🇵🇭 the Philippines · school guide
International schools in the Philippines
English-medium education and familiar US-style structures make the Philippines attractive to many international families. The market is concentrated, however: Metro Manila and Cebu offer very different levels of breadth from smaller cities and islands.
Last verified 26 August 2026
The short answer
What should families know first?
Metro Manila offers the widest choice and the strongest premium-school ecosystem; Cebu provides an established but smaller alternative; other cities need child-specific verification. English access can ease transition, but it does not remove the need to check programme, accreditation and route.
School-market map
Three places, three different shortlists
These are planning lenses, not school rankings. Availability, provision and route must be checked child by child.
Metro Manila
Maximum programme, university-counselling and specialist-service breadth. BGC, Makati and school-led corridors can carry premium housing and transport costs.
Cebu
An established international-school option outside the capital with a smaller ecosystem. Traffic and cross-city access still require live testing.
Smaller cities
Potentially lower costs and gentler scale, but fewer international pathways, support services and fallback schools. Plan medical and academic escalation.
Our market verdict: The Philippines works best for families who value English-medium life and can choose a city around education and healthcare. A low-cost smaller-city plan is only robust if the child does not need a wider school or specialist-support network.
Published fee benchmarks
Three real schedules to open—not a “best schools” list
The notes below summarise each provider's published material. Follow the link, select the exact year group and retain the contractual currency.
Metro Manila · US / IB
International School Manila
Publishes 2025/26 fees in US dollars and pesos. Use it as a premium benchmark and request the latest schedule before applying.
Cebu · IB
Cebu International School
Publishes 2025/26 fees with both US-dollar and peso components. Ask for 2026/27 figures and every first-year charge.
Metro Manila · IB
Domuschola International School
Publishes 2026/27 admissions fees; compare grade-specific tuition, capital/development charges and transport.
Named schools are transparent examples, not endorsements. Inclusion means a useful public schedule was available for comparison.
Fee anatomy
Build the invoice in layers
A tuition-only comparison can understate both first-year cash and the cost of a second child.
Usually non-refundable; ask whether each child and reapplication are charged.
Before an offerOften non-refundable and separate from any refundable security deposit.
On acceptanceMay be compulsory, annual, one-off or replaced by a debenture; read the current schedule.
Entry or annualUse the exact year group and ask how fees change on moving into secondary or sixth form.
Termly or annualBus, meals, uniform, devices, books, activities and after-school care may be separate.
RecurringEnglish-language or learning support, therapy, exams, trips and one-to-one provision.
As neededA visual decision tool
The Philippines school-access network
On an archipelago, the school is one node in a wider system. A workable plan keeps the important links reliable.
Education node
School + next stageCurrent fit, secondary pathway and transfer records.
Family node
Home + workA repeatable route through real urban traffic.
Resilience node
Care + travelSpecialist healthcare, airport access and disruption planning.
Shortlist discipline
Five questions every school must answer
Is the exact programme verified?
Check the school in the awarding body's directory for the programme and campus your child will actually enter. A logo or candidate statement is not enough.
What happens when we leave?
Ask how records, credits, exam entries and references transfer to a UK or another international school. The best the Philippines choice should preserve the next step, not only solve September.
Can the school deliver support?
Describe learning, language, sensory, medical and pastoral needs before paying. Ask who provides support, what is excluded and whether charges or capacity limits apply.
What is the complete first-year invoice?
Add application, assessment, registration, deposit, capital or development charges, tuition, transport, meals, uniform, devices, exams, trips and child-specific support.
Does the route work every weekday?
Travel the home-school journey at actual drop-off and collection time in normal term-time conditions. A map distance is not a commute.
Admissions runway
From shortlist to a defensible decision
Popular year groups and specialist provision may fill early. Start ahead, but do not let urgency replace due diligence.
- 01
Build the child brief
Record current year group, curriculum, attainment, language, support, interests and the likely next education system.
- 02
Verify the school
Check local operation, exact programme authorisation, accreditation or inspection, and the date and campus attached to each claim.
- 03
Request the evidence pack
Ask for availability, admissions criteria, complete fee schedule, safeguarding policy, support model, calendar and refund terms.
- 04
Test people and practice
Meet the relevant principal, class or subject lead, safeguarding lead and support team—not only an admissions representative.
- 05
Coordinate status and housing
Confirm lawful study and family status, pay only with the contract understood, then choose a home after testing the route.
Tour past the brochure
Evidence to ask for
- A current safeguarding policy, named lead, reporting route, safer-recruitment process and supervised transport arrangements.
- The exact programme authorisation and campus entry in the IB or Cambridge directory, plus the current inspection or accreditation report where claimed.
- Class-size practice, staff qualifications, leadership and teacher turnover, substitute cover and how complaints reach governors or owners.
- A written support plan showing in-house capacity, exclusions, external-provider coordination, costs and what happens if needs increase.
- Offer, deposit, notice, withdrawal, refund and fee-increase terms—especially if immigration or employment remains uncertain.
Continue the school plan
Compare the pathway, then test the school
Straight answers
Questions about family relocation
How much does international school cost in the Philippines?
Use about £2,800–£22,000 a year as an initial planning range, then calculate the child's exact year group from the current school schedule. Entry charges, transport, meals, devices, exams, trips and support can sit outside tuition.
Does ‘international school’ mean the school is accredited?
No. It is not a single regulated quality mark. Check local licensing, programme authorisation, independent accreditation or inspection, and safeguarding evidence separately.
How do I verify an IB or Cambridge claim?
Search the exact school and campus in the official IB World School or Cambridge International directory. For IB, confirm the specific PYP, MYP, DP or CP authorisation rather than assuming one programme covers the whole school.
Should we apply before securing a visa?
You can ask about availability and apply while the move is developing, but read refund and deferral terms before paying irreversible fees. Confirm the child's study status and each parent's separate right to stay and work.
Should we choose the school before the house?
Usually yes. Secure a realistic place, test the route in term-time traffic, and only then take a long lease inside the proven school corridor.
What records should we take from the UK school?
Ask for recent reports, assessment and exam records, attendance, safeguarding-transfer arrangements where relevant, SEN or support documentation, vaccination and medical information, and certified copies requested by the receiving school.
Why do some Philippine school invoices use both dollars and pesos?
Some international schools publish mixed-currency components. Keep every contractual amount, due date and permitted payment currency in the budget; a one-time GBP conversion hides exchange exposure.
Is an American-style school best for returning to the UK?
Not automatically. Ask how grade placement maps to England, how credits and transcripts transfer, and what happens around GCSE or sixth-form entry. A well-documented transition matters more than the label.
Is Cebu a realistic alternative to Manila?
Yes for some families. It has established international provision and major-city services, but less choice than Metro Manila. Confirm subjects, support and the commute before choosing it for lower costs.
Can a smaller Philippine city work for school-age children?
It can if the available school fits now and later. Model the cost and disruption of travelling to Cebu or Manila for specialist assessment, healthcare, exams or a future school change.