International Schools in Manila

Metro Manila has sixteen international schools in ESG's directory, fourteen with complete profiles, and they cover every major curriculum a relocating family is likely to want: the full IB continuum, the English National Curriculum through to IGCSE and A Level, American programmes, and national-system schools teaching in German, French, Japanese, Korean and the Singaporean framework. What makes Manila unusual among Asian capitals is that none of this is strictly necessary in language terms — English is an official language and the medium of instruction throughout Philippine education, so a child arriving here does not face the wall they would face in Tokyo or Seoul. What makes Manila difficult is geography. The metro is enormous, traffic is severe, and a school forty minutes away on a map can be ninety minutes away at eight in the morning. This guide organises the city's schools by cluster, sets out what each curriculum group offers, and explains how to compare fees in a market where almost nobody publishes them.

International School Manila, an international school in Manila

Quick answer

Every international school district in Metro Manila compared — BGC, Makati, Alabang and the north — with curricula, commute realities and how to get a written fee schedule.

At a glance

Bonifacio Global City: the main cluster

BGC in short

Bonifacio Global City in Taguig is where most corporate relocations to Manila now land, and the school provision reflects that.

International School Manila sits here, running the full IB continuum from early years to the Diploma. It is the largest international school in the country, with the deepest facilities, the widest subject choice at Diploma level and the most substantial university counselling operation. For a globally mobile family with no strong national attachment, it is the default first call.

British School Manila is also in BGC, teaching the English National Curriculum through IGCSE and on to the IB Diploma. Its intake is heavily British and Commonwealth, and its structure suits families who may move on to another British-curriculum market — Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai — or return to the UK.

BGC itself is planned, walkable by Manila standards, and dense with the housing, retail and medical services relocating families need. That combination is why demand for BGC school places is the strongest in the metro, and why both schools operate waiting lists at popular year groups.

The trade-off is cost of living and the fact that BGC is, by design, an expatriate bubble. Families looking for a more embedded experience of the Philippines sometimes find it insulating. It is also worth noting that BGC's convenience is only convenience if you work in BGC or Makati; from the north or the far south it is a punishing daily journey.

The southern corridor and the north

Cluster logic

Alabang and the southern corridor are effectively a second, self-contained school market, and families who live there do not commute into BGC daily.

Brent International School Manila is the anchor — an American-framework school with the IB Diploma, long established, on a larger and greener site than the BGC schools can offer. Southville International School Manila and several smaller IB schools also serve this corridor. The appeal of the south is space: bigger houses, gardens, quieter streets, and campuses with room for full sports provision.

The trade is the commute for the working parent, which can be substantial into Makati or BGC, and a smaller pool of schools if the first choice does not have a place.

Quezon City and the northern metro hold a different mix, weighted towards community and national-system schools including the Korean International School Philippines and Chinese-community provision, alongside strong Philippine private schools. Foreign families based in the north generally choose from this set rather than attempting a daily crossing to Taguig.

Makati sits between everything. It has fewer international schools of its own than its status suggests, but its residents can reach BGC quickly, which is why so many families live in Makati and school in Taguig.

The overriding rule in Manila is to fix work location, home and school as one triangle before committing to any of them. Families who choose the school first and the house second frequently regret it within a term.

Curriculum: choosing the exit qualification

Match curriculum to destination

Because language is not a constraint in Manila, curriculum choice comes down almost entirely to where your family goes next.

If you expect to move to another country during the children's schooling, the IB is the strongest option and Manila's IB field is deep. International School Manila runs the full continuum; Chinese International School Manila, Southville, Reedley and Keys School Manila offer IB programmes; Beacon Academy specialises through the Middle Years Programme to age fourteen. IB Diploma results travel everywhere and the programme's structure is consistent across countries.

If the UK or a British-curriculum market is the likely destination, British School Manila and Nord Anglia International School Manila teach the English National Curriculum, with IGCSE at sixteen and the IB Diploma thereafter. The year-group structure matches British schools exactly, which makes a mid-stream transfer straightforward.

If the United States is the destination, Brent International School Manila and Everest Academy Manila offer American frameworks with familiar transcript and grade structures.

