IB Schools in Vietnam: What Parents Should Know

The International Baccalaureate is offered by a number of schools across Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, sometimes as a full continuum and sometimes only at Diploma level. Here's how the IB generally works in Vietnam, where these schools are located, what fees and admissions typically look like, and what to check before choosing a school.

Quick answer

A guide to IB schools in Vietnam: how the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes work, and how to compare IB schools in Hanoi and HCMC.

At a glance

Country: Vietnam
Sections: 12
Questions answered: 10
Schools listed: 3
Read time: 15 min read

The IB's presence in Vietnam

A number of schools across both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City offer the International Baccalaureate in some form, whether as a full continuum from early years through to the Diploma, or as a Diploma-only option offered alongside another curriculum lower down the school. Because schools implement the IB differently, and because IB authorisation is programme-specific rather than a single blanket status covering an entire school, always check directly with a school which specific IB programmes it is currently authorised to teach.

The IB has grown steadily as an option in Vietnam over the past decade or so, partly reflecting demand from internationally mobile families who value the IB's consistency across authorised schools worldwide, and partly reflecting some schools' own pedagogical preference for its inquiry-based approach. As with other curriculum families, the number and range of IB schools has grown alongside the wider expansion of Vietnam's international school sector in both major cities.

All IB schools in Vietnam

The three main IB programmes

The IB programme continuum

Primary Years Programme (PYP): broadly ages 3–12
Middle Years Programme (MYP): broadly ages 11–16
Diploma Programme (DP): broadly ages 16–19, the most widely recognised for university entry
Career-related Programme (CP): offered by a smaller number of schools internationally as a vocational-leaning alternative to the DP
Authorisation is programme-specific, so a school teaching one programme is not automatically authorised for another

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) generally covers early years through to around age 11 or 12, with an inquiry-based approach across subject areas rather than a rigid, separate-subject timetable. The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) typically covers ages roughly 11 to 16, maintaining a broad subject range with an emphasis on connecting learning across disciplines. The IB Diploma Programme (DP), for ages roughly 16 to 19, is the most widely recognised of the three internationally, requiring students to study six subjects across different groups alongside the IB's core components of Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service.

Schools in Vietnam vary in which of these three programmes they offer: some run the full continuum, others start partway through, and some offer only the Diploma Programme at senior level while following a different curriculum earlier on. Always confirm directly with a school exactly which programmes it currently runs and holds authorisation for.

IB Diploma results and university recognition

The IB Diploma is widely recognised by universities around the world, and many universities publish specific IB score requirements or equivalencies for entry, though these vary by institution and by country. If your family has a specific university destination in mind, check that institution's current IB entry requirements directly rather than relying on general assumptions about how the IB is regarded.

When comparing IB schools in Vietnam, it is reasonable to ask each school for its historical average Diploma score and its university destination pattern, while treating this as a data point supplied by the school rather than an independently audited statistic. A school's own reporting is a starting point for further questions, not a substitute for your own research.

How IB teaching and assessment differ day to day

Families new to the IB sometimes find the day-to-day classroom experience notably different from a more conventional, subject-by-subject curriculum, particularly at PYP and MYP level where interdisciplinary units, student-led inquiry and a strong emphasis on reflection are common. Assessment style also differs, with the IB placing weight on coursework, projects and internally assessed components alongside final examinations, which can feel unfamiliar to a family whose only prior experience is with a heavily examination-based system.

This is not a matter of one approach being better than another; it reflects a genuinely different philosophy of teaching and assessment, and it is worth understanding this before enrolling so that early school reports and feedback make sense rather than seeming unusually vague or unusually focused on skills rather than content. Ask a school directly to explain how it reports progress at each stage of the IB continuum, since reporting formats vary between schools even within the same programme.

Choosing between the IB and other pathways

Families in Vietnam often weigh an IB school against British or American curriculum alternatives. The single most important practical consideration is usually continuity with your child's prior schooling, particularly for a child already partway through a qualification cycle such as IGCSEs or a US-style grade sequence. Beyond continuity, some families are drawn to the IB's broad, inquiry-based approach and its emphasis on skills alongside subject content, while others prefer the more traditional, subject-specific structure of A-levels or an AP-based American pathway.

