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Zlatarski International School of Sofia

Bulgaria, Sofia

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees BGN 200 - 12,680
Ages 11 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 300
Type Co-educational
Opened 1995
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Taught languages Bulgarian, English, German, Spanish, French, Latin, Russian, Mandarin, Turkish, Hebrew
Typical class size 17
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, STEM
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Zlatarski International School of Sofia offers an integrated international curriculum for students aged 11 to 18. English is the language of instruction. The school blends the Bulgarian national programme with Cambridge Secondary, IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme, and also provides A Levels for senior students. The three-stage structure runs Cambridge Secondary (grades 5–8), IGCSE (grades 9–10), and International Baccalaureate or A Levels (grades 11–12). Graduates receive both the Bulgarian Diploma and an international qualification. The school is fully authorised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, the IBO and Cambridge Assessment International Education; IB World School since 2003 and Cambridge International School since 2010. Founded in 1995 as an English-language secondary school, it operates across two buildings in Darvenitsa, Sofia, with laboratories, a library, computer facilities, a gym, and outdoor sports fields. Extracurriculars span sports, arts and drama, and community service, including exchanges, global events and charitable campaigns for students.

The Essentials

Zlatarski International School of Sofia has 300 pupils, typical class sizes of 17, instruction in English.

Location

49 Kliment Ohridski blvd, Sofia 1756, Bulgaria. The school is located in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.

Stages

Lower Secondary School (Grades 5-7): national programme enriched by the Cambridge Lower Secondary; Middle School (Grades 8-10): national programme enriched by the Cambridge Checkpoint and IGCSE; Upper Secondary School (Grades 11-12): IB Diploma Programme and/or the national programme; International students in Grades 5-12 can choose to follow only the international pathway.

Type

International secondary school offering the national programme alongside Cambridge Lower Secondary, Cambridge Checkpoint, IGCSE and the IB Diploma Programme. IB World School since 2003; Cambridge International School since 2010; established in 1995 as an English-language secondary school.

Pupil Nationality Mix

Nationalities represented: 15 (Bulgaria, Netherlands, Hungary, India, Israel, Russia, United Kingdom, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, United States, Georgia, Korea, Syria, China); most common nationality: Bulgarian; local to international ratio: 90% to 10% (9:1).

Country affiliation

Affiliation with Bulgaria's national education system; authorisation by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education.

School day structure

Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 8am - 4pm.

Bus service

School transport is available: 20-30% of students use school transport; buses to the school serve lines 69, 70, 88, 123, 280, 294; minibuses serve lines 5, 27, 29.

Fees

Annual tuition at Zlatarski International School of Sofia ranges from BGN 200 to BGN 12,680 for 2026/27.

Scope and academic year

The following fees apply to the 2025/2026 academic year.

Application / registration fee

- Registration fee (for all candidates): EUR 200.

Annual tuition fees by year group (annual and per term)

- Grades 5–7
- Annual: EUR 8,890 (students from Bulgarian schools).
- Annual: EUR 10,890 (international students).
- Per term (school year divided into two terms): EUR 4,445 and EUR 5,445 respectively.

- Grade 8
- Annual: EUR 8,980 (students from Bulgarian schools).
- Annual: EUR 10,980 (international students).
- Per term: EUR 4,490 and EUR 5,490 respectively.

- Grades 9–10
- Annual: EUR 9,200 (Zlatarski International School students — returning/current Zlatarski students).
- Annual: EUR 10,200 (students from Bulgarian schools).
- Annual: EUR 11,200 (international students).
- Per term: EUR 4,600; EUR 5,100; EUR 5,600 respectively.

- Grades 11–12
- Annual: EUR 9,680 or EUR 10,680 for Zlatarski School students (amount depends on the chosen education pathway).
- Annual: EUR 11,680 (students from Bulgarian schools).
- Annual: EUR 12,680 (international students).
- Per term: EUR 4,840 or EUR 5,340; EUR 5,840; EUR 6,340 respectively.

