International Schools in Vietnam: Pricey Promises, Costly Lessons for Parents

The Hidden Costs of Ambition: How Opportunists Are Cashing In on Vietnam’s International School Boom

Vietnam’s international school market is flourishing, driven by wealthy families eager to prepare their children for future studies abroad. Yet, beneath the glossy marketing and promises of a world-class education, a troubling reality is emerging: these institutions, along with associated tutoring and testing services, are exploiting parents’ aspirations and charging sky-high fees for questionable returns.

The Price of a Western Dream

For many affluent Vietnamese parents, enrolling their children in international schools is seen as the fastest way to pave their path to prestigious universities in the U.S. or Europe. These schools offer Western-style curriculums and English-speaking environments, promising to prepare students for the academic and cultural challenges of studying abroad. Yet, with tuition fees ranging from $30,000 to $45,000 per year depending on grades and school, the cost of this dream is enormous.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Supplemental Costs: Tutoring and Evaluations

In addition to the staggering tuition fees, parents are often pressured to invest in supplemental tutoring services, which can run as high as $50 per hour. These services, marketed as essential for academic success, are designed to fill gaps left by the schools themselves—gaps that arguably shouldn’t exist given the high price tag. Parents, already stretched thin financially, are made to feel that without these extra lessons, their children might fall behind in the race to secure a spot in a Western university.

But perhaps one of the most egregious costs is the fee for cognitive evaluations. In many special cases , students are required to undergo assessments to evaluate their cognitive levels, which can cost upwards of $500 per session. Parents are led to believe these evaluations are critical to understanding their child’s abilities and educational needs. However, one could argue that these tests are more about adding another revenue stream than genuinely supporting the student's development. These evaluations can feel like just another tactic to extract more money from families who are already paying exorbitant amounts.

Who Really Benefits?

It’s clear that the winners in this situation are not the students or their families, but the businesses that have learned to exploit the anxieties of parents. For these families, the desire to secure a Western education for their children has become a driving force, leading them to pay whatever it takes to keep up in an increasingly competitive environment.

However, instead of real academic progress, what they often get in return is a cycle of spending on additional services—tutoring, evaluations, and test prep—that offer limited value. The system is designed to make parents feel like they need to keep investing more money, when in reality, the educational returns are often far less impressive than the glossy brochures would suggest.

The Future of Vietnam’s International Education Market

As the demand for international education in Vietnam continues to grow, so too does the potential for exploitation by opportunistic businesses. Unless parents become more discerning about where their money is going and educational institutions are held to higher standards, this trend is unlikely to change. For now, the international education sector in Vietnam presents a lucrative opportunity for those who know how to sell the dream—at any cost.