🇻🇳 Vietnam · city school guide
International schools in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City's established schools cluster mainly around Thu Duc and District 7, with very different journeys between them. A strong comparison needs the exact campus, the payment plan and the add-ons: annual payment discounts can make a large difference to the headline tuition.
Last verified 12 September 2026
The short answer
What should families know first?
The city offers full IB, American, British, Cambridge and bilingual choices. Premium primary tuition commonly sits in the hundreds of millions of dong, and registration, development, transport or support can move the first-year total materially higher.
School comparison
Compare the curriculum, complete bill and location
We use current school-published fees where they are available and clearly label schools that require a personalised quotation. Every figure is for shortlisting, not a substitute for a written invoice for your child's exact year and support needs.
| School and area | Curriculum and ages | Published tuition | Joining costs | First-year benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International School Ho Chi Minh CityAn Phu, Thu Duc | Full International Baccalaureate continuumAges 2-18 | VND 287.4m-987.8mYear 5 / Grade 4: VND 749.3m | Admissions VND 50m; annual development fee VND 67.5m or optional COE VND 337.5m | About VND 866.8m with ADFabout £24,200 in your selected planning currency |
| Saigon South International SchoolDistrict 7 / Phu My Hung | American curriculum; AP and IB Diploma optionsAges 3-18 | VND 530.192m-924.546mGrades 1-5: VND 730.808m | Application VND 10m; registration VND 60m; VND 45m enrolment deposit credited against tuition | About VND 800.808mabout £22,400 in your selected planning currency |
| Australian International School VietnamThu Thiem / Thao Dien | Cambridge programmes and IB DiplomaAges 18 months-18 years | VND 311.9m-908m on annual planYear 5: VND 682.8m | Application VND 3.5m; primary acceptance VND 64m; VND 30m deposit is deducted from tuition | About VND 750.3mabout £21,000 in your selected planning currency |
| British Vietnamese International School HCMCBinh Chanh direction | Bilingual British/Vietnamese pathway; IGCSE and A levelsAges 2-18 | VND 259.2m-708.8m annual-plan feeYear 5: VND 513.5m | Application VND 3.7m; registration VND 73.3m; refundable security deposit VND 36.7m | About VND 627.2m payableabout £17,500 in your selected planning currency |
International School Ho Chi Minh City
An Phu, Thu Duc
- Curriculum
- Full International Baccalaureate continuum · ages 2-18
- Published tuition
- VND 287.4m-987.8mYear 5 / Grade 4: VND 749.3m
- Joining costs
- Admissions VND 50m; annual development fee VND 67.5m or optional COE VND 337.5m
- First-year benchmark
- About VND 866.8m with ADFabout £24,200 in your selected planning currency
Saigon South International School
District 7 / Phu My Hung
- Curriculum
- American curriculum; AP and IB Diploma options · ages 3-18
- Published tuition
- VND 530.192m-924.546mGrades 1-5: VND 730.808m
- Joining costs
- Application VND 10m; registration VND 60m; VND 45m enrolment deposit credited against tuition
- First-year benchmark
- About VND 800.808mabout £22,400 in your selected planning currency
Australian International School Vietnam
Thu Thiem / Thao Dien
- Curriculum
- Cambridge programmes and IB Diploma · ages 18 months-18 years
- Published tuition
- VND 311.9m-908m on annual planYear 5: VND 682.8m
- Joining costs
- Application VND 3.5m; primary acceptance VND 64m; VND 30m deposit is deducted from tuition
- First-year benchmark
- About VND 750.3mabout £21,000 in your selected planning currency
British Vietnamese International School HCMC
Binh Chanh direction
- Curriculum
- Bilingual British/Vietnamese pathway; IGCSE and A levels · ages 2-18
- Published tuition
- VND 259.2m-708.8m annual-plan feeYear 5: VND 513.5m
- Joining costs
- Application VND 3.7m; registration VND 73.3m; refundable security deposit VND 36.7m
- First-year benchmark
- About VND 627.2m payableabout £17,500 in your selected planning currency
How we calculated the first-year figure
We used a new nine-year-old entering the closest published Year 5 or Grade 4 equivalent in the latest verified schedule, chose the annual tuition option where available, and added identifiable compulsory joining and development charges. When a current total is not public, we say that a quote is needed. Refundable deposits are explained in each note; optional transport, meals, uniform, devices, trips and individual support are excluded unless stated.
What sits behind the total
Read the small print before comparing two prices
A lower tuition figure is not necessarily a lower first-year bill. Open the current schedule and mark each amount as one-off, refundable, recurring or child-specific.
International School Ho Chi Minh City
About VND 866.8m with ADF
Uses the annual tuition option and annual development fee; excludes bus and optional programmes.
Open the school pageSaigon South International School
About VND 800.808m
Uses instalment-rate tuition plus application and registration; deposit is already credited to tuition.
Open the school pageAustralian International School Vietnam
About VND 750.3m
Annual-plan tuition plus application and acceptance; the placement deposit is deducted from tuition.
Open the school pageBritish Vietnamese International School HCMC
About VND 627.2m payable
Includes the refundable deposit; excludes bus, uniform and selected activities.
Open the school pageLocal-currency figures preserve the school's published billing basis. Selected-currency equivalents are rounded planning estimates, not transaction quotes.
