🇻🇳 Vietnam · school guide
International schools in Vietnam
Vietnam's ordinary living costs can look low while premium international-school invoices are among the largest in this comparison. School choice therefore decides both the family budget and which city neighbourhood is genuinely usable.
Last verified 31 August 2026
The short answer
What should families know first?
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi offer the deepest choice, including established IB and British-style routes; Da Nang offers a smaller market that can cost less. Build the destination decision from the exact school invoice because tuition can exceed housing by a wide margin.
about £8,700–£31,000 a yearInitial range for one child; premium schools and first-year charges can be higher.
How school choice varies by location
Three places, three different school searches
These are starting points, not school rankings. Check availability, support and the daily journey for each child.
Ho Chi Minh City
The largest choice of international and bilingual schools, with many premium campuses concentrated in particular areas. Flooding and traffic can change the school journey.
Hanoi
Established IB and British-style options, including schools serving the diplomatic community. Include air quality and cross-city travel in the daily-life decision.
Da Nang
A smaller and often calmer market with fewer curricula, year-group fallbacks and specialist services. Confirm capacity before choosing it for lifestyle alone.
What this means for families: Vietnam can be excellent for families who accept that school may be the largest cost. Choose the city, campus and transport together, and keep an alternative in mind in case availability or learning-support capacity changes.
Published school fees
Three real fee schedules to compare
These are transparent examples rather than a “best schools” list. Open each link, choose your child's exact year group and keep the original billing currency in your budget.
Hanoi · IB
United Nations International School of Hanoi
Publishes 2026/27 application, enrolment, deposit and tuition information; use the complete first-year total rather than tuition alone.
Ho Chi Minh City · British / bilingual
British Vietnamese International School
Publishes a 2026/27 schedule by year group; admissions, transport, meals, uniforms and trips require separate checking.
Da Nang · International / Singapore
Singapore International School
Publishes a 2026/27 annex. Check programme stream, refundable deposits, meals, buses and compulsory charges.
Named schools are transparent examples, not endorsements. Inclusion means a useful public schedule was available for comparison.
What the school bill can include
Look beyond the tuition fee
Comparing tuition alone can understate both the amount needed in the first year 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 useful way to compare your options
Three ways families approach school choice in Vietnam
A lower-cost city only wins if its narrower education and support lane still fits the child.
Maximum breadth
HCMCMore schools and specialist choice; premium fees and long routes.
Established depth
HanoiStrong programme options; price air-quality and commute resilience.
Smaller school market
Da NangPotential value and a gentler pace, but fewer alternative schools and services.
Questions for every school
Five answers to get before making a decision
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 the child's likely next school or university system. The best Vietnam choice should preserve the next step, not only solve the first term.
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.
The admissions process
From an initial shortlist to a confident decision
Popular year groups and specialist support may fill early. Start in good time, but do not let urgency stop you checking the school properly.
- 01
Write down what your child needs
Record their current year group, curriculum, attainment, languages, support needs, interests and the education system they may enter next.
- 02
Check the school's claims
Confirm local permission to operate, exact programme authorisation, accreditation or inspection, including the date and campus attached to each claim.
- 03
Ask for the important documents
Request availability, admissions criteria, the complete fee schedule, safeguarding policy, support approach, calendar and refund terms.
- 04
Meet the people responsible
Speak to the relevant principal, class or subject lead, safeguarding lead and support team, not only an admissions representative.
- 05
Coordinate visas and housing
Confirm lawful study and family status, understand the contract before paying, then choose a home after checking the school journey.
Look beyond the brochure
Documents and answers 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.
Go deeper by city
Compare schools where your family may live
These city guides add current published fee schedules, a primary-age first-year estimate, admissions questions and a printable shortlisting sheet.
Continue planning your child's education
Choose the curriculum, then compare individual schools
Common questions
Questions about family relocation
How much does international school cost in Vietnam?
Use the selected-currency planning range near the top of this guide, 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. Confirm that a suitable place is genuinely available, try the journey in term-time traffic, and only then take a long lease within a manageable distance of the school.
What records should we take from the current school?
Ask for recent reports, assessment and exam records, attendance, safeguarding-transfer arrangements where relevant, learning-support documentation, vaccination and medical information, and certified or translated copies requested by the receiving school.
Why can international school cost more than housing in Vietnam?
International programmes require specialist staffing, facilities and imported systems, while local housing and food can remain comparatively affordable. Premium tuition and capital or enrolment charges can therefore dominate the family budget.
Is Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City better for international schools?
Both have established choices. Ho Chi Minh City generally offers the largest market; Hanoi has strong, long-established options. The answer depends on curriculum, support, available place and the home-school route.
Is Da Nang suitable for secondary pupils?
It can be, but families should examine subject choice, examination pathways, university counselling and the availability of another suitable school if circumstances change. Smaller-market risk grows near important exam stages.
What should bilingual-school families verify?
Ask which subjects use which language, how the international and Vietnamese programmes fit together, what qualification is awarded, how new English learners are supported and whether workload from dual requirements is sustainable.