How many American schools in Hanoi
The Hanoi American curriculum cluster is smaller and younger than the British or IB clusters, with three schools running a recognisably US programme to upper secondary and a handful of bilingual schools using American textbooks and AP electives within a wider hybrid model. Concordia International School Hanoi at Tay Ho is the city's reference American school, a Lutheran-affiliated K to Grade 12 campus modelled on the Concordia Shanghai and Concordia Hong Kong campuses. St Paul American School Hanoi in Hoai Duc on the western city fringe delivers a US college preparatory programme with Advanced Placement, boarding option and a Vietnamese-American dual track. American International School Hanoi, sometimes called AIS Hanoi, sits in Long Bien and offers a US elementary and middle school programme with smaller upper grades. Together these three schools serve a US programme cohort of roughly 1,100 students. For the wider Hanoi market see our Hanoi city hub and the global American curriculum hub.
Concordia and the Lutheran network
Concordia International School Hanoi opened in 2011 and sits inside the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Concordia International schools network that anchors international US schools across Shanghai, Hanoi and Hong Kong. The campus runs a single-site K to Grade 12 programme in Tay Ho District, drawing on a US-style block schedule, varsity sports calendar and Advanced Placement course catalogue. Christian formation is part of the school day in lower grades, though admission is open to families of any faith. The cohort skews US passport holders posted to Hanoi by US corporates, the US Embassy and Vietnamese-American returnee families, with the heritage Vietnamese diaspora share noticeably higher than at UNIS Hanoi or BIS Hanoi. Class sizes sit at around 18 across elementary and 16 in upper school.
Advanced Placement and the AP versus IB choice
Concordia Hanoi offers a deep Advanced Placement course catalogue across the sciences, mathematics, US history, world languages and the arts, alongside a US high school diploma. St Paul American School offers a parallel AP track with a Vietnamese-recognised national diploma overlay for students taking the dual track. American International School Hanoi is smaller at upper grades and offers a narrower AP shortlist. For families weighing the AP route against the IB Diploma on offer at UNIS Hanoi and BIS Hanoi, the trade is the same as everywhere: AP gives a la carte depth in a small number of subjects with strong US university recognition, while the IB Diploma offers a broader, more prescribed curriculum with a stronger reach into UK, Canadian and Australian admissions.
Concordia Tay Ho, or St Paul at Hoai Duc?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Hanoi American curriculum options based on your child's grade, your housing district and your AP subject preferences.
Fees, the US Embassy and corporate allowances
Hanoi American curriculum fees sit slightly above the city's British or IB averages at upper school, helped by smaller class sizes and a US-style sports and arts overhead. Concordia International School Hanoi runs at roughly USD 22,000 a year in Kindergarten, USD 26,000 across the elementary grades, USD 30,000 across middle school and USD 36,000 at high school. St Paul American School day fees sit at USD 18,000 to USD 28,000 across grade bands, with boarding adding USD 6,000 to USD 8,000 a year. American International School Hanoi sits at USD 14,000 to USD 22,000 across the lower grades. In Vietnamese dong terms the range is roughly VND 350 million to VND 900 million. The US Embassy education allowance for posted families typically covers the Concordia Hanoi fee schedule in full, and US corporate relocation packages for senior expat hires usually budget to Concordia or BIS Hanoi as benchmark schools. For the full Hanoi fee picture see our Hanoi school fees guide.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each holds a distinct position in the Hanoi American curriculum market.
Concordia International School Hanoi (Tay Ho) is the city's reference US K to Grade 12 campus. Lutheran-affiliated, single site in central Tay Ho, deep AP catalogue, US-style varsity sports calendar, and the strongest US Embassy and US corporate family base in Hanoi.
St Paul American School Hanoi (Hoai Duc) runs a US college preparatory programme on a larger western campus, with day and boarding options and a Vietnamese-American dual track that suits Vietnamese diaspora returnee families and US-bound heritage Vietnamese students.
American International School Hanoi (Long Bien) is the smaller US elementary and middle school anchor on the eastern side of the Red River, drawing on the same Vinhomes Riverside family corridor that anchors BIS Hanoi. Smaller upper grades and a narrower AP catalogue, but a closer-knit community feel.
