BASIS International School Shenzhen vs Shekou International School
🇨🇳 Shenzhen · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither BASIS International School Shenzhen nor Shekou International School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. Curriculum is the core differentiator: BASIS International School Shenzhen offers American while Shekou International School offers IB — the choice should follow the family's target qualification system. On cost, Shekou International School has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| BASIS International School Shenzhen | Shekou International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | American | IB |
| Ages | 3–18 | 2–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English, French, German |
| Annual fees | RMB 264,160–326,760/year (2025–26) | RMB 182,000–316,000/year (2025–26) |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | Cognia, College Board AP | WASC, EARCOS, AAIE, ACAMIS, IB World School |
Strengths
- ✓Rigorous, accelerated AP/STEM curriculum with strong network-wide AP outcomes (school-reported)
- ✓College Board AP, SAT and PSAT test centre
- ✓Cognia-accredited since first year of operation (2016)
- ✓Small classes (max 25)
- ✓Clear US-university pipeline focus
- ✓Oldest and most established international school in Shenzhen (founded 1988)
- ✓ISS-governed not-for-profit — revenue reinvested rather than distributed
- ✓IB continuum (PYP + Diploma) under WASC accreditation
- ✓Distinctive French-bilingual and Heritage German tracks
- ✓Diverse community — 1,100+ students from 40+ nationalities
Trade-offs
- !Foreign-passport-only — the exception among BASIS China campuses; mainland nationals ineligible
- !High-pressure, lecture-driven, exam-focused culture (BASIS network hallmark)
- !No IB pathway
- !English-medium despite the network's 'bilingual' branding — no Chinese-medium track here
- !Single accreditation (Cognia) — narrower than WASC/CIS peers; placement data is network-wide, not campus-specific
- !Foreign-passport-only — most mainland Chinese families are ineligible
- !Premium fees (RMB ~182k–316k/yr)
- !No publicly published IB results or pass rates — outcomes cannot be verified
- !MYP authorization not confirmed (only PYP and DP verified)
- !Three-campus split may mean transitions between sites; no boarding
Best Fit For
- • Foreign-passport and HK/Macau/Taiwan families seeking a US-college pipeline
- • Academically driven students who thrive under high intensity
- • Families prioritising AP depth and STEM rigour
- • Families wanting a College Board test centre on campus
- • Expat families holding foreign passports relocating to Shekou/Nanshan
- • Families wanting an established IB PYP→DP pathway
- • Francophone or German-heritage families seeking a bilingual track
- • Families prioritising WASC accreditation and US/international university pathways
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, network-wide (NOT Shenzhen-specific, not independently verified): the BASIS China network of six campuses reports a 91% AP pass rate, ~13,000 AP exams 2018–2024, and a Class of 2025 with 1,585 university offers (destinations including Cornell, Duke, Oxford, Imperial, U. Toronto). No campus-specific AP score distribution is publicly retrievable.
No IB score distributions or university-placement data are publicly retrievable; none could be independently verified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose BASIS International School Shenzhen or Shekou International School?
BASIS International School Shenzhen is best for: Foreign-passport and HK/Macau/Taiwan families seeking a US-college pipeline. Shekou International School is best for: Expat families holding foreign passports relocating to Shekou/Nanshan. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between BASIS International School Shenzhen and Shekou International School?
BASIS International School Shenzhen: RMB 264,160–326,760/year (2025–26). Shekou International School: RMB 182,000–316,000/year (2025–26). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do BASIS International School Shenzhen and Shekou International School offer?
BASIS International School Shenzhen: American. Shekou International School: IB.
Do BASIS International School Shenzhen or Shekou International School offer boarding?
BASIS International School Shenzhen: day school only. Shekou International School: day school only.
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →