General Information
International Schools in the Greater Bay Area: A 2026 Guide for Foreign Families
Last Updated
27.07.2026
12 min read
Where the genuine international schools are outside Hong Kong, who they can admit, and what they cost
The Greater Bay Area has grown into one of Asia's most interesting places to educate a child. Within an hour or two of each other sit IB World Schools, British boarding campuses, American AP programmes and Canadian curricula, at price points from accessible to premium, in cities as different as Shenzhen and Macao. Families relocating into the region, or moving between its cities, have more genuine choice today than at any point in the past decade, and new campuses are still opening: Harrow's Guangzhou school welcomes its first pupils this September.
This guide walks through the options city by city: who each school serves, what it teaches, what it publishes about results, and what it costs.
How international schools are organised in mainland China
Mainland China organises internationally styled education into three types of school, and knowing the difference makes your search much easier.
Schools for children of foreign personnel. Chinese name: 外籍人员子女学校; Designed for: Foreign passport holders, plus Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents
Private schools offering international curricula. Chinese name: 民办国际化学校; Designed for: Mainly Chinese passport holders
International divisions of public schools. Chinese name: 公立学校国际部; Designed for: Chinese nationals
For a family holding foreign passports, or Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan documents, the first type is your set: these schools were established specifically to serve expatriate families, and everything from their calendars to their university counselling is built around internationally mobile children. The second type includes several excellent schools with famous British partnerships; they primarily serve Chinese families seeking an international curriculum, and their strengths are best understood in that context.
A handy tip: the school type is usually written into the registered Chinese name. Lady Eleanor Holles in Foshan, for instance, is registered as 佛山市霍利斯外籍人员子女学校, and the phrase 外籍人员子女学校 tells you at a glance that it is a school for foreign families. If you are unsure which type a school is, the admissions office will be happy to confirm.
A note on eligibility for 2026-27. Admissions criteria are refreshed each cycle, and this year several Shenzhen schools are reported to have aligned with practice in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou by specifying Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan permanent residents in their published criteria. Some schools continue to welcome applications from non-permanent Hong Kong ID holders, in some cases with supporting documents. Most schools also ask that at least one parent holds a valid work permit and residence visa, and some request residence history for passports obtained through naturalisation. None of this is complicated in practice; it simply rewards checking the current wording with each school before you apply, as requirements do evolve from year to year.
Shenzhen: the widest choice on the mainland side
Hong Kong remains the region's leader for international schooling, but on the mainland side Shenzhen is the clear second: the deepest pool of international schools in the mainland GBA, most of them conveniently clustered in Nanshan district, with every major curriculum represented.
Shekou International School 深圳市蛇口外籍人员子女学校
sis-shekou.org.cn · Founded 1988 · IB Diploma · Nursery to Grade 12
The elder statesman of Shenzhen's international schools, founded as the city was first opening to the world. SIS holds full WASC accreditation from Pre-K to Grade 12, offers the IB Diploma, and runs a French track accredited by the French Ministry of National Education, a lovely option for francophone families. Around 1,000 students from some 40 nationalities learn across its Shekou campuses, and graduates head to universities across North America, the UK, Europe and Asia, from UC Berkeley and Toronto to UCL and HKU.
Shekou International School's Bay Campus in Nanshan. Photo: Ahuangsis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Shen Wai International School 深外国际部
swis.cn · Founded 2011 · IB continuum · Ages 4 to 18
SWIS teaches the full IB continuum to 1,026 students from more than 40 countries on a modern 24,000 square metre campus in Nanshan. Its academics are among the strongest in the region: a reported 37.5 IB Diploma average in 2023, including a perfect 45, against a world average of around 30.
Shen Wai International School, Nanshan. Photo: Lhzss8, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
BASIS International School Shenzhen 深圳贝赛思外籍人员子女学校
bisz.basischina.com · Founded 2015 · American AP curriculum · Pre-K to Grade 12
The first overseas flagship of the American BASIS network has grown to more than 1,000 students, with waitlists at many grades. The curriculum is famously rigorous and AP-rich, and outcomes track it: the school reports that 97 per cent of its 2024 graduates were admitted to a top-50 US university or an equivalent in the UK, Canada or Hong Kong, with recent destinations including Cornell, Duke and Oxford.
Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai 深圳前海哈罗外籍人员子女学校
harrowshenzhen.cn · Founded 2020 · British curriculum, boarding · Ages 2 to 18
Harrow brings its house system and 450 years of heritage to the Qianhai waterfront, and is admirably open with its results. In 2025, 33 per cent of A Level grades were A* and 61 per cent A*-A; at IGCSE, 92 per cent of Year 11 pupils earned five or more A*-C grades. The SAT class average tops 1400 against a global average of 1029. The Class of 2025 averaged seven university offers per pupil, including Imperial College London, UCL and LSE.
QSI International School of Shenzhen 深圳科爱赛外籍人员子女学校
shenzhen.qsi.org · Founded 2001 · American mastery learning, AP and IB options
Part of the global QSI network, with the quieter, mastery-based American model that suits families wanting steady progression over hothousing. Fees are published transparently, from RMB 140,400 to 255,600 depending on age.
QSI International School of Shenzhen, Shekou. Photo: Rich-nagle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
International School of Nanshan Shenzhen 深圳市南山外籍人员子女学校
isnsz.com · Founded 2002 · IB continuum with Canadian diploma · Ages 4 to 19
ISNS pairs the full IB continuum with Canadian New Brunswick accreditation, so seniors graduate with a Canadian high school diploma alongside their IB courses, a combination Canadian families particularly appreciate. Around 800 students learn on its campus at the foot of Tanglang Mountain.
The International School of Nanshan Shenzhen. Photo: Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Shenzhen American International School (SAIS)
Founded 2005 · American curriculum with IB PYP · Shekou
Established with the approval of China's Ministry of Education and the Guangdong Department of Education in May 2005, SAIS is a Cognia-accredited IB World School authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme, on Gongyuan Road in Shekou.
Shenzhen American International School, Shekou. Photo: WhisperToMe, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The King's School Shenzhen International 深圳南山国王学校
kings-school.com.cn · Pre-Prep opened 2019, main campus 2022 · British curriculum
The first overseas branch of King's Canterbury, the oldest school in Europe. The Pre-Prep opened in Nanshan in 2019, with the main Qianhai campus welcoming its first cohort in 2022.
Avenues Shenzhen 深圳市南山区爱文学校
avenueschina.cn · Opened 2018 · Avenues World School curriculum · Ages 1.5 to 18
The Shenzhen campus of the New York-born Avenues network serves around 500 students in Xili's science and education district, with the network's signature immersion and global-campus model.
Recognise International Academy
recognizeacademy.com · Operating since 2009 · English National Curriculum · Ages 4 to 16
A warm, family-run British school in Shekou, one of the smallest and longest-standing independents in the city, with classes capped at ten, for families who want a village-school feel.
Japanese and Korean national schools complete Shenzhen's foreign-personnel picture.
For families interested in a British education alongside a mainly Chinese peer group, Shenzhen offers some of the strongest choices in China. Merchiston International School 深圳曼彻斯通城堡学校 (2018, the first overseas campus of Edinburgh's Merchiston Castle School) reports that its Class of 2025 earned 116 university offers, with nearly half of leavers placed at UK G5 universities including Cambridge and Imperial. Bromsgrove School Mission Hills (2015) is a bilingual day and boarding school partnered with the 550-year-old Bromsgrove School. And Shenzhen College of International Education 深圳国际交流书院 (2003) deserves special mention: an A Level college of around 1,800 students that has sent 376 pupils to Oxford and Cambridge since opening, among the highest totals of any school in China. These schools primarily serve Chinese-passport families, so foreign families should speak with admissions about eligibility.
