Ho Chi Minh City

School ownership, teaching language and qualifications are separate matters. A bilingual school may teach subjects in two languages, while an international programme may lead to a particular overseas qualification. Ask which programme is taught at each age, how much teaching uses each language and which qualifications pupils can earn. ↗

Compare fees for the same year group, attendance option and academic year. The 2026–27 examples below include tuition approaching VND 1 billion in senior school, before some joining and development charges. A range spanning early years to sixth form shows the spread across ages, not an annual increase or a like-for-like ranking.

BIS HCMC: Nord Anglia’s 2026–27 comparison lists annual tuition of VND 333–521 million in EYFS, VND 679–759 million in primary and VND 875–999 million in secondary. The reviewed profile also explains application, registration and deposit charges. Two secondary sources differ on current registration fees, at VND 70.8 million and VND 73.3 million for primary or secondary entry; obtain the school’s quotation. ↗

ISHCMC: secondary 2026–27 reporting lists annual tuition of VND 702.4 million for Grades 1–2 and VND 987.8 million for Grades 11–12, with a VND 25 million admission fee. The fee page describes an annual development payment of VND 67.5 million or a one-time Certificate of Entitlement of VND 337.5 million for Grades 1–12. Five unchanged annual payments equal the certificate amount, but its current refund, transfer and validity terms need confirmation before comparing the options. ↗

SSIS: the 2026–27 annual totals under its quarterly-payment option are VND 730.808 million for Grades 1–5, 782.687 million for Grades 6–8, 832.426 million for Grades 9–10 and 924.546 million for Grades 11–12. Nord Anglia’s cross-school table lists AIS at VND 597–689 million for primary and VND 749–908 million for secondary. It also lists EIS secondary up to VND 814 million; Canadian International School at VND 558–641 million for primary and VND 641–865 million for secondary; Renaissance at VND 522–656 million for primary and VND 734–856 million for secondary; and The American School at VND 638–767 million. These latter examples are another operator’s published comparison: confirm the current campus, year group and full quotation directly. ↗

BVIS HCMC offers a bilingual British-Vietnamese programme. Its reported 2026–27 annual tuition is VND 489–513 million in primary and VND 614–708 million in secondary. Compare the language model, qualifications and complete fees with BIS or other schools for the same age; lower tuition can reflect a different model rather than better value. ↗

ISHCMC offers the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes across a primary campus in An Phu and a secondary campus in Thao Dien. Senior pupils have several graduation options, so a transfer needs a confirmed qualification and subject plan. ↗

BIS HCMC teaches the English National Curriculum through IGCSE, followed by the IB Diploma in sixth form. Its three campuses are in Thao Dien. BVIS is a separate Nord Anglia school with a bilingual programme; shared ownership does not mean the same curriculum, campus resources or admissions process.

SSIS operates as a not-for-profit school in Phu My Hung, District 7, with an American curriculum and AP and IB options in high school. AIS teaches IB and Cambridge programmes across Xi, Thao Dien and Thu Thiem, with boarding and a reported American diploma option; despite the name, its programmes are IB and Cambridge rather than an Australian syllabus. Other options include EIS, Canadian International School, Renaissance and bilingual schools, whose names are a poor guide to their programmes.

Thao Dien and An Phu include BIS and ISHCMC campuses, with housing and family services nearby. AIS also has its Thu Thiem site. These campuses are not interchangeable for the school run, so the route from your proposed home to the specific campus is what matters.

Phu My Hung in District 7 is home to SSIS, with other school options in the wider southern part of the city. Compare the school journey with each parent’s workplace and any sibling’s campus. Do not assume a particular neighbourhood guarantees less congestion or an easy cross-city route.

Plan school, home and work locations together. Ask transport staff for pickup times, journey duration, return arrangements and buses after activities before committing to a property.

The reviewed schools generally follow an August-to-June academic year. Mid-year admission may be possible where a place and suitable support are available, and availability is set grade by grade.

For a longer posting, budget for movement into higher-priced year groups and model possible annual changes as assumptions. Separate non-refundable joining fees, recurring charges and refundable or credited payments. Beyond costs, discuss staffing continuity, language support and how the school handles a change of teacher or a mid-year arrival.