Good to know
Good to Know
- Published tuition almost always excludes extras like school bus transport, meals, uniforms, field trips, and learning-support/EAL services — budget an additional 20-40 million VND per year on top of headline tuition at most schools.
- One-time Registration/Admissions Fees (often 20-75 million VND) and refundable security deposits are separate from annual tuition and are usually non-refundable once a place is confirmed.
- Tuition is typically increased annually (commonly 4-8%), so the figures here are for the specific school year cited and will likely be higher by the time you enroll — always request the current fee schedule directly from the school.
- Sibling discounts (commonly 5-35% depending on the school and which child) are widely offered, so multi-child families should ask directly.
- A handful of schools (e.g. King's College Wimbledon HCMC, Anne Hill, several bilingual schools) do not publish full fee schedules publicly — you'll need to contact admissions directly for exact current pricing.
- Most established international schools cluster in District 2 (Thao Dien/An Phu), District 7 (Phu My Hung/Saigon South), and Thu Duc/Thu Thiem, which is useful to know when choosing housing near a school.
- If you want a realistic shot at the most competitive grades (Reception/Early Years, Year 7, Year 12), start applications 6–9+ months ahead — roughly November to March for an August start.
- Thao Dien (District 2) and District 7 schools are the most oversubscribed; even 'qualified' applicants can be waitlisted purely due to space, so apply early and keep a backup school on your shortlist.
- Don't assume a sibling automatically gets a seat at your other child's school — ask explicitly, since sibling priority policies differ by institution.
- If you're set on homeschooling in HCMC, know that it isn't officially recognized by Vietnamese law, so you'll need to independently arrange curriculum accreditation (often via an international distance-school) and shouldn't expect local co-op infrastructure — support is mostly informal via expat Facebook groups rather than an organized homeschool community.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Ho Chi Minh City has one of the largest concentrations of international schools in Vietnam, with most campuses clustered in District 2/Thao Dien, District 7/Phu My Hung (Saigon South), and Thu Duc/Thu Thiem. Curricula on offer include full IB (PYP/MYP/DP), British/English National Curriculum (often leading to IGCSE and A-Level or IBDP), American-style, Canadian (Ontario), Australian, Singaporean, Montessori, and Vietnamese-international bilingual programs.
Schools
International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC)
- Age Range
- 2–18 years
- Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate (PYP, MYP, DP) — Vietnam's first IB World School
- Other Fees
- One-time Admissions Fee, plus either an Annual Development Fee (~67.5M VND/year) or a one-time Certificate of Entitlement (~337.5M VND).
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫681,900,000
- Range High
- ₫959,000,000
- Note
- All-inclusive fee (covers uniforms, field trips, devices); tiers by grade band, 2025-2026
British International School Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC)
- Age Range
- 2–18 years
- Curriculum
- English National Curriculum through IGCSE, then IB Diploma Programme in Sixth Form (Nord Anglia Education network)
- Other Fees
- Non-refundable Registration Fee of ~73.3M VND, separate Application Fee, plus meals/transport/uniform not included.
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫333,000,000
- Range High
- ₫999,000,000
- Note
- 2026-2027 fee schedule
Saigon South International School (SSIS)
- Age Range
- Early Childhood (3-4) through Grade 12
- Curriculum
- American-style curriculum, preschool through high school
- Other Fees
- Registration/deposit fees, meals, transport and extracurriculars billed separately.
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫530,000,000
- Range High
- ₫924,000,000
- Note
- 2026-2027 fee schedule
British Vietnamese International School (BVIS) HCMC
- Age Range
- Early Years through Year 13
- Curriculum
- English National Curriculum (Nord Anglia Education network); established 2011
- Other Fees
- Non-refundable Application Fee (~3.7M VND), Registration Fee (~73.3M VND), Security Deposit (~36.7M VND).
