TL;DR: The headline number is never the number. Four of the largest international schools publish current fee schedules, and three of them bill in two currencies at once: at International School Manila, elementary tuition for SY 2026-2027 is USD 15,160 plus PHP 479,600 a year, and at Brent Manila lower school is USD 8,704 plus PHP 399,840. Nord Anglia Manila bills in pesos only, from PHP 504,359 in pre-nursery to PHP 1,739,170 in Year 13. On top sit one-time charges that are large and non-refundable, such as ISM's USD 4,500 matriculation fee and a further USD 4,500 facilities enhancement fee for new students. Plan year one as a separate, higher number from every year after it.
Fee comparison across international schools is genuinely difficult, and not because schools hide the figures. Most publish them in full. The difficulty is that they publish them in different shapes: split currencies, different fee names for the same thing, one-time charges buried below the tuition table, and grade bands that do not line up between schools.
This guide sets out what four schools currently publish, in their own terms, and then explains how to compare them without producing a number that is wrong in both directions.
What Four Schools Publish Right Now
International School Manila, SY 2026-2027
ISM publishes tuition as a USD amount plus a PHP amount for each division. Both are billed.
| Level | Annual tuition |
|---|---|
| Preschool 3 and 4 | USD 9,720 plus PHP 306,400 |
| Elementary, Kindergarten to Grade 4 | USD 15,160 plus PHP 479,600 |
| Middle School, Grades 5 to 8 | USD 16,520 plus PHP 524,600 |
| High School, Grades 9 to 10 | USD 17,620 plus PHP 558,400 |
| High School, Grades 11 to 12 | USD 19,660 plus PHP 623,800 |
One-time and additional charges published alongside these: an application fee of USD 700 for applications submitted on or after 1 August 2026; a USD 4,500 matriculation fee and a separate USD 4,500 facilities enhancement fee, each for new students entering Kindergarten to Grade 12 or the Specialized Learning Support Program. English as an Additional Language support is charged at USD 1,625 per semester in year one and USD 1,100 in year two, and Learning Support Services run from USD 840 to USD 2,940 per semester by level.
Brent International School Manila, SY 2026-2027
Brent also splits the currency and states plainly that the family is billed for the USD amount plus the PHP amount.
| Level | Annual payment |
|---|---|
| Nursery | USD 3,584 plus PHP 164,120 |
| Pre-Kindergarten | USD 4,600 plus PHP 211,056 |
| Lower School, Kindergarten to Grade 5 | USD 8,704 plus PHP 399,840 |
| Middle School, Grades 6 to 8 | USD 9,320 plus PHP 428,168 |
| Upper School, Grades 9 to 12 | USD 9,680 plus PHP 444,496 |
Additional fees: a capital development fee of USD 1,575 every year for all students, a one-time matriculation fee of USD 3,000 for new Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 students, an ESL fee of USD 1,210 where English support is needed in Grades 1 to 8, an application fee of USD 300 per applicant, and a USD 600 seat reservation for newly accepted students. Re-enrolment for existing students is USD 1,000, due in April for the following school year. All are marked non-refundable except the USD 500 wait pool payment.
Nord Anglia International School Manila, SY 2025-2026
Nord Anglia Manila publishes in pesos only, payable in three equal termly instalments.
| Year group | Annual fee (PHP) |
|---|---|
| Pre-nursery and Nursery | 504,359 to 536,613 |
| Reception and Years 1 to 2 | 1,058,204 |
| Years 3 to 6 | 1,068,381 |
| Years 7 to 9 | 1,201,796 |
| Years 10 to 11 | 1,325,616 |
| Years 12 and 13 | 1,705,073 to 1,739,170 |
One-time charges: application PHP 28,413, reservation PHP 50,000 which is refundable, and enrolment PHP 231,530 which is not.
Cebu International School, SY 2025-2026
CIS publishes a total that combines a dollar fee, a peso tuition fee, a development fee and, for new students, an entrance fee. Families may settle the dollar component in pesos at the BSP rate of the day.
| Grade level | Dollar fee | Peso total, returning | Peso total, new |
|---|---|---|---|
| EY2 / EY3 | USD 1,124 | PHP 550,676 | PHP 550,676 |
| Kindergarten | USD 2,025 | PHP 606,122 | PHP 665,673 |
| Grades 2 to 3 | USD 3,453 | PHP 661,492 | PHP 822,518 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | USD 3,705 | PHP 766,423 | PHP 1,088,473 |
| Grades 9 to 10 | USD 3,705 | PHP 1,017,136 | PHP 1,339,186 |
| Grades 11 to 12 | USD 3,705 | PHP 1,041,668 | PHP 1,363,718 |
New students also pay a PHP 12,000 application fee, and the entrance fee is one-time and not recharged to a student who returns after leaving, provided it was paid before.
