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For the full picture of senior provision, start with our international schools in Manila directory, which lists every school by curriculum and stage. Manila has the most established international school market in South East Asia outside Singapore, and at sixth form it leans heavily on the IB Diploma: International School Manila and Brent International School Manila are long standing IB World Schools, and The British School Manila moves its sixth formers into the IB Diploma in the final two years. The schools below all run an examined senior pathway that leads directly to university entry, and they admit by application. This is a shortlist to research, not a ranking, and provision changes, so confirm current pathways with each school.
If you are weighing the qualification itself, our guides to A-levels and the International Baccalaureate explain how each is examined and recognised by universities. Families thinking about support needs in the senior years should also read our shortlist of the best schools for special educational needs in Manila, and those weighing cost can compare it with the most affordable international schools in Manila.
The shortlist
International School Manila
International School Manila opened in 1920 and is the oldest international school in the city, running a pre kindergarten to Grade 12 programme on its campus in Bonifacio Global City. It is an IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme in the upper grades, with the breadth of subject choice and university counselling that come from a large, long established institution. For families who want the Diploma at the most heritage international school in Manila, it is the natural first entry on any sixth form shortlist.
Brent International School Manila
Brent International School Manila traces its roots to 1909 and is one of the oldest international schools in Asia, accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It is authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12 within an international curriculum, and its graduates consistently gain admission to selective universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Europe. For a long established IB pathway with a strong record of overseas progression, Brent is a core option.
The British School Manila
The British School Manila teaches the English national curriculum through to GCSE and IGCSE, then places sixth formers into the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. The school reported that its Class of 2025 achieved an IB Diploma average of 37 points, above the world average, with a 98 per cent pass rate, which gives UK linked families a strong senior pathway inside an English medium school. It suits students who want the British curriculum lower down with the international Diploma at the top.
Southville International School and Colleges
Southville International School and Colleges is an IB World School in the metro offering the IB Diploma alongside its other programmes, with an integrated school and college structure that supports the transition into higher education. It gives families a further examined senior route to compare, particularly those weighing a locally rooted international school with established university progression. Confirm the current Diploma subject list and entry requirements directly, as offerings are reviewed each year.
How we chose
We included only Manila schools we could confirm run a genuine, externally examined senior pathway leading to university entry, in practice the IB Diploma at the schools above, and that enrol students through to the end of secondary. We did not rank them, score them or attach ratings, because the right sixth form depends on your child's subjects, the qualification universities in your target country prefer, and the fit of the school. Verify current subject lists and pathways directly, as schools add and retire options year to year. Where A-levels are essential rather than the IB Diploma, confirm availability with each school, because the Manila market leans towards the Diploma at sixth form.
Shortlist Manila schools for your child
Tell us your child's stage, curriculum and priorities and the school finder returns a matched Manila shortlist.
Start the school finderFees and next steps
Sixth form fees in Manila sit at the upper end of each school's fee schedule, and the senior years are typically the most expensive, with examination and registration costs on top of tuition. Manila spans a wide fee range across its international schools, so rather than quote figures that move each year we keep the live bands in one place: see our guide to international school fees in Manila for current tuition by school and stage, and confirm the exact sixth form figure with the school before you apply.
To build a shortlist around your child, use the school finder, browse the full Manila schools directory, or read the related shortlist for special educational needs in Manila. For a wider view of the city's strongest schools, see our best international schools in Manila guide.
Common questions
International School Manila, Brent International School Manila and The British School Manila all run the IB Diploma Programme in the final two years, and Southville International School and Colleges offers it as well. International School Manila and Brent are long established IB World Schools, and The British School Manila places its sixth formers into the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. Confirm the current subject list with each school, as offerings change year to year.
A-levels are less common than the IB Diploma in Manila, where most established international schools run the Diploma at sixth form. Some British curriculum schools in the metro offer A-levels in the senior years, so if A-levels are essential, confirm the exact pathway and subjects directly with each school, because several schools that teach IGCSE lower down then move students into the IB Diploma rather than A-levels at the top.
Neither is universally better. The IB Diploma is broad, with six subjects plus the core, while A-levels let a student specialise in three or four. Manila graduates from the leading schools progress to universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and the Philippines, and the better choice depends on your child's strengths and target universities. Our curriculum guides compare both in detail.
Sixth form sits at the top of each school's fee scale and is usually the most expensive stage. Manila spans a wide fee range across its international schools, so rather than quote a figure that dates quickly we keep current tuition by school and stage in our international school fees in Manila guide. Confirm the exact sixth form figure, plus any examination and registration costs, with the school before you apply.
Yes. The leading Manila international schools run examined senior pathways, the IB Diploma in most cases, that are recognised by universities worldwide, and they provide university counselling for applications abroad and at home. The British School Manila reported a strong IB Diploma average for its 2025 cohort, and schools such as International School Manila and Brent regularly place graduates at selective universities across several countries. Ask each school about recent university destinations.