Which curriculum is most common in international schools in Yangon?

Cambridge International is the most widespread, running from primary through IGCSE and A Level. The American curriculum is offered at several larger schools and the International Baccalaureate at a small number. Verify authorisation directly.

Are school fees in Yangon paid in dollars or kyat?

Fees are usually quoted in US dollars while payment is often made in kyat at a rate set by the school. Ask in writing which currency the contract is denominated in and how and when the exchange rate is fixed.

How to Choose an International School in Yangon: 2026 Guide

How do you choose an international school in Yangon? Check three things before anything else: whether the school is an approved examination centre for the qualification it teaches, whether it holds recognised international accreditation, and how stable its teaching staff has been over the last three years. Fees typically run from USD 3,000 to 18,000 a year depending on curriculum and campus.

Last reviewed: September 2026 by Emma from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Yangon has a long and genuine tradition of English-medium education, and a private school sector that has grown quickly since the 2011 law that allowed private schools to register formally. The result is a wide range of provision under the same label, which makes choosing an international school in Yangon a matter of verification rather than impression.

This guide sets out what to verify, in what order, and the practical questions that matter in this particular city.

Verify the examination route first

A school can teach the Cambridge or Pearson curriculum without being an approved centre to enter students for the examinations. Where that is the case, students sit their papers at another centre, which is workable but adds cost, travel and administrative risk in the most important year of their schooling.

Ask the school directly whether it is a registered examination centre, for which board, and for which qualifications. Ask how many candidates it entered last year and whether any sat elsewhere. This is a factual question with a factual answer, and how readily a school answers it tells you a great deal about how it operates generally.

Then check accreditation and continuity

International accreditation from bodies such as the Council of International Schools or a regional equivalent signals that an external team has examined the school's governance, safeguarding and teaching. It is not a guarantee of quality, but its absence in a school charging international fees is worth asking about.

Continuity matters just as much. Ask what proportion of teaching staff returned this academic year, and how long the head of secondary has been in post. In Yangon the schools that have held their staff have generally held their standards, and the ones that have not show it first in examination classes.

Curricula available in Yangon

Cambridge International: Primary, Lower Secondary, IGCSE and A Level, the most common route in the city.
American curriculum: high school diploma with AP options at the larger campuses.
International Baccalaureate: present at a small number of schools, so verify current authorisation rather than assuming.
Myanmar national curriculum with English enrichment: the value segment, suitable for families settled long term.

Schools to compare in Yangon

International School Yangon

One of the longest-established international schools in the country, serving diplomatic and development-sector families. Ask how the intake has changed over the last three years, since a shifting community changes cohort sizes at the top of the school.

International School of Myanmar

A large English-medium school with a broad intake. Worth asking how many subjects are offered at IGCSE and how many actually ran last year, because the difference is where option blocks bite.

Crane International School Myanmar

A smaller campus, which typically means more individual attention and fewer subject options. If your child has a specific academic direction already, check that it is supported before anything else.

Network International School

Operates across more than one location in the city, so confirm which campus your child would attend and what is offered there. Facilities and staffing differ between sites more than the shared name suggests.

What it costs in 2026

Most international schools in Yangon quote fees in US dollars, although payment is frequently made in kyat at a rate set by the school. Indicative annual ranges:

Early years: roughly USD 2,500 to 8,000.
Primary: roughly USD 3,000 to 12,000.
Lower secondary: roughly USD 4,000 to 15,000.
IGCSE and A Level years: roughly USD 5,000 to 18,000.

Add a registration fee, a deposit at the larger schools, books and materials, uniform, school transport, and examination entry fees, which for a full IGCSE or A Level set can add several hundred dollars in the final year. The currency question is the one to settle in writing: ask which currency the contract is denominated in, which exchange rate is applied, and when the rate is fixed relative to the invoice date.

Practical advice for Yangon families

Ask about continuity of provision. Schools in Yangon have had to manage interruptions in recent years, and the ones that coped best had tested remote arrangements rather than improvised them. Ask what the plan is and when it was last used.

Do the commute at the real hour. Traffic on the main roads into the centre is heavy in the morning, and the difference between a twenty-minute and a fifty-minute run changes a child's whole day. Drive it on a weekday before choosing a neighbourhood.

Plan the transcript. If your family may leave Myanmar, the qualifications your child holds are what travel. Cambridge and American routes are widely recognised; a school-issued diploma without external examination is not. Confirm exactly what the leaving certificate consists of.

Talk to current parents, not just the school. In a market this size, parent networks are informative and accessible. Schools will usually connect you with a current family if you ask, and the ones that decline are telling you something too.

Compare schools side by side

To see how these schools rank on curriculum, fees and parent feedback, start with our independent ranking: best international schools in Yangon.

More guides to schools in Yangon

Frequently asked questions

Which curriculum is most common in Yangon?

Cambridge International is the most widespread, running from primary through IGCSE and A Level. The American curriculum is offered at several of the larger schools, and the International Baccalaureate at a small number. Verify current authorisation directly with the school rather than relying on a website claim.

Do international schools in Yangon teach Burmese?

Most offer Burmese as a language subject, and schools enrolling Myanmar nationals include it more substantially. The amount of time varies widely, so if maintaining Burmese matters to your family, ask how many periods a week it receives and whether it is examined externally.

Are fees paid in dollars or kyat?

Fees are usually quoted in US dollars, while payment is often made in kyat at a rate set by the school. Because that rate can move between instalments, ask in writing which currency the contract is denominated in and how and when the exchange rate is fixed.