Nursery and preschool tuition at Hanoi international schools runs roughly USD 5,000 to USD 25,000 per year in 2026. Premium early years sits at about USD 15,000 to 25,000, the mid tier at USD 8,000 to 16,000, and bilingual or value programmes at USD 5,000 to 10,000. Early years is typically 25 to 35 percent below the upper secondary fee at the same school, so the headline numbers in our Hanoi international school fees guide overstate what families pay at this stage. The fuller Hanoi city guide covers schools, neighbourhoods and admissions in detail.
Hanoi delivers genuinely strong international schooling at fees well below the comparable Singapore, Hong Kong or Tokyo schools, and early years is where the value is most pronounced. The premium schools, UNIS Hanoi, Concordia and BIS Hanoi, all run reception and nursery programmes at roughly a third less than their upper secondary fee, which puts a top tier early years place under USD 25,000 in a market where the senior fee can reach USD 38,000. The trade off below the premium tier is thinner co curricular provision, so for families in the middle of the market a strong bilingual programme at USD 5,000 to 10,000 sometimes makes more sense than fighting upward in the English medium ranks, with a second language as a bonus.
The bands below are tuition only and are derived from the tier structure in our Hanoi fees guide, with the upper secondary headline reduced by the usual 25 to 35 percent for the early years stage. Treat them as planning ranges. The exact figure depends on the school, the year group and whether the school invoices in dollars or dong.
| Tier | Annual tuition (USD) | Approx in VND | Illustrative schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | USD 15,000 - 25,000 | VND 375M - 625M | UNIS Hanoi, Concordia, BIS Hanoi |
| Mid | USD 8,000 - 16,000 | VND 200M - 400M | HIS, St Paul American, Singapore International (early years) |
| Bilingual and value | USD 5,000 - 10,000 | VND 125M - 250M | Wellspring, Olympia, Vinschool International |
School names indicate the fee tier and are illustrative, not a ranking. Some schools advertise headline fees in USD while invoicing in VND at the spot exchange rate, which can produce real variability across the year. Add the one off capital fee separately.
Model nursery tuition and capital fees against the full cost of place across up to three schools and other stages.
Three things move the early years number. The first is the year group banding, since Hanoi schools structure tuition in three or four bands and early years sits firmly at the bottom, so a family entering at nursery should expect the fee to climb steadily as the child moves up. The second is curriculum and campus, where the established IB, British and American premier campuses command the top of the band. The third is fee inflation, which runs 5 to 8 percent a year at the premium tier and 4 to 6 percent at the bilingual tier, faster than wage inflation, driven by facility investment and expatriate faculty packages. Build that compounding into a long Hanoi posting rather than assuming the headline figure holds.
Headline tuition is only part of the picture, and the school bus and lunch combination is the line families most often overlook because schools usually require an annual upfront payment for both. The costs to plan for are a one off enrolment or capital fee of USD 3,000 to 6,000 at the premium tier, non refundable at most schools, school bus at USD 1,500 to 2,500 per year, lunch at USD 1,000 to 1,800, and modest uniform and materials. Treat the all in number as headline tuition plus 18 to 25 percent and you will get close to the truth. Our Hanoi fees guide sets out the line items in full, and the relocation cost calculator places them inside a complete family budget.
Nursery and preschool tuition runs roughly USD 5,000 to USD 25,000 per year in 2026. Premium early years sits at about USD 15,000 to 25,000, the mid tier at USD 8,000 to 16,000, and bilingual or value programmes at USD 5,000 to 10,000.
Yes, considerably. Hanoi schools band tuition by year group, and early years and reception sit at the bottom of the scale, typically 25 to 35 percent below the upper secondary fee. The difference between the lowest and highest year groups at a single premium school is often USD 8,000 to 12,000 per year.
Expect a one off enrolment or capital fee of USD 3,000 to 6,000 at the premium tier, school bus of USD 1,500 to 2,500 per year, lunch of USD 1,000 to 1,800, and modest uniform and materials. Treat the all in number as headline tuition plus 18 to 25 percent.
Many premium schools run early years, including UNIS Hanoi, Concordia and BIS Hanoi, alongside upper mid schools such as HIS and St Paul American and strong bilingual programmes such as Wellspring and Vinschool. The named schools are illustrative of the tier rather than a ranking.
Weekly fee analysis and city by city true cost intelligence for 50+ destinations.