International School Ho Chi Minh City vs Saigon South International School
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither International School Ho Chi Minh City nor Saigon South International School 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. On cost, Saigon South International School has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| International School Ho Chi Minh City | Saigon South International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB | American / IB |
| Ages | 2-18 | 3-18 (EC 3 - Grade 12) |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | VND 279,000,000-959,000,000 per year (2025/26) | 2026-2027 annual tuition (VND, pay-in-installments): EC3-4 530,192,000; Kindergarten 603,200,000; Grades 1-5 730,808,000; Grades 6-8 782,687,000; Grades 9-10 832,426,000; Grades 11-12 924,546,000 (6% discount for full prepayment) |
| Enrollment | — | 1,550 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | CIS, NEASC, IB | WASC, CIS |
Strengths
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) — the complete authorised pathway for ages 2-18.
- ✓Dual international accreditation by CIS and NEASC alongside IB World School status.
- ✓Vietnam's first IB World School and the city's longest-established international school (since 1993).
- ✓Backed by the Cognita global schools group, giving organisational scale and governance.
- ✓Highly international community spanning more than 50 nationalities.
- ✓Only school in Ho Chi Minh City offering both the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement, per the school's own academics pages.
- ✓Full WASC accreditation combined with CIS membership and IB Diploma authorization — a deep, independently verifiable credential stack.
- ✓Long-established not-for-profit (founded 1997), so tuition is reinvested rather than distributed to owners.
- ✓Strong pastoral resourcing: eight counselors plus a dedicated school psychologist and per-division support services.
- ✓Full EC3-to-Grade-12 continuity on a large six-hectare campus with an experienced faculty averaging 17 years.
Trade-offs
- !Premium fee scale (up to ~VND 959 million/year), limiting affordability.
- !No external graded inspection band available in Vietnam, so quality assurance relies solely on accreditation cycles.
- !Published IB Diploma average scores are not transparently available on a verifiable public page.
- !Split two-campus model means primary and secondary students are on physically separate sites.
- !No published IB average score or AP results, making academic outcomes hard to benchmark objectively.
- !No domestic graded inspection report exists for Vietnam, so external quality assurance relies entirely on accreditation cycles.
- !Among the higher-fee international schools in the city, with Grade 11-12 annual tuition exceeding VND 900 million.
- !Authorized for the IB Diploma only — families seeking a continuous IB PYP/MYP pathway will not find it here.
Best Fit For
- • Families committed to a single, continuous IB pathway from early years through Diploma.
- • Internationally mobile families wanting CIS/NEASC-accredited continuity of education.
- • Students who thrive in a large, multinational learning community.
- • Parents prioritising an established institution with a long Ho Chi Minh City track record.
- • Families wanting both AP and IB Diploma options under one roof for the senior years.
- • Students seeking a US-style college-preparatory pathway to global universities.
- • Expatriate and internationally mobile families valuing WASC/CIS-accredited continuity from age 3.
- • Families prioritizing a not-for-profit school with strong counseling and wellbeing support.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: ISHCMC states 100% university acceptance for its 2025 cohort, with 98% of graduates accepted to a top-choice university, an average of 14 offers per student, and over USD 56 million in scholarships.
School-reported, unverified: SSIS states a '100% university acceptance' rate with a Class of 2026 acceptance list spanning universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, and Asia.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose International School Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon South International School?
International School Ho Chi Minh City is best for: Families committed to a single, continuous IB pathway from early years through Diploma.. Saigon South International School is best for: Families wanting both AP and IB Diploma options under one roof for the senior years.. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between International School Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon South International School?
International School Ho Chi Minh City: VND 279,000,000-959,000,000 per year (2025/26). Saigon South International School: 2026-2027 annual tuition (VND, pay-in-installments): EC3-4 530,192,000; Kindergarten 603,200,000; Grades 1-5 730,808,000; Grades 6-8 782,687,000; Grades 9-10 832,426,000; Grades 11-12 924,546,000 (6% discount for full prepayment). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do International School Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon South International School offer?
International School Ho Chi Minh City: IB. Saigon South International School: American, IB.
Do International School Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon South International School offer boarding?
International School Ho Chi Minh City: day school only. Saigon South International School: 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 →