British curriculum schools under $20,000 in Asia

Where the under $20K band sits in Asia

British curriculum schools are among the most common international options in Asia, and their fees range widely. The best known names in Singapore and Hong Kong charge well over 25,000 US dollars for senior years, while in Malaysia, Vietnam and much of Thailand a full English National Curriculum pathway through IGCSE and A Level can sit under 20,000 for most or all year groups. Our own city fee pages show these markets publishing bands that begin in the low to mid thousands and rise with age. Early years and primary places are the most affordable, and the sixth form years cost more. Because tuition is often set in ringgit, dong or baht, the dollar figure moves with the exchange rate, so treat any headline number as a starting point and confirm the exact fee for your child's year group in writing.

The wider point is that a budget shortlist is really a market shortlist. Rather than chase a single cheap school, look first at the countries and cities where the whole fee level sits lower, then compare the established schools within them. Read this alongside our overview of the British curriculum and the relevant international school fees pages so the figures below sit in context.

How we chose these schools

We have drawn this shortlist from established British curriculum schools in the lower fee Asian markets, chiefly Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, where published tuition bands fall under 20,000 US dollars for most year groups. Every school named follows the English National Curriculum through IGCSE and, in most cases, A Level, and has a full profile on this site. We do not attach a fixed dollar figure to any single school, because fees change each year, differ between year groups and shift with the exchange rate. Instead we tell you which market each school sits in and what to confirm. Read each blurb as a prompt to ask, not as a quoted price.

British schools to shortlist

Each school below runs a recognised British programme and has a full profile on this site. The notes tell you what to confirm rather than quote a price, because tuition moves each year and by year group.

• British International School of Kuala Lumpur, a British curriculum through school in Malaysia offering IGCSE and A Level. Confirm the current fee for your child's year group, as the sixth form typically sits above the primary rate.
• British International School Ho Chi Minh City, a British curriculum school in Vietnam, one of the more affordable markets in the region. Ask the admissions team for the fee schedule by year group and any additional levies.
• Garden International School Bangkok, a British curriculum school in Thailand. Confirm which years fall under your budget and what is included in the tuition.
• British International School Phuket, a British curriculum boarding and day school in Thailand. Ask for the day fee schedule by year group, kept separate from any boarding costs.
• The Alice Smith School, a long established British curriculum through school in Kuala Lumpur offering IGCSE and A Level. Confirm the current tuition band for your stage.
• British International School Hanoi, a British curriculum school in Vietnam. Ask the admissions office for the fee schedule and whether the senior years remain within your ceiling.

How to check a fee properly

A published headline fee is only the start. Ask each school for the full fee schedule by year group, because a school that sits under your ceiling in primary can rise above it by the senior years. Ask what is charged on top of tuition, since registration, capital or building levies, transport, meals and exam entry are often billed separately and can add a fifth or more to the real cost. Ask whether the fee is set in US dollars or in the local currency, because a figure pegged to a local currency moves with the exchange rate and the number you were quoted may not hold. Finally, ask about sibling discounts and payment plans, which can change what is affordable for a family with more than one child. A school that answers all of this clearly and in writing is showing you the true cost of attendance rather than a marketing number.

It also helps to visit and to line up two or three schools in the same market before deciding, so you are comparing like with like. Use the city guides below to plan those visits alongside the rest of your research.

Markets and fees by city

These are the markets the schools above sit in. Each city guide sets out the local landscape, and each fees page shows the published tuition bands so you can sense check any figure a school gives you.

• Kuala Lumpur international schools and Kuala Lumpur secondary fees
• Ho Chi Minh City international schools and Ho Chi Minh City secondary fees
• Bangkok international schools and Bangkok secondary fees
• Phuket international schools and Phuket secondary fees
• Hanoi international schools and Hanoi secondary fees
• More guides on the GlobalSchoolGuide blog

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