TL;DR: One school on this list publishes a full fee schedule, and reading it changes how you should treat every other figure you find. International School Manila bills in two currencies: for SY 2026-2027, Grades 11-12 cost USD 19,660 plus PHP 623,800 a year, and new students pay USD 4,500 matriculation plus USD 4,500 facilities enhancement on top, after a USD 700 application fee. Nearly every other international school in the Philippines publishes nothing. So this guide gives ISM's real schedule, describes the rest on curriculum and accreditation rather than invented peso ranges, and tells you exactly what to ask.
Introduction
The Philippines has a substantial international school sector, serving expatriate families, returning Filipino families, and local parents who want a globally portable diploma. The schools follow curricula from the US, UK, Singapore or the International Baccalaureate, and generally cost less than equivalents in Singapore or Hong Kong. If you are weighing this sector against premium local private schools, start with our guide to the most expensive high schools in the Philippines.
Getting a straight answer on price, however, is unusually hard here — and the reason is not just secrecy.
Why Every Peso Figure You Have Seen for ISM Is Wrong
International School Manila bills in dollars and pesos at the same time. Not one or the other. Its published schedule for SY 2026-2027:
| Grade band | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| Preschool 3-4 | USD 9,720 + PHP 306,400 |
| Elementary (K–Grade 4) | USD 15,160 + PHP 479,600 |
| Middle School (Grades 5-8) | USD 16,520 + PHP 524,600 |
| High School (Grades 9-10) | USD 17,620 + PHP 558,400 |
| High School (Grades 11-12) | USD 19,660 + PHP 623,800 |
Semester rates are half the annual amount.
That structure has three consequences. A single peso number for ISM tuition is incomplete — it has either dropped the dollar half or converted it at an unstated rate. Your bill moves with the exchange rate, so a peso budget set in one year is not a peso budget in the next. And the very wide "PHP 443,000 to 1,543,000" style ranges that circulate for ISM are artefacts of different people converting different halves at different rates.
And tuition is not the whole entry cost. ISM's schedule also lists:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (on or after 1 August 2026) | USD 700 |
| Matriculation fee, new students | USD 4,500 |
| Facilities enhancement fee, new students | USD 4,500 |
| Specialised Learning Support Program, K–Grade 12 | USD 48,240 a year |
| Specialised Learning Support Program, Preschool | USD 31,060 a year |
| English as an Additional Language | USD 1,100–1,625 per semester |
| Learning Support Services | USD 840–2,940 per semester |
| Speech Language Program | USD 575–1,400 per semester |
So a new Grade 11 student's first year carries USD 9,000 in one-time charges before a peso of tuition, and a child needing learning support can face an additional annual charge larger than the tuition itself. Those support charges are the single most under-discussed number in Philippine international schooling, and they are published — you just have to read past the headline.
What the Other Schools Publish: Almost Nothing
We checked. British School Manila does not publish fees on its website, and its admissions pages direct enquiries to the school. Neither do most of the others in this guide.
That is why this page no longer carries a peso range for each school. Those ranges circulate widely, they are not traceable to any school's schedule, and for a decision at this price point an unsourced estimate is actively harmful. Where a school does not publish, this guide says so.
What to ask instead, in writing: the current annual tuition for your child's exact grade; whether any part is billed in a foreign currency and at what conversion rule; every one-time entry charge; and — this is the one families forget — the annual cost of learning support, EAL and any other supplemental programme your child might need. ISM's published figures show how large that last item can be.
The Schools
International School Manila (ISM)
BGC, Taguig · American + IB Diploma Programme · Fees published
ISM is the oldest and largest international school in the country, founded in 1920, blending American standards with the IB Diploma in Grades 11-12. It is also the only school here that lets you price your decision before you contact anyone. Fees as above.
British School Manila (BSM)
BGC, Taguig · UK National Curriculum, IGCSE + A-Levels · Fees not published
British School Manila was established in 1976 and follows the UK National Curriculum through to IGCSEs in Year 11 and A-Levels in Years 12-13 — the most direct route to a British or European university. Structured and academically rigorous, and located in BGC alongside ISM. It does not publish fees; ask admissions.
Brent International School Manila
Brentville, Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna · American + IB Diploma · Fees not published
Brent Manila runs a US-based curriculum with the IB Diploma in the final two years, with a large multinational student body and boarding facilities — one of the few here that offers them. The Laguna location solves the commute for families south of Metro Manila and creates one for families north of it. Brent also operates a Baguio campus.
Nord Anglia International School Manila (NAIS)
Parañaque · Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) · Fees not published
NAIS Manila is part of the global Nord Anglia group and offers the full IB continuum from Primary Years through the Diploma Programme. Its distinguishing feature is access to Nord Anglia's group-wide collaborations, including with MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF — enrichment a standalone school cannot replicate.
The Beacon School
Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Makati · IB PYP + MYP with DepEd · Fees not published
The Beacon School, founded 2001, blends IB methodology with Philippine DepEd standards, with a progressive pedagogy and small classes. It is DepEd-recognised rather than a full international school in the traditional sense, and its IB authorisation is what places it in this category.
Chinese International School Manila (CISM)
McKinley Hill, Taguig · IB with Chinese-English bilingual programme · Fees not published
CISM runs a bilingual Mandarin-English programme within the IB framework — the clearest choice for families who want genuine Mandarin fluency alongside English, whether from the Chinese-speaking diaspora or Filipino families treating it as a strategic investment.