Additional / optional charges

- School transport (optional): EUR 2,100 per year; payable in two installments (EUR 1,050 per installment).
- Cafeteria meals (optional): EUR 345 per quarter.
- Uniforms, notebooks and other school supplies are additional; uniforms are supplied through the listed vendor (Interstudies 2005 Ltd).
- The tuition fee covers instruction, all textbooks, insurance, medical care, security, participation in organised cultural events, extracurricular activities (arts and sports) and use of school facilities. Outside the admissions schedule dates the annual tuition fee is equal to the fee for international students.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- The school year is divided into two terms; tuition is presented on an annual basis and per-term amounts are calculated on a two-term year.
- The school's published schedule references first and second instalments; financial obligations for the first and second instalment (with a specified deadline for those instalments) must be settled by the start of the year as indicated in the admissions/start-of-year information. (Transport instalments are explicitly stated as two instalments.)

Boarding

- Zlatarski International School operates as a day school and does not charge boarding fees; there are no boarding facilities.

Refunds and cancellation

- No general published tuition refund or cancellation policy is provided among the school's publicly listed fees and admissions information; specific refund or cancellation terms are not set out on the published fees pages.

Fee payment options and bank details

- Accepted methods listed: bank transfer and cash payments at the school finance department. Credit-card payment is not listed among published payment options.
- Bank transfer details provided for tuition payments (examples as published):
- Tuition fees for students in Grades 8–12 (Private Secondary School “Prof. Dr. Vassil Zlatarski” Ltd): Payments in euro IBAN: BG55 BUIN 9561 1000 5837 16 — BIC: BUINBGSF.
- Tuition fees for students in Grades 5–7 (Private Primary School “Prof. Dr. Vassil Zlatarski” Ltd): Payments in euro IBAN: BG39 BUIN 9561 1000 6096 12 — BIC: BUINBGSF.
- Additional services (application fee, transport, notebooks, school lunch, uniforms): Payments in euro IBAN: BG68 BUIN 9561 1000 2159 49 — BIC: BUINBGSF.

Notes on optional billing frequencies

- Transport is explicitly payable in two instalments; cafeteria requests are made before each quarter and the cafeteria fee is quoted per quarter, indicating quarterly billing for meals. Tuition figures are published annually and the school structures the academic year as two terms.
Academics

Zlatarski International School of Sofia teaches IB (DP), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels for students aged 11 to 18.

Curriculum

Zlatarski International School of Sofia offers an international curriculum integrated with the English National Curriculum and their own contemporary teaching approach. The school is fully authorised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) and Cambridge Assessment International Education. It integrates the Bulgarian educational system with the international IB framework and the British programmes – IGCSE and A Levels. The curriculum is structured across three stages: Cambridge Secondary (grades 5-8), IGCSE (grades 9-10) and International Baccalaureate / A Levels (grades 11-12). Graduates receive both the Bulgarian Diploma and an international IB or A Levels diploma. English is the main language of instruction.

Student Teacher Ratio

Student/Teacher ratio: 5:1. Average class size: 16.

Exam Results

Excellent results in IB exams, national state exams, International GCSEs and Cambridge Checkpoint. Graduates continue their education at leading universities worldwide, including Oxford University, Princeton University, LSE, Imperial College London, Caltech, McGill University, Warwick University, King's College London, UCL, City University, Durham University, Queen Mary University, University of Vienna, Erasmus University, Bocconi University, Sciences Po, and more.

Higher Education Progression

Graduates go on to study at leading universities worldwide, including Oxford University, Princeton University, LSE, Imperial College London, Caltech, McGill University, Warwick University, King's College London, UCL, City University, Durham University, Queen Mary University, University of Vienna, Erasmus University, Bocconi University, Sciences Po, and more.

Gifted and Talented

Oxbridge and Medical school preparation and Universities and College Counselling are available to support high-achieving students.

Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The school has a supportive, trust-filled community with dedicated teachers who provide individual attention. The teaching team is highly qualified, with many holding doctoral degrees and educated at prestigious international universities. They impart academic knowledge and foster values such as mutual respect, tolerance, and collaboration. In a culture of trust and openness, students express themselves, share ideas, and learn from one another. Extracurricular activities occupy a central place in the school community, enriching social development through sport, dance, music, field trips, charity initiatives, public speaking, and exchanges with students abroad.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

The school offers Bulgarian for foreigners, English language test preparation, and language programmes abroad.

Mental Wellbeing

The school supports mental wellbeing through a supportive environment, trust and openness, and opportunities to engage in sports, arts, and community service that foster social connections.

