Schools in Manila: American and international schools

American families in Manila are spoiled for choice compared with a lot of postings. The city has an international school that started life as the American School back in 1920, plus strong IB options. The tough part is the tuition bill and the commute.

The short version

International School Manila (ISM) in Bonifacio Global City was founded in 1920 as the American School. Its program is based on the US system and leads to the IB Diploma [1].
Brent International School runs a Nursery to Grade 12 IB school in Biñan, Laguna, south of Metro Manila. Upper School tuition for 2026-27 is USD 9,680 (PHP 444,496 as the school bills it), before a one-time USD 3,000 matriculation fee for new students [2][3].
British School Manila, also in BGC, follows an English curriculum through Year 11 and offers the IB Diploma at the end [5].
Philippine public schools follow K-12: kindergarten, six years of elementary, four of junior high and two of senior high [6].
The school calendar is in flux. DepEd has been moving back toward a June start and has discussed a three-term year, so check the current calendar [6][7].

USD conversions use the European Central Bank cross rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = PHP 63.68) [8].

International schools Americans use

Most American families in Manila choose between a handful of established international schools. Where you send your kids often decides where you live, since a cross-town school run in Manila traffic can eat up your morning.

School	Where	Curriculum	Grades	Accreditation
International School Manila	University Parkway, BGC, Taguig	US-based K-12 leading to the IB Diploma; some AP courses	Preschool to Grade 12	WASC, IB, recognized by DepEd [1]
Brent International School	Biñan, Laguna	IB, with English language support	Nursery to Grade 12	IB, WASC [2][4]
British School Manila	University Parkway, BGC, Taguig	English National Curriculum, (I)GCSEs, IB Diploma	Early Years to Year 13	CIS, WASC, IB, COBIS [5]

International School Manila

ISM is the school most Americans have heard of before they land. It opened in 1920 as the American School and took its current name in 1970 [1]. It's a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian school on University Parkway in BGC, with more than 2,300 students from preschool to Grade 12 [1].

The academic program is based on the American system: inquiry-based learning in elementary, subject-based classes in middle and high school, and the IB Diploma at the top. Some AP courses are offered to selected students in Grades 9 and 10 [1]. It's accredited by WASC, the same regional accreditor as many California and Hawaii schools, which helps when your kids transfer back to a US school.

Fees: ISM's own tuition page wouldn't load for us when we checked in November 2026, so we're not quoting a number. Expect it to sit at the top end of Manila's international school market, and ask admissions for the current schedule, including any one-time capital or enrollment fees.

Brent International School

Brent says it has more than 100 years of educational history in the Philippines, and Wikipedia gives its founding year as 1909 [2][4]. Its main campus is in Brentville Subdivision, Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna, which is south of Metro Manila. That suits families in Alabang and the southern suburbs better than those in Makati or BGC. Brent also lists campuses in Baguio and Subic [4]. It offers IB, with English as an Additional Language support [2].

Brent publishes its fees in a PDF. For 2026-27, annual tuition is billed in both US dollars and pesos [3]:

Level	Tuition, USD	Tuition, PHP (as billed)
Nursery	3,584	164,120
Pre-Kindergarten	4,600	211,056
Lower School (K to Grade 5)	8,704	399,840
Middle School (Grades 6 to 8)	9,320	428,168
Upper School (Grades 9 to 12)	9,680	444,496

Note that the peso figures are the school's own, set at its own exchange rate, so they don't match our conversion rate. On top of tuition, Brent lists for 2026-27 [3]:

Application fee: USD 300 (about PHP 19,100), nonrefundable.
Matriculation fee: USD 3,000 (about PHP 191,000), one time, for new students from Pre-K to Grade 12.
Capital development fee: USD 1,575 (about PHP 100,300) a year for every student.
ESL fee: USD 1,210 (about PHP 77,100), only for Grades 1 to 8 students who need English support.
IB exam fees: billed at actual cost for Grade 12 students.

So a new high schooler's first year runs to about USD 14,255 (about PHP 907,800) before buses, lunches, uniforms and trips. That's a lot less than many US private day schools, but it adds up fast with two or three kids.

British School Manila

British School Manila was founded in 1976 and moved to its purpose-built BGC campus in 2001 [5]. It follows an adapted National Curriculum for England through Year 9, then (I)GCSEs in Years 10 and 11 and the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13 [5]. American kids do fine there, but the year groups are numbered differently: British "Year 7" is roughly US sixth grade. If you'll move back to the States before graduation, compare how transcripts transfer.

Before you apply

Start early. Popular grades fill up, and wait pools are common. Brent, for example, has a refundable wait pool deposit [3].
Gather records. Report cards for two or three years, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, vaccination records and any learning support reports.
Ask about company sponsorship. Many employers pay tuition or the capital fee as part of an expat package. Get that in writing before you sign.
Do the commute test. Drive or Grab the route at school rush hour before you sign a lease.

Philippine schools and K-12

Some American families, especially those with a Filipino parent, choose a private Philippine school, and many of Manila's long-established private schools are Catholic.

The Philippine system follows K-12, which took full effect over the 2010s [6]:

Stage	Grades	Rough US equivalent
Kindergarten	K	Kindergarten
Elementary	Grades 1 to 6	Grades 1 to 6
Junior high school	Grades 7 to 10	Grades 7 to 10
Senior high school	Grades 11 and 12	Grades 11 and 12

A few things that will feel different from home:

Languages. English and Filipino are both languages of instruction, phased in during the early grades [6].
New curriculum. DepEd's MATATAG curriculum, launched in 2023, is being phased in for Kindergarten to Grade 10 between 2024 and 2028 [6].
Senior high is changing. A Strengthened Senior High School Program, piloted from June 2025, cuts the old four tracks to two (Academic and Technical-Professional) and rolls out from 2026 to 2028 [6].
The calendar is moving. The school year shifted to an August start after the pandemic and is moving back to June. A three-term calendar from 2026-27 has been reported, while DepEd said in February 2026 that the three-term system "remains a proposal" [6][7]. Check your school's calendar rather than assuming a September start like back home.

International schools set their own calendars, usually August to June, which is close to the US rhythm.

US college applications from Manila

Your kids apply to US colleges the same way as stateside students, through the Common App, with a few twists:

Testing. Check whether the SAT or ACT is offered at your school or elsewhere in Manila, and register early.
The IB Diploma is well understood by US admissions offices and can earn college credit at many schools.
In-state tuition generally depends on state residency rules, which differ by state. Living abroad can cost you in-state status, so check with the public universities in your home state.
Federal aid is open to US citizens abroad. Our guide to student loans while living abroad covers the money side.

Want to hear how other families picked a school? Ask in our community group for Americans in the Philippines.

Schools in Manila: American-style international schools, fees and the Philippine K-12 system