IB schools in Ho Chi Minh City: the complete list

The Ho Chi Minh City IB landscape

The IB programme in Ho Chi Minh City has grown from a single school running the Diploma in the early 2000s to a credible ecosystem of around eight authorised schools in 2026, three of which run the full continuum from Primary Years Programme through Diploma. The Diploma sits at the top of the conversation. It is offered at six schools, dominated at the upper end by ISHCMC, SSIS and the British International School Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC), with AISVN, EIS and AIS Saigon completing the credible Diploma list.

The Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme are offered at a slightly wider group. ISHCMC and EIS run the full continuum. AIS Saigon delivers PYP and MYP alongside the NSW curriculum. BIS HCMC runs the Diploma at sixth form but uses the British primary and IGCSE pathway through to Year 11. SSIS delivers AP and IB Diploma in parallel and offers a strong PYP at the primary level. For a wider view of the IB programme see the IB curriculum hub; for the broader city ranking see our pillar piece on the best international schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

Schools offering the IB Diploma

Schools offering PYP and MYP

The Primary Years Programme is the inquiry led IB programme for ages 3 to 12 and is offered at ISHCMC, EIS, AIS Saigon and several smaller schools. The Middle Years Programme covers ages 11 to 16 and runs at ISHCMC, EIS, AIS Saigon and a smaller group. Most non IB schools that lead with the Diploma at sixth form use the British or American curriculum for primary and middle years. BIS HCMC uses the British EYFS and Key Stage curriculum through to IGCSE. SSIS uses an American style primary and middle school curriculum.

For families committed to the IB philosophy across all year groups, the practical choice narrows to ISHCMC and EIS, which run the full continuum from PYP through Diploma. AIS Saigon delivers PYP and MYP but switches to NSW for Year 10 before the IB Diploma at sixth form. For families more focused on the senior end Diploma outcome, the choice widens to include BIS HCMC, SSIS and AISVN, each of which uses a different primary pathway that converges into the Diploma at sixth form.

Diploma scores and university destinations

Diploma scores at the established Ho Chi Minh City schools have tracked steadily over the past five years. ISHCMC averages have sat in the 32 to 35 band. SSIS in the 33 to 36 band. BIS HCMC in the 32 to 35 band. EIS in the 30 to 33 band as the cohort has matured. AIS Saigon in the 30 to 33 band. AISVN in the 30 to 33 band, with material improvement across the past three cohorts. The worldwide average is around 30 and a score above 33 is comfortably in the upper third of the global cohort.

University destinations are credible at the top three. ISHCMC and SSIS both regularly place students at Russell Group universities including UCL, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Warwick and Durham, as well as top fifty US universities and the Group of Eight in Australia. BIS HCMC sends a meaningful share of leavers to the UK each year. AISVN and EIS have strong recent placements at Asian universities, particularly NUS, NTU and the University of Hong Kong, alongside European universities in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Oxbridge offers are infrequent across the city but have appeared in recent ISHCMC, SSIS and BIS HCMC cohorts. For curriculum context the IB curriculum hub covers Diploma structure and assessment.

Fees and the IB premium

There is no consistent IB premium over British A Level or American AP in Ho Chi Minh City. The school decides the fee, not the curriculum, and the variation within the IB Diploma offering tracks the variation across the city as a whole. For the full fee picture see our international school fees in Ho Chi Minh City piece. For the wider value tier alternatives see the cheapest international schools in Ho Chi Minh City.

Choosing between IB schools in the city

The practical framework for choosing between the IB schools in Ho Chi Minh City is geography first, curriculum continuum second, cohort depth third and individual school culture fourth. Geography matters because a 45 minute cross city commute twice a day is genuinely punishing for younger children and reshapes the family week. The continuum matters because a child accustomed to PYP and MYP transitions more easily into the Diploma than one stepping in from another curriculum at Year 12. Cohort depth matters because a Diploma cohort of 60 students offers a richer subject choice than a cohort of 18. School culture matters because the fit between child, family and school often determines outcomes more than headline ranking.

For Thao Dien families ISHCMC is the obvious starting point. For Phu My Hung families SSIS is the obvious starting point. BIS HCMC works for either catchment with its dual campus structure. Families wanting an IB pathway at a fee point below the top tier should consider EIS or AISVN. Most families end up with a shortlist of two or three schools and resolve the choice through campus visits and conversations with current parents in the year group. Our cost calculator handles the financial modelling and the moving to Ho Chi Minh City with kids guide covers the wider relocation picture.

Two specific scenarios are worth flagging. Families on a posting of less than two years should weigh the dislocation cost of switching curriculum at the start and end of the posting; the Diploma is a two year programme and entering at Year 12 from a different system is workable but rarely ideal. Families with a child on the brink of identified learning needs should confirm the support model at the shortlisted schools; ISHCMC and SSIS have the strongest learning support departments and the most experienced specialists, although neither school is set up for severe specialist need.

Related guides

• Best international schools in Ho Chi Minh City
• International school fees in Ho Chi Minh City
• Cheapest international schools in Ho Chi Minh City

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