International School Ho Chi Minh City
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City · Founded 1993 · IB · Ages 2-18
Ho Chi Minh City's longest-established international school and Vietnam's first IB World School, offering the full IB continuum (PYP/MYP/DP) under Cognita ownership with CIS and NEASC accreditation.
Curricula
IB
Age range
2-18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD VND 279,000,000-959,000,000 per year (2025/26)
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
PYP, MYP, DP
Accreditations
CIS, NEASC, IB
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC) opened in 1993 and is generally cited as the first international school in the city and Vietnam's first IB World School. It joined the Cognita global schools group in 2011 and operates across two campuses in the An Phu / Thao Dien area of Thu Duc City: a primary campus and a secondary campus (the latter opened in 2018), located a few kilometres apart.
The school delivers the complete International Baccalaureate continuum — the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme — for students aged 2 to 18, with English as the language of instruction and a documented English-language support pathway for additional-language learners. The student body is highly international, drawn from over 50 nationalities by the school's own account.
ISHCMC is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and authorised as an IB World School across all three IB programmes. Vietnam has no government graded inspectorate for international schools, so external assurance rests on these accreditation bodies rather than a published inspection band.
Published 2025/26 tuition runs from roughly VND 279 million to VND 959 million per year depending on grade, placing ISHCMC at the premium end of the Ho Chi Minh City market. The school publicly reports strong university placement outcomes, though specific IB Diploma average scores were not verifiable from an authoritative public page at review time.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Capped at A because Vietnam has no government graded inspectorate; the top 'S' tier requires a verbatim top graded band (e.g. BSO 'Outstanding' or ISI 'Excellent'), which does not exist in Vietnam. ISHCMC nonetheless holds dual international accreditation (CIS and NEASC) plus full IB continuum authorisation, which supports a solid A.
Strengths & Trade-offs
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.
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.
Is It Right For You?
Best 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.
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families seeking a British/A-Level or American AP curriculum rather than IB.
- ✕Budget-conscious families given the premium fee band.
- ✕Those wanting boarding provision (the school is day-only).
- ✕Parents who require a published government inspection grade for assurance.
Curriculum
Authorised IB World School across all three programmes — PYP (early years/primary), MYP (middle years), and DP (grades 11-12) — with English as the language of instruction.
Fees
2025/26 annual tuition published at roughly VND 279,000,000 to VND 959,000,000 depending on year group; positions ISHCMC at the top end of the local market.
Admissions
Day school, no boarding. Admissions handled via the school's secondary and primary campuses in the An Phu / Thao Dien area of Thu Duc City.
Campus Life
Two campuses a few kilometres apart — a primary campus and a secondary campus (opened 2018) — serving a community of more than 50 nationalities.
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
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