Disclaimer: these figures are transcribed from each school's own published fee schedule for the school year stated, and schools revise them annually. SchoolFinderPH does not process admissions or collect fees. Confirm the current schedule with the school before budgeting.
Why Split Currencies Change Your Budget
A school that bills USD 15,160 plus PHP 479,600 has not quoted you a peso price. It has quoted you a peso price and a currency exposure. If the peso weakens over a thirteen-year school career, the peso cost of the dollar half rises with it, independently of any fee increase the school announces.
Two practical consequences:
- Compare schools on the same date. Converting a split-currency school's fee to pesos using last month's rate and comparing it against a peso-only school produces a number that was never true.
- Ask what happens if the rate moves mid-year. Some schools bill both components on a fixed schedule; some, like CIS, offer a peso settlement option at the rate of the day. That difference is worth more than a small gap in headline tuition.
The Costs That Sit Outside the Tuition Table
Year one is structurally more expensive than every year after it, because the one-time charges land all at once. Beyond those, budget for:
- Annual recurring fees that are not tuition. Brent's capital development fee at USD 1,575 is charged every year, not once.
- Language and learning support. Charged per semester at ISM and per year at Brent, and they are not small. If your child may need EAL, price it in before applying rather than discovering it at enrolment.
- External examination fees. IB Diploma examination fees at Brent are billed on receipt of the actual charges and are non-refundable once billed. IGCSE, A-Level and IB fees are generally outside tuition wherever you go.
- Transport, uniforms, devices, trips and club activities. CIS lists homeroom funds, optional transport from an outside provider, after-school activities and educational travel on a cost-recovery basis as separate items.
How to Compare Two Schools Honestly
- Build a year-one total and a steady-state annual total separately. Year one includes application, reservation, matriculation or entrance, and enrolment fees. Steady state does not. Comparing one school's year one against another's steady state is the most common error.
- Convert everything to one currency on one date, and note the date next to the figure.
- Check the grade bands actually line up. Schools band grades differently, so compare the band your child will be in, not the school's cheapest band.
- Read the refund policy before paying anything. Almost all one-time fees are non-refundable, and the wording varies.
- Multiply by the number of years you intend to stay, then ask each school what its recent fee revisions have been. Do not assume a rate of increase; ask for the actual history.
Curriculum, and Why It Belongs in the Fee Conversation
Curriculum choice constrains which schools you can even compare, so settle it first.
- International Baccalaureate. International School Manila and Cebu International School run the IB, and Brent offers the IB Diploma Programme in the senior years alongside its American programme.
- British curriculum. The British School Manila follows the English National Curriculum through IGCSE and A-Level, and Nord Anglia Manila also runs an English-curriculum programme.
- American curriculum. Brent International School Manila leads to a US-accredited high school diploma.
- Other national curricula. German European School Manila serves the German-language pathway, Chinese International School Manila runs a bilingual programme, and Singapore School Cebu offers the Singaporean curriculum.
Where a school is not listed above with published figures, that is because we could not find a current fee schedule published openly. Request it from the admissions office in writing and ask for the complete schedule, not a headline number.
Before You Decide
Compare against the alternatives properly. Top Philippine private universities and premium local private schools sit at a very different price point, and for many families the honest comparison is not between two international schools but between an international school and a strong local one plus the difference invested. Our guide to the best international schools in the Philippines is a starting point, the area pages for Metro Manila and Cebu City show what else is nearby, and our affordable colleges guide covers the other end of the range.
Disclaimer: fee schedules change every school year and the figures above are tied to the specific school years named. Verify with the school before making any financial commitment.
Sources
- International School Manila — School Fees
- Brent International School Manila — School Fees 2026-2027 (official PDF)
- Nord Anglia International School Manila — Tuition Fees
- Cebu International School — School Fees SY 2025-2026 (official PDF)
- International School Manila — Scholarships
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