Brent International School Manila vs International School Manila
🇵🇭 Manila · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Brent International School Manila nor International School Manila sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. Both run the same curriculum (American, IB), so the differences come down to pathway detail, campus culture, and specific language/boarding arrangements rather than the curriculum framework itself. Both are day schools with fees in the same market band — see the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Brent International School Manila | International School Manila | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | American / IB | American / IB |
| Ages | 3-18 | 3-18 (Preschool to Grade 12) |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | Tuition charged in two currency components (USD plus PHP) per the 2026-2027 schedule: Nursery $3,584 plus PHP164,120; Pre-Kindergarten $4,600 plus PHP211,056; Lower School (K-Grade 5) $8,704 plus PHP399,840; Middle School (Grades 6-8) $9,320 plus PHP428,168; Upper School (Grades 9-12) $9,680 plus PHP444,496. Plus annual Capital Development Fee $1,575/yr, one-time Matriculation $3,000 (new students), ESL support $1,210 where needed (Grades 1-8), Application $300. | SY2026-27 annual tuition (charged in a USD + PHP split): Preschool $9,720 + PHP306,400; Elementary (K-Gr4) $15,160 + PHP479,600; Middle (Gr5-8) $16,520 + PHP524,600; High School (Gr9-10) $17,620 + PHP558,400, (Gr11-12) $19,660 + PHP623,800. One-time Matriculation $4,500 and Facilities Enhancement $4,500 for entering students; application fee $700. |
| Enrollment | 1,046 | 2,465 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | ACS WASC, International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), EARCOS, NACAC, Philippines Department of Education (DepEd), Episcopal Church in the Philippines | Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), International Baccalaureate Organization, Philippine Department of Education recognition |
Strengths
- ✓Over a century of institutional lineage (1909 origins) with a stable, well-established Manila school running since 1984.
- ✓Dual academic offer: a full American college-prep programme with AP courses plus the IB Diploma in the final two years.
- ✓Full ACS WASC accreditation and IB World School status, with EARCOS and NACAC membership reinforcing external recognition.
- ✓Strong IB uptake (around 75% of students take the Diploma) with a solid published May 2018 average score of 33.
- ✓Dedicated English as a Second Language support for Grades 1-8, easing entry for non-native English speakers.
- ✓Deepest accreditation footprint in the country: ACS WASC plus IB authorization plus DepEd recognition
- ✓Strong reported academic outcomes - a 98% IB full-diploma rate for the 2025 cohort
- ✓Largest and most diverse community in the Philippines, with ~2,465 students from around 90 nationalities
- ✓Blended upper-school pathway: IB Diploma alongside selected Advanced Placement options
- ✓Established support infrastructure including EAL/ESL and a Specialised Learning Support Programme
Trade-offs
- !IB authorization covers only the Diploma Programme; there is no PYP or MYP, so younger years are not on the IB continuum.
- !No Council of International Schools (CIS) accreditation, unlike some peer international schools.
- !Dual USD-plus-PHP tuition structure plus several non-refundable add-on fees makes total cost complex to budget and exposed to currency movement.
- !No boarding at the Manila campus, which is a constraint for families needing residential placement.
- !Premium fee level, among the highest in the Philippines, with large one-time matriculation and facilities charges on entry
- !Day-only model with no boarding option for relocating or regional families
- !No published IB points average located - outcomes are reported only as a diploma pass rate
- !Single graded curriculum endpoint (IB DP) rather than multiple exam-board choices at exit
Best Fit For
- • Families wanting a US-style college-prep pathway with AP courses and the option of the IB Diploma.
- • Internationally mobile families seeking a long-established, WASC-accredited school near Metro Manila.
- • Students aiming at US and international university admission who value NACAC-linked college counseling.
- • Families comfortable with an ecumenical Episcopalian school ethos.
- • Expatriate and diplomatic families wanting a US-style education that exits through the IB Diploma
- • High-achieving students targeting university entry on the strength of a strong IB pass rate
- • Families who value a large, highly multinational peer community in central Metro Manila
- • Students needing structured EAL or specialised learning support within a mainstream international school
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: roughly 75% of Brent students enroll in the IB Diploma Programme, and the May 2018 cohort posted an average diploma score of 33 with a highest score of 44; college counseling is supported through NACAC membership.
School-reported, unverified: ISM reports that 98% of its 2025 IB Diploma candidates earned the full diploma; graduates progress to universities internationally, though no independent destinations data was located.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Brent International School Manila or International School Manila?
Brent International School Manila is best for: Families wanting a US-style college-prep pathway with AP courses and the option of the IB Diploma.. International School Manila is best for: Expatriate and diplomatic families wanting a US-style education that exits through the IB Diploma. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Brent International School Manila and International School Manila?
Brent International School Manila: Tuition charged in two currency components (USD plus PHP) per the 2026-2027 schedule: Nursery $3,584 plus PHP164,120; Pre-Kindergarten $4,600 plus PHP211,056; Lower School (K-Grade 5) $8,704 plus PHP399,840; Middle School (Grades 6-8) $9,320 plus PHP428,168; Upper School (Grades 9-12) $9,680 plus PHP444,496. Plus annual Capital Development Fee $1,575/yr, one-time Matriculation $3,000 (new students), ESL support $1,210 where needed (Grades 1-8), Application $300.. International School Manila: SY2026-27 annual tuition (charged in a USD + PHP split): Preschool $9,720 + PHP306,400; Elementary (K-Gr4) $15,160 + PHP479,600; Middle (Gr5-8) $16,520 + PHP524,600; High School (Gr9-10) $17,620 + PHP558,400, (Gr11-12) $19,660 + PHP623,800. One-time Matriculation $4,500 and Facilities Enhancement $4,500 for entering students; application fee $700.. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Brent International School Manila and International School Manila offer?
Brent International School Manila: American, IB. International School Manila: American, IB.
Do Brent International School Manila or International School Manila offer boarding?
Brent International School Manila: day school only. International School Manila: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →