concern for others, and commitment to community, both local and global.

The Pillars of Academic Excellence

We are an English-language international school in the heart of Rome whose small size and stimulating collaborative environment offer students a transformative college preparatory experience anchored by the highest standards of academic excellence. St. Stephen’s is a four-year, non-profit, independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school that draws on the strengths of both American and European education traditions to give our students a deeper understanding of the world grounded in Western culture.

Through close mentoring, intellectual inquiry, and inspired teaching in a small class setting, we motivate students to reach their fullest potential and take responsibility for their academic achievement, which readies them for the most competitive universities on both sides of the Atlantic and the joys and benefits of lifelong learning. We foster a warm, collaborative environment – enriched by a vibrant boarding program — so young people gain the confidence to find their true balance and engage fully as caring citizens in a diverse international community. We examine the rich historical layers of Rome as a source for academic inspiration and encourage students to engage its dynamic urban environment. We strive to provide a holistic preparatory experience that lays the foundation for continued academic achievement and a fulfilling life.

In 1964, St. Stephen’s School was established as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation in Connecticut, fueled solely by a bold dream. The School’s four founders, led by Dr. John O. Patterson, headmaster for thirteen years at the Kent School in Connecticut, had nothing tangible to offer the new corporation. They brought, instead, their dream and a combined total of more than one hundred years of experience in secondary school education. The founders included two longtime Kent associates of Dr. Patterson: Raydon Ronshaugen, former Assistant Headmaster and Curriculum Director at Kent School; Robert E.K. Rourke, a brilliant teacher and author who was a leader in American secondary school mathematics education; and F.D.L. Stewart, who had extensive teaching and administrative experience as a colleague of E.K. Rourke’s at Pickering College, Ontario. Together, they focused their expertise on developing a strong program of instruction to meet the entrance requirements of the finest American colleges.

The School, they agreed, “must be more than just another school; it must be a pace-setter for American education abroad, whose only excuse for being is excellence.”

The school attracted twenty-six teachers from renowned American prep schools like Choate Rosemary Hall, Philips Andover, Kent, Eaglebrook, and Gillman. They were joined by faculty from Italy, France, Norway, and other nations; all united in their dedication to bringing this pioneering academic vision to life. Together, they welcomed a diverse student body of one hundred and fifty students, half of whom were boarders representing various corners of the globe, from Addis Ababa to Medford, Oregon.

St. Stephen’s School provided a first-class curriculum with the best elements of a classical liberal arts education, including two years of Latin or Greek. Its founders chose Rome because they believed the city to be “the symbol and repository of the enduring ethical, cultural and religious values of the West” and “one of the most cosmopolitan international crossroads of the modern world.”

In 1975, St. Stephen’s became the first school in Italy to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Two years later, it celebrated its first two IB Diploma graduates. One of the first schools in Europe to adopt the International Baccalaureate, the School’s IB program produces strong results with an average diploma score of 35 points.

Throughout its history, St. Stephen’s School has earned a well-deserved reputation for academic rigor, both in Rome and beyond. After relocating twice, the school now resides in a spacious villa that was once a convent, nestled in the heart of Rome’s historic center, within close proximity to cultural marvels such as the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and the Roman Forum.

While experiencing rapid growth over the past two decades, the school has remained committed to engaging with both the local and international communities in Rome and providing support to U.S. citizens living abroad. The founders’ original dream of establishing a school driven by the pursuit of excellence, the holistic development of its community members, and maintaining the highest standards in all aspects remains vibrant and alive today.

Set against the backdrop of Rome’s unparalleled historical and artistic heritage, St. Stephen’s School embraces a global perspective, a commitment to service, and a dedication to fostering world citizenship. It stands as a testament to the founders’ visionary aspirations and remains firmly rooted in its tradition of academic excellence.

Smiling International School is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education and it is also an International Baccalaureate® World School authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme.

At Smiling International School, we aim to nurture, inspire and educate all children to achieve their personal best. Our goal is to provide our students with a broad, creative and well-balanced educational experience which prepares them to be citizens of the world.

Our School is based on two campuses, both in the center of Ferrara, a beautiful town in the Emilia Romagna region. The Porta Mare Campus hosts the Early Years (2-5 years old) and the first 3 years of the Primary School. The students of the last two years of Primary School, the Secondary School, the High Schools and the IB Diploma Programme are in the Ercole I D’Este campus.

