QSI International School of Shenzhen vs Shekou International School
🇨🇳 Shenzhen · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither QSI International School of 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. On cost, QSI International School of Shenzhen 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
| QSI International School of Shenzhen | Shekou International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | American / IB | IB |
| Ages | 2–18 | 2–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, French | English, French, German |
| Annual fees | RMB 138,300–226,800/year (2025–26) | RMB 182,000–316,000/year (2025–26) |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | Middle States Association, IB World School, EARCOS, ACAMIS | WASC, EARCOS, AAIE, ACAMIS, IB World School |
Strengths
- ✓Dual AP (with AP Capstone) + full IB Diploma — unusually broad upper-school menu
- ✓Distinctive mastery-based, non-competitive learning model
- ✓MSA-accredited since 2006; IB World School since 2009
- ✓Established 2001 with 1,000+ students from 35+ nationalities
- ✓AEFE-accredited French programme for francophone families
- ✓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 — excludes mainland Chinese-national families
- !Day-only (no boarding)
- !Mastery/non-graded model is non-standard and may not suit families wanting conventional grades/rankings
- !No publicly retrievable AP/IB score averages or placement data
- !Mid-to-upper fee band
- !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
- • Expat foreign-passport families wanting both AP and IB under one roof
- • Francophone families seeking an AEFE-accredited French stream
- • Families drawn to a mastery-based, non-competitive approach
- • Students targeting US universities via AP/AP Capstone
- • 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
No AP/IB score averages or university-placement data are publicly retrievable; any such claims would be school-reported, unverified.
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 QSI International School of Shenzhen or Shekou International School?
QSI International School of Shenzhen is best for: Expat foreign-passport families wanting both AP and IB under one roof. 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 QSI International School of Shenzhen and Shekou International School?
QSI International School of Shenzhen: RMB 138,300–226,800/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 QSI International School of Shenzhen and Shekou International School offer?
QSI International School of Shenzhen: American, IB. Shekou International School: IB.
Do QSI International School of Shenzhen or Shekou International School offer boarding?
QSI International School of 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 →