Premium International Schools in Vietnam Feel the Enrolment Squeeze

Premium international schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are confronting enrolment pressure despite strong reputations, as a wave of newer institutions enters the Vietnamese market and families gain more choice at lower price points. The finding appears in ISC Research's latest visual white paper on global school growth, cited by Relocate magazine, which notes that well-established schools with proven track records continue to perform competitively but that the landscape is clearly shifting.

The broader context is one of continued global expansion. ISC Research's paper records that school numbers worldwide have grown 8 percent over the past five years and student enrolment is up 13 percent, generating total annual fee income of more than USD 67 billion. Asia, which is home to more than half of all international schools, accounts for the bulk of that growth, with South-East Asia and Western Asia each recording 11 percent expansion over the same period.

Vietnam's specific challenge

Vietnam presents a more complicated picture within that otherwise buoyant regional trend. The country's two largest international school cities, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, have seen substantial investment in new campuses over the past three years, including several British curriculum entrants. The result is a market with more supply at the upper fee tier than it had even in 2023, at a moment when some globally mobile families are reassessing costs. ISC Research's assessment that only schools with "strong reputations and established track records" are continuing to perform well is a quiet warning to newer operators that brand recognition alone will not fill seats.

The pattern echoes what has already played out in Thailand, where industry observers have noted growth nearing a plateau in Bangkok as multiple premium campuses have opened simultaneously. For British-curriculum operators in Vietnam, the coming admissions cycle for 2026 to 2027 will be an early test of whether fee-setting and differentiation strategies are working. Schools that have invested in IB authorisation, strong exam results, or specialist programmes appear better insulated. Those competing primarily on facilities or newness face a harder pitch.

The pipeline pressure ahead

ISC Research's white paper identifies 283 future international schools globally, with 60 percent of those planned for Asia. Vietnam sits within a South-East Asian sub-region that continues to attract operator interest, which means the supply pressure on existing premium schools is unlikely to ease in the near term. For parents, the enrolment competition among schools is broadly good news; for operators, it underscores the importance of governance, inspection outcomes, and curriculum differentiation as the primary tools for retaining and attracting families in a more crowded field.