International schools in Copenhagen, 2026

The Copenhagen school landscape in 2026

Copenhagen's expat economy spans four established sectors and one emerging one. Pharma anchors the Greater Copenhagen Medicon Valley cluster around Novo Nordisk, Lundbeck and Genmab. Shipping centres on Maersk and the wider Nordic maritime ecosystem. Renewables and energy transition technology are growing rapidly, with Orsted as the flagship and a deep base of wind, hydrogen and grid technology suppliers. Fintech has matured into a meaningful sector through Saxo Bank, Pleo and a growing payments ecosystem. The fifth, gaming and creative technology, has expanded in the last five years around studios and Nordic talent.

The international school market that serves these sectors is unusually deep for a city of Copenhagen's size. Copenhagen International School (CIS) is one of the largest single campus IB World Schools in Europe with around 950 students from over 80 nationalities. Rygaards School and Sankt Petri Skole add further capacity. The Lycee Francais Prins Henrik provides a full French national curriculum pathway. Several Danish bilingual private schools (privatskoler) operate in English to a partial extent.

Three structural points define the Copenhagen decision. First, Danish state schools (folkeskoler) are free and well rated in PISA, but they teach in Danish. Children with no Danish ability take 12 to 18 months to integrate, supported by modtagerklasse (reception class) programmes. Second, Copenhagen's privatskoler are partly state subsidised, with fees materially lower than the international sector, while teaching the Danish curriculum. Third, the city is geographically compact and well served by metro, train and cycling infrastructure, so school commutes are short by international standards.

How we rank Copenhagen's schools

Our Copenhagen ranking weights five factors equally: IB Diploma scores and university destinations over the past two cohorts, faculty stability and qualifications, language of instruction and EAL capacity, physical infrastructure including SEN provision, and parent satisfaction from our verified review database. We do not weight fees, which we treat separately so that families can layer cost on top of an honest quality view.

For longer reading on selection methodology that travels across cities, see our piece on how to choose an international school. For Denmark specific moving practicalities, our moving to Denmark with children guide covers residency, CPR registration and the school enrolment paperwork.

The 2026 shortlist by curriculum

IB Diploma and continuum

Copenhagen International School (CIS) in Nordhavn is the largest and best resourced IB World School in Denmark. Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP), purpose built waterfront campus opened in 2017, around 950 students from 80+ nationalities. Diploma cohorts of 100 plus with consistent average scores in the mid 30s and strong university destinations across UK, US, Asia and continental Europe. Default Tier 1 shortlist entry for relocating expat families.

Rygaards School in Hellerup offers an English language section alongside a French language section, with the IB Middle Years and Diploma programmes available at senior cycle. Smaller cohort than CIS, with stronger Catholic and Francophone roots. A credible alternative for families wanting a smaller community feel and bilingual exposure.

International School of Hellerup (ISH) is a smaller boutique IB school in the same suburb, offering PYP through MYP with strong personalised learning. Newer than CIS and Rygaards. Worth shortlisting for families with younger children seeking a small community feel.

British and American

The Bjorn's International School in central Copenhagen teaches a Danish curriculum with strong English support, accredited by the Danish Ministry of Education. Smaller and more boutique than CIS.

There is no dedicated full British IGCSE and A Level school in Copenhagen comparable to the Hague's British School. British families typically choose between CIS (IB pathway), the Lycee Francais (bilingual French Danish), or boarding back in the UK from Year 9 onwards. Our piece on boarding decision guide walks through this option.

French, German and other European

Lycee Francais Prins Henrik in Frederiksberg teaches the full French national curriculum through to the baccalaureat. AEFE accredited. Strong choice for French families on assignment with Novo Nordisk's growing Toulouse Copenhagen pharma partnerships, Orsted's French renewables operations and the diplomatic corps.

Sankt Petri Skole in central Copenhagen is the German Danish school, with bilingual instruction in German and Danish. The Abitur is available alongside the Danish studentereksamen at senior cycle. A serious choice for German speaking families and any family seeking strong continental European university optionality through the Abitur pathway.

Institut Sankt Joseph is a Catholic French Danish bilingual school in Norrebro, with strong primary years and an established community.