The British School of Milan, founded in 1969, is rated among the top 5 IB schools in Europe, No.1 in Italy, and top 50 in the world. The BSM is the only school in Milan passing all the standards set by UK Government Inspectors (ISI).
The BSM is a not-for-profit school which provides world-class education to 720 students aged 3 to 18 of over 40 different nationalities. The school values cultural diversity and offers a rich international experience while rigorously following the UK National Curriculum from Nursery to Year 11 with the IB pursued in Years 12 an 13.
Academic results are outstanding and students progress to top universities around the globe. In the last few years they have gained places at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, LSE, Imperial, University College London, The University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, Università Bocconi, University of British Colombia, Sciences-Po and many other leading universities.
There is a strong emphasis on co-curricular activities with over 100 options available. The school is particularly proud of its exceptional music, art and drama departments. In addition, BSM acts as the Italian centre for the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music. The school nourishes a strong tradition of community service, with a scholarship and bursary fund recently inaugurated and its involvement in the International Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
The BSM is situated just outside the centre of Milan, close to the metro and on several bus routes. Linate airport and the popular Milano 2 residences are just minutes from the school.
Admission applications are accepted throughout the year.

Ambrit International School: a leading International Baccalaureate School in Rome, Italy. Ambrit embodies an internationally-minded learning community that empowers students to be global citizens and create solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.

Ambrit offers education for students ranging from Early Childhood (3-6 years), Elementary and Middle School. We provide an international education for students from diverse cultural backgrounds. The school’s programmes of study and activities foster the cognitive, aesthetic, physical, social, and emotional growth of the whole child, helping each child to reach his or her greatest potential in a stimulating and caring environment. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of identity, self-esteem, and independence. The interdisciplinary curriculum is designed to maintain high standards of academic learning while allowing children to make meaningful connections across subject areas using an inquiry-based approach. Classroom activities provide opportunities for cooperative and experiential learning which emphasize process-oriented skills and the communicative importance of language. Students leave Ambrit with an appreciation of different cultures and the tools to become life-long learners.

Founded 20 years ago, the Canadian School of Milan is a private international school providing quality education to students aged 3 to 18 of over 35 different nationalities. In the past few years, it has gained an exceptional reputation as one of the top schools in Milan, providing academic excellence in a supportive, student-centered environment that values student well-being and cultural diversity.

Situated in the heart of Milan, the two campuses offer families the convenience of walking or cycling to school through some of the city’s most beautiful and safest districts.

The school adopts a unique hybrid curriculum approach for its Primary School, with elements of the Ontario (Canadian), British, and Italian curricula. Transitioning to Middle School, students follow the International Baccalaureate MYP Programme, finally pursuing the IB Diploma programme in their final two years. A team of dedicated and highly qualified mentors provide personalized guidance to ensure students are well-prepared to obtain outstanding academic results. In addition, a dedicated University counsellor supports students in their university applications. Past acceptances to some of the top universities in the world include the University of Toronto, Stanford University, Bocconi University, Northwestern University, UCL London, New York University, University of St. Andrew’s, Leiden University-The Hague, Politecnico of Milan, University of Chicago, and Maastricht University.

An extensive co-curricular programme allows students to participate in a wide range of beyond-curriculum opportunities. Clubs include performing arts, team sports, ice skating, swimming, Model United Nations, Student Council, robotics, STEM, and much more. Moreover, students regularly participate in various fundraising efforts and community service.

Admission applications are welcomed throughout the year, subject to availability of places.

Rome International School (RIS) offers an unparalleled inclusive international education that prepares students to solve problems that have not yet been imagined and to work in jobs that may not yet exist.

We continue to be the only school in Rome authorised to offer both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme. The school is an accredited centre for the Cambridge IGCSE thereby ensuring the quality and consistency of a true international education.

Highly qualified, caring and experienced staff motivate and inspire students to achieve their potential, both academically and personally.
We teach students to think for themselves and to understand the significance of what they are learning in global and local contexts. Our inquiry-based educational approach places students at the centre of the learning process and encourages them to be active participants in their education.

Students who complete the rewarding educational journey at RIS progress to attend universities of their choice worldwide. They will have established a personal set of values that will lay the foundation for international mindedness and critical thinking to develop and flourish.

