Secondary school in Milan: media, liceo and the international route
Italian secondary education splits into two stages that internationally mobile families do not always understand on arrival. Scuola secondaria di primo grado, the middle school or media, covers ages 11 to 14 and ends with a national Esame di Stato that determines liceo entry. Scuola secondaria di secondo grado, the liceo, covers ages 14 to 19 and ends with the Maturita, the Italian school leaving qualification that gates university entry inside Italy and is recognised through standard UCAS conversions abroad. The liceo branches into a dozen specialised types, of which Liceo Scientifico, Liceo Classico and Liceo Linguistico are the routes most relevant to international families.
International secondary schools in Milan sit outside this two-stage framework, running continuous through-school programmes from Year 7 to Year 13. The result for a Milan family is a forced choice at age 11: continue inside the Italian system via media to liceo, switch to an English-medium international route through MYP, IGCSE or American middle school, or take a bilingual paritaria liceo route that runs both the Italian Maturita and a Cambridge or IB credential in parallel. Milan is the deepest of the three Italian cities, alongside Rome and Florence, where every route is realistically available.
How many international secondary schools are there in Milan
Around seven schools in greater Milan run a fully international secondary department to age 16 at minimum. International School of Milan, British School of Milan and American School of Milan run the full Year 7 to Year 13 through-school. Sir James Henderson British School runs Year 7 to Year 13. Andersen International runs MYP through Year 11 and feeds onwards to ISM, BSM or ASM for the Diploma years. ISE Monza and QSI Milano serve the commuter and outlying markets.
Above this fully international layer sits the bilingual liceo cluster. Eight Milan paritarie carry their bilingual stream through to age 19 and offer the Italian Maturita Linguistica alongside Cambridge IGCSE and A Level certificates. This includes Marymount Liceo, the linguistico arm of Sant'Ambrogio in Cinisello, the Liceo Linguistico Faes in Argonne and a clutch of smaller foundations. For families wanting an Italian credential plus English certification this dual pathway is the strongest in Italy.
Illustrative example schools
Three illustrative secondary schools, each on a different point of the Milan market.
International School of Milan Secondary in Baranzate runs the IB Middle Years Programme through Year 11 and the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13, with a Diploma cohort over 100 candidates a year and average scores of 34 to 37 out of 45. ISM is the largest IB secondary in Italy and one of the largest in southern Europe. Tuition at the secondary stage runs from EUR 18,500 to EUR 24,000 a year, peaking at the Diploma years.
British School of Milan Secondary in San Felice runs Cambridge IGCSE in Years 10 and 11, then offers a choice of A Level or IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. Around 850 students across the through school with a Year 13 cohort of 60 to 70. Tuition EUR 17,200 to EUR 22,400 a year. The dual sixth form route is a real point of difference: parents can defer the IB versus A Level decision until Year 11.
American School of Milan High School in Noverasco runs the American high school programme with the IB Diploma and Advanced Placement available in the upper years, the only US flavoured option in northern Italy. Tuition EUR 19,800 to EUR 26,000 a year. ASM has a strong feed into US universities and a smaller but growing UK and Italian university tail. Our best international schools in Milan guide compares these alongside Sir James Henderson and Andersen.
IB Diploma, A Level or Italian Maturita?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Milan secondary schools based on your child's age, your neighbourhood and which university destinations matter most.
Fees and the all in cost at secondary stage
Secondary tuition at Milan's fully international schools sits in the EUR 16,500 to EUR 26,000 a year band. The Diploma, A Level and AP years top the band, with lower secondary at the bottom. ISM and ASM run the most expensive Diploma years, BSM and Sir James Henderson sit slightly lower, and Andersen International runs at the value end at MYP. Bilingual paritaria liceo provision sits well below this at EUR 8,500 to EUR 14,500 a year, even for the bilingual stream.
Beyond tuition expect a one off registration fee of EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500, an annual capital levy of EUR 800 to EUR 1,500, lunch and bus of EUR 3,000 to EUR 4,500 a year, uniform of EUR 200 to EUR 400, the IB Diploma exam entry of EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,400 in Year 12 or the A Level entry of EUR 600 to EUR 1,000 per subject, plus a contribution toward residential trips and CAS or extended project of EUR 500 to EUR 1,500. By peer European standards Milan secondary fees are roughly 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than London, Geneva or Paris. Our Milan school fees guide covers the picture by year group, and the fees tool compares Milan with peer European cities.
Admissions calendar and where secondary families live
The Italian school year runs from mid September to early June, with national breaks at Christmas, Carnival in February and Easter. Most Milan international secondary schools open applications for the following September in October, with offers from January through March and a rolling waitlist through the summer. Year 7 entry and Year 12 entry are the highest demand year groups, particularly at ISM, BSM and ASM. Mid year transfers are usually possible because the Milan expatriate workforce in finance, pharmaceuticals and fashion turns over predictably.
Secondary families in Milan live in clearly defined corridors. San Felice and Segrate to the east for British School of Milan. Baranzate and Bollate to the north for International School of Milan. Noverasco and Opera to the south for American School of Milan. Baggio and Forze Armate to the west for Sir James Henderson. CityLife, Brera and the Wagner corridor central for families using the school bus network across multiple secondary schools. For sibling stages see the Milan primary schools hub, the Milan IB hub and the parent Milan city guide.
Frequently asked questions
What ages does Italian secondary school cover?
Italian secondary education splits into two stages. Scuola secondaria di primo grado, also known as scuola media, covers ages 11 to 14 across three year groups. Scuola secondaria di secondo grado, usually called liceo, covers ages 14 to 19 across five year groups and ends with the Esame di Stato or Maturita. International secondary schools in Milan map this onto IB MYP and Diploma, Cambridge IGCSE and A Level, or the American high school and AP.
How many international secondary schools are there in Milan?
Around seven schools in greater Milan run a fully international or fully English-medium secondary department through to age 16 at minimum. Five of those run a sixth form, the IB Diploma, A Level or AP route, to age 18 or 19. ISM, BSM and ASM run the full age 11 to age 18 secondary route. Sir James Henderson runs to Year 13. Andersen International runs the IB MYP through Year 11. Several bilingual paritarie carry their secondary stream into a Liceo Linguistico that ends with the Italian Maturita.
How much do secondary schools in Milan cost?
Tuition at Milan's fully international secondary schools runs from EUR 16,500 a year in lower secondary at the value tier to EUR 26,000 a year at the IB Diploma or A Level years at the premium settings. Bilingual paritaria secondary and liceo provision sits at EUR 8,500 to EUR 14,500, materially cheaper than the international schools.
What university destinations do Milan secondary schools feed?
Milan secondary leavers head to a balanced mix of Italian and international universities. UK destinations include Imperial, UCL, LSE, Edinburgh and Manchester. US destinations include the Ivy League and the larger state research universities. Italian destinations are dominated by Bocconi, Politecnico, Cattolica and the Statale, with the bilingual paritaria liceo schools sending the largest share into Italian higher education and the IB and British schools sending a larger share abroad.
Can my child still sit the Italian Maturita at an international school?
At the fully English-medium international schools the answer is no. ISM, BSM, ASM and Sir James Henderson lead to the IB Diploma, A Level or AP, not to the Italian Maturita. The bilingual paritaria liceo schools, Marymount Liceo and the linguistico arms of Faes and Sant'Ambrogio, deliver the Italian Maturita Linguistica alongside Cambridge IGCSE and A Level qualifications.