Where American families live in Hanoi
American families in Hanoi cluster heavily in Tay Ho District around West Lake, the diplomatic and expatriate heart of the city. Tay Ho villa stock around West Lake runs USD 2,500 to USD 5,500 a month for a four-bedroom villa, with serviced apartments at USD 1,800 to USD 3,500 a month. The US Embassy is in Ba Dinh District a short drive south of Tay Ho, and the cluster of US-facing restaurants and the Hanoi American Club sit on or just off Xuan Dieu road. The Tay Ho concentration tracks Concordia International School's location and the US Embassy footprint. A smaller American family cluster sits across the Red River in Vinhomes Riverside in Long Bien, anchored on American International School Hanoi and BIS Hanoi. Vinhomes Riverside villa stock runs USD 2,500 to USD 4,500 a month, with a tighter, more family-led township feel than Tay Ho.
Admissions, Decree 86 and university outcomes
American curriculum admissions in Hanoi run on the US academic calendar, with the main intake in August and applications opening in November of the preceding school year. Concordia Hanoi and AIS Hanoi run rolling admissions for in-year transfers as US Embassy and corporate rotations move through the city, and prioritise sibling priority and posted-family priority through their admissions windows. Vietnamese Government Decree 86 caps the share of Vietnamese students at fully foreign-invested international schools at 50 percent at primary and at 50 percent at lower secondary. For Concordia Hanoi the binding constraint is the Vietnamese share at Kindergarten and Grade 1, where Vietnamese-American returnee demand fills the quota early. Concordia and St Paul AP graduates from Hanoi typically place into US state flagships, mid-tier private universities and a steady trickle into the US news and world report top 50. For sibling-cluster context see our Hanoi IB hub and Hanoi British curriculum hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many American curriculum schools are there in Hanoi?
Hanoi has three schools delivering a recognisably US programme to upper secondary: Concordia International School Hanoi at Tay Ho, St Paul American School at Hoai Duc and American International School Hanoi at Long Bien. Together they serve roughly 1,100 students. A handful of bilingual schools use US textbooks and selected Advanced Placement electives within hybrid programmes.
Is Concordia Hanoi a religious school?
Concordia International School Hanoi sits inside the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Concordia network. Christian formation is part of the school day in lower grades and the school is open about its Lutheran heritage. Admission is open to families of any faith and the cohort spans Christian, Buddhist, Catholic and unaffiliated families across the city.
How much do American schools in Hanoi cost?
Concordia International School Hanoi runs at roughly USD 22,000 in Kindergarten to USD 36,000 in high school. St Paul American School day fees sit at USD 18,000 to USD 28,000 across grade bands, with boarding adding USD 6,000 to USD 8,000 a year. American International School Hanoi sits at USD 14,000 to USD 22,000 across the lower grades. Capital fees of USD 3,000 to USD 6,000 fall at first entry.
Should I choose AP or the IB Diploma in Hanoi?
AP gives a la carte depth in a small number of subjects with strong US university recognition, ideal for students targeting US flagships. The IB Diploma at UNIS Hanoi or BIS Hanoi offers a broader, more prescribed curriculum with stronger reach into UK, Canadian and Australian admissions. The choice usually follows likely university destination rather than current grade level.
Does the US Embassy education allowance cover Concordia Hanoi?
Yes. The US Department of State education allowance for Hanoi-posted families typically covers the Concordia Hanoi fee schedule in full at all grade levels. Most US corporate relocation packages for senior hires also budget to Concordia Hanoi or to BIS Hanoi as benchmark schools when negotiating Hanoi assignments.
Where are American schools in Hanoi located?
Concordia International School Hanoi sits in Tay Ho District near West Lake, close to the US Embassy in Ba Dinh. American International School Hanoi is in Long Bien on the eastern side of the Red River. St Paul American School is at Hoai Duc on the western city fringe. Most American families live in Tay Ho, with smaller clusters in Vinhomes Riverside.
