Given that the education system in Romania is going through a period in which it suffers due to austerity measures, the idea of enrolling the child in a private school seems a viable alternative for those who can afford it. However, the costs are not to be ignored, in the big cities of the country, the prices assume a monthly payment above the average salary in the economy, just for schooling, without additional services such as meals or excursions.
The advantages include dedicated time on the part of teachers and a service infrastructure in which more is invested. All this in the conditions where the merging of schools and overcrowding have led to the situation where, in the public system, there are 30 children in a class, the programs dedicated to lunch breaks have become the subject of jokes and after school programs are only planned at the organizational level in the future.
In the midst of registration for the 2026-2027 school year, parents are also looking for facilities.
The capital is by far the city with the highest taxes
The costs for private education in the Capital vary in a huge spectrum, starting from 2,600 euros and reaching up to 20,000 euros annually in elite institutions.
The most expensive private schools are generally those with an international profile. At the top of the ranking is the British School of Bucharest, located in Voluntari, where fees for the primary cycle reach approximately 18,700 euros per year.
Another important name is the Laude-Reut Educational Complex, with annual fees between 14,000 and 14,600 euros.
In the middle-upper area is the Cambridge School of Bucharest, where costs vary between approximately 7,500 and 13,500 euros per year, depending on the level of study. Avenor College has a comparable offer, with fees between 8,000 and 12,000 euros annually, an institution known for integrating the British curriculum with elements from the Romanian system. And at ICHB, the prices are around 9,000 euros per year.
Last but not least, the International School of Bucharest falls into the same price segment, with fees between 7,500 and 12,500 euros per year.
The most affordable ones are located between 700 euros per month like the Luca School or 7000 euros per year like the Finnish School in Bucharest.
Cluj is close to Bucharest but not with so many advantages
Cluj-Napoca is in an estimated range of approximately €4,000 – €12,000 per year for private education. In the case of international schools, such as Transylvania College, costs can reach around €1,000 per month, which is around €12,000 annually. However, there are also more affordable local options, where the fees vary between 1,800 and 4,500 lei per month.
And the competition makes the prices in Cluj very high, unlike other cities, there are about 30 private kindergartens in Cluj.
Timișoara, Iași and Brașov fall within a general range of approximately €3,000 – €10,000 per year for private education. These cities are characterized by fewer elite international schools, but offer more bilingual or Montessori options.
As for the costs, they are generally lower than in Bucharest and comparable to the average segment in Cluj.
And for kindergartens and crèches, all the big cities have the highest fees: in Bucharest the fees are generally the highest, frequently reaching approximately 1,500–3,500 lei per month, while in Cluj-Napoca they usually vary between 1,000 and 2,500 lei per month.
In Timișoara and Iași the level is slightly lower, being around 900–2,000 lei per month, and in Constanta the prices are generally comparable to Iași and Timișoara, starting from approximately 800–2,000 lei per month, depending on the program (normal or extended), food and activities included, according to a study carried out by clubulcopiilor.ro.
The fees shown do not include all integrated services
Fees shown by schools do not always include all actual costs. Often they do not cover meals, which can add between €1,000 and €2,000 per year, transport or various extra activities such as clubs or exam fees.
In addition, some institutions charge additional fees, such as an enrollment fee that can vary between €200 and €1,000, but also separate administrative costs. The significant price differences between schools are mainly influenced by the type of curriculum (Romanian versus international systems such as Cambridge or IB), the presence of international teachers and the level of facilities offered, such as the campus, sports infrastructure or technological equipment.
