As a parent, it is natural to want your child to grow up and become a successful, productive adult. For many, the path to their children’s future success includes the best education. Unfortunately, the high cost of education can become something of a dream killer for parents and children alike, especially if those dreams include attending a prestigious private institution of learning.
When comparing university price tags, it begs the question within the minds of parents: does it really pay to go to an elite institution, financially speaking? And their findings tend to show that when it comes to future earnings, the school you went to counts.
Here we listed the Top 10 of the most prestigious and expensive schools in the Philippines:
10. De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ)
De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (DLSZ) was established in 1978, located in the exclusive village of Ayala Alabang. It offers preschool, grade school, junior high school, and senior high school, as well as Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), registered programs in Automotive Servicing, Computer Hardware Servicing, and Cookery. Its tuition fees for high school were set roughly around PhP150,000 per year back in 2015.
9. Colegio San Agustin (CSA) Makati
Colegio San Agustin (CSA) Makati is a coeducational Catholic school founded by priests under the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) in 1969 located in Dasmariñas Village in Makati. The school offers basic education from preschool to Senior High School. It hones those who are sports-minded and gifted in the arts through the Arts and Sports Enrichment Program (ASEP). Tuition is now over PhP160,000 for the school, not including hidden fees like miscellaneous fees, yearbook, graduation fees, and other charges.
8. Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU)
Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) is a private academic and research institution founded by the Society of Jesus in 1859 but was only moved to its current location along Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City in 1952. They offer Basic (Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High) and Graduate educational levels. Back in 2015, it would cost a family PhP165,000 annually to send a child to the school which excludes fees for graduation, books, and other resources.
7. Xavier School (XS)
Xavier School (XS) is a Jesuit-run private Catholic school exclusively for boys. XS is one of the schools in Metro Manila that requires its students to learn Chinese in its K to 12-ready curriculum. The school opened in 1956 in its first location and moved to Greenhills by 1960. The school charged over PhP170,000 back in 2014 for tuition fees, which did not include graduation fees, books, and other miscellaneous charges.
6. La Salle Green Hills
Prestigious
Founded in 1959 by the La Salle Brothers, La Salle Green Hills stands on a 6-hectare piece of prime property along Ortigas Avenue in Mandaluyong. The all-boys school’s 2015 statistics showed that they charged PhP170,000 yearly for a student to enroll in its high school division, non-inclusive of miscellaneous fees and other charges.
5. Reedley International School
Located in Pasig City, Metro Manila, Reedley charged PhP190,000 per year back in 2015 – the most recent year with tuition information. It did not include matriculation fees, books, or any other fees that would comprise the cost of education there. The school offers big and small class learning options, has special classes to encourage learning and development for those with special needs.
4. Southville International School and Colleges (SISC)
Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) was founded in 1990 and are one of the top international schools in Manila. This school does not disclose its tuition fees on its official site, but grade school tuition this year is set for PhP200,000 for grade school students and the high school tuition is bound to be much higher. Southville, located in Las Piñas, does not include books in its tuition fees.
3. The British School Manila (BSM)
The British School Manila (BSM) is a private international school in the Philippines established in 1976. For the school year 2014-2015, the fees of this school in Bonifacio Global City came up to £5,340 and PhP400,700 for Grades 10-11 per year, and £5,895 plus PhP400,140 per year for Grades 12-13. This is non-inclusive of the PhP200,000 entrance fee, the PhP15,000 application fee and its capital development fee.
2. International School Manila (ISM)
International School Manila (ISM) is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian day school for boys and girls from Preschool to Grade 12, located in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. ISM charges $12,380 and PhP450,600 as the annual fee for those entering Grades 9-10 and $13,840 and PhP445,100 for those entering Grades 11-12 – non-inclusive of its $3,500 Matriculation Fee, a Facility Enhancement Fee, ESL fees and an Application Fee.
1. Brent International School
Brent International School is an international co-educational day and boarding school associated with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. One of the most popular schools for expats in the Philippines, Brent charges $8,764 and PhP500,632 as its annual payment for students in its Upper School (Grades 9-12), which does not include its non-refundable Capital Development Fee of $1,575, Matriculation Fee of $3,000 and fees for reserving slots, planning to sit for the International Baccalaureate exams and an option for ESL (English As A Second Language) students.