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Begin with our international schools in Berlin directory, which lists every school by curriculum and stage, because most international families in Berlin choose a day school rather than boarding. Boarding provision in and around the city is genuinely limited, and only one school offers it in English, so this is a short and honest list rather than a long ranking. To compare boarding against strong day options, the school finder filters by stage and priorities.
The schools below all provide real residential places, but they differ sharply in language and intake. We have been explicit about which is English-medium and international and which are German-medium state schools, because that distinction decides whether a school is realistic for an internationally mobile family. Confirm current boarding capacity and the ages taken directly, as places are few.
The shortlist
Berlin Brandenburg International School
Berlin Brandenburg International School, BBIS, runs what it describes as the first English-language boarding school in Germany, with around seventy boarding students from across the world in the senior grades. The boarding house sits on the school's large campus in Kleinmachnow, between Berlin and Potsdam, and boarders follow the same IB pathway as day students. For an international family who wants English-medium boarding within reach of Berlin, BBIS is effectively the only option, which makes early application important given the limited number of places.
Konigin-Luise-Stiftung
The Konigin-Luise-Stiftung is a long-established school with a boarding house in Berlin's southwest, taking roughly sixty to seventy boarders aged eleven to eighteen, most of whom come from the Berlin area. Teaching is in German, so it suits families who want their child fully integrated into the German system with the structure of boarding, rather than an English-medium international programme. It is a realistic choice for German-speaking families and worth a direct enquiry about places and entry requirements.
Schulfarm Insel Scharfenberg
Schulfarm Insel Scharfenberg is a state academic Gymnasium with a boarding house on an island in the Tegeler See in the north of Berlin, with room for around eighty-five boarders. As a state school it teaches in German and charges only the modest costs of a state boarding place, and its unusual island setting gives it a distinctive outdoor, community character. Like the Konigin-Luise-Stiftung it is a German-medium route, so it fits families committed to the German system rather than an international curriculum.
How we chose
We listed only schools we could confirm offer genuine residential boarding in or near Berlin, and we have been deliberately clear about language of instruction because it is the deciding factor for most international families. Only BBIS provides English-medium international boarding, so families who need teaching in English and a globally portable qualification realistically have one option in the region. The two state schools provide real boarding but teach in German, which makes them suitable for families committing to the German system rather than an international pathway. We did not rank or rate these schools, and because boarding capacity is small everywhere, the practical step is to contact each school early about places, ages taken and entry requirements. Families who decide a day school is the better fit should look at the wider Berlin secondary schools guide.
Compare Berlin boarding and day schools
Tell us your child's stage and priorities and the school finder returns a matched Berlin shortlist, boarding or day.
Start the school finderFees and next steps
Boarding costs in Berlin split cleanly along the same line as language. The private international option, BBIS, charges full international tuition plus a separate boarding fee for accommodation and meals, while the two state boarding schools charge only the modest contributions of a state place. Rather than quote figures that move each year, we keep the live tuition bands in our guide to international school fees in Berlin, and you should ask each school directly for the current boarding charge on top of tuition, along with any deposit.
To take the next step, use the school finder, browse the full Berlin schools directory, or compare the related shortlist of the best schools for sixth form in Berlin if a senior day school is also in scope.
Common questions
There is one English-medium international boarding option in the region: Berlin Brandenburg International School, BBIS, which describes itself as the first English-language boarding school in Germany and houses around seventy senior boarders on its Kleinmachnow campus. The other boarding schools near Berlin teach in German.
The Konigin-Luise-Stiftung in Berlin's southwest boards roughly sixty to seventy students aged eleven to eighteen, and Schulfarm Insel Scharfenberg is a state Gymnasium with an island boarding house on the Tegeler See with room for about eighty-five. Both teach in German and suit families in the German system.
BBIS takes boarders in the senior grades, roughly Grades 9 to 12. The Konigin-Luise-Stiftung boards from around age eleven to eighteen, and Schulfarm Insel Scharfenberg boards secondary-age Gymnasium students. Confirm the exact ages and current capacity with each school, as places are limited.
The private international option, BBIS, charges full international tuition plus a separate boarding fee for accommodation and meals, while the state boarding schools charge only modest state contributions. We keep tuition bands in our international school fees in Berlin guide and recommend asking each school for the current boarding charge directly.
No. Most international families in Berlin choose a day school, and boarding is a small, specialised part of the market with few places. If English-medium boarding is essential, BBIS is effectively the only option, so apply early; otherwise the city's day schools offer far more choice.