International School Tuition Fee Trends in Chiang Mai, Thailand: A Three-Year Data Review from AcaY2024 to 2026
This report reviews tuition fee changes across 14 international schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand over three academic years: 2024, 2025, and 2026.
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The purpose of this review is to provide a data-based reference for understanding recent tuition movements in the Chiang Mai international school market. The analysis focuses on annual tuition fees only. It does not include application fees, enrolment fees, deposits, lunch, transportation, EAL support, examination fees, boarding, or other additional charges.
1. Data Scope and Methodology
The analysis covers three academic years: 2024, 2025, and 2026. The calculation method is as follows:
Annual tuition fees were taken from each school’s published fee schedule.
Where schools publish tuition by year group or key stage, a non-weighted average of annual tuition fees was used.
All figures are in Thai Baht.
2. Three-Year Tuition Averages and Growth Rates
| Rank | School | AY 2024 Average Annual Tuition | AY 2025 Average Annual Tuition | AY 2026 Average Annual Tuition | AY 2024 to 2025 Growth | AY 2025 to 2026 Growth | Three-Year Cumulative Growth | CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CMMIS / Esara | 309,991 | 356,488 | 392,250 | 15.0% | 10.0% | 26.5% | 12.5% |
| 2 | NIS | 351,000 | 401,980 | 422,180 | 14.5% | 5.0% | 20.3% | 9.7% |
| 3 | VCIS | 314,400 | 367,333 | 367,333 | 16.8% | 0.0% | 16.8% | 8.1% |
| 4 | CDSC | 213,429 | 236,571 | 248,714 | 10.8% | 5.1% | 16.5% | 8.0% |
| 5 | UCIS | 262,873 | 291,000 | 305,550 | 10.7% | 5.0% | 16.2% | 7.8% |
| 6 | ACIS | 279,180 | 308,400 | 323,820 | 10.5% | 5.0% | 16.0% | 7.7% |
| 7 | Prem | 551,143 | 585,286 | 610,286 | 6.2% | 4.3% | 10.7% | 5.2% |
| 8 | Panyaden | 391,571 | 409,143 | 432,143 | 4.5% | 5.6% | 10.4% | 5.1% |
| 9 | Grace | 321,750 | 331,375 | 347,875 | 3.0% | 5.0% | 8.1% | 4.0% |
| 10 | APIS | 344,510 | 349,970 | 366,066 | 1.6% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 3.1% |
| 11 | SBS CM | 264,742 | 276,325 | 279,683 | 4.4% | 1.2% | 5.6% | 2.8% |
| 12 | BCIS | 268,400 | 268,400 | 281,820 | 0.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 2.5% |
| 13 | SISB CM | 428,625 | 442,800 | 442,800 | 3.3% | 0.0% | 3.3% | 1.6% |
| 14 | LIST | 613,167 | 613,167 | 613,167 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
The table is ranked by three-year cumulative tuition growth.
3. Overall Findings
Across the 14 schools:
Highest three-year cumulative growth: CMMIS / Esara, 26.5%
Lowest three-year cumulative growth: LIST, 0.0%
Average three-year cumulative growth: approximately 11.6%
Median three-year cumulative growth: approximately 10.5%
Average CAGR: approximately 5.6%
The data shows a wide range of tuition movement across the market. The gap between the highest and lowest cumulative growth rates is 26.5 percentage points. Among the 14 schools, 8 recorded three-year cumulative tuition growth above 10%, while 6 recorded growth below 10%.
4. Current Tuition Position in AY 2026
The following table ranks the 14 schools by their average annual tuition in AY 2026.
| Rank | School | AY 2026 Average Annual Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIST | 613,167 |
| 2 | Prem | 610,286 |
| 3 | SISB CM | 442,800 |
| 4 | Panyaden | 432,143 |
| 5 | NIS | 422,180 |
| 6 | CMMIS / Esara | 392,250 |
| 7 | VCIS | 367,333 |
| 8 | APIS | 366,066 |
| 9 | Grace | 347,875 |
| 10 | ACIS | 323,820 |
| 11 | UCIS | 305,550 |
| 12 | BCIS | 281,820 |
| 13 | SBS CM | 279,683 |
| 14 | CDSC | 248,714 |
In AY 2026, LIST and Prem both have average annual tuition above THB 600,000. SISB CM, Panyaden, NIS, and CMMIS / Esara fall broadly within the THB 390,000–443,000 range. VCIS, APIS, Grace, ACIS, and UCIS fall within the THB 305,000–368,000 range. BCIS, SBS CM, and CDSC fall within the THB 249,000–282,000 range.
5. Notes on Interpretation
This report is intended as a tuition fee data reference, not a full cost-of-attendance comparison. Several points should be noted:
The figures represent average annual tuition fees only. They do not represent the total annual cost for families.
Fee structures vary across schools. Some schools publish fees by year group, while others publish fees by key stage or programme.
The average tuition figure is useful for market-level comparison, but it does not replace grade-specific fee comparison.
All amounts are listed in Thai Baht.
6. Summary
From AY 2024 to 2026, tuition fee changes among Chiang Mai international schools varied significantly. The three-year cumulative growth across the 14-school sample averaged approximately 11.6%, with a median of approximately 10.5%. The highest cumulative increase was 26.5%, while one school maintained the same published tuition fees across all three years.
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For schools, this type of year-on-year tracking can provide a useful benchmark for market positioning, pricing review, and future tuition planning.
