International School Manila
🇵🇭 Manila · Founded 1920 · American / IB · Ages 3-18 (Preschool to Grade 12)
The oldest and largest international school in the Philippines: a non-profit, day-only American-curriculum school that culminates in the IB Diploma, with deep WASC and IB accreditation and a strong reported diploma pass rate.
Curricula
American, IB
Age range
3-18 (Preschool to Grade 12)
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD 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
2,465
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), International Baccalaureate Organization, Philippine Department of Education recognition
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 Manila (ISM) is the Philippines' flagship international school, founded in 1920 as the American School and renamed in 1970. It occupies a purpose-built campus in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, and serves roughly 2,465 students drawn from around 90 nationalities, making it the country's largest and most established international community. It is a non-profit day school - it does not offer boarding.
Academically, ISM runs a US-based K-12 framework that flows into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the final two years; it was among the earliest schools in the region to adopt the IB Diploma and reports a 98% full-diploma rate for its 2025 cohort. Selected students in grades 9-10 can also take Advanced Placement courses, giving the school a blended American/IB upper-school offering rather than a single track.
The school holds full accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC) and authorization from the International Baccalaureate Organization, and is recognized by the Philippine Department of Education. It is the only dimension carrying a graded tier here, rated 'A' on accreditation depth: the Philippines has no government inspectorate that issues a graded band for international schools, so the 'S' tier (which requires a verbatim top inspection grade) is not attainable.
Fees are substantial and unusually structured as a combined USD-plus-PHP charge per grade, escalating from preschool through the IB years, with sizeable one-time matriculation and facilities fees for entering families. English is the language of instruction, with EAL/ESL support and a dedicated Specialised Learning Support Programme, plus a range of world languages offered as subjects.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Rated 'A' (not 'S') because ISM carries genuine, current third-party quality assurance - full ACS WASC accreditation plus IB authorization and Philippine DepEd recognition - but the Philippines has no national inspectorate that publishes a verbatim graded band for international schools. Per brand rules, 'S' requires a quoted top inspection grade, which does not exist in this jurisdiction, so accreditation depth caps at 'A'.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- 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
- 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
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓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
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families needing boarding provision
- ✕Budget-conscious families, given the premium USD-plus-PHP fee structure
- ✕Families seeking a British/Cambridge or A-Level exit pathway
- ✕Those wanting a small, intimate school setting rather than a 2,400-plus campus
Curriculum
A US-based K-12 curriculum that culminates in the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11-12, with Advanced Placement courses offered to selected students in grades 9-10. The school describes itself as among the first in the region to adopt the IB Diploma. It is IB authorized for the Diploma Programme; there is no evidence it runs the PYP or MYP, and it is not a Cambridge school.
Fees
SY2026-27 annual tuition is charged as a combined USD + PHP amount per grade: Preschool $9,720 + PHP306,400; Elementary (K-Gr4) $15,160 + PHP479,600; Middle School (Gr5-8) $16,520 + PHP524,600; High School (Gr9-10) $17,620 + PHP558,400; High School (Gr11-12) $19,660 + PHP623,800. Entering students also pay a one-time Matriculation Fee of $4,500 and a Facilities Enhancement Fee of $4,500; the application fee is $700. Figures are taken directly from the school's published SY2026-27 fee schedule.
Admissions
Admission runs through the school's standard application process via the Admissions office, with an application fee ($700 for applications on or after 1 August 2026) and payment of tuition and entry fees on enrollment. As the country's most sought-after international school, places are competitive.
Campus Life
ISM occupies a purpose-built multi-hectare campus in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, in central Metro Manila. It is a non-profit day school with a large, highly multinational student body of around 2,465 from roughly 90 nationalities, and a long-standing athletics tradition through IASAS interschool competition. Core values are stated as 'Integrity, Service, Merit.'
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- ISM official site - At a Glance / homepage · 2026-06
- ISM official site - Accreditation · 2026-06
- ISM official site - School Fees (SY2026-27) · 2026-06
- Wikipedia - International School Manila · 2026-06
- International Schools Database - Manila · 2026-06
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