Admissions and waiting lists
Start early, but ask about a real place before paying
“Applications open” and “places available” are not the same thing. Ask the admissions team to explain the position for the exact year group, start date and support profile.
Ask before paying for an assessment
Schools commonly accept applications year-round but assess only against available places and their ability to support the child. Ask for the current position first.
Compare one payment plan
Annual, semester and term totals can differ significantly. Use the same payment basis across the shortlist and note when deposits are credited.
Match the exact campus
Some providers operate multiple sites. Confirm where the child starts, where they move later and whether siblings would travel together.
- Ask whether the year is open, at capacity, using a wait pool or only accepting priority applicants.
- Confirm what assessment is required, whether it can be completed remotely and when a decision is normally made.
- Request the offer deadline, deposit treatment, deferral rules and refund position if employment or immigration changes.
- Ask whether siblings receive priority and whether each child is assessed independently for a place and support.
Accreditation checks
Verify the exact claim, campus and programme
“International”, “British”, “American”, “IB” and “Cambridge” do not all describe the same kind of approval. Check each claim with the body responsible for it.
International School Ho Chi Minh City
Verify PYP, MYP and DP authorisation separately in the IB directory and check current CIS accreditation.
Saigon South International School
Verify WASC accreditation and the school's IB Diploma authorisation.
Australian International School Vietnam
Verify Cambridge registration and the exact IB Diploma authorisation for the senior campus.
British Vietnamese International School HCMC
Verify the exam boards and any COBIS/accreditation status; this is not a full IB-continuum school.
Useful distinction: IB candidacy is not authorisation; membership of an association is not always accreditation; and an exam-centre relationship does not prove that every year follows that provider's full curriculum.
Learning and language support
Questions to ask the support lead, not only admissions
A school can be a strong general choice and still be unable to meet one child's needs in one particular year. Ask for a conversation with the person responsible for provision.
- 1
Is EAL or learning support available in this grade, and is it compulsory after assessment?
- 2
What is included in tuition and what are the published annual EAL, support or aide charges?
- 3
Can the school support a child in both English and the language used at home?
- 4
Which therapists or educational psychologists work with the school and how are reports shared?
- 5
Does support continue through IGCSE, AP, A levels or the IB Diploma, including access arrangements?
School transport and neighbourhoods
Let the confirmed campus shape the home search
Compare the door-to-door journey in school-week traffic, including rain, bus collection, sibling campuses and after-school pickup.
Thao Dien and An Phu
ISHCMC and several other schools make the east a major family cluster. River crossings and road works can still change journey times.
Thu Thiem and wider Thu Duc
Newer campuses and housing widen the eastern choice, but school stages may be split across addresses.
District 7 / Phu My Hung
SSIS and other campuses support a coherent southern family base with housing and services nearby.
Cross-city choices
A home between work and school may look central on a map yet require difficult bridge or arterial-road journeys twice a day.
Ask the transport team: Is the route door-to-door or stop-based? Who supervises younger pupils? What is the earliest pickup, latest drop-off and after-activity option? Can routes change, and is a seat guaranteed for the intended address?
Printable school shortlisting sheet
Keep every answer in one place
Use the city-labelled worksheet to compare up to six schools, build the full first-year bill and record the accreditation, support and transport questions that still need an answer.
Download the Ho Chi Minh City sheetContinue your research
Put the school inside the wider family move
Common questions
Questions about international schools in Ho Chi Minh City
How early should we apply to international schools in Ho Chi Minh City?
Start serious enquiries six to twelve months before the intended start, and earlier for a popular year group or specialist support. Many schools use rolling admissions, but that means applications are considered as places arise - not that every grade always has space.
Does paying an application fee guarantee a place?
No. Application and assessment fees are normally non-refundable and pay for the admissions process. Ask whether the school has a likely place in the correct year and can support your child before paying.
What does the first-year estimate include?
Our benchmark uses one new primary-age pupil and the school's published annual-payment tuition plus compulsory application, registration, entrance, capital or development charges that could be identified. We show refundable deposits separately or explain when they are included. Transport, meals, uniforms, devices, trips and individual support remain outside the total unless stated.
Can we rely on a school's accreditation logo?
Do not rely on the logo alone. Search the accreditor or programme provider's current directory, match the exact campus and programme, and check whether the status is membership, candidacy, authorisation or full accreditation.
How should we compare learning support?
Send recent reports and professional assessments before applying. Ask what is delivered in class, what requires extra staffing or fees, the current caseload, whether places are limited, and what would happen if your child's needs change.
Should we choose a home before choosing a school in Ho Chi Minh City?
Usually no. Confirm a realistic school place first, then test the journey at the actual drop-off and collection times. A short map distance can still create a difficult weekday routine.
Are the schools in this guide ranked or sponsored?
No. This is an independent research comparison, not a league table. Schools are included because their curriculum, location and published information help families understand the Ho Chi Minh City market. Sponsored directory visibility does not affect this guide.
Do international-school fees in Vietnam stay the same after the first year?
No. Fees are normally reviewed annually and often rise as a child moves through the school. Model at least three years, including a move into secondary or senior qualifications, and read withdrawal and refund rules before paying.
Which part of Ho Chi Minh City is best for international schools?
Thu Duc - especially Thao Dien, An Phu and Thu Thiem - and District 7 contain many established options. The best base is the one that keeps the chosen school, work and essential healthcare inside a realistic route.