Our History
We are founded on over 150 years of educational experience
Concordia is part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) in the United States. The LCMS has been actively developing schools in the United States since the 1860’s and throughout Asia for the past 40 years. After founding successful schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Concordia saw an opportunity to bring elite academics to Vietnam. Concordia International School Hanoi began the first academic year in 2011 with 50 students in a rented converted office in CMC Tower (pictured above).
In 2016, we expanded into our permanent campus facility in Van Tri with more than 300 students. The Van Tri facility allowed us to expand our academic offerings in a modern classroom setting and continue to help students reach their full potential. The 2016-2017 academic year was also our first year with a graduating class of seniors. That year, our first university admissions “win” in our history was a student who gained early acceptance to New York University - among the Top 30 universities in the US.
At its inception, Concordia’s stated aim was to help students reach the world’s top universities. To date, Concordia graduates have gained acceptance to eleven Top 25 universities in the United States, including: University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Princeton, Dartmouth, Duke, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA and USC, as well as New York University, Rutgers and Oberlin, and universities around the world, from University of Sydney and Queen’s College in Canada, to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, to Erasmus University in the Netherlands.
To accommodate our growing student population, Concordia unveiled its new state-of-the-art high school expansion building at the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. The new building features modern educational facilities, such as a “black box” theater, breakout rooms and collaboration areas for science labs and research work, and an expanded art studio.
Concordia today boasts 500 students from more than 26 countries studying a US curriculum in grades Preschool 4 through grade 12.
Come visit us today and be a part of our history!
Important Moments in our History
Many special guests attended the event, including the Ambassador to the United States Mr. Ted Osius. The Ambassador spoke at the event, highlighting Grace Ritzema (Class of '17), a Concordia alum who was a National Merit Semi-finalist, and how Concordia's high-quality American education enriches Vietnam's success and the relationship between the US and Vietnam.
On September 9th, 2011, Concordia held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the start of Concordia.
Founding faculty and staff share some of their memories from the very first day of school at Concordia.