Cebu International School (CIS)
Pit-os, Cebu City · Full IB (PYP, MYP, DP) · Fees not published
CIS is the most established international school outside Metro Manila, running the complete IB programme with a multinational student body and graduates placing across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For Visayas-based families it removes the Manila question entirely. Our guide to private schools in Cebu covers the local alternatives.
Singapore School Cebu
Mandaue City, Cebu · Singaporean + Cambridge IGCSE + IB DP · Fees not published
Singapore School Cebu brings Singapore's mathematics and science curriculum together with Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. The draw is the structured, mastery-based approach to maths and science specifically.
Brent International School Baguio
Baguio City · American + DepEd · Fees not published
Brent Baguio offers an American-style curriculum with boarding, in a smaller community than the Manila campus and in Baguio's cooler climate. Generally positioned well below the BGC schools on price, though it does not publish a schedule. For other options in the city, see our guide to private schools in Baguio.
Stonyhurst Southville International School
Makati and Las Piñas · British-influenced + DepEd · Fees not published
Stonyhurst Southville is affiliated with Stonyhurst College in England, a Jesuit school with over four centuries of history, and blends British and Philippine curricula. Two Metro Manila campuses make it reachable from both north and south.
Reedley International School
Pasig City · American-influenced + DepEd · Fees not published
Reedley is a progressive, non-sectarian school integrating an American-influenced curriculum with DepEd standards, with an emphasis on critical thinking and programmes in STEM and the arts. It sits between local premium schools and full international institutions.
Precious International School of Davao
Davao City · International curriculum · Fees not published
Precious International School of Davao is one of the few international options in Mindanao, serving both local and expatriate families.
Stockbridge American International School
Davao City · American K-12 · Fees not published
Stockbridge offers an American-curriculum K-12 education in Davao with small classes and a multicultural student body — the main option for American and international families in Mindanao.
Enderun Colleges
BGC, Taguig · College-level, international programmes · Fees not published here
Enderun is not a K-12 school but a college, included because families researching international education in BGC routinely encounter it. It specialises in international hospitality management, business, entrepreneurship, and architecture and design, with partnerships including Le Cordon Bleu. See our Enderun tuition guide.
How to Choose the Right International School
International schooling is one of the largest discretionary expenses a family takes on. Six things to work through.
Curriculum match. Start from where your child will apply to university. Targeting the US points to an American curriculum or the IB Diploma. Targeting the UK points to A-Levels, and British School Manila is the direct route. Targeting Singapore or Hong Kong makes Singapore School Cebu's curriculum strategically aligned. Choosing a curriculum you will later have to unwind is the most expensive mistake available here.
Budget reality, done properly. Get the full charge structure in writing before you shortlist, not after. Ask: current annual tuition for the exact grade; whether any part is billed in foreign currency and how it converts; every one-time entry charge; and the annual cost of learning support, EAL and speech-language programmes. ISM's published schedule shows that last item can exceed tuition — USD 48,240 a year for its Specialised Learning Support Program at K–Grade 12. If your child has any additional need, that line, not the headline, is your real budget.
Currency risk. If part of the bill is in dollars, part of your school budget is an FX position. Over a K-12 run that is a material exposure and worth naming out loud rather than discovering in year three.
Location and commute. Most of the top Manila schools are in BGC, which is a long daily journey from Makati, Quezon City or the south. Brent Manila solves this for families in Laguna and creates the problem for families in the north. For Cebu and Davao families, the local international schools remove the question altogether.
Community fit. These schools have genuinely different cultures — established and traditional, globally networked, progressive and small, bilingual and Asia-facing. Visit and talk to current parents. This is the factor that most reliably determines whether a child is happy, and it is the one no fee schedule captures.
Accreditation. Check for recognised international accreditation — IB authorisation, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Council of International Schools — alongside Philippine DepEd recognition. Accreditation is what makes the diploma portable, and unlike almost everything else in this sector it is independently verifiable. Ask for the accreditation body and check it directly with them.
Long-term planning. Some families start local and move to an international school for high school; others want the full K-12 run. Decide the pathway early, because entering an IB Diploma programme cold in Grade 11 is a harder transition than entering the same school in Grade 7.
Sources
- International School Manila — School Fees — every ISM figure in this guide, for SY 2026-2027: tuition by grade band in USD and PHP, matriculation and facilities enhancement fees, application fee, and the specialised learning support, EAL, learning support and speech-language charges
- International School Manila — Admissions — enrolment process and payment requirements
- British School Manila — Admissions — checked for a published fee schedule; none is published on the site
- Republic Act No. 10931 (Official Gazette) — for context on why no free-tuition provision reaches this sector
On the peso ranges removed from this page. An earlier version gave an annual peso range for each of fourteen schools. Only ISM publishes a fee schedule, and its schedule is dual-currency, which means the single-peso ranges previously shown for it were arithmetically wrong as well as unsourced. Every range has been removed rather than adjusted. Where a school does not publish, this page now says so, and tells you what to ask for instead.
Looking for an international school? Browse international schools nationwide on SchoolFinderPH, and see our international school fees guide for the wider picture.
