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HomeInternational school comparison
School comparison
International school comparison
Compare eight Shenzhen international schools by 2026–27 tuition evidence, curriculum, district, age range, boarding and fee-source confidence.
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Eight schools. Zero fake league table.
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What matters
to you?
Tap one or more priorities. We will cut the noise and keep the parts that can actually change your decision.
Everything is showing. Choose a priority to make this scorecard less bossy and more useful.
The contenders
In this
corner
No mystery algorithm here. These are the options, side by side, in plain English.
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02
QSI
Quick facts
- 2026/27 tuitionHigh · official current schedule
- ¥140,400–255,600[3]
- Ages 2–4: ¥140,400; ages 5–10: ¥234,000; ages 11–13: ¥248,400; ages 14–17: ¥255,600.
- CurriculumHigh · official
- Mastery learning · AP · IB Diploma[3][4]
- IB Diploma only, not an IB continuum.
- Location and formatHigh · official
- Shekou · day school[3]
- Upfront extrasHigh · official
- ¥4,320 registration + ¥30,000 placement[3]
- Placement fee is non-refundable.
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03
SAIS
Quick facts
- 2026/27 tuitionHigh · official current schedule
- ¥148,000–278,000[5]
- Early years: ¥148,000; K: ¥158,000; G1–3: ¥208,000; G4–5: ¥228,000; G6–8: ¥258,000; G9–12: ¥278,000.
- Location and formatHigh · official
- Shekou · day school[5]
- Upfront extrasHigh · official
- ¥2,000 application + ¥20,000 development[5]
- Development fee is listed as one-time.
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04
BASIS
Quick facts
- 2026/27 listed tuitionMedium · current secondary source
- ¥272,080–336,560[7]
- Current secondary-directory range; confirm the exact grade and mandatory charges directly.
- CurriculumHigh · official school profile
- BASIS Curriculum · AP[8]
- Location and formatHigh · official school profile
- Shekou · day school[8]
- Fee statusMedium
- Admissions confirmation needed[7]
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05
SWIS
Quick facts
- 2026/27 listed tuitionMedium · current secondary source
- ¥127,500–229,400[9]
- K2 ¥127,500; K3–Grade 5 ¥175,300; Grades 6–10 ¥191,200; Grades 11–12 ¥229,400. The directory identifies these as the school's published 2026/27 prices; confirm extras with admissions.
- CurriculumHigh · official IB directory
- IB continuum: PYP · MYP · DP[10]
- Location and formatHigh · official IB directory
- Nanshan · day school[10]
- Fee statusMedium · school-supplied via directory
- 2026/27 schedule published[9]
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06
ISNS
Quick facts
- 2026/27 tuitionHigh · official current schedule
- ¥219,000–274,000[11]
- K2–5: ¥219,000; G1–5: ¥249,000; G6–10: ¥269,000; G11–12: ¥274,000.
- CurriculumHigh · official
- IB continuum + New Brunswick diploma[12]
- Location and formatHigh · official
- Xili, Nanshan · day school[12]
- Scale and transportHigh · school published
- Nearly 800 students · 200+ staff · 10 bus routes[12]
- Application feeHigh · official
- ¥2,500[11]
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07
Harrow
Quick facts
- 2026/27 tuitionHigh · official current schedule
- ¥291,400–372,900[13]
- Pre-N: ¥291,400; N/R: ¥301,300; Y1–4: ¥350,700; Y5–6: ¥355,500; Y7–8: ¥365,700; Y9–13: ¥372,900.
- CurriculumHigh · official
- British · A Levels[13]
- Location and formatHigh · official
- Qianhai · day and boarding[13]
- Major extrasHigh · official
- ¥3,000 assessment · ¥20,600 bus · ¥122,600 boarding[13]
- Refundable deposit is ¥25,000.
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08
Merchiston
Quick facts
- Current tuitionPending
- Ask admissions[14]
- No current public tuition schedule was found at the check date; older numbers are not used as current facts.