Shenzhen College of International Education's garden-terraced campus in Futian. Photo: Thecubestation, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Guangzhou: the region's most established market
Guangzhou has educated expatriate children longer than anywhere else in the GBA.
American International School of Guangzhou 广州美国人外籍人员子女学校
aisgz.org · Founded 1981 · IB continuum · Pre-K to Grade 12
The first international school in the region and still Guangzhou's only not-for-profit, reinvesting all tuition into its programmes. Its 1,079 students from more than 40 nationalities follow the IB continuum across two campuses, on leafy Ersha Island and in the Science Park. Academics are strong: the school reports that 60 per cent of recent graduates were admitted to QS Top 20 universities and 90 per cent to the QS Top 40, with destinations including Stanford, UC Berkeley, Imperial, HKU and Melbourne. Its 2023 IB average of 34 sat well above the world average, with 26 per cent of candidates earning a bilingual diploma.
The British School of Guangzhou 广州英国学校
nordangliaeducation.com/bsg-guangzhou · Founded 2005 · English National Curriculum · Ages 1 to 18
Part of the Nord Anglia family since 2013, teaching the English National Curriculum through to A Level by Nanhu Lake, with consistently strong published results: in 2025, 62 per cent of A Level grades were A*-A with a 100 per cent pass rate, and 63 per cent A*-A at IGCSE.
Utahloy International School Guangzhou 广州誉德莱外籍人员子女学校
utahloy.cn/gz · IB continuum · Early Years to Year 12
The only school in Guangzhou offering the full IB continuum from Early Years to the Diploma, with around 900 students on its Baiyun campus. Its sister campus, Utahloy International School Zengcheng 增城誉德莱国际学校, is an intimate boarding school of around 200 where every child is known by name.
Utahloy International School Guangzhou. Photo: Uisgutahloy0606, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Canadian International School of Guangzhou 广州市加拿大外籍人员子女学校
cisgz.com · Alberta curriculum · Ages 3 to 18
Teaches the Alberta curriculum and awards the Alberta High School Diploma under joint Chinese-Canadian supervision, with warm, accessible fees of RMB 156,000 to 195,000, among the best value in any first-tier GBA city.
Canadian International School of Guangzhou, Panyu. Photo: Cis gz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Harrow International School Guangzhou
aislharrow.com · Opening September 2026 · British curriculum
The AISL Harrow family's newest GBA campus opens this September for foreign passport holders, adding a premium British boarding option to the city.
Zhuhai, Foshan and Dongguan: quality at gentler prices
The GBA's middle-sized cities hold some of its most appealing value, with accredited international education at roughly half the price of the premium tier.
QSI International School of Zhuhai 珠海科爱赛外籍人员子女学校
zhuhai.qsi.org · Founded 1999 · American curriculum with AP
Zhuhai's original international school, with students from more than 34 nationalities on the American AP pathway, taught through QSI's mastery-learning model.
Zhuhai International School 珠海国际学校
zischina.com · Founded 2007 · IB continuum
The full IB continuum from a green island campus on Qi'ao, connected to the city by causeway, from Early Years to Grade 12.
LEH International School Foshan 佛山市霍利斯外籍人员子女学校
leh-foshan.cn · Opened 2021 · British curriculum, boarding · Years 2 to 13
Something special for the region: the first overseas campus of Lady Eleanor Holles, one of London's most distinguished schools, with over 300 years of history behind the name. The purpose-built campus includes a 25-metre pool, 400-metre track and specialist performing arts facilities, with full boarding. Its 2025 IGCSE cohort achieved 58 per cent A*-A grades, and the Class of 2026 has gathered nearly 80 university offers including Imperial, HKU and King's College London. Fees of around RMB 200,000 to 241,500 (2025-26) compare favourably with equivalent British schooling elsewhere, and the school runs a dedicated Hong Kong admissions line.
