Of all the decisions that come with moving a family abroad, the school question tends to keep parents up the longest. The honest answer is that there's no single right school here. There's the right school for your child, for how long you're staying, and for how you're all feeling about the move.

Details below come from each school's own website, read in October 2026. Fees, programs and admissions rules change, so confirm everything directly before you commit.

Start with the question of time

Before comparing campuses, work out what kind of stay you're planning. A family relocating for years needs continuity: a curriculum that matches the one back home or the one you expect to move to next, and a school that can carry a child through the grades.

A family here for a semester, or a few months of remote work, needs something else entirely. Flexibility, a quick start and no penalty for leaving matter more than a long academic pathway.

Then think about the child. Some kids have changed schools internationally before and walk into a new classroom like it's a bus. Others are making their first move abroad, and the first weeks matter more than the curriculum.

Full-time international and bilingual schools

Da Nang has several established international schools, and they're the natural choice for families who want a full-time school with a recognizable program. These are the ones I'd put on a first visit list, described as they describe themselves.

Singapore International School, Danang (SIS) is in the Phú Mỹ An urban area, on Vung Trung 3 Street. Its website lists an International Programme and an Integrated Programme from kindergarten to high school, blending Cambridge and Singapore approaches. Its fees page names yearly and termly payment options but doesn't publish amounts or mention short-term enrollment, so ask.

APU American International School is on Trần Đại Nghĩa Street in Ngũ Hành Sơn, and the Da Nang campus opened in 2015. APU's site lists two programs here, International and Bilingual, each covering K-5 and grades 6-12. The page I read doesn't spell out curriculum, accreditation or language-of-instruction details for Da Nang, so those are good first questions for admissions.

The St. Nicholas School is in the Hòa Xuân area. Its Vietnamese-language site describes an American Common Core track, using Florida Virtual School in primary and Mizzou Academy in secondary. An integrated track follows Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training curriculum.

The St. Nicholas international preschool is taught entirely in English, according to the site. Ask what that arrangement means day to day.

Hoi An International School (HAIS) is the main international option in Hoi An. The school describes itself as a Cambridge school taking children from 18 months to 18 years, with international and bilingual streams in the early years and primary school. If you're choosing Hoi An for the Old Town and the beaches, check the commute.

Our Da Nang versus Hoi An comparison explains why the distance matters on a school run. For published fee ranges, see our earlier guide to raising kids in Da Nang. Always compare those with the school's current fee schedule, and ask about application, enrollment, bus, uniform and exam fees on top.

Local Vietnamese schools

Vietnamese public and private schools teach in Vietnamese. For families settling in for the long term, especially those who want their children fluent in the language, that's a serious option.

For a short stay it's usually a hard one. I'd ask the school and the local education authorities how admissions work for a foreign child, because I wouldn't assume the answer.

A different kind of option: short courses and flexible programs

Not every good option is a full-time school, and it's worth being clear about the difference. Some centers run language and enrichment courses that sit beside regular schooling or fill in during a short stay. They aren't accredited international schools, and they don't claim to be.

One option I can personally recommend is The Learning Home. For families coming to Da Nang for a short stay, or those with younger children who might benefit from easing into school life in another country, it offers something that's not always easy to find: a welcoming, family-like environment.

The staff is exceptionally friendly, the atmosphere is expat-oriented, and it feels like a place where children and parents can settle in without immediately feeling overwhelmed. It feels personal rather than institutional, and I think it takes some of the anxiety out of arranging school abroad.

What it is, specifically, matters. The Learning Home's website calls it an English Language Development Centre offering short courses for children aged 6 to 14, with a maximum of 16 pupils per class.

Course areas include literacy, maths vocabulary, English for science and environmental studies, and digital literacy. The site says teachers are degree-qualified with TEFL certification, and that the centre was licensed by local authorities in 2018 after working with the Da Nang Department of Education and Training. It doesn't claim an accredited curriculum or full-time school status, so I'd read it as a language-and-enrichment program, not a replacement for a full school year.

The enrollment structure is the draw for people on the move. There are individual eight-week courses, a "Block-by-Block" option in four-week blocks aimed at families staying a few months, and a ten-block bundle for the full academic year at a reduced rate per block.

On cost, our experience is that you can expect to pay roughly $500 to $700 a month for one child, depending on commitment. Much like a gym, there's a percentage discount for committing to a year rather than paying month to month. The site doesn't list fee amounts on its main page, but it links a 2026-27 fee policy PDF and says fees are reviewed annually, so confirm current numbers.

The day-to-day feel is part of the appeal. The staff are friendly and use an app called ClassDojo to award points to students throughout the day, and they send parents photos of achievements and activities. That sounds small, but as a parent it feels really nice and comforting to see.

The centre is at 64 Dương Tự Giang in Ngũ Hành Sơn. This is my personal recommendation based on our own experience, not a ranking against the schools above, and your child's needs may point somewhere else.

Homeschooling and keeping up with home

Some traveling families keep a home curriculum or an online program going and add local courses for language, company and routine. If you do that, check your home country's rules on records and credits, and keep a written trail of what your child covers.

I can't speak to how Vietnam's rules apply to foreign homeschoolers. Ask an adviser or the education department before you build a plan on it.

A practical checklist

  • Visit in person. Brochures don't show how a school feels at drop-off.
  • Check the language fit. What language is each subject taught in, and how much English support does a newcomer get?
  • Think about continuity. Will the curriculum match where your child is going next? Ask how the school handles a mid-year transfer.
  • Sort out documents. Ask what a school needs: previous reports, immunization records, translated or notarized copies and any placement test.
  • Learn the calendar. Term dates may not line up with your home country's, which matters if you're arriving mid-year.
  • Ask about trial periods. Several school sites I read don't mention short-term or trial enrollment at all, so ask directly.
  • Count the full cost. Tuition is only the start: application and enrollment fees, buses, uniforms, exams, meals and trips.
  • Plan the commute. Traffic, rain and a motorbike-or-car decision change a school run more than people expect. In the rainy season, read our guide to what to expect.
  • Match the child. A quiet child may do better in a small class, an energetic one with space for sport. Trust what you see.

None of this requires finding a perfect school. It requires one that fits this year, and a plan for next year.

Sources

Expat Life is an independent, manually edited department of Da Nang Voice. Personal experiences and recommendations are the author's own and are labeled as such. Facts about schools, hospitals and other institutions come from their official websites, listed above and checked at the time of writing; details change, so confirm them directly. These features are editorial content, not paid advertising. Corrections are dated and noted at the top. Read our corrections policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.