International schools in the Philippines

Search for the best international schools in the Philippines; you can find a list of selected schools at the bottom of this page. Use the search filters to select only girls' or boys' schools, prep schools, senior schools or sixth forms; or you can search for schools that offer a particular curriculum, such as the International Baccalaureate, the UK national curriculum, a US-style model or the International Primary Curriculum.

International schools can be found in most major cities in the Philippines, with the majority concentrated on Manila, Cebu and Davao. Some 30 per cent of the archipelago’s 101 million people are aged 14 or under and demand for education is strong. 

Private schools accounted for some 46 per cent of all high schools in 2008, enrolling about 21 per cent of secondary age students. Many international schools follow American study programmes, with British, German, Singaporean and Australian systems also used. 

There is a prestigious Jesuit College catering to Chinese and Filipino students, a Catholic school serving the Chinese community and an international school dedicated to Mahatma Ghandi that aims to bring world class education within reach of a wider section of society.

English is the medium of instruction at the 25 IB World School in the Philippines, of which 22 are authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with Domuschola School, near Manila, gaining authorisation for the programme in 2017.

Some schools offer the IB Diploma alongside foreign or Filipino national curriculums and exams. The German European School Manila offers the IB Diploma in parallel with the German Abitur, while students who matriculate with the IB at the International School Manila are also awarded its own American-style high school diploma.

Parents are advised to check schools’ accreditation arrangements with bodies such as the Council of International Schools, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or the Federation of British International Schools in Asia.

Education is compulsory from age 5 to 17. Public schooling includes one year of kindergarten, six years of primary school, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high. English is the main medium of instruction and there are three types of high school, general, vocational and science. The latter are selective. 

The Philippines achieved universal primary enrolment in 1975. However, the number of out-of-school children soared during the Covid-19 pandemic to reach 1.18 million in 2021, when gross primary enrolment was 90 per cent of the age group.

Gross secondary enrolment stood at 94 per cent for girls and 87 per cent for boys in the same year, while the gross tertiary enrolment rate was 41 per cent among girls and 30 per cent for boys. The school year begins in June and ends in March.

If you are looking specifically for International Baccalaureate World Schools in the Philippines, you can find selected schools on our sister website: www.ibyb.org.