The Olympia Schools vs United Nations International School of Hanoi
The Olympia Schools and United Nations International School of Hanoi are both in Hanoi, about 9 km apart. Both schools offer IB programmes, and The Olympia Schools also offers Bespoke. Published annual fees are ₫138,000,000 - 868,000,000 at The Olympia Schools and ₫373,000,000 - 776,000,000 at United Nations International School of Hanoi, which puts United Nations International School of Hanoi roughly 14% higher. The Olympia Schools takes pupils from 4 to 18, and United Nations International School of Hanoi from 3 to 12. The two are similar in size, at around 1,200 and 1,100 pupils. Typical class sizes are 20 at The Olympia Schools and 1100 at United Nations International School of Hanoi.
The Olympia Schools is located in the Trung Văn New Urban Area, Nam Từ Liêm (South Từ Liêm), Hanoi, Vietnam. The campus sits in a residential suburb of Hanoi, offering relatively easy access from the city via urban roads; it is a familiar address within Hanoi’s urban-suburban belt.
Location
UNIS Hanoi campus sits within the Ciputra International Township, a residential area in Hanoi’s northern district. It is easily accessible from the city centre and within a short drive of Nội Bài International Airport. The surrounding area is peaceful and well-connected by major roads linking central Hanoi with the airport corridor.
Stages
Stages
The Olympia Schools includes Kindergarten (pre-primary), Primary School, Middle School, and High School. Thus, offering education for children from the early age of 4 through the grade 12.
Stages
The school educates students from Early Years 3 (age 3) through Grade 12 (age 18). It is divided into Elementary (EY3 – Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). Each section follows one of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes — PYP, MYP, and DP.
School type
School type
The Olympia Schools is a co-educational day-school. The school does not provide boarding or residential facilities.
School type
UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit, co-educational, day school with no boarding facilities. The school welcomes both international and Vietnamese students who meet admissions criteria. It operates under a governance structure that includes representatives from the United Nations, the Vietnamese Government, and the parent community.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
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Additional learning support
Additional learning support
The Olympia Schools does not disclose any information on additional learning support. The school allows psychological screening of students at entry and periodically thereafter. The school employs a school psychologist to monitor student mental health and can coordinate with specialists when needed. This indicates some provision for emotional, social or behavioral support. Though the school does not specify a full “SEN department” or specialized classes.
Additional learning support
UNIS Hanoi provides structured support through its Student Support Services, which include Learning Support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Counselling, Speech and Language Therapy, and an Educational Psychologist. These services operate under the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to meet individual student needs within available capacity.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
The school does not claim an affiliation to a foreign (non-Vietnamese) government or national system. It describes itself as a bilingual Vietnamese school with international elements.
Country affiliation
The school was founded through collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Vietnamese Government in 1988. It continues to maintain this United Nations affiliation.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
The Olympia Schools does not have a stated religious affiliation.
Religious affiliation
UNIS Hanoi has no religious affiliation and describes itself as a non-denominational institution.
School day structure
School day structure
The school does not publicly disclose information regarding their day structure.
School day structure
The school does not publicly list one standard daily timetable, as schedules differ by division. Elementary handbooks indicate morning sessions, lunch and recess breaks, and afternoon classes ending mid-afternoon. Secondary schedules follow a similar structure with advisory and subject periods spread across the day.
Bus service details
Bus service details
The Olympia Schools offers a student transportation service. They use 16-seat Ford Transit vans, provided by a long-term transport partner with over 12 years’ cooperation. The service covers multiple routes across Hanoi (50 routes), and operates with safety protocols. Drivers and supervisors are professionally trained. Supervisors mark attendance using a face-recognition system that informs parents. Parents may drop off children as early as 6:30 a.m. and collect them until 5:30 p.m. under this service.
Bus service details
A dedicated School Bus Service is available for eligible students, operated under UNIS Hanoi’s transportation policies. The service includes defined pick-up and drop-off routes within Hanoi, safety guidelines, and student conduct rules. Families register through the school’s transport office and can review details in the Elementary Handbook and official policies.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application fee A one-time, non-refundable registration fee of VND 3,150,000 is required when a new student applies.
Tuition fees (per year & per semester) *Bilingual Program:*
* Development fee: VND 18,000,000 * Food & beverage: VND 28,500,000 * Academic products, books, insurance: * VND 5,000,000 for International Diploma * VND 10,000,000 for American International Diploma
*Reduced tuition applies if a student has been enrolled in the International Program since Grade 9.* *Grade 12 tuition is higher for students studying in the USA in the final year.*
Additional fees * Placeholder fee: VND 15,000,000, required annually to reserve a place. * Optional fees: Bus services range from VND 21,000,000–VND 31,500,000 per year depending on distance. * Uniforms: VND 500,000 – VND 5,000,000 depending on school level. * Voluntary Health Insurance: VND 810,000 per year.
Fee details
Application Fees A non-refundable application fee is payable upon submission of the online application form. A tuition deposit is required to secure enrollment; this deposit is credited toward the first tuition payment but is non-refundable and non-transferable if the student does not attend.