Danish state schools and privatskoler

Danish state folkeskoler operate in catchment based zones and teach in Danish. Children with no Danish receive language support through modtagerklasse programmes (reception classes) for up to two years. Privatskoler are private schools with state funding and reduced fees, teaching either the Danish national curriculum, alternative pedagogies (Steiner, Montessori) or specialist programmes. Fees at privatskoler typically sit at DKK 2,000 to 3,500 per month, materially below the international sector.

Fees at a glance

Published 2026 to 2027 tuition figures, before transport, after school clubs, lunches and trips. Danish state schools are free. International school fees in Copenhagen are below comparable UK and Swiss options but slightly above the Oslo equivalent. All values in Danish Krone (DKK). At current exchange, DKK 100,000 equates to roughly USD 14,400 or EUR 13,400.

For broader cost of relocation context, see our expat relocation cost calculator and our cost of living in Copenhagen guide.

Neighbourhoods and commutes

Copenhagen is geographically compact and the school options cluster within a 30 minute commute of central districts. Cycling and the metro network mean that few families need a car, which simplifies school logistics considerably.

• Hellerup and Gentofte. Family heartland for expat families. Rygaards, ISH and the better state schools are here. Coastal villas, established community, excellent public transport into central Copenhagen.
• Nordhavn. Newer waterfront district built around the new CIS campus and ongoing Maersk and corporate office developments. Modern apartments, family friendly, walkable to CIS.
• Osterbro and Indre By. Central Copenhagen apartment living. Close to Sankt Petri and Lycee Francais. Strong choice for shorter contract assignments without big garden requirements.
• Frederiksberg. Affluent inner suburb. Lycee Francais Prins Henrik is here. Family villas with smaller gardens, cafe lined streets, easy commute to central business district.
• Klampenborg and Charlottenlund. Coastal northern suburbs. Larger houses, established community, longer but pleasant commute to central Copenhagen along the Strandvejen coastal road.

For deeper detail on where to actually live, see our best areas to live in Copenhagen piece. If you are weighing Copenhagen against Stockholm or Amsterdam, our Nordic cities comparison walks the trade offs. For the leafy northern suburb most expat families choose, see our guide to living in Hellerup with international schools.

Admissions timing and process

CIS operates a rolling admissions cycle with strong September intake demand and meaningful mid year availability outside the Diploma examination cohort. Realistic lead times for high demand year groups (PYP3, MYP1, DP1) sit at 6 to 12 months. Rygaards and ISH have shorter waits. The Lycee, Sankt Petri and Institut Sankt Joseph operate primarily on September entry with sibling priority.

Danish state folkeskoler register through the local kommune. Children with a CPR number (the Danish personal identification number) are entitled to a state school place in their catchment area regardless of Danish ability. Modtagerklasse provision varies by kommune, with the strongest support in Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Gentofte and Aarhus. Expat families targeting state schooling should engage the kommune as soon as their CPR is issued.

For the practical admissions playbook, see our piece on admissions timing by city and the broader admissions process guide.

SEN, EAL and pastoral provision

SEN provision in Denmark is generally strong, both in the state system through statutory entitlements and in the international sector through dedicated learning support departments. CIS, Rygaards and ISH all run learning support teams that handle mild to moderate dyslexia, dyspraxia and ASD profiles in mainstream classes. More complex needs are often well served in the state system through specialist provision, though Danish language acquisition is a prerequisite.

EAL provision is strongest at CIS (built into the curriculum given the 80+ nationality intake) and at Rygaards. State schools provide modtagerklasse language support but the breadth of provision varies by kommune. Pastoral wellbeing is a notable strength across all Danish schools, with deliberate emphasis on the hygge concept of comfortable belonging, low pressure social environments and strong anti bullying programmes.

How to choose between the front runners

If your child is heading for a UK, US, Asian or continental European university and you want IB Diploma with English instruction and a strongly international peer mix, CIS is the default Tier 1 shortlist entry. If you want a smaller community feel and bilingual French or English exposure, Rygaards is the standout alternative. If you have younger children and want a boutique IB primary experience, International School of Hellerup is worth a serious look. If you are French or German speaking and value mother tongue continuity, the Lycee or Sankt Petri are the obvious choices.

If you are committing to Denmark long term, your child is young enough to acquire Danish quickly, and you want to integrate locally without a large fee bill, the Danish state folkeskoler are an excellent choice. Privatskoler offer a partly subsidised middle path with Danish curriculum but smaller class sizes and stronger pastoral programmes. The trade off is a Danish only curriculum at senior secondary, which makes international university applications slightly more complex.