From the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award to a sustainability education partnership with WWF and Eco Schools, our community of learners can participate in enriching co-curricular and extracurricular activities that take learning beyond the classroom and make real-life connections.

The school’s state-of-the-art building has been purpose-built to meet every learning and teaching requirement. Nestled in almost four hectares of natural parkland in north-west Rome, close to the city centre, our campus offers students plenty of opportunities to play, discover and experiment.

Joining RIS means joining an extended international community.

We are a member of the Globeducate ICS family of schools, united by a vision to prepare each student to become a global citizen who can shape the world.

With a student intake of over 50 different nationalities, Rome International School is the ideal context for a rewarding and progressive educational experience.

World International School of Torino is an International Baccalaureate® World School for the PYP (Primary Years Programme), the MYP (Middle Years Programme) and the DP (Diploma Programme).

In WINS learning is an amazing adventure, where the student is always put at the center. We strongly believe that an international education gives the students the key to the world and the IB Diploma we offer is recognized both in Italy and abroad.

Our 16,000 square meters Campus, our bright and spacious classrooms and our integrated use of technology are very important to learn safely, and we foster a healthy and balanced life by providing students with fresh food cooked every day in our internal Canteen.

Our Boarding House is the perfect setting for living an amazing international learning experience.
Moreover, we support sports and creativity through our wide gym and our numerous labs (Art Lab, Music Lab, Science Lab, Design and IT Lab) and our two libraries.

WINS core values are to be found in the daily commitment of teachers and each faculty member, who work together with families and students to ensure the proper differentiation and the fulfillment of students’ potential and create a safe and respectful learning environment – herein lies our mission.

Established in 1996, St. Louis School is a leading co-educational Day & Boarding International School based in of Milan for 1500 students between the ages of 2 and 18. Located across three sites, the south-east premises (Via Caviglia and Via Colonna) comprise of an Early Years, Primary and Middle School and the High School (Palazzo Archinto) is located in a prime position, a stone throw from the Duomo. The Boarding School, located in Colonna Campus, offers full time boarding places for 14-18 year olds.

St George’s British International School is an inclusive, non-selective school and one of the leading UK and IB curriculum schools in continental Europe. It offers a broad and rigorous academic programme, a range of co-curricular activities and a strong pastoral system that develops all facets of each pupil’s personality so that they can take their place in the world as confident, caring and ambitious individuals. Founded in 1958 to serve Rome’s expatriate and international community, the main campus is a 14 acre site in the north of the city, with a further Junior School campus located close to the Vatican in central Rome.

The majority of teaching staff at St George’s are British nationals, with a small number of teachers also coming from other English speaking countries including the US. All are highly experienced and have previously taught in schools in the UK or internationally. They each hold university degrees, many have higher degrees and all have postgraduate teaching qualifications.

The pupils at St George’s represent 92 different nationalities. A large number of families have connections to the UN and the Diplomatic community. The annual graduating class typically consists of 75 pupils. An average class size for pupils in the IB Diploma Programme is 14.

Although the school follows a strong British curriculum and tradition, with English as the language of instruction, it is truly international in many respects. The celebration of cultural diversity as at the heart of the school’s ethos and admission policies. Whilst an expansive range of core and optional subjects are taught at various stages of the curriculum, Mathematics, the Sciences, English and foreign languages are always at the heart of every pupil’s curriculum.

An extensive co-curricular programme of over 200 different clubs and activities enables pupils to participate in a wide range of opportunities beyond the curriculum. There are a plethora of creative and performing arts clubs. Sports teams include rugby, football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, athletics and tennis. Other clubs include Model United Nations, Philosophy, Coding, Design, Environmental Awareness, LGBTQIA+ and Student Council. Pupils are also involved in raising funds for an orphanage in Zambia.

Being the longest established international school in the city, at International school of Milan students will find the strongest academic standards supported by the most progressive educational thinking that has served the international and Italian communities in Milan for over 60 years. The ethos, focused on achievement and underpinned by opportunity for all, will enable children to develop their confidence and be ready to embrace the challenges of the future.

The IB curriculum (which runs throughout all years) is a truly international one and is a perfect fit for the needs of all students. The PYP, MYP and IB Diploma programmes thoroughly prepare students for further study all around the world, including at some of the world’s leading universities.

The dedicated, international and skilled teaching body ensures that all students achieve highly at the school regardless of their ability. Their desire to challenge young minds is shaped by a growth mindset, ensuring that the focus is on every student achieving beyond what a school might ‘normally expect’.

