The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training sets the national curriculum framework, compulsory stages, and learning objectives, while Spain's 17 autonomous communities manage delivery and may adapt up to 40% of the curriculum regionally. Schools fall into three types: colegios públicos (fully state-funded, free), colegios concertados (state-subsidized private, low fees), and colegios privados (fully private, including international schools). There are 281 international schools across 28 cities, concentrated in Madrid (56) and Barcelona (47), offering British, American, IB, or other foreign-curriculum programs, often bilingual/trilingual with English as a second language.