Compare school programmes, fees and locations in Vietnam

A 2023 KOTRA survey of education-ministry data counted roughly 33 foreign-curriculum schools in Ho Chi Minh City and 18 in Hanoi. These dated counts include national-school options and do not describe the current availability of places. The city guides below compare programmes, fees and campus locations. ↗

Admission requirements vary by school and applicant, covering identity and residence documents, placement assessments, language support and any nationality-related enrolment rules. A school’s international branding does not guarantee eligibility, and a parent’s work permit should not be assumed to resolve every requirement. ↗

Dated examples in the reviewed profiles include senior tuition approaching or exceeding VND 1 billion per year. Early-years attendance, later year groups and payment options can have substantially different prices. Compare complete quotations for the same age rather than broad market tiers or school names. ↗

The reviewed schools generally follow an August-to-June year. Mid-year admission may be possible where a place and appropriate support are available. Waiting lists vary by grade and start date. ↗

A legal briefing on Decree 86/2018 sets out its changes to Vietnamese enrolment at foreign-invested schools. This is historical context, not a complete statement of current requirements; each school’s admissions policy sets out the rules it applies. ↗

Each school operates under a licence from a supervising authority that sets the programme authorised for the campus, the teaching languages and any required Vietnamese language or culture classes. Licensing, institutional accreditation and examination-programme authorisation serve different purposes. ↗

Ownership, bilingual teaching and qualifications are separate features. The words “international” and “bilingual” can overlap and say nothing about a school’s nationality mix or teaching quality. BIS and BVIS, for example, are distinct Nord Anglia schools with different programmes. Compare the actual language allocation, courses and qualifications at each age. ↗

ISHCMC and UNIS Hanoi offer the IB continuum. BIS Hanoi and BIS HCMC teach British programmes through IGCSE followed by the IB Diploma. Concordia Hanoi offers an American curriculum with AP courses; SSIS offers American, AP and IB options. AIS Saigon combines IB and Cambridge programmes. Other schools offer bilingual or national programmes; check their current senior qualifications directly. ↗

Our IB, British and American curriculum guide explains course structures and qualifications. For a future move, compare subjects, examination boards and year placement with the likely receiving school. A bilingual programme also requires a practical discussion about your child’s proficiency in each teaching language.

Examples of 2026–27 annual tuition follow. They cover different ages and payment bases; the linked profiles distinguish tuition from joining charges and deposits.

• ISHCMC: secondary reporting lists VND 702.4 million for Grades 1–2 and VND 987.8 million for Grades 11–12. A VND 25 million admission fee and development payment are separate. See the profile for the annual fee versus certificate option. ↗
• BIS HCMC: Nord Anglia’s comparison lists VND 679–759 million for primary and VND 875–999 million for secondary. BVIS lists VND 489–513 million for primary and VND 614–708 million for secondary. These are different programmes, and joining charges need to be included in a family budget. ↗
• UNIS Hanoi: secondary VND equivalents range from approximately VND 455 million for Kindergarten 1–2 to VND 1.04 billion for Grades 11–12. Fees are set in US dollars; the school’s current debit note sets the applicable VND amount. The reviewed terms list USD 600 for application and USD 1,750 for enrolment, with a USD 1,500 deposit credited against tuition.
• Concordia Hanoi: the official 2026–27 schedule lists VND 558.0 million for Preschool to VND 1,038.8 million for Grades 11–12, rounded here to one decimal place. ↗

Separate non-refundable application and registration charges, recurring development fees, and refundable or credited deposits. ISHCMC’s VND 337.5 million certificate equals five VND 67.5 million annual payments at an unchanged rate. Its refund, transfer and validity terms are not published, so get them in writing before choosing between the two.

Da Nang and nearby Hoi An provide further options. The directory lists seven schools, with reported 2026–27 ranges of VND 249.5–597.4 million at APU American International School, VND 264.7–663.6 million at Singapore International School Da Nang, VND 168.5–271.0 million at St. Nicholas School and VND 215–510 million at Hoi An International School. These are directory figures for different programmes and age groups, not a fixed percentage saving against Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. ↗

Senior qualifications, subject availability and campus matter most when moving with a teenager. The first-party SIS Da Nang schedule is for 2024–25 and lists VND 498.4–626.0 million for the international programme. It is older than the directory examples above, so the two schedules should not be combined. ↗

This guide uses school publications for programme descriptions and fee schedules, alongside external reporting and directories. The Frasers Law briefing and Vietnam Briefing article provide legal commentary. Other sources include VnExpress, International Schools Database, B-Company and the dated KOTRA survey. School-operator comparisons and directory estimates are identified where used.

Sources were checked on 2 September 2026, with a further review on 8 October 2026. This editorial review reconciles the country guide with the school profiles; it does not represent a new verification of every source. See our research standard for how evidence is assessed, or send a correction if a detail has changed.