BASIS International School Shenzhen
🇨🇳 Shenzhen · Founded 2015 · American · Ages 3–18
A foreign-passport-only (外籍人员子女学校) campus of the BASIS network, running its accelerated, STEM-heavy American curriculum with Advanced Placement as the leaving qualification. Notably the exception among BASIS China schools — most admit mainland nationals, but BASIS Shenzhen does not. Cognia-accredited; high-intensity, US-college-focused.
Curricula
American
Age range
3–18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD RMB 264,160–326,760/year (2025–26)
Boarding
No (day school)
Accreditations
Cognia, College Board AP
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
BASIS International School Shenzhen (深圳贝赛思国际学校) opened in 2015 in Nanshan District (Shekou area) and is operated by BASIS International & Bilingual Schools China, part of the BASIS Curriculum Schools network founded in Tucson, Arizona in 1998. It serves students from early childhood (age 3) through Grade 12.
Importantly, unlike most BASIS China campuses — which are private bilingual schools admitting mainland nationals — BASIS Shenzhen is a foreign-passport-only 外籍人员子女学校. Chinese-language sources confirm it admits only children of foreign nationals legally residing in Guangdong plus HK/Macau/Taiwan students; mainland-Chinese-passport holders are not eligible. This is the key eligibility distinction and the exception within the BASIS China family.
The academic model is the accelerated, STEM-heavy BASIS Curriculum with College Board Advanced Placement as the external leaving qualification — there is no IB. The school is a College Board AP, SAT and PSAT test centre and is accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED), earned in its first year of operation (2016). Admission is by entrance assessment (a kindergarten 'playdate'; Math + English tests for G1–G9).
Directory-published fees for 2025–26 are RMB 264,160–326,760/year. The BASIS network reports strong AP outcomes (91% pass rate; ~13,000 AP exams 2018–2024; Class of 2025 with 1,585 university offers including Cornell, Duke, Oxford and Imperial) — but these are network-wide and school-reported, not Shenzhen-specific or independently verified. China has no graded national inspectorate, so the tier reflects accreditation + curriculum depth — capped at A.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
China has no graded national inspectorate. BASIS Shenzhen demonstrates quality through Cognia accreditation (since 2016), College Board AP authorization and test-centre status, and the established BASIS Curriculum. That places it at the A ceiling for this market. Note it lacks the WASC/CIS dual accreditation some peers hold; no S-tier route exists without a graded inspectorate.
Strengths & Trade-offs
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
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
Is It Right For You?
Best 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
Not Ideal For
- ✕Mainland Chinese-national families (ineligible — the BASIS China exception)
- ✕Families wanting IB or a genuinely bilingual Chinese-medium programme
- ✕Students needing a lower-pressure environment
- ✕Families needing boarding
Curriculum
Accelerated, STEM-heavy BASIS Curriculum (American) with College Board Advanced Placement as the leaving qualification. No IB. College Board AP/SAT/PSAT test centre since 2016–17. English-medium despite the network's bilingual branding.
Fees
Directory-published 2025–26: RMB 264,160–326,760/year.
Admissions
Foreign-passport-only (外籍人员子女学校) — the exception among BASIS China campuses. Eligible: children of foreign nationals legally residing in Guangdong, plus HK/Macau/Taiwan students. Not eligible: mainland-Chinese-passport holders. Admission by entrance assessment (kindergarten playdate; Math + English tests for G1–G9).
Campus Life
Single campus in Nanshan District (Tower C, Wanlian Building, 5th Gongye Road, Shekou area). Day school; no boarding. School bus and extracurricular activities offered.
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
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