QSI International School of Shenzhen
🇨🇳 Shenzhen · Founded 2001 · American / IB · Ages 2–18
A foreign-passport-only (外籍人员子女学校) member of the global Quality Schools International network, running its distinctive mastery-based American model plus both AP (with AP Capstone) and the full IB Diploma. Operating in Shekou since 2001; MSA-accredited since 2006.
Curricula
American, IB
Age range
2–18
Languages of instruction
English, French
Annual fees
SGD RMB 138,300–226,800/year (2025–26)
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
Middle States Association, IB World School, EARCOS, ACAMIS
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
QSI International School of Shenzhen (深圳科爱赛外籍人员子女学校) has operated in Shekou since 2001 as part of Quality Schools International, a non-profit network headquartered in Malta. It is a co-educational day school of around 1,000+ students from 35+ nationalities across three campuses.
Its defining feature is the QSI mastery-based learning model — non-graded, non-competitive, with students progressing on demonstrated mastery rather than letter grades. On top of this it offers College Board Advanced Placement including the AP Capstone Diploma (AP Seminar + AP Research), and has run the full IB Diploma Programme since April 2009 — an unusually broad upper-school menu. An AEFE-accredited French programme (added 2024) serves francophone families.
As a foreign-personnel-children's school, eligibility is restricted to foreign passport holders plus HK/Macau/Taiwan travel-permit holders; PRC-passport-only and HK/Macau ID-card-only children cannot apply. It is accredited by the Middle States Association (since 2006) and authorized as an IB World School (DP since 2009).
Directory-published fees for 2025–26 are RMB 138,300–226,800/year, plus a one-time registration fee. 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. QSI Shenzhen demonstrates quality through Middle States Association accreditation (since 2006), authorized IB Diploma delivery (since 2009), College Board AP including AP Capstone, and 20+ years of operation. That places it at the A ceiling for this market; no S-tier route exists without a graded inspectorate.
Strengths & Trade-offs
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
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
Is It Right For You?
Best 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
Not Ideal For
- ✕Mainland Chinese-national (PRC-passport-only) families — ineligible
- ✕Families needing boarding
- ✕Families wanting a traditional graded, competitive environment
- ✕Families needing British IGCSE/A-Level (not offered)
Curriculum
QSI mastery-based American model, plus College Board AP (including the AP Capstone Diploma) and the full IB Diploma Programme (since 2009). AEFE-accredited French programme (since 2024). No British/Cambridge track.
Fees
Directory-published 2025–26: RMB 138,300–226,800/year, plus a one-time non-refundable registration fee (RMB 4,320) and placement/capital fees on acceptance.
Admissions
Foreign-passport-only (外籍人员子女学校). Can apply: foreign passport holders and HK/Macau/Taiwan travel-permit holders. Cannot apply: PRC-passport-only or HK/Macau ID-card-only children.
Campus Life
Three campuses in Shekou, Nanshan District (PLE campus for ages 2–7, Main campus for 8–13, plus Secondary). Co-educational day school; no boarding.
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
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