Cities / Saigon / The American School
The American School
WASC-accredited American school in An Phu, District 2, serving around 550 students from Pre-Nursery to Grade 12 on a 30,000 sqm campus opened in 2020. Fees range from 240 million VND in Pre-Nursery to 724 million VND in Grades 11-12.
In brief
An American-curriculum K-12 college preparatory school founded in 2010, since 2020 on a 30,000 square metre purpose-built campus along a Saigon River tributary in Binh Trung Ward.
TAS runs an American programme with Advanced Placement in the upper years, with WASC and CIS accreditation. The campus has more than 100 classrooms, nine science labs, two libraries, a competitive gym, swimming pool and rooftop tennis court, and the school cites 95 percent of AP exam scores landing at 3 or higher, which is well above the global average. Fees run roughly 240 to 724 million VND.
The honest read is mixed. Parents who land well talk about caring teachers, strong AP outcomes and a positive campus atmosphere. The repeated harder thread, in both parent and student commentary, is high teacher turnover during the school year, a sense that promises made at admission do not always hold once families are inside, and uneven communication when concerns are raised. Worth pressing the school on staffing stability and parent-voice mechanisms during a visit.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Nursery / Nursery | 3 | Annual | ₫239,800,000 |
| Pre-Kindergarten | 4 | Annual | ₫295,100,000 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | Annual | ₫330,400,000 |
| Grades 1-3 | 6 | Annual | ₫532,600,000 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | Annual | ₫536,500,000 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | Annual | ₫540,500,000 |
| Grades 6-8 | 11 | Annual | ₫602,400,000 |
| Grades 9-10 | 14 | Annual | ₫668,200,000 |
| Grades 11-12 | 16 | Annual | ₫723,500,000 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | One-time | ₫5,800,000 | |
| Registration Fee (Early Childhood) | One-time | ₫30,000,000 | |
| Registration Fee (Primary) | One-time | ₫40,000,000 | |
| Registration Fee (Middle / High School) | One-time | ₫55,000,000 |
Reviews
- Parent and community comments are mostly positive, describing caring teachers, a warm atmosphere, small classes, and good support for children.
- The recurring caution is facilities. One public comment says the programme is good but the facilities are poor for the price, though other later comments praise cleanliness and equipment.
- Staff-side reviews are more mixed, with praise for colleagues and environment but criticism of leadership consistency and career progression. That suggests the family experience may depend heavily on current leadership and division.
Head of school
Mr. Garth O’Donnell
Garth O’Donnell serves as Executive Principal at the American School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is currently in his eleventh year as an administrator with TAS. Prior to joining The American School, Mr. O’Donnell served for seven years as K-12 Vice Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at another WASC-accredited school in Ho Chi Minh City. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science as well as a Master of Arts in Education and a Certificate in School Management and Leadership. Garth was born and raised in New York. He is a self-proclaimed foodie who enjoys time in the gym and beach holidays during his free time.
Accreditations
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 01
- Council of International Schools 02
Academic results
- Accreditation WASC accredited since 2015
- Programmes Common Core American curriculum through to AP courses in senior school