European International School Ho Chi Minh City

In Brief

EIS is the pick for families who want the full IB continuum in a small, known community rather than a large corporate campus - fees are 20-30% below ISHCMC and BIS, results are comparable, and teachers know every child by name. If your family needs large sports facilities or a broad programme, the size is the honest trade-off.

EIS is one of only five IB Continuum schools in Vietnam and fewer than 400 globally, meaning it is authorised to deliver PYP, MYP, and DP on a single campus without any curriculum break. At around 450 students from 40-plus nationalities, it runs more like a village school than an institution - the kind where the head knows your child and teachers average 13 years of experience. Fees run 20-30% below ISHCMC and BIS for comparable IB provision, which matters most for self-funding families comparing like-for-like.

The campus sits on Le Van Mien in the quieter end of Thao Dien, and families who've been there several years describe the community as tight-knit in a way the larger schools can't replicate. CIS and WASC accreditation, plus its sister-school relationship with AIS under the Inspired group, give it institutional credibility that belies the boutique scale. Co-heads Jo Roberts and Ben Armstrong have built a reputation for direct, accessible leadership that parents mention often.

The size is the honest constraint. Facilities are solid but not expansive - no large sports hall, no 230-seat theatre. Families who've moved from bigger schools sometimes find the ECA range narrower than they expected. For secondary students with specific elite-sport or performing-arts ambitions, it's worth visiting both EIS and AIS in the same day to calibrate what matters most to your child.