International School of Dongguan 东莞文盛国际学校
i-s-d.org · Founded 2012 · IB Diploma · Pre-K to Grade 12
A close-knit WASC-accredited school of 293 students whose IB results consistently punch above the world average: diploma cohorts averaged 34, 34, 35, 32.67 and 31 across 2020 to 2024, with top scores of 40 to 42 in every one of those years. Recent graduates have matriculated at Toronto, UBC, NYU, Boston University, USC, UCL, King's College London, Edinburgh, HKUST and Melbourne. With fees from RMB 126,000, it is one of the most affordable IB routes in the region.
QSI International School of Dongguan
dongguan.qsi.org · Founded 2004 · American curriculum · Around 200 to 255 students
The QSI model in Dongguan's Dongcheng district, in a setting small enough that every teacher knows every child. At schools this size it is always worth asking which diploma subjects and activities ran last year, so the menu matches your child's interests.
BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
biph.basischina.com · Opened 2018 · American AP curriculum, boarding · Grades 5 to 12
Huizhou's striking option: the rigorous BASIS curriculum on a hillside campus above Xiaojing Bay in Daya Bay, with boarding capacity for 800, one of the largest boarding programmes in the region.
For families in Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, the practical routes are a commute to Zhuhai, Foshan or Guangzhou, or weekly boarding. Jiangmen's Boren Sino-Canadian School (1999, Ontario curriculum, 1,100 students) primarily serves domestic families; foreign families interested in it should confirm eligibility with the school.
Macao: the region's quiet bargain
Macao runs its own education system, and for value it is hard to beat.
The International School of Macao 澳門國際學校
tis.edu.mo · Founded 2002 · Alberta curriculum with IB Diploma · 1,300 students
The flagship, teaching the Canadian Alberta curriculum to students from 28 countries on the university campus in Taipa, with the IB Diploma available in the final years. The Class of 2025 tells the story: 72 graduates received offers from 327 different universities across 11 countries, more than 800 million MOP in scholarships, and 69.4 per cent held offers from QS Top 100 institutions. The 2025 IB cohort averaged 35.4 with a 100 per cent pass rate and four students above 40.
The International School of Macao, Taipa. Photo: Yumeto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The School of the Nations 聯國學校
schoolofthenations.com · Founded 1988 · IB Diploma
Macao's first IB World School continues to shine: its 2024 cohort of 37 candidates achieved a 100 per cent pass rate and an average of around 35, with roughly one in six scoring 40 or more.
Macau Anglican College 聖公會中學（澳門）
acm.edu.mo · Founded 2002 · Cambridge pathway to A Level
Founded by the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, MAC runs the Cambridge pathway through IGCSE and A Level. Its Class of 2025 spread out impressively: three quarters went abroad, led by Australia, with Hong Kong, the UK and the Netherlands close behind.
Tuition across Macao sits well below mainland levels, and the city's compact geography makes school runs mercifully short.
And Hong Kong
Hong Kong stands apart as the region's leading international school market on every measure: the widest choice, with more than 50 international schools; the broadest range of curricula, from IB and British to American, Canadian, German, French, Singaporean and Japanese; and the strongest results and university matriculations in the GBA, with its top schools regularly posting IB averages around 40 and sending graduates to Oxbridge and the Ivy League every year. It deserves its own guide, and we cover it extensively elsewhere on this site.
Boarding widens the map
One of the pleasures of the 2026 GBA is how much boarding has matured. LEH Foshan, Harrow Qianhai, BASIS Park Lane Harbour, Merchiston, Bromsgrove Mission Hills and Utahloy Zengcheng all offer it, across British, American and IB pathways.
Boarding means your home city no longer limits your school choice. A family in Zhongshan is within easy weekly-boarding reach of Foshan and Zhuhai; a family in Huizhou has a major boarding campus on its doorstep. For senior students, weekly boarding at the ideal school is often a happier arrangement than a long daily commute, and most schools welcome boarding enquiries with flexible weekly and full options.
