Geilenkirchen is a city of schools. Within the city area, there is a comprehensive range of educational offerings.

A total of six municipal primary schools in Geilenkirchen provide an optimal start to academic careers with their diverse care offerings. Four Catholic primary schools and two community primary schools are available. Geilenkirchen's international orientation is particularly evident in the Geilenkirchen Community Primary School, which is a Europe School. This primary school educates students from many countries in Europe and beyond.

The offering of municipal secondary schools includes the municipal secondary school with open all-day care and the Anita Lichtenstein Comprehensive School as an all-day school. The students thus have the following educational qualifications open to them in secondary levels I and II: secondary school leaving certificate, secondary school leaving certificate after grade 10, technical college entrance qualification, university entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences, and Abitur (university entrance qualification).

The Jakob Muth School in Gangelt and Heinsberg-Oberbruch, which is under the sponsorship of the Heinsberg District, provides schooling opportunities for students with a focus on learning, language, social, and emotional development.

The municipal school offering is complemented by the Episcopal Gymnasium St. Ursula and the vocational colleges for economics, nutrition, social work, and technology of the Heinsberg District.