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Full published fee schedule varies by year group; school does not make a simple single figure easily comparable in sources reviewed — contact admissions directly for current schedule
European International School Ho Chi Minh City (EIS)
- Age Range
- 2–18 years
- Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate (IB) offered throughout all levels; 'education village' campus concept
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫289,000,000
- Range High
- ₫774,000,000
- Note
- 2026-2027 fee schedule; only Kindergarten and Primary bands available in sources reviewed
ABC International School
- Age Range
- Kindergarten through Secondary
- Curriculum
- British curriculum; one of HCMC's longest-established international schools
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫196,000,000
- Range High
- ₫837,000,000
- Note
- 2026-2027 fee schedule
Canadian International School (CIS)
- Age Range
- Pre-Grade 1 (age 5) through Grade 12
- Curriculum
- Ontario (Canada) curriculum with IB Diploma Programme option
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫799,000,000
- Range High
- ₫824,000,000
- Note
- 2024-2025 figures — among the highest in the city at time of reporting; likely higher for 2025-2026/2026-2027
Renaissance International School Saigon
- Age Range
- Preschool through Secondary
- Curriculum
- National Curriculum for England, Cambridge IGCSE, IB Diploma Programme (MYP candidate); only Round Square school in Vietnam
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫189,000,000
- Range High
- ₫656,000,000
- Note
- 2024-2025 figures (likely increased since)
International Schools of North America (SNA) — Saigon South Campus
- Age Range
- Grade 1 through Grade 12 (plus early years)
- Curriculum
- Full IB Continuum (PYP, MYP, DP)
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫500,000,000
- Range High
- ₫800,000,000
- Note
- 2025-2026 figures; school was also offering a promotional tuition discount of up to 35% for 2025-2026
Scotch AGS (South Australia School)
- Age Range
- Years 1–12
- Curriculum
- Australian curriculum (Years 1–12), leading to the Australian Certificate of Education (ACE); partnered with Scotch College Adelaide
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫316,900,000
- Note
- 2025-2026 starting figure for lower grades; fees increase through the grades
Pennsylvania International School
- Age Range
- Elementary and Middle School
- Curriculum
- American-style curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Range Low
- ₫326,000,000
- Range High
- ₫399,000,000
- Note
- 2024-2025 figures, maximum per level
Australian International School (AIS) — Thu Thiem
- Age Range
- 1.5–18 years
- Curriculum
- IB and IGCSE curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Fee schedule not consistently published across sources reviewed — verify directly with school admissions
American International School Vietnam (AISVN)
- Age Range
- Preschool through Secondary
- Curriculum
- American-style curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Note
- School held tuition flat for 2024-2025 vs prior year; premium-tier pricing (secondary fees reported above ~450M VND for Year 7 in a Vietnam-wide comparison)
King's College Wimbledon Ho Chi Minh City
- Age Range
- Early Years through Sixth Form
- Curriculum
- British curriculum, guided by King's College School, Wimbledon (UK)
Tuition Annual
- Note
- School does not publish fees publicly per sources reviewed
Horizon International Bilingual School (HIBS) — Tan Binh Campus
- Age Range
- 18 months–5 years (Early Years) expanding through Grade 12 by 2025-2026
- Curriculum
- International or bilingual program tracks
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Specific published tuition figures not found in sources reviewed
Tesla International School (Tesla Education Group)
- Age Range
- Not specified in sources reviewed
- Curriculum
- International Baccalaureate (IB) alongside the Vietnamese National Curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Specific published tuition figures not found in sources reviewed
Singapore International School @ Saigon South
- Age Range
- Kindergarten through Grade 12
- Curriculum
- Singapore-based curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Specific published tuition figures not found in sources reviewed
Montessori International School of Vietnam
- Age Range
- Early childhood
- Curriculum
- Montessori Method; oldest Montessori school in Vietnam (founded 2007)
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Specific published tuition figures not found in sources reviewed
Sakura Montessori International Kindergarten (SMIS) — HCMC Campus
- Age Range
- ~12 months–6 years
- Curriculum
- Montessori Method blended with an English Language Curriculum and bilingual (English/Vietnamese) tracks; part of a multi-city network
Tuition Monthly
- Range Low
- ₫4,500,000
- Range High
- ₫18,000,000
- Note
- Billed monthly, varies by program
Anne Hill International School
- Age Range
- Preschool and Primary
- Curriculum