- CurriculumHigh · official
- British · IGCSE · A Level · AP option[14]
- Location and formatHigh · official
- Longhua · day and boarding[14]
- Seat reservationHigh · official
- ¥18,000[14]
The scorecard
Where the choice
gets interesting
Read across each row. Where there is a clear practical lean, we highlight it. Context-dependent choices stay refreshingly unranked.
The trade-off
Tuition evidence and confidence
A fee without a school year and source is just a number wearing a tie.
Published tuition evidence
QSI
¥140,400–255,600[3]
Official 2026/27; plus ¥4,320 registration and ¥30,000 non-refundable placement.
SWIS
¥127,500–229,400[9]
2026/27 school-supplied schedule reproduced by the directory; verify extras directly.
Ranges cross age and grade bands. They are not an apples-to-apples affordability ranking.
Giovanni's takeUse the ranges to eliminate impossible options, not to crown a cheapest school. Ask for the exact-grade invoice including mandatory extras.
The trade-off
Curriculum and exit route
IB is not one thing, and a school offering the Diploma is not automatically an IB continuum school.
Verified programme shape
ISNS
IB continuum + New Brunswick[12]
Full IB pathway with New Brunswick accreditation and diploma route.
Ask how prior credits, languages, and exam subjects transfer before paying a deposit.
Giovanni's takeProtect continuity first. The right exit route depends on the child's next school or university system, not which acronym looks fanciest.
The trade-off
Location and boarding
A brilliant school can still be a terrible family decision at 06:20 on a rainy Tuesday.
Daily format and area
SWIS
Current 2026/27 fee schedule is listed; confirm transport and extras directly.
Merchiston
Longhua · day or boarding[14]
Current tuition and boarding total require an admissions quote.
A bus route on paper is not a tested Monday morning.
Giovanni's takeCluster tours by area, then test the school run at the real start time. Harrow and Merchiston remain the boarding options in this set.
Receipts, not vibes
How the numbers
were built
Every number has a date and a source. Adjust the planning weights to describe your priorities; they do not manufacture a universal winner.
Method
- Official school fee schedules are preferred. Where no current official schedule was public, the card is clearly marked as secondary or pending instead of quietly pretending.
- Tuition spans mix year groups and do not include every application, development, bus, meal, uniform, deposit, or boarding charge. Exact-grade quotes are the decision number.
- IB programme claims are cross-checked against the IB's own school directory. An IB Diploma option is not the same as an IB continuum.
- No academic or overall ranking is published because there is no common, current, independently audited outcome dataset across all eight schools.
Your factor weights
Local to this page. Nothing is saved or sent.
100 total points
Hard filter: protect the child's next academic transition.
Hard filter: test the route at the real start time.
Hard filter: tuition plus mandatory and practical extras.
Compare support against the child's documented needs.
Tour evidence beats brochure adjectives.
Hard filter when required; otherwise remove it from the score.
Sources
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01
2026–27 school fees
Shekou International School · checked · Official current schedule
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02
Shekou International School profile
International Baccalaureate · checked · Official IB directory
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03
Admissions FAQ and 2026–27 fees
QSI International School of Shenzhen · checked · Official current schedule
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04
QSI International School of Shenzhen profile
International Baccalaureate · checked · Official IB directory
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05
2026–27 tuition schedule
Shenzhen American International School · checked · Official current schedule
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06
Shenzhen American International School profile
International Baccalaureate · checked · Official IB directory; PYP
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07
American-curriculum school fees in Shenzhen
International Schools Database · checked · Current secondary directory; verify with admissions
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08
BASIS International School Shenzhen
BASIS International & Bilingual Schools China · checked · Official school profile
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09
Shen Wai International School fees
International Schools Database · checked · Current 2026/27 school-supplied schedule reproduced by a secondary directory; verify with admissions
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10
Shen Wai International School profile
International Baccalaureate · checked · Official IB directory
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11
2026–27 tuition fees
International School of Nanshan Shenzhen · checked · Official current schedule
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12
Admissions FAQ
International School of Nanshan Shenzhen · checked · Official school profile
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13
2026–27 fees
Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai · checked · Official current schedule
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14
Application information
Merchiston International School · checked · Official; current tuition not publicly listed