The hardest decision is between CIS and Rygaards for families with a 3 to 5 year Copenhagen horizon. CIS offers scale, infrastructure and the strongest IB cohort. Rygaards offers community, bilingual options and smaller class sizes. The tie breaker is usually whether your family values scale and resource depth (CIS) or community continuity and personal attention (Rygaards).

For families relocating mid year, CIS, Rygaards and ISH are more flexible than the state and the Lycee. If your move date is January or April, prioritise schools that have published mid year intake policies. Our piece on mid year school transfers walks through the playbook.

The Danish education context

Understanding the Danish education system helps relocating families weigh up their options properly. Compulsory schooling runs from Year 0 (age six) to Year 9 (age fifteen) within the folkeskole framework. Year 10 is optional and increasingly taken to consolidate before upper secondary. Upper secondary then offers four tracks: the academic gymnasium (stx), the higher technical exam (htx), the higher commercial exam (hhx), and the higher preparatory exam (hf). The stx is the standard pre university track and the Danish equivalent of A Levels or the IB.

Danish primary culture is famously low pressure in the early years. Formal grading begins in Year 8, not earlier. Project work, group learning and outdoor activity are emphasised. Children who arrive from systems with heavy testing in primary years often find the first 18 months in Denmark slower paced, which can be either a welcome relief or a source of anxiety depending on family expectations and the child's profile. By the upper years of folkeskole and into gymnasium, the academic pace accelerates and standards rise quickly.

Tertiary outcomes are strong by global standards. The University of Copenhagen, DTU Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen Business School all rank highly internationally. Danish students compete well at Oxbridge, the Sorbonne, ETH Zurich and the top US universities. The state system is therefore a credible university preparation route, not a default for families without other options.

Danish school culture, hygge and homework

Two features of Danish schools surprise most international arrivals. The first is the explicit emphasis on social wellbeing and child centred learning. Children are addressed by their first names, teachers are addressed by their first names, and the power distance between adult and child is low by international standards. This is a deliberate design feature, supported by national education policy. Parents arriving from more hierarchical school cultures sometimes interpret it as a lack of rigour, but the PISA outcomes and the destination universities tell a different story.

The second is the homework load. Danish folkeskoler set materially less homework than equivalent UK, US or Singaporean primary and lower secondary schools. The expectation is that children should have time for play, family and unstructured social activity outside school. International schools in Copenhagen partly preserve this culture (IB CAS programmes lean into outdoor and community learning), but parents accustomed to two hours of nightly homework in primary years will need to recalibrate.

Cycling deserves a brief mention. Copenhagen is one of the world's great cycling cities, and most children cycle to school from Year 3 or 4 onwards. School run logistics are simpler than in most cities, but expect to invest in good quality winter cycling kit. For practical context, our Copenhagen cost of living guide covers cycling infrastructure, winter clothing and seasonal transport costs.

For families thinking about how curriculum culture maps to university destinations, our IB Diploma curriculum guide and curriculum overview set out the route from each major pathway to top destinations across Europe, the US and Asia.

Frequently asked questions

How much do international schools in Copenhagen cost?

Tuition for 2026 to 2027 runs from roughly DKK 35,000 at Sankt Petri Skole to DKK 195,000 at Copenhagen International School's senior IB Diploma cohort. The Lycee Francais sits in the DKK 55,000 to 90,000 band. Privatskoler average DKK 25,000 to 45,000 per year. Danish state schools are free.

Which is the best international school in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen International School (CIS) in Nordhavn is the largest and most established IB World School in Denmark, with the strongest infrastructure, the deepest IB cohort and consistent university destinations. Rygaards in Hellerup is the strongest alternative for families wanting a smaller community feel.

Can my child attend a Danish state school?

Yes. Children with a CPR number are entitled to a folkeskole place in their catchment area regardless of Danish ability. Modtagerklasse language support is provided for up to two years for non Danish speakers, with provision varying by kommune.

How early should we apply?

CIS operates rolling admissions with realistic lead times of 6 to 12 months for high demand year groups. Rygaards and ISH have shorter waits. The Lycee and Sankt Petri recruit primarily for September entry. For September 2027 entry, register by October 2026.

Related guides

• Moving to Denmark with children
• Best areas to live in Copenhagen for expat families
• Nordic cities for expat families: comparison