- International-quality preschool and primary programme (founded 2015), positioned as an affordable option
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Marketed as budget-friendly; specific figures not published in sources reviewed
Wellspring Saigon
- Age Range
- Not specified in sources reviewed
- Curriculum
- Bilingual Vietnamese-American program; holds permission from the Massachusetts Department of Education to use its curriculum
Tuition Annual
- Note
- 2024-2025 tuition increased by an average of ~13M VND versus prior year; base figures not found in sources reviewed
EMASI International Bilingual Schools
- Age Range
- Not specified in sources reviewed
- Curriculum
- Bilingual Vietnamese-international program
Tuition Annual
- Note
- 2024-2025 tuition raised by VND4-20 million versus prior year; base figures not found in sources reviewed
UK Academy (UKA) International Bilingual School
- Age Range
- Not specified in sources reviewed
- Curriculum
- British-influenced bilingual program (founded 2016)
Tuition Annual
- Note
- Specific published tuition figures not found in sources reviewed
Enrollment And Homeschooling
Homeschooling
- Legal Status
- Decriminalized or tolerated
- Local Community Or Coop
- No genuinely documented, HCMC-specific homeschooling co-op or formal in-person group could be confirmed. Support for homeschooling families in the city appears to happen informally through general expat community channels (such as large HCMC expat Facebook groups) rather than through a dedicated, verifiable homeschool co-op of the kind found in some other Southeast Asian expat hubs.
- Legal Status Explanation
- Homeschooling is not officially recognized as a legal form of compulsory education under Vietnamese law; children are formally expected to be enrolled in a licensed public or private school. In practice, however, there are no documented criminal penalties for parents who homeschool, and no clear regulations specifically prohibiting or governing it — it exists in a legal grey area rather than being actively prosecuted.
Practical Implications
- Homeschooled children are not counted as enrolled students in the national system, which can create friction with local authorities or complicate residency/visa paperwork tied to school enrollment for some family visa categories.
- Families pursuing homeschooling typically need to independently ensure their curriculum meets the standards of their home country or an international accrediting body, since Vietnam does not issue homeschool credentials.
- Some international schools in the city offer distance-learning or partial homeschool-support programs that can serve as an accredited school-of-record while most instruction happens at home.
Waitlist Reality
- Popular Areas
- For popular schools in District 2 (Thao Dien) and District 7, families generally enquire several months in advance because of waitlists in specific year levels.
- Overall Market
- Ho Chi Minh City has one of the largest and most competitive international school markets in Southeast Asia, with over 30 internationally recognized schools spanning British, American, IB, French, Australian and bilingual curricula.
- Capacity Pressure
- At the most sought-after schools and grade levels, qualified applicant families consistently outnumber available seats, meaning an admissions outcome depends heavily on timing, space and cohort balance in a given year rather than solely on a child's readiness.
- Sibling Priority Caveat
- Sibling priority for existing families is not automatic and varies from school to school, so it should be confirmed directly with each institution rather than assumed.
Required Documents
- Previous school reports/transcripts
- Teacher recommendation forms
- Health and immunization records
- Copy of the student's passport
- Visa/residency documentation for the family
- Disclosure of any diagnosed learning needs or English-as-an-Additional-Language (EAL) requirements, since schools have limited EAL capacity and want this known upfront
Application Timeline
- Late Arrivals
- Families relocating mid-year can still apply for the January intake or for off-cycle admission where space exists, but options narrow considerably for the most in-demand grades and schools.
- Academic Year Structure
- The Vietnamese academic year runs from August to early June, with the main intake in mid-August and a smaller second intake in January for some schools.
- Recommended Application Window
- Apply between November and March of the previous academic year for the strongest chance at the most popular year groups (Reception/Early Years, Year 7 and Year 12), since these transition points are the most competitive.
Assessment And Process Steps
- Initial enquiry and campus tour (in-person or virtual)
- Submission of online application with supporting documents
- Age-appropriate entrance assessment: Early Years/Primary generally use play-based or academic readiness activities, while Secondary uses subject-based evaluations and interviews
- Offer of place, followed by finalizing enrollment paperwork and payment
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.