São Paulo

This guide covers São Paulo’s schools, fees and neighbourhoods. For the national curriculum mix, family visas, equivalência of school records and international schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and other cities, see our Brazil country guide.

São Paulo offers a wide range of school programmes and fees. A 2024 academic comparison used 2022 fees at St Francis, St Paul’s, St Nicholas and Chapel, ranging from EUR 21,285 to EUR 24,000 after conversion. It compared these with seven to eight annual Brazilian minimum wages. This is historical affordability context. ↗

Graded in Vila Andrade charges 2026–27 tuition of R$12,818 monthly for PK3–Grade 5 and R$15,906 for Grades 6–12 across twelve instalments: R$153,816 and R$190,872 annually, billed on a July–June year that is separate from the teaching calendar. Graded profile ↗

Graded’s terms describe a Capital Fund Donation and a deposit equal to 40% of July tuition. Confirm the donation amount and how the deposit is credited before calculating the total. The listed Grade 12 IB examination charges are US$565–1,070, subject to the applicable current schedule. Mid-year tuition is charged from the start of the fiscal quarter: a March entry can mean billing from January. ↗

St Paul’s in Jardim Paulistano combines English and Brazilian studies, IGCSE and the IB Diploma. A historical 2024–25 consular compilation lists registration of R$40,600 in primary to R$12,182 in high school, and monthly tuition of R$10,541–13,314. ↗

Graded and St Paul’s have different curricula and diploma arrangements, and availability is decided grade by grade.

British College of Brazil: Nord Anglia’s 2026–27 schedule lists annual tuition of R$97,520 for Pre-Nursery/Nursery, R$126,496 for Years 1–5 and R$149,542 for Years 7–13. Additional terms include a R$16,200 initial fee, eleven meal payments of R$1,050 and an early-withdrawal charge of 15% of remaining monthly fees. ↗

Avenues São Paulo offers English-Portuguese immersion. A secondary 2026–27 listing gives annual fees of R$119,905 for nursery, R$203,903 for kindergarten and R$234,395 for Grades 1–12. ↗

Other IB options: St Nicholas began in 1980 and has Pinheiros and Alphaville campuses; school material describes Alphaville as full-continuum from 2024. Chapel, founded in 1947 in Chácara Santo Antônio, offers American, Brazilian and IB qualifications subject to their requirements. Beacon, St Francis and Escola Internacional de Alphaville are further options; an undated secondary fee range for the latter is R$62,475–90,421. ↗ ↗

Lycée Pasteur in Vila Mariana is a French-curriculum school preparing students for the Baccalauréat; the fee range in secondary sources carries no academic year. ↗

German and other European programmes: Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro dates to 1878 and offers several campuses and qualification routes. Other options include Colégio Humboldt in Interlagos, Escola Suíço-Brasileira in Alto da Boa Vista, Colégio Miguel de Cervantes, Dante Alighieri and Eugenio Montale. ↗

Brazilian bilingual options: Bandeirantes, Móbile, Santa Cruz and Brazilian tracks at other schools may be worth investigating. Ask about teaching language by subject, entry assessments, calendar and preparation for Brazilian or overseas universities. A bilingual label describes language provision, not a fee band or an international diploma.

Brazilian-calendar schools generally run from February to December; some international schools follow an August-start year, and grade placement follows the child’s records. Graded’s fiscal year starts in July, which describes billing rather than the first teaching day. ↗

Compare the full annual quotation: enrolment, tuition instalments, meals, transport, support, examination fees and any capital charges. BCB’s schedule lists ESL support at R$940 monthly and separate examination charges. Sibling discounts follow each school’s own eligibility and calculation rules. ↗

If your income or education allowance is in a different currency from the school invoice, clarify conversion and reimbursement terms with the employer. A capped dollar allowance and a capped real allowance expose the family to different changes. ↗

Map the exact campus before comparing housing. Graded is in Vila Andrade, St Paul’s in Jardim Paulistano, St Nicholas has Pinheiros and Alphaville sites, and Lycée Pasteur is in Vila Mariana. Alphaville is west of the city in the Barueri area. Broad labels such as Morumbi or Itaim Bibi cover large districts, so map the specific school entrance. ↗

Bus pickup and return schedules, including after activities, vary by school and route. Compare school-run journeys, transport supervision and housing access for each shortlisted home.