Results at a glance
A Level and IGCSE, 2025:
Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai. City: Shenzhen; A Level: 33% A*, 61% A*-A, 78% A*-B; IGCSE: 54% A*-A, 80% A*-B
British School of Guangzhou. City: Guangzhou; A Level: 62% A*-A, 82% A*-B, 100% pass; IGCSE: 63% A*-A, 95% A*-C
LEH Foshan. City: Foshan; A Level: see school for details; IGCSE: 58% A*-A, 91% A*-C
IB Diploma, most recent available:
Shen Wai International School. City: Shenzhen; Average: 37.5 (reported), one perfect 45; Year: 2023
The International School of Macao. City: Macao; Average: 35.4, 100% pass; Year: 2025
School of the Nations. City: Macao; Average: around 35, 100% pass; Year: 2024
American International School of Guangzhou. City: Guangzhou; Average: 34, 91% pass; Year: 2023
International School of Dongguan. City: Dongguan; Average: 31, top score 40; Year: 2024
All of these sit at or well above world averages (roughly 30 for the IB). The region's very highest results remain in Hong Kong, where the leading IB schools average around 40, and the mainland GBA's strongest performers now sit within reach of the middle of that table. Schools that publish less detail are often equally proud of their pupils' outcomes and will happily share cohort results when you visit; grade distributions and cohort sizes are always worth requesting, as they make comparisons meaningful.
What it costs
Annual tuition at the schools that publish a full fee schedule, at roughly RMB 7.2 to the US dollar:
Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai. City: Shenzhen; Annual tuition (RMB): 291,400 to 372,900; Approx. USD: 40,500 to 51,800; Year: 2026-27
QSI Shenzhen. City: Shenzhen; Annual tuition (RMB): 140,400 to 255,600; Approx. USD: 19,500 to 35,500; Year: 2026-27
LEH Foshan. City: Foshan; Annual tuition (RMB): around 200,000 to 241,500; Approx. USD: 27,800 to 33,500; Year: 2025-26
Canadian International School of Guangzhou. City: Guangzhou; Annual tuition (RMB): 156,000 to 195,000; Approx. USD: 21,700 to 27,100; Year: 2026-27
International School of Dongguan. City: Dongguan; Annual tuition (RMB): 126,000 to 233,600; Approx. USD: 17,500 to 32,400; Year: 2026-27
Beyond tuition, expect one-off and annual extras: at Harrow Shenzhen, for example, the published schedule adds a RMB 3,000 assessment fee, a RMB 25,000 facility deposit, RMB 20,600 for the school bus and RMB 122,600 for boarding. As a planning rule, allow a further 8 to 15 per cent above tuition for fees, deposits, buses, lunches, uniforms and activities, and more for boarding. Some schools also charge a capital levy, a separate building contribution worth confirming when you compare headline fees.
The range is genuinely wide, which is good news: the premium tier in Shenzhen offers facilities and programmes comparable with the best in Asia, while Dongguan, Zhuhai, Foshan and Macao deliver accredited IB, British and American education at around half the price. Both are good answers for different families.
A family's checklist
A few habits that make any GBA school search smoother:
Check the registered Chinese name for the school type, and confirm with admissions if unsure.
Ask for the current year's eligibility wording, particularly for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan documents and for naturalised passports, as criteria are refreshed each cycle.
Request grade distributions and cohort sizes alongside university offer lists; together they give the full picture.
At smaller schools, ask which subjects and activities ran last year, so the offering matches your child's interests.
Try the commute on a school morning, and if it feels long, ask about weekly boarding: it may open up a better fit.
Allow 8 to 15 per cent above tuition in your budget, and confirm any capital levy.
The Greater Bay Area now offers foreign families genuine choice at every price point: heritage British names, the IB from age three to eighteen, American pathways, Canadian diplomas, and boarding that brings all of it within reach of every city in the region. With the right questions asked early, it is a wonderful place to find the school where your child will flourish.
Figures compiled July 2026 from official school publications wherever available. Admissions criteria and fees are refreshed each cycle; please confirm current details directly with schools. For a family-specific shortlist, contact us at info@hk-schools.com.
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