International schools in Vietnam by city

Vietnam's international-school landscape is concentrated in four cities, and the options differ sharply by size, curriculum depth, and cost. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have mature, multi-campus markets with a full spread of curricula. Da Nang and Hoi An have far fewer schools, generally smaller in scale, aimed mostly at the growing Central Vietnam expat and remote-work population. This page gives a city-by-city orientation; for exhaustive HCMC and Hanoi comparisons, see the dedicated pages linked at the bottom.

Why city matters as much as school

In most cases, the city you're based in narrows your realistic shortlist to two or three schools before curriculum even enters the conversation. HCMC and Hanoi families typically choose a neighbourhood around a school's bus catchment area, not the other way round. In Da Nang and Hoi An, the calculation flips — there may be only one or two credible international options, so the school effectively picks your neighbourhood for you. Anyone relocating with school-age children should typically confirm current school locations and catchment maps before signing a lease; districts like Thảo Điền in HCMC exist largely because of nearby schools.

Ho Chi Minh City

HCMC has the deepest international-school market in the country. The best-known names are ISHCMC (International School of HCMC, IB through PYP/MYP/DP), BIS HCMC (British International School, English National Curriculum plus IGCSE and IB Diploma), SSIS (Saigon South International School, American curriculum with AP and IB Diploma options), and EIS (European International School, European Baccalaureate and IB). Annual tuition at these four generally runs from roughly $14,000 to $37,000 depending on year group, before enrolment fees, uniforms, buses, and lunch are added. Most of these schools cluster around Thảo Điền / District 2 or District 7, and families typically choose their apartment based on the bus route rather than the reverse. For a full comparison table including mid-tier and bilingual alternatives, see the dedicated international schools in HCMC page.

Hanoi

Hanoi's market is smaller but well established, with foreign families concentrated in Tây Hồ (West Lake) and, to a lesser extent, Long Biên. The reference names are UNIS Hanoi (United Nations International School, IB throughout), BIS Hanoi (British International School, English National Curriculum plus IGCSE and IB Diploma), HIS (Hanoi International School, American-leaning), and Concordia International School Hanoi (American curriculum with a Christian ethos, popular with missionary and NGO families). Tuition bands are broadly comparable to HCMC's top tier, typically in the high-teens to mid-$30,000s range annually, though UNIS is generally at the upper end given its long track record and large campus. See international schools in Hanoi for the full school-by-school breakdown and waiting-list guidance.

Da Nang

Da Nang's international-school sector is far thinner than HCMC or Hanoi's, reflecting a smaller long-term expat population, though it has grown alongside the city's rise as a remote-work and retirement hub. The main option most researchers point to is International School Da Nang (ISDN), offering an American-influenced curriculum with smaller class sizes than the HCMC/Hanoi majors. Because the pool of schools is small, availability can shift year to year — confirm current accreditation, curriculum, and fee structure directly with the school before committing, rather than relying on older comparison articles. Tuition at Da Nang's international options is typically lower than the HCMC/Hanoi flagships, often in the $6,000–15,000 per year range, though this varies by grade level and should be verified directly. Families researching Da Nang should also read the Da Nang region guide for a sense of where school-adjacent neighbourhoods sit relative to the airport and beach areas.

Hoi An

Hoi An has even fewer international-school options than Da Nang, and most long-term expat families with school-age children in Hoi An either commute to Da Nang (roughly 30–45 minutes by car depending on traffic) or enrol in one of Hoi An's smaller bilingual or Vietnamese-international hybrid schools. This is a genuine trade-off worth researching carefully: Hoi An offers a quieter, more community-oriented lifestyle, but the schooling gap is one of the most common reasons families with children ultimately relocate to Da Nang or HCMC instead. If you're set on Hoi An, budget time to visit both Hoi An's local options and Da Nang's ISDN before deciding, and factor commute time into your daily routine — see the Hoi An region guide for neighbourhood context.

Curriculum frameworks compared

• IB (Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma) — the most internationally portable option, recognised by universities worldwide. ISHCMC, EIS, and UNIS Hanoi are generally considered the strongest IB providers in Vietnam.
• British / English National Curriculum + IGCSE + IB or A-Levels — BIS HCMC and BIS Hanoi (both Nord Anglia-affiliated) follow this model, which may be a route to research for families anticipating a return to a UK-pathway university system.
• American curriculum + AP — SSIS, HIS, and Concordia lean American, which is typically the more direct route for families targeting US university admissions.
• Curriculum "portability" matters most for families who expect to move countries again before graduation; if you anticipate multiple relocations, IB is generally the easiest system to transfer between schools internationally.

Tuition ranges and the hidden extras

Headline tuition figures rarely reflect the full annual cost. On top of tuition, most schools in all four cities charge a one-off enrolment fee (commonly $2,000–4,000), an annual capital or building fee, uniforms, books or device fees, and bus and lunch charges if used. All-in costs for a flagship HCMC or Hanoi school can reach $40,000–60,000 per child per year by upper secondary once every line item is included, while Da Nang's more modest options are typically a fraction of that. Because fee structures change annually and vary by grade, treat any figure in this article as a starting point for research rather than a quote — confirm current pricing directly with each school's admissions office.

Waiting lists and application timing

In most cases, the strongest HCMC and Hanoi schools (ISHCMC, BIS in both cities, UNIS) carry waiting lists of six to eighteen months for popular year groups, particularly primary entry points and the years leading into IB or IGCSE examinations. Mid-year arrivals in lower primary years often find places through natural attrition, but upper-secondary places are consistently the most competitive. Applying roughly twelve months ahead of your intended start date is a reasonable target for the top-tier schools; Da Nang and Hoi An's smaller markets typically have shorter or rolling admissions, though this should be confirmed directly with each school rather than assumed.

How to shortlist across cities

If you have flexibility on which city to live in, the school question can reasonably come first. A rough decision process many relocating families use: confirm whether IB, British, or American curriculum matters most for your child's likely university destination; check current tuition and fee schedules for your shortlisted schools; and, where possible, visit campuses and ride the school bus route before signing a lease. For a broader relocation timeline that folds schooling into the wider move, see the checklist for arriving in Vietnam and, if you're weighing HCMC against Hanoi more generally, the HCMC vs Hanoi comparison.

Related

• International schools in HCMC
• International schools in Hanoi
• Da Nang region guide
• Hoi An region guide