Admissions

Admissions

Admissions Zlatarski International School – Leading school in Sofia for students in grades 5 through 12. The admission procedure for students aged 11 through 18 is open for September 2026. Admissions are based on the results of the entrance exam, school reports, and an interview.

The school is licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science, the International Baccalaureate Organization, and Cambridge International Education. It educates about 300 Bulgarian and international students in grades 5–12. Students graduate with two diplomas – Bulgarian and international. The school was founded in 1995 as an English-language high school, and in 2003 became the first IB World School in Bulgaria. In 2010 the high school became the first Bulgarian school authorized to offer Cambridge programs (IGCSE and A Levels), and in 2017 it received a license for the Cambridge Secondary program. In 2018 Zlatarski International School opened to 5–7 grades. The school uniquely integrates the Bulgarian educational system with IB and Cambridge programs – Cambridge Secondary, IGCSE and A Levels. Thanks to well-structured curricula and thorough teaching, students achieve strong results. This opens doors to prestigious universities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United States, Switzerland and more. Zlatarski International School marks 30 years since its founding.

International Education: The school has the most experience in Bulgaria with IB and Cambridge IGCSE, providing solid academic preparation. Our achievements in numbers: 25 cohorts and over 1,400 graduates with excellent and very good results on state matriculation; 20 IB cohorts with over 800 graduates: 450 with IB diplomas and 350 with IB certificates; 13 cohorts with Cambridge IGCSE and over 600 students with IGCSE certificates; 7 cohorts with Cambridge Checkpoint and over 340 students with Checkpoint certificates.

Excellent results: Students achieve excellent results in IGCSE, IB and matriculation, opening doors to top universities worldwide. Graduates are admitted to universities such as Oxford, Princeton, Imperial College London, LSE, Caltech, Delft, Bocconi, St Andrews, Sciences Po, and more.

School life: Students develop through sport, arts, music, drama and community activities — in the classroom and beyond. Extracurricular activities occupy a central place and play a key role in the school community — whether participating in school sports, performing on stage in dance or music, discovering an artifact on an educational excursion, developing an innovative project, taking part in charitable initiatives, the art of public speaking, representing the school as a school ambassador, or exchanging ideas with students from abroad.

School community: With the help of qualified teachers and a supportive environment, students form lifelong friendships. The teaching staff consists of motivated professionals, many with doctoral degrees and education from prestigious international universities. They impart academic knowledge and shape values such as mutual respect, tolerance and cooperation. In a climate of trust and openness, students feel free to express themselves, share ideas and learn from each other.

Admission: Application process
Secure your child's future with international education and a supportive school environment. For students in grades 5–12.

Admission procedures for 5–7 grades; Admission procedure for 8th grade; Admission procedure for 11th grade: IB Diploma Programme; Open days; Admission for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Deadlines for 2026/2027:
Registration for entrance exam – online registration
Open days: December 4 (Thursday) 15:00–17:00; January 29 (Thursday) 15:00–17:00; February 26 (Thursday) 15:00–17:00; March 26 (Thursday) 15:00–17:00
Entrance exam date I: February 2 (Monday) 10:00–12:00
Results announced by February 12, 14:00
Meetings with the admissions committee: February 16–20
Enrollment: February 20–28
Entrance exam date II: March 7 (Saturday) 10:00–12:00
Results announced by March 14, 14:00
Meetings with the admissions committee: March 16–20
Enrollment: March 20–30
Entrance exam date III: April 4 (Saturday) 10:00–12:00
Results announced by April 10, 14:00
Meetings with the admissions committee: April 14–20
Enrollment: April 20–30
Admission of international students: On an individual schedule
English placement test for admitted students: June 4 (Thursday) 15:00–16:30

How to choose a school? When you need to make an important decision about which school to choose, answer these questions: Is there enthusiasm among students and teachers? Does the school have high academic results? Are students attentive in class? Does the school have adequate facilities – library, laboratory, modern computers, multimedia? Does the school offer extracurricular activities that are interesting and well attended? Is the campus infrastructure independent? Where have graduates of the school been admitted? Are the school buildings, dining areas, and playing fields well maintained? What is the atmosphere at the school? How many students study at the school? Does the school share your values? How much freedom is given to students in each class? Does the school encourage parental involvement in the educational process and clearly define the parent's role?

To participate in Zlatarski International School's admission process, fill in the online registration form.

Registration: Zlatarski International School
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