Top 10 Best International Schools in Hanoi, Vietnam

Quick answer: what are the best international schools in Hanoi? It depends on the family. BIS Hanoi suits British-curriculum families, UNIS Hanoi is a long-established IB school, Westlink and Dwight describe IB programmes (check their authorisation), and Concordia is American with AP courses. Published 2026-27 tuition runs from roughly VND 340 million to VND 1 billion a year, about USD 12,500 to 38,500.

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

Searching for the best international schools in Hanoi usually ends in a long list and no clear answer, because the right school depends on your curriculum, your commute and how long you expect to stay. This guide does not crown a winner. It explains what separates the schools that expat families actually consider, then gives a shortlist of the strongest options and who each one fits.

The title of this article says Top 10, but the useful number is smaller. Five schools cover the main routes for English-speaking families: the English National Curriculum, the IB from age three or four, and an American programme with Advanced Placement courses. Fee figures below come from each school's own 2026-27 fee schedule where it is published, and are converted at roughly VND 27,000 to the US dollar.

Choosing a school in Hanoi: geography and commute

Where you live decides more than most families expect. Hanoi traffic is heavy at school times, so the schools here run bus networks and many families choose housing around the school rather than the other way round.

Tay Ho, the district around West Lake, is the traditional expat area. UNIS Hanoi sits in the Ciputra urban area and Westlink in the Tay Ho Tay urban area, both on this side of the city. BIS Hanoi is across the Red River in Vinhomes Riverside, Long Bien, a large residential development. Concordia is further out on the Van Tri Golf Course site in Thien Loc, Dong Anh district, so a bus or a move to the north is part of the deal. Dwight Hanoi is in The Manor Central Park complex in Hoang Mai, to the south.

Visit at the time your child would travel, and ask the school's transport office for the real door-to-door time from your address.

Curricula available in Hanoi

English National Curriculum with IGCSE and IB Diploma: BIS Hanoi follows the English National Curriculum, IGCSEs at 16, then the IB Diploma.
IB continuum (PYP, MYP, Diploma): UNIS Hanoi offers all three IB programmes. Dwight Hanoi describes itself as an IB World School, and Westlink lists IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes, but see the notes below on what each has confirmed.
American curriculum with AP: Concordia uses an American, standards-based framework with Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses.
Bilingual Vietnamese-English route: Westlink also runs a Bilingual Middle Years Programme combining the Vietnamese ministry framework with US core subjects.

The shortlist: strongest options and who they fit

British International School Hanoi (BIS Hanoi)

BIS Hanoi is part of the Nord Anglia Education group and teaches ages 2 to 18 in Vinhomes Riverside. The school says it has been in its current form since 2013, and that its roots go back to the first British school in Ho Chi Minh City in 1997. Early Years follows the EYFS, primary combines the English National Curriculum with the International Primary Curriculum, and secondary students sit IGCSEs at 16 before the IB Diploma.

Its published class limits are specific: no more than 20 in Foundation 1, 22 in Foundation 2, and 24 in Foundation 3 through secondary, with IB Diploma groups of around 11. The school reports that 46% of its 2025 IGCSE grades were A* to A, which is a school-reported figure and worth comparing with other schools on the same basis. Tip: the 2026-27 fee schedule includes uniform, lunches, snacks in the younger years, day trips and the mandatory examinations, which makes it easier to compare than schools that charge these separately.

United Nations International School of Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi)

UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit, coeducational day school from Early Years 3 to Grade 12 on a 23-acre campus in Ciputra. The school says it became the first school in Asia to offer all three IB programmes in 1997, and describes itself as one of only two UN international schools in the world. It states that about 65 nationalities are represented among more than 1,100 students.

It is the natural choice for families on rotating postings who want the same IB framework wherever they go next. Annual 2026-27 tuition runs from USD 17,460 for Early Years to USD 39,870 for Grades 11 and 12, plus an application fee of USD 600 and a one-time enrolment fee of USD 1,750. Tip: a USD 1,500 tuition deposit secures the place and is credited against fees, but it is not refundable if you do not take it up.

Concordia International School Hanoi

Concordia offers an American, standards-based programme from Preschool to Grade 12 on the Van Tri Golf Course campus. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Lutheran School Accreditation Commission, and is a member of EARCOS. High school students choose from Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses.

The school says its smaller classes and weekly wellbeing checks make for a relational culture. It suits families headed for North American universities, or those who value a quieter campus and accept the longer ride in. The 2026-27 tuition is VND 558 million for Preschool, VND 862 million for Grades 1 to 5 and VND 1,039 million for Grades 11 and 12. The application fee is VND 10.8 million, per child.