If you are returning to Germany, France, Japan, Korea or Singapore, the national-system schools exist precisely so that a child can re-enter the home system without a lost year. They are typically the most affordable option in the city as well.

And if you are staying in the Philippines long-term, the accredited Philippine progressive schools — Multiple Intelligence International School among them — combine local DepEd requirements with international accreditation and are worth a serious look, particularly for families who want their children rooted in the country rather than in a transient expatriate cohort.

Fees: how to compare a market that publishes nothing

The five questions to send admissions

Manila is the least transparent fee market in ESG's directory. Not one of the sixteen schools publishes an open fee schedule; every one directs families to admissions. We do not publish estimates we cannot source to the school, so the useful contribution here is a method rather than a table.

Write to each shortlisted school's admissions office and ask for five things in one message. First, the total tuition for the specific grade your child will enter for the coming academic year — not a range and not last year's figure. Second, every one-off charge: application, assessment, enrolment, and any capital or development contribution, which in the Philippine market can be a significant sum and is sometimes partly refundable. Third, the recurring extras — bus transport priced from your intended neighbourhood, lunch, technology or device charges, uniform, and activity or trip fees. Fourth, the payment schedule, since many schools bill by term with the first instalment due before the August start and before most relocation allowances begin. Fifth, the refund position if a posting ends early.

Compare the resulting five numbers, not the headline tuition, because the ranking frequently changes once transport and one-off charges are included — particularly in Manila, where a long bus route is expensive in both money and hours.

If an employer allowance is involved, establish whether it is per child, whether it covers the capital contribution, and when it starts paying. That last point matters more here than the amount: Manila schools want money before term, and assignments often start with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many international schools are there in Manila?

ESG profiles sixteen international schools across Metro Manila, fourteen of which have complete profiles with a website, real photography and contact details. They range from decades-old institutions like International School Manila and Brent to national-system schools serving the German, French, Japanese, Korean and Singaporean communities.

Which is the best international school in Manila?

There is no single answer, because the schools serve different plans. International School Manila is the largest full-IB option and the default for globally mobile families. British School Manila and Nord Anglia suit families expecting a UK or British-curriculum onward move. Brent is the established American-framework choice. German European School Manila, Lycée Français de Manille and the Japanese, Korean and Singaporean schools suit families returning to those systems.

How much do Manila international schools cost?

None of the sixteen Manila schools ESG profiles publishes a public fee schedule; every one asks families to contact admissions directly. We do not publish estimates we cannot source. Request grade-specific tuition, one-off enrolment or capital charges, transport and the payment schedule in writing from each shortlisted school.

Which part of Manila should we live in for schools?

Bonifacio Global City if you want International School Manila or British School Manila and a short commute. Makati if your work is there — the hop to BGC is manageable by Manila standards. Alabang and the southern corridor if you prefer space and are targeting Brent or Southville. Treat the north and the south as separate school markets; crossing the metro daily is not realistic.

Do international schools in Manila teach in English?

Yes, with the exception of the national-system schools, which teach principally in German, French, Japanese, Korean or the Singaporean framework. English is an official language of the Philippines and the medium of instruction across the sector, so children do not face a language barrier on arrival.

Can we get a place mid-year in Manila?

Often, yes. Manila's expatriate population is mobile and places open through the year, though the largest and most established schools maintain waiting lists at popular grades. Contact admissions directly, state your arrival date, and apply to more than one school. The academic year at most international schools runs August to June.

Are IB schools common in Manila?

The IB is the strongest curriculum presence in the city. International School Manila runs the full continuum, and Chinese International School Manila, Beacon Academy, Southville International School, Keys School Manila and Reedley International School all offer IB programmes, with British School Manila and Nord Anglia adding the IB Diploma to a British curriculum.

What should we ask on a Manila school visit?

Where current families live and which bus routes the school runs, because commute determines whether the school works day to day. Then class sizes, the process for mid-year international arrivals, what proportion of students are Filipino versus foreign, the exit qualification, and the full written fee schedule including one-off charges.

International schools in The large established international schools

International schools in National-system and community schools

International schools in Smaller and specialist schools

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