Fees are invoiced annually or by installment according to the school’s published billing schedule. A seat deposit is required each year to confirm continued enrollment for returning students.
Additional Fees Other fees include a one-time enrolment fee, bus service fees, technology charges, and optional uniform purchases. Learning materials, school trips, and certain extracurricular activities may also incur additional costs.
Transportation Fees UNIS Hanoi operates an internal School Bus Service for eligible students living within Hanoi. Routes, safety standards, and supervision procedures are specified in the school’s transport policies. Fees are billed directly by the school and vary by route and distance.
Learning Support Students requiring additional academic or language support are assisted through the school’s Student Support Services, which include Learning Support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Counselling, and Speech and Language Therapy. Families whose children require support beyond what the school can provide may be asked to arrange external specialists.
Refund Policy Refunds for tuition are governed by the school’s official Refund Procedures, which outline the percentage refundable based on the timing of withdrawal within the semester. The tuition deposit is non-refundable once paid.
Payment Options Payments can be made by bank transfer in USD or VND to UNIS Hanoi’s Techcombank accounts, or via cash deposit at Techcombank branches. Late payments may be subject to additional charges as stated in the school’s financial policies.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The school delivers a full Vietnamese national curriculum from Kindergarten through High School, but enhances it with international content and bilingual instruction (Vietnamese + English).
From the 2022-2023 academic year, Olympia is licensed as an “IB World School” and offers the IB Diploma Programme (IB DP) for upper-secondary students (typically Grades 11–12).
In Primary and Middle School, students follow the bilingual/vietnamese-based programme rooted in national requirements, supplemented with international-method teaching, project-based learning, and integration of English in subjects such as Math, Science and Drama.
In addition, students have opportunities for electives, clubs, and specialized lessons, across all school stages, which support development of skills beyond the standard curriculum.
Curriculum details
UNIS Hanoi offers the full International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum across all grade levels: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Early Years 3 to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Grades 6 to 10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12. Each programme provides an inquiry-based framework designed to develop conceptual understanding and skills across subject areas. In the Elementary years, students study core subjects such as Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Arts, and Physical Education, with additional instruction in Vietnamese, French, or Mandarin. The MYP builds on this with interdisciplinary units, Design, and Service as Action components. In the Diploma Programme, students complete six subjects chosen from the IB groups along with Theory of Knowledge (TOK), an Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirements. English is the language of instruction throughout the school.
The Olympia Schools does not provide a detailed step by step admissions guide.
Admissions
1. Online Application Submission Families begin the admissions process by completing the online application form on the UNIS Hanoi website. Supporting documents such as school reports, passport copies, and health forms must be uploaded, and a non-refundable application fee must be paid at this stage. Applications are accepted year-round but depend on space availability.
2. Assessment and Interview Applicants are assessed to determine their readiness for the IB curriculum. For Early Years and Elementary applicants, this may include a play-based session or parent interview. For Grades 1–12, students complete an academic assessment and English language evaluation (if applicable). The school may also request additional information from previous schools to better understand the student’s learning profile.
3. Review by the Admissions Committee All applications are reviewed by a committee that includes principals, counsellors, and learning support specialists. Decisions are based on available space, the student’s academic background, English proficiency, and the school’s capacity to meet learning needs. The review ensures balanced classroom composition across language levels and learning support requirements.
4. Placement and Offer of Admission If a space is available, families receive a formal offer of admission via email. To confirm the place, parents must submit the tuition deposit and complete the required medical and consent forms. If space is not available, the student is placed in the wait pool.
5. Orientation and Enrollment Before the first day of school, new families attend a New Family Orientation to meet teachers, receive class schedules, and learn about school systems such as transport, uniforms, and technology use. Enrolled students are assigned a homeroom or advisory teacher who helps with the transition into school life.
Scholarships
Scholarships
The Olympia Schools does not publicly disclose any scholarship offerings.
Scholarships
UNIS Hanoi offers a Scholarship Programme for academically capable students from Vietnamese public schools who would otherwise be unable to attend an international school. The scholarship covers 100% of tuition and associated fees through graduation, provided the recipient maintains academic and behavioural expectations. Applicants are selected through a rigorous process that includes academic testing, English assessments, interviews, and a review of family finances. Scholarship students are part of the broader UNIS community and participate fully in academic and co-curricular programmes.
Waitlist
Waitlist
The Olympia Schools does not provide information regarding waitlist.
Waitlist
UNIS Hanoi operates a wait pool rather than a chronological waiting list. When space is not available in a specific grade, qualified applicants are placed in this pool. Admission priority is determined by the school’s Priority Lane system, which ranks applications as follows:
Lane 1: United Nations, embassy, and diplomatic staff; faculty dependents; scholarship students Lane 2: Siblings of current students or graduates Lane 3: Alumni children Lane 4: Expatriate families Lane 5: Vietnamese nationals
If a place becomes available, offers are made based on the student’s priority lane and suitability for the available space, not by the date of application. Applicants in the wait pool remain eligible for one academic year and must reapply for the following year if no space opens.
