When families start searching for a home in Aruba, the conversation usually begins with beaches, budget, and bedrooms. But there is a fourth factor that quietly rises to the top of the list once children enter the picture: schools. How far is the morning drop-off? Is the walk safe? Are there good options at every level of education? Which neighborhoods put us closest to the schools that matter most to our family?
Aruba is a small island, just 19 miles long and 6 miles wide, which means no neighborhood is ever truly far from anything. But proximity still matters when you have a seven-year-old to get to class by 7:45 am. In this guide, we break down Aruba's education system and map it to the neighborhoods where families find the best combination of school access, community feel, and quality of life.
Understanding Aruba's Education System
Before diving into neighborhoods, it helps to understand what you are choosing between. Seven different school boards offer primary education in Aruba, and as in the rest of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, parents are free to choose based on the educational principles they believe best fit their family.
At the secondary level, Aruba offers several pathways: MAVO (Secondary General Secondary Education, 4 years), HAVO (Higher General Secondary Education, 5 years), and VWO (Pre-University Education, 6 years). There is also EPB, Basic Vocational Education lasting 4 years. EPI (Advanced Vocational Education): After completing EPB or MAVO, students can progress to EPI, which offers more advanced skills and combines vocational training with classroom-based learning.
For higher education, there are two officially recognized institutions in Aruba: the University of Aruba (UA), which offers profession-oriented and research-oriented programmes, and the Instituto Pedagogico Arubano (IPA), which offers teacher-training programmes.
For expat and international families, there’s one additional standout option. De Schakel Aruba offers Dutch-oriented education from kindergarten through secondary school, with Dutch as the primary language of instruction.
There is also the Beautiful Sun Monterossi School, the first dedicated Montessori school in Aruba, serving children ages 3 to 6 with a fully bilingual program in English and Dutch, covering language, mathematics, science, geography, music, and art.
Now, with that map in hand, let's look at which neighborhoods put your family closest to these options.
The Education Hub of the Island
No neighborhood on Aruba has a denser concentration of schools, cultural institutions, and educational resources than the capital. Oranjestad gives families access to excellent schools, libraries, and extracurricular programs, with museums, cultural landmarks, and kid-friendly attractions within reach, as well as convenient public transportation and proximity to medical facilities.
Several of Aruba's primary and secondary schools are located within Oranjestad or its immediate surroundings, making morning school runs straightforward. The capital also sits at the geographic center of the island, meaning families living here are within a short drive of virtually every school on the island, which is just minutes from the city's eastern edge.
Beyond school access, Oranjestad has brilliantly managed to hold on to its older Dutch colonial buildings and culture while balancing that with a modern luxury lifestyle, tree-lined streets, a downtown area with upscale malls, luxury boutiques, and international designer outlets. For families who want culture, convenience, and urban energy alongside their education priorities, Oranjestad delivers all of it.
Oranjestad features charming colonial-style homes and modern apartments, catering to diverse family preferences, from compact apartments for young families just starting out to spacious multi-bedroom homes in established residential pockets.
School proximity highlights: Multiple primary schools, secondary schools (MAVO, HAVO, VWO), and easy access to De Schakel. Best for: Families who want maximum school choice, urban amenities, and a central location.
A Note on Aruba's Island Scale
One of the genuinely wonderful things about choosing a home in Aruba with schools in mind is that the island's small size means you are never truly stuck. A family in Savaneta can reach a school in Oranjestad in 15 minutes. The distances that would make school choice a stressful housing constraint in a larger city simply do not apply here in the same way.
That said, the neighborhoods above still represent the best combinations of school proximity, residential quality, community feel, and practical daily convenience. And as any parent knows, even on a happy island, shaving ten minutes off the morning school run makes a meaningful difference to how the rest of the day begins.
Let Us Help You Find Your Family's Home
At Bold Properties Aruba, we understand that buying a family home is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. We know the neighborhoods, the school catchment areas, and the streets where families thrive. Whether you are relocating from abroad or moving within the island, we are here to help you find not just the right house, but the right home, in the right place for your children to grow up well.