A brand new boarding house was opened in September 2018 and can accommodate up to approximately 50 students. With the care and attention given by the staff, boarding at International school of Milan provides a truly transformative international educational experience for 14 to 18-year-olds.

The International School of Milan is proud of its position in the city as the premier international IB school in terms of its curriculum and outlook and is renowned for its high educational standards and caring learning environment. It is also an international community with over 50 nationalities and a student body that is proud to belong to the school community and enthusiastic about the learning they take part in.

The day school comprises two campuses. The Junior School, for pre-K through Grade 5, is housed in a beautiful villa, where the rural setting makes it easy to incorporate nature studies into its Units of Inquiries from the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). The Middle and High Schools are a five-minute walk from the famed Piazzale Michelangelo, with its stunning view over the city of Florence. Though resting in the nearby countryside, the Upper School campus is just 10 minutes from the historical center of Florence.

Castelli International School is exceptional in many ways. It provides a high-quality, well rounded international curriculum delivered by a dedicated, highly qualified, experienced and long-standing faculty. It is exceptional in terms of its small class sizes and the intimate sense of community that pervades the school. It is exceptional due to its idyllic location, nestled between olive groves and vineyards in the Castelli Romani hills, overlooking the city of Rome. Situated high above the city’s smog, our gratitude and respect for the environment and our relationship with it is something that is integrated into our learning each day.

Our school is a multilingual environment which fosters an international perspective through embracing diversity and placing value on the virtue of integrity. Our mission here at UIS is to provide an excellent education to all of our students from Early Childhood to High School. We strive to give our students the necessary tools to successfully navigate through life as they grow and become skilled and competent global citizens. IES graduates are confident and independent creative problem-solvers with a passion for learning. They are empathetic, open minded and resolute; appreciate their own culture and respect the cultures of others. They are future-ready global citizens who are prepared for the real world and want to make a difference.

Born in 1999, Acorn provides a stimulating dual curriculum programme of study that engages each child through study, exploration and inquiry. With more than 350 students, the school is a center of excellence recognized by:

– The Italian Ministry of Education as a foreign school in Italy
– The Cambridge University for exams preparation
– International Baccalaureate as a candidate school

Being part of the Ingenium Education, since 2023 the school became a special partner of OUP Oxford University for Professional Development of teachers, international curriculum, exam preparation and online learning.
We inspire our students to be critical, creative, innovative and enterprising problem-solvers and team-workers who are communicative and literate in multiple languages. We challenge our learners to strive for their individual potential and excellence, achieving the “knowledge, values, skills and understanding that they will require through their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence” (UNESCO, 1995).

We strive for excellence by aiming at nurturing the personal development of committed, empathic, open minded and responsible global citizens.
Acorn believes that every child has a right to the best education possible. We aim to develop both intellect and character within a stimulating and challenging dual curriculum, nurturing the development of conscientious and responsible global citizens, as well as life-long learners.

Respect for each other and for the world we live in are central values at Acorn International School. We teach and celebrate cultural diversity and individual differences. Through our project-based curriculum we study aspects of life and geographical features within cultures other than our own. Through fund raising, the students are encouraged to adopt an endangered animal and donate to charities supporting schools and children in developing countries.

Acorn is immersed in the Vejo Park Campus, northern-Rome. Our campus provides a balanced environment between classroom and laboratory spaces and meaningful outdoor experiences.

Our cutting-edge campus provides science, chemistry, physics and biology laboratories, libraries, open spaces, 2 sport gyms, 3 sport fields, auditorium an in-house canteen.

The International School of Bologna (ISB) is an independent co-educational, International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum school offering a high-quality Early Years to Grade 12 international education to day students residing in the Italian Emilia-Romagna region.

Since its inception in 2004 ISB has been committed to high quality learning through a holistic and balanced inquiry based university preparation educational program delivered in the English language medium. ISB is situated in the historical center of Bologna. The current school population is 275 students with around 55% expatriate families and 45% local families with one or both parents being Italian. ISB is strongly defined by the rich local culture. Bologna is home to the oldest university in the Western World and ISB takes pride in using its unique location as an educational resource making authentic real-life connections for students at all grade levels and in all subject groups, exposing students to conceptually connected learning experiences making Bologna our extended classroom.