Luxury homes near the best private schools are cheaper

September marks the start of the 2025/2026 school year. And for many, living close to schools is a major advantage, as it improves family logistics and reduces time spent in traffic. There is good news for those with high purchasing power looking to buy a luxury home near one of the country’s 10 best private schools: premium housing prices have fallen in several locations, largely due to an increase in residential supply, according to data from idealista/data.

The 10 best-ranked schools in the national secondary exams are all private and located in the metropolitan areas of Porto and Lisbon, as well as in the district of Braga, according to the 2024 school ranking compiled by Público in partnership with Católica Porto Business School. Colégio Nossa Senhora do Rosário, in Porto, achieved the highest average score in the national exams of all, with 16.71 points.

The 10 Best Private Schools in the Country
Ranking of private secondary schools by national exam average

Source: Ranking of schools – Público | Created with Datawrapper

Wealthy families who want to live close to the best private schools in the country will have to choose the institution carefully, since the supply of luxury homes (houses and apartments priced above €1 million) is scarce or even nonexistent in four parishes, according to idealista/data:

• Santa Clara, Lisbon, home to Academia de Música de Santa Cecília (4th place in the ranking);

• São Vicente, Braga, where Colégio D. Diogo de Sousa is located (5th place);

• Paços de Ferreira, home to Colégio Nova Encosta (7th place);

• Creixomil, Guimarães, home to Colégio do Ave (9th place).

In the six parishes with good private schools and representative samples of luxury housing stock, one trend is clear: premium housing prices have fallen in several locations between the last quarter ending in August 2025 and the same period of the previous year. This is despite the fact that good schools usually drive up property values in their vicinity, as revealed by this analysis of housing and education carried out by idealista/news.

How are luxury home prices behaving near the best private schools?
This decline was particularly evident in luxury house prices in the parishes where six of the country’s 10 best private schools are located, according to the same data. And everything suggests that the increase in luxury home supply drove this market price adjustment.

It was in Ramalde, Porto — where Colégio Nossa Senhora do Rosário (the country’s top school) is located — that the steepest fall in luxury house prices was recorded (-60%), with the median cost dropping to €1.7 million by the end of August. This sharp drop can be explained by the emergence of new luxury residential supply this past year. Meanwhile, luxury apartment prices in this area of Porto rose 11%, fueled by strong demand (+53%) and reduced supply (-22%).

The second largest drop in luxury house prices was recorded in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, home to the Salesianos de Lisboa. Median costs fell 49% to €1.8 million. Again, the increase in luxury supply (+41%) helps explain this downward trend. The cost of premium apartments is now approaching that of luxury houses after rising 24% to €1.6 million.

The third largest drop in luxury house prices occurred in São Mamede de Infesta e Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos, where Colégio Efanor (the third-highest ranked school) is located. Here, buying a luxury house now costs less than €1.5 million, representing a 43% decrease, also due to the arrival of new high-end homes. On the other hand, the supply of luxury apartments in this parish is scarce, according to idealista/data.

Smaller price adjustments were observed in two other locations (between -3% and -9%): Porto’s historic center, home to Grande Colégio Universal, and Lumiar in Lisbon, home to Colégio de Stª Doroteia. Lower demand relative to existing supply helps explain these changes.

In Caparica and Trafaria, Almada, luxury house prices near Colégio Campo de Flores actually rose 7% in the last year, to nearly €1.7 million. This increase coincided with doubled demand and a 27% drop in supply. No luxury apartments were listed for sale in this area over the three months ending in August.

Luxury Houses for Sale Near Top Private Schools
Price of luxury homes over the last three months ending in August (euros)
Price variation between the last quarter ending in August and the same period last year (%)

Source: idealista/news | Data: idealista/data | Created with Datawrapper

After these ups and downs, Lumiar became the parish — among the six analyzed — with the highest luxury house prices, with the median cost standing at €2.8 million. Next comes Campo de Ourique in Lisbon, where house prices are at €1.8 million. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Porto’s historic center, with the lowest premium housing prices at €1.45 million.

Luxury apartments are less geographically distributed, concentrated only in the four Lisbon and Porto parishes analyzed. Campo de Ourique has the most expensive high-end apartments (€1.6 million), while Porto’s historic center has the cheapest (€1.15 million).