Within the wider field of international schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Lycée Français Marguerite Duras occupies a distinct place as the city's French school, carrying the full official name Lycée Français International Marguerite Duras, often shortened to LFI Duras. It is operated within the AEFE network, the agency that links more than 500 French government schools across more than 130 countries, which means its programme, inspection and teaching follow French National Education standards rather than a privately set syllabus. With a community of around 1,200 pupils, it is the recognised route to a French education in the city.
Lycée Français Marguerite Duras at a glance
| Curriculum and exam boards | French curriculum: maternelle to terminale, leading to the Diplôme National du Brevet and the French Baccalauréat; English-medium international section alongside |
|---|---|
| Stages | Maternelle to lycée, ages 3 to 18 |
| Founded | Not published; long established in the city |
| Accreditation | Homologated by the French Ministry of Education and within the AEFE network |
| Fee band | Lower to mid for the city (see Ho Chi Minh City fees) |
| Campus area | Long Binh, District 9, now part of Thu Duc City, east of central Saigon |
Curriculum and academics
The lycée teaches the French curriculum in full, which is its defining feature. Pupils move through maternelle in the early years, then élémentaire, then collège, where the Diplôme National du Brevet marks the end of lower secondary, and finally lycée, where three years of study end in the French Baccalauréat. The Baccalauréat is a broad, demanding qualification recognised by universities in France, across Europe and well beyond, and the school is the approved centre in the city for sitting both the Brevet and the Baccalauréat examinations.
Alongside the French stream the school runs an English-medium international section, which lets some families follow an English language pathway within the same campus and community. For a relocating family the central question is usually continuity. A child already in the French system, or one likely to return to France or to another AEFE school, slots in without losing ground, which is the school's strongest argument. Our overview of the Ho Chi Minh City schools sets out how the French route sits alongside the IB, British and American options in the city.
Comparing the French route with an IB or British school?
Put Lycée Français Marguerite Duras side by side with another Saigon school to weigh curriculum, stage range and the real annual cost.
Lycée Français Marguerite Duras fees
| Stage | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| Maternelle (ages 3 to 5) | VND 151,636,130 |
| Grades 1 to 5 | VND 148,968,228 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | VND 164,696,444 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | VND 178,718,443 |
Source: Lycee Francais Marguerite Duras (lfiduras.com). Rate shown is for French citizens; other nationalities differ. Excludes one-time registration fee. Fees are the most recent published figures and exclude one-off costs such as registration, deposits and capital levies. Always confirm current fees directly with the school.
The school sits in the lower to mid tier of our guide to international school fees in Ho Chi Minh City, noticeably below the premium international schools in the city. The reason is structural: as an AEFE school it receives French state support, so its published tuition is more contained than a fully private campus charging the full cost of provision. Tuition rises with year group, the senior lycée years being the most expensive, and the schedule also varies by nationality, with different bands published for French, Vietnamese and other foreign families.
Beyond tuition, budget for a first enrolment fee that is charged once when a child joins, plus the usual extras such as transport, meals and examination registration in the years that lead to the Brevet and the Baccalauréat. Because the nationality bands and the annual updates make a quick comparison harder than at a single rate school, our fee calculator is the cleanest way to turn the published figures into one yearly number you can set against a premium IB or British alternative.
Admissions
The French school year runs from late August or early September, and the principal intake is for the start of that year across all levels. Priority in an AEFE school typically goes to children already within the French system, including those transferring from another French school abroad, which makes the lycée a natural landing point for families moving on a French linked posting. Applications ask for prior school records so the school can confirm the right level, and entry into the senior lycée years builds on earlier French study.
Families coming from a non French background should speak to the school early about the English-medium international section and about language support, since the core French stream assumes a working level of French as pupils move up. Mid year transfers can sometimes be arranged where a place is free in the relevant level, so contact the admissions office to confirm availability, the assessment if any and the documents required.
Location and who goes there
The campus is in the Long Binh area of District 9, on the eastern side of the metropolitan area that is now administered as Thu Duc City. That is some distance from the older expatriate heart of the city in District 1 and Thao Dien, and the position reflects the space a full maternelle to lycée campus needs. Families weighing the school will want to map the commute carefully from where they intend to live, as the eastern districts and the central districts are a real drive apart at busy times.
The community is built around French speaking families, including diplomatic, business and development staff posted to Vietnam, together with Vietnamese families who want a French education and other foreign families drawn to the Baccalauréat or the English-medium section. For how District 9 and Thu Duc compare with Thao Dien and the central districts on housing, commute and school choice, the Ho Chi Minh City hub maps out the wider picture for relocating parents.
Lycée Français Marguerite Duras reviews
No verified reviews yet. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish parent reviews only once we can confirm the reviewer is part of the school community, and you will not find an invented star rating here. If your family has experience of Lycée Français Marguerite Duras, please share it through our school reviews hub to help other relocating parents.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Lycée Français Marguerite Duras fees?
As an AEFE French school the lycée sits in the lower to mid part of the Ho Chi Minh City fee range, below the premium international schools, because the French state subsidises part of the cost. Tuition rises with year group and varies by nationality, and the school publishes a fee schedule, so confirm the current figures with admissions and budget for a first enrolment fee on top.
What curriculum does Lycée Français Marguerite Duras follow?
The school follows the French national curriculum across maternelle, élémentaire, collège and lycée, leading to the Diplôme National du Brevet at the end of collège and the French Baccalauréat at the end of terminale. An English-medium international section runs alongside the French stream.
What ages does Lycée Français Marguerite Duras take?
The school takes children from maternelle at around age three through to the final year of lycée at age 18, covering the full French school structure on one campus.
Is Lycée Français Marguerite Duras a good school?
It is the established French school in Ho Chi Minh City and the recognised centre for the French Baccalauréat in the city, part of the worldwide AEFE network of French government schools. As an independent guide we do not rank schools or take payment to feature them, so we point parents to Baccalauréat results, the AEFE inspection framework and a visit.
When do Lycée Français Marguerite Duras applications open?
The French school year runs from late August or early September, and the main intake is for the start of that year. Families relocating mid year can ask about an in year place where one is free in the relevant level, so contact the admissions office to confirm availability and the documents required.
