Shekou International School vs Shen Wai International School
🇨🇳 Shenzhen · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Shekou International School nor Shen Wai 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. Both run the same curriculum (IB), so the differences come down to pathway detail, campus culture, and specific language/boarding arrangements rather than the curriculum framework itself. On cost, Shen Wai 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
| Shekou International School | Shen Wai International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB | IB |
| Ages | 2–18 | 4–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, French, German | English |
| Annual fees | RMB 182,000–316,000/year (2025–26) | RMB 121,400–218,500/year (2025–26) |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | WASC, EARCOS, AAIE, ACAMIS, IB World School | IB World School, CIS, WASC |
Strengths
- ✓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
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP + MYP + DP) under one roof
- ✓Triple accreditation — IB, CIS and WASC
- ✓20+ year track record (founded 2001)
- ✓Established Nanshan location with ~1,200 students
- ✓More affordable fee band than several Shenzhen peers
Trade-offs
- !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
- !Foreign-passport-oriented — mainland-Chinese-passport-only families not the eligibility group
- !IB DP outcomes not publicly published — limited outcome transparency
- !Boarding status not stated (treat as day school)
- !Chinese-version website not yet live, limiting ZH-audience access
- !Easily confused with the public Shenzhen Foreign Languages School
Best Fit For
- • 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
- • Expat and HK/Macau/Taiwan families seeking an English-medium PYP→DP continuum
- • Families wanting a complete IB pathway without changing schools
- • Families prioritising triple IB/CIS/WASC accreditation
- • West-Shenzhen (Nanshan) families
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
No IB score distributions or university-placement data are publicly retrievable; none could be independently verified.
IB DP results are not publicly retrievable; none could be independently verified. Any DP average cited elsewhere should be treated as school-reported, unverified.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Shekou International School or Shen Wai International School?
Shekou International School is best for: Expat families holding foreign passports relocating to Shekou/Nanshan. Shen Wai International School is best for: Expat and HK/Macau/Taiwan families seeking an English-medium PYP→DP continuum. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Shekou International School and Shen Wai International School?
Shekou International School: RMB 182,000–316,000/year (2025–26). Shen Wai International School: RMB 121,400–218,500/year (2025–26). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Shekou International School and Shen Wai International School offer?
Shekou International School: IB. Shen Wai International School: IB.
Do Shekou International School or Shen Wai International School offer boarding?
Shekou International School: day school only. Shen Wai 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 →