Neither approach is inherently better; the right choice depends on your child's learning style, your family's plans, and where you expect your child might eventually apply to university. Our guides to British curriculum schools and American curriculum schools in Vietnam cover those pathways in comparable detail.

Not sure which schools fit your family?

Choosing an international school depends on your child's age, curriculum preference, location and budget. Tell us what you're looking for and we'll help you identify schools worth considering.

Get matched with international schools

PYP and MYP: what younger and middle-years IB families should know

For families with younger children, the Primary Years Programme's inquiry-based approach is a distinctive feature worth understanding before enrolling, since it differs meaningfully in day-to-day classroom style from more traditional, subject-timetabled approaches used in some British or American curriculum schools. Ask a PYP school directly how it structures a typical day or week, and how it assesses and reports on progress, since PYP reporting can look different from a conventional graded report card.

The Middle Years Programme, similarly, emphasises interdisciplinary units and a personal project toward the end of the programme, and some schools that offer the MYP do so alongside IGCSEs as an alternative at age 16 rather than continuing straight into the Diploma. Ask directly which pathway options are available at the end of MYP if your child will be starting it in Vietnam.

Where IB schools are located and how they compare on fees

IB schools in Vietnam exist across both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, generally spread across a number of districts rather than concentrated in one area, in line with the wider pattern of international school locations in both cities. Fee levels among IB schools vary just as they do across other curriculum families, with no reliable general rule that IB schools cost more or less than British or American curriculum alternatives; request each school's current published fee schedule to compare properly.

In Hanoi, IB provision is concentrated mainly in and around the Tay Ho and Ciputra areas, alongside a smaller number of schools elsewhere in the city; in Ho Chi Minh City, IB schools are found across District 2 (Thao Dien/An Phu), District 7 (Phu My Hung) and, for some schools, District 1 or Binh Thanh closer to the city centre. As with other curriculum families, campus location relative to popular expatriate residential areas is worth mapping out early, given how traffic conditions in both cities can turn a short map distance into a long daily commute, especially at the start and end of the school day.

Our guide to school fees in Vietnam covers this topic across all curriculum types in more depth, including the common additional costs to budget for beyond tuition.

Moving between IB schools internationally

One of the practical advantages many families cite for choosing the IB, particularly internationally mobile families who may move country again in a few years, is the relative consistency of programme structure across authorised IB schools worldwide, which can make transferring a child from an IB school in one country to an IB school in another somewhat more predictable than moving between differently structured national curricula. That said, this consistency is at the level of programme framework rather than a guarantee of an identical day-to-day experience, since individual schools still vary in how they implement the programme, their language of instruction options, and their specific unit sequencing.

If your family expects to move again after a posting in Vietnam, it is worth asking a shortlisted IB school directly how it typically handles a child transferring mid-programme from another IB school, and equally how it would support a transfer out if your family later relocates elsewhere.

United Nations International School of Hanoi — an international school in Hanoi — United Nations International School of Hanoi, Hanoi

The Extended Essay, CAS and Theory of Knowledge in practice

Alongside the six subject groups, IB Diploma students complete three core components that sit outside conventional subject teaching: an independently researched Extended Essay, a Theory of Knowledge course examining how knowledge itself is constructed and evaluated, and a Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme requiring students to engage in activities outside the classroom over the two-year Diploma. These core components are compulsory across every authorised DP school, though the specific support structures, supervision arrangements and range of CAS activities on offer vary between schools.

Ask a shortlisted school directly how it supports students through the Extended Essay research and writing process, what its Theory of Knowledge teaching looks like in practice, and what range of CAS activities are realistically available locally, since this can depend on a school's facilities, partnerships and location within Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Questions worth asking an IB school directly

Ask specifically which IB programmes the school is currently authorised to teach, since authorisation is programme-specific and a school offering, for example, the MYP is not automatically authorised for the PYP or DP as well. Ask about typical Diploma Programme subject choices available, average Diploma scores if the school publishes them, and how the school supports a child joining partway through the PYP, MYP or DP rather than at the natural start of a programme.

