Schools in San Miguel de Allende: a guide for families moving to Mexico

Mexico's basic education runs in clear blocks. It starts with educación inicial, the early years before preschool, which has been part of basic education since 2019. At NWL this stage is called Maternal and begins at age 2. Preescolar (kindergarten) covers ages 3 to 5. Primaria, which we call Primary School, lasts six years and matches US grades 1 to 6. Secundaria, our Secondary School, lasts three years and matches grades 7 to 9. Preparatoria, or high school, adds three more years for grades 10 to 12.

The cutoff date for age is December 31: a child starts first grade of Primaria if they turn 6 by December 31 of that school year. The SEP school year runs from late August or early September to July, so families arriving in January join mid-year rather than at the start.

Age limits matter for teenagers. Under the SEP's school-records rules, a student must be under 15 on December 31 to start first grade of general or technical Secundaria. Young people aged 15 or older who have not finished Primaria or Secundaria are directed to adult education, which in Guanajuato is run by INAEBA, the state institute for adult literacy and basic education. If your child is 14 or older, confirm their placement with the school before you move.

Children who studied abroad can continue their education in Mexico without an apostille. For Primaria and Secundaria, documents issued abroad, including birth certificates and report cards, do not need to be apostilled or legalized, and documents in another language only need a simple Spanish translation, which the family can do themselves.

If your child has not finished a level, you go directly to the school where they will study, and the school places them in the right grade using the SEP's official correspondence tables. Bring their most recent report cards, birth certificate and passport or immigration document.

In San Miguel de Allende, the state education authority, the Secretaría de Educación de Guanajuato (SEG), has to validate the report cards from your child's previous school. If SEG does not accept them, the child cannot be enrolled. We have seen SEG turn down report cards it could not verify, so bring originals on the school's letterhead, signed and stamped, with the school's contact details, and start early in case SEG asks for more.

It also helps to choose a school with international accreditation, so your child's records are recognized in Mexico and abroad if you move again. NWL is accredited by Cognia, and its Secondary School students earn the HÖKKU Dual International Certification.

Relocation guides put annual tuition at private bilingual schools in San Miguel de Allende at roughly 60,000 to 180,000 Mexican pesos in 2026, depending on the school and the grade. Ask every school for the full yearly cost in writing, including enrollment, monthly tuition, materials and uniforms. Mexican consumer law requires private schools to disclose it before you enroll.

The most requested schools fill entry grades early, so plan six to twelve months ahead where you can. If you are moving mid-year, contact schools as soon as your dates are firm.

San Miguel's historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, and the town draws families from Mexico, the United States, Canada and Europe. NWL San Miguel de Allende, founded in 2018, serves that mix with full bilingual immersion from Maternal (age 2) through Secondary School (age 14), Cambridge English at every level and Knotion project-based learning.

Families who stay through Senior School (Preparatoria) can continue at NWL's Zibatá or Corregidora campuses in Querétaro, where students graduate with a SEP certificate and a US-accredited high school diploma (Cognia). Campus Director: Lic. Ramón Godínez Ceja.