Pic I took in Kuala Lumpur- you could visit this place all the time if you worked at ISKL! 

This is a hard one because there are more and more schools being added every year.  Most of these schools are simply on my list because I have been researching schools that I want to work at every few years and they always seem to come up.

I think Asia is a great place for families, new graduates (look at China especially if you are new!), and people wanting to save money.  So many people ask me what my top schools would be to work at, but my list is just too long.  This list (and future series of posts) is just my notes that I’ve taken over the years while researching for my own benefit or talking with other international teachers.

In no particular order, here is my top 10 list for schools in Asia:

1. International School of Phnom Penh not-for-profit, 50 nationalities from six continents, WASC accredited, all three IB programs, small class sizes, free tuition for a dependent, great benefit package
2. International School of Manila – (I’ve written a post about this place in the past)- non-profit, well-established (100 years old), WASC accredited, free tuition for a dependent, small classes, great benefit package
3. International School of Kuala Lumpur (I’ve written a post about this place in the past)- – not-for-profit, WASC accredited, free tuition for a dependent, small classes, a great benefits package, fantastic retirement included
4. International School of Bangkok (I’ve written a post about this place in the past)- – non-profit, students from 60 countries, very inclusive, interesting outdoor program, small classes, great benefit package
5. Singapore American School– a not-for-profit, WASC accredited, free tuition for a dependent, small classes, a great benefits package, a strong PD program
6. The American School in Japan– not-for-profit, very well established and is nearly 120 years old!, average length of employment is 9 years, great benefit package, tuition is free but taxed (parents have noted that tuition tax plus the normal 20% tax on salary makes the package a little less stellar), WASC accredited, 50 nationalities represented
7. Jakarta Intercultural School– non-profit, WASC accredited, 20 nationalities represented, free tuition, fantastic benefits package, I’ve known 2 friends who worked here and they only had great things to say about it
8. Shanghai American School (I’ve written a post about this place in the past)- a not-for-profit, WASC accredited, amazing campuses, free tuition, great benefit package
9. International School of Beijing– non-profit, NEASC accredited, small classes, cool wellness program, free tuition for 1 dependent, great transparency (I love when a school lists their benefits in detail like ISB does), fabulous package
10. Korea International School – non-profit, WASC accredited, cool design classes, small classes, easy access to outdoors, great transparency (I love when a school lists their benefits in detail like KIS does), free tuition for 1 dependent, wonderful benefits package, they even offer childcare starting at 6 months-3 years!

Honorable mention to my current school (where I plan on staying for several more years) Surabaya Intercultural School- a not-for-profit, WASC accredited, small class sizes, PYP, very low turnover, community feel, huge library, fantastic swimming pool, a wonderful place to be.

My “short list” of schools that I would love to work at in Asia includes 30 schools and that isn’t even counting my “backup list”, which is why I always recommend searching for international jobs in Asia.  There really are a TON of fantastic schools in Asia, so give it a chance.  If you are a new grad or just starting to look overseas, I hope this post was helpful for you!

Also, I don’t know if you noticed when you clicked through to those jobs pages I linked to, but the majority of these schools have their vacancies listed with ISS-Schrole, so if you want to increase your chance of getting the job, I would make sure to get registered with ISS.

Drop a comment below: If you think I should take one off of this list because I left off your dream school, please tell me why and what one you would remove from my top ten.