Finally, if your family may move again in a few years, ask how straightforward the school considers a transfer to another IB school elsewhere to be, since the IB's international consistency across authorised schools is often cited as an advantage for internationally mobile families, though the practical experience still varies by individual school and destination. It is also worth asking about bus coverage for your intended residential area and how the school reports progress for PYP and MYP students if you are used to a more conventional graded report card.

Language of instruction and language acquisition within the IB

Language provision is a distinctive feature of the IB framework, since the Diploma Programme requires students to study at least one language and literature course alongside a second language acquisition course, and the PYP and MYP also build in structured language learning from an early stage. Most IB schools in Vietnam teach primarily in English, with a range of additional language options that can include Vietnamese, Mandarin, French or Spanish depending on the specific school and the languages its teaching staff can support.

Ask a shortlisted IB school directly which languages it currently offers at each stage of the programme, and, for a family whose child is not a native English speaker, how the school supports language acquisition within an English-medium IB environment, since approaches to additional English language support vary meaningfully between schools even within the IB framework.

Class sizes, staffing and facilities in the IB context

Because the IB's inquiry-based and interdisciplinary approach relies heavily on teacher facilitation and individualised feedback, class size and staffing ratios can matter even more than in some more traditionally structured curricula, particularly at PYP and MYP level where units are often planned collaboratively across subject teachers. Facilities that support the IB's practical and project-based elements, such as dedicated science and design spaces, libraries geared toward independent research, and space for CAS activities, also vary meaningfully between schools.

Ask a shortlisted school directly about typical class sizes at each stage of the programme your child would join, how many specialist IB-trained teachers it employs relative to the overall teaching staff, and what facilities are available to support components such as the Extended Essay or MYP personal project, since these practical details vary between schools even where the underlying IB framework is the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all IB schools in Vietnam offer the full continuum from PYP to DP?

No — some offer the full continuum, others start partway through, and some offer only the Diploma Programme alongside a different curriculum earlier in the school. Always confirm directly with a school which specific IB programmes it currently teaches.

Is the IB Diploma recognised by universities outside Vietnam?

Yes, the IB Diploma is widely recognised internationally, and many universities publish specific score requirements or equivalencies, though these vary by institution and country. Check your target university's current requirements directly if you have a destination in mind.

What is the difference between the IB Diploma and A-levels?

The IB Diploma requires study across six subject groups plus core components such as the Extended Essay, offering breadth, while A-levels typically involve three or four subjects studied in greater depth. Both are widely recognised; the better fit depends on your child's learning style and university plans.

Can my child join an IB school partway through the Middle Years Programme?

This is often possible, and many IB schools have experience supporting mid-programme transfers, but ask the specific school directly how it handles subject continuity and any gaps in prior IB units your child may have missed.

Are IB schools in Vietnam more expensive than British or American curriculum schools?

There is no reliable general rule; fee levels depend on the individual school rather than its curriculum family. Compare specific schools' published fee schedules rather than assuming by curriculum type.

What does IB authorisation mean, and how do I check it?

IB authorisation means a school has been approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization to teach a specific programme, and it is programme-specific rather than a single blanket status. Ask the school directly which programmes it is currently authorised for.

How is the IB Primary Years Programme different from a traditional primary curriculum?

The PYP uses an inquiry-based, cross-disciplinary approach rather than a strictly subject-by-subject timetable, and its reporting style can look different from a conventional graded report card. Ask a PYP school directly how it structures learning and reports on progress.

Do IB schools in Vietnam publish their average Diploma scores?

Some do, on request or in their own materials, though this varies by school and should be treated as school-reported information rather than independently audited data. Ask directly if this matters to your decision, and use it as one factor among several.

What is CAS and is it compulsory?

Creativity, Activity, Service is one of three compulsory core components of the IB Diploma, requiring students to engage in activities outside the classroom over the two years. Ask a school what range of CAS activities it can realistically offer locally.

How does IB assessment differ from a more exam-focused system?

The IB places weight on coursework, projects and internally assessed work alongside final examinations, particularly at PYP and MYP level, which can feel different from a heavily exam-based system. Ask a school to explain its reporting and assessment approach before enrolling.