Westlink International School

Westlink belongs to the International Schools Partnership and sits in the Tay Ho Tay urban area. Its website lists an Early Years class for ages 4 to 5, the IB Primary Years Programme for ages 6 to 10, the IB Middle Years Programme for ages 11 to 15, a Bilingual Middle Years route for ages 11 to 14, and the Diploma for ages 16 to 17. The only explicit status we found is that the IB is "certified for the Primary Years"; we found no written authorisation statement for the Middle Years or Diploma.

It is among the lower-priced IB options in the city. For 2026-27, the PYP in Years 1 to 3 is VND 525 million with full payment, the Diploma years VND 636 million, and the bilingual middle years VND 274 million to VND 290 million. Extras include a placement test fee of VND 2.5 million, an enrolment application fee of VND 21 million and a guarantee fee of VND 55 million. Tip: ask the admissions team for the current IBO authorisation position of each programme, and check it on the IBO website, before you rely on it for university planning.

Dwight School Hanoi

Dwight Hanoi describes itself as an IB World School within the Dwight family of schools, which the group says dates to 1872. We could not open the school's own website, so these descriptions and its location come from its directory entry. It is in The Manor Central Park, Hoang Mai, and offers a canteen with its own kitchen and school transport. It suits families living in the southern new-town developments, for whom the western campuses would mean a long daily crossing.

The school's current fee schedule was not available for this guide, so confirm 2026-27 tuition directly. ISA's directory band places it at roughly USD 1,000 to 2,000 a month, which is indicative only. Tip: ask which IB programmes are fully authorised today and which are in candidacy.

Fees: what Hanoi international schools cost

Published 2026-27 tuition runs roughly as follows, in Vietnamese dong with approximate US dollars.

Early Years: about VND 340 million to VND 560 million (USD 12,500 to 20,700).
Primary: about VND 525 million to VND 862 million (USD 19,400 to 31,900).
Middle and high school: about VND 850 million to VND 1.04 billion at the highest-priced schools (USD 31,500 to 38,500), with Westlink and the bilingual route well below that.

Beyond tuition, budget for these items:

Application fee: VND 4.5 million at BIS, VND 10.8 million at Concordia, USD 600 at UNIS.
Registration or enrolment: VND 23.6 million to VND 70.8 million at BIS, USD 1,750 at UNIS.
Refundable security deposit at BIS: VND 23.6 million, returned after 90 days' written notice.
School bus: USD 1,100 a year at UNIS for a two-way service.
Meals, uniforms and exams, which BIS includes in tuition and others bill separately.

On the regulatory side, the British Council reported after Vietnam's 2018 decree on foreign-invested schools that they must still teach Vietnamese language, history and geography, and that the cap on Vietnamese pupils rose to 50%. Ask each school how Vietnamese is timetabled for local passport holders and how it is offered to expat children.

Practical advice for choosing

Start with the exit, not the entrance. If you expect to move in two or three years, pick the curriculum that is easiest to transfer: IB for global mobility, English National Curriculum if the next stop is the UK or a British school, American if you are heading to the US.

Compare total cost, not tuition. A school that includes lunch, uniform, trips and exams can look expensive beside one that bills these later. Ask for the full list of charges for your child's year group and add the bus.

Visit twice. Go once on a tour and once at pick-up time, and ask about staff turnover and class sizes. Ask each school when its next open day is and how places for the following August are released.

See the full national ranking

For a broader comparison, see ▷ Best 10 International Schools in Vietnam.

More guides to schools in Hanoi

Frequently asked questions

What is the best international school in Hanoi?

There is no single best school. BIS Hanoi suits families who want the English National Curriculum and IGCSEs, UNIS Hanoi offers the IB, Westlink and Dwight describe IB programmes, and Concordia gives an American programme with AP courses. Commute matters too: UNIS and Westlink are in the Tay Ho area, BIS is in Long Bien, and Concordia is in Dong Anh.

How much do international schools in Hanoi cost?

Published 2026-27 tuition ranges from roughly VND 340 million for a full-day Foundation 1 place at BIS to about VND 1.04 billion for Grades 11 and 12 at Concordia, or USD 12,500 to 38,500. UNIS Hanoi charges USD 17,460 to 39,870. Add application, enrolment and bus fees.

Which Hanoi international schools offer the IB?

UNIS Hanoi runs the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes, and BIS Hanoi teaches the IB Diploma after IGCSEs. Westlink lists the IB programmes but we found it confirms only the Primary Years as certified, and Dwight Hanoi describes itself as an IB World School. Ask each school for its current IBO authorisation status for every programme.