Quick answer: How do bilingual schools in Shenzhen work? Shenzhen has two kinds of English-Chinese schooling. Bilingual private schools follow the Chinese national curriculum to Grade 9 with roughly half of lessons in English and are open to Chinese passport holders. International schools teach a foreign curriculum in English with Mandarin as a subject and may enrol only foreign passport holders. Fees run roughly RMB 150,000 to 320,000 a year at both.
Last reviewed: September 2026 by David from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.
Shenzhen went from fishing town to a city of 17 million in four decades, and its school market has grown just as fast. Families arriving for the technology sector or Chinese families planning for university abroad face a real choice between bilingual schools in Shenzhen and the foreign-passport international schools, and the two are governed by different rules. This 2026 guide explains how each works, who can enrol where, what your child will actually learn in Chinese, and what it costs. Every school named here has a verified profile on International School Advisor.
Two systems, one city: how bilingual education is structured
Chinese regulation divides English-medium schooling into two categories. Schools for children of foreign personnel, usually called international schools, teach a foreign curriculum such as the IB, British or American programmes, and may enrol only foreign passport holders. Bilingual private schools are Chinese schools that follow the national compulsory curriculum from Grade 1 to Grade 9, deliver a substantial share of it in English, and typically add an international senior high school programme in Grades 10 to 12. Regulations tightened in 2021 require these schools to use approved national textbooks for core subjects during the compulsory years, which has made the bilingual model more clearly Chinese-led at primary level.
Geography follows the technology money. Shekou and Nanshan on the western side host the oldest international schools and most expatriate housing; Futian and Luohu in the centre have several bilingual schools; and Longhua, Longgang and Qianhai have the newest campuses, including large boarding schools. The metro is excellent, but school buses remain the norm for younger children.
Programmes available and the language balance
- International schools, foreign passports only: IB, British or American curricula in English with Mandarin as a daily subject; typically 15 to 20 percent of teaching time in Chinese.
- Bilingual private schools, open to Chinese citizens: the national curriculum with roughly 40 to 60 percent of lessons in English; Chinese literature and often maths taught in Mandarin.
- Bilingual schools accepting foreign students: a few bilingual schools admit foreign passport holders into their bilingual stream, offering the deepest Mandarin immersion available to expatriates.
- Senior high international programmes: A Level, AP or the IB Diploma in Grades 10 to 12 at bilingual schools, taught mostly in English.
Five schools that illustrate the choice
Nord Anglia School Shenzhen
A bilingual school in Longhua that follows the Chinese national curriculum in the compulsory years with an English-medium co-teaching model, then offers international programmes in senior high. It is open to Chinese passport holders and is one of the clearest examples of the modern bilingual model backed by an international group.
Shekou International School
SIS is the oldest international school in Shenzhen, founded in 1988 in Shekou, and offers the IB Diploma to a foreign-passport student body. Mandarin is taught daily at all levels, with a Chinese-English dual language programme in the early years for families who want more immersion than a standard international school provides.
Harrow International School Shenzhen
Located in Qianhai, Harrow Shenzhen teaches a British curriculum to foreign passport holders, with A Levels in the sixth form and a strong Mandarin programme. It operates alongside a separate Harrow-branded bilingual school for Chinese nationals, which illustrates how international groups serve both categories of family in the same city.
Merchiston International School
The first overseas campus of the Edinburgh school, Merchiston in Longhua offers a British curriculum with IGCSE and A Level and full or weekly boarding. It admits foreign passport holders and has a strong Mandarin department, making it a good choice for families in the northern districts or those wanting boarding.
International School of Nanshan Shenzhen
ISNS follows a Canadian curriculum with the IB Diploma and has run a Chinese-English dual language programme in its elementary school for years, one of the more established immersion options for foreign passport holders in the Nanshan area.
Fees and what sits outside tuition
Tuition at the leading international schools runs roughly RMB 180,000 to 230,000 in primary and RMB 250,000 to 320,000 for the IB Diploma or A Level years, with boarding adding RMB 60,000 to 100,000. Bilingual private schools charge roughly RMB 150,000 to 200,000 in primary and RMB 200,000 to 280,000 in senior high international programmes.
Extras to budget for: an application fee of RMB 2,000 to 3,000; an enrolment or capital fee of RMB 10,000 to 30,000 at some schools; school bus of RMB 10,000 to 18,000 a year; meals of RMB 8,000 to 15,000; uniforms of RMB 3,000 to 6,000; and IGCSE, A Level or IB exam fees of roughly RMB 6,000 to 10,000 in exam years. Residential trips and after-school academies are billed separately.
A hard fact that shapes the whole decision: under Chinese regulation, schools for children of foreign personnel may enrol only foreign passport holders, while Chinese citizens must complete the national compulsory curriculum through Grade 9, which bilingual schools deliver with a large share of English. Your passports decide which list you are choosing from before you compare anything else.
Practical advice for Shenzhen families
Decide how much Mandarin you actually want. Daily Mandarin lessons at an international school produce a confident speaker over five years; true bilingual literacy requires the immersion of a bilingual stream, and that means accepting a Chinese-led primary curriculum. Both are valid; be honest about your goal.
Ask how the 2021 regulations changed the timetable. Bilingual schools adjusted their primary curricula to use national textbooks in core subjects. Ask to see a current weekly timetable rather than relying on a brochure written before the change.
Check the senior high pathway early. At bilingual schools the switch to A Level, AP or IB in Grade 10 is a major transition. Ask about results from the last three cohorts and where students went on to university.
Compare Shenzhen schools side by side
Our ranking of the best schools in China lets you filter Shenzhen schools by curriculum, eligibility, facilities and parent reviews, and contact admissions directly from each profile.
More guides to schools in Shenzhen
Frequently asked questions
Can Chinese citizens attend international schools in Shenzhen?
Generally no. Schools licensed as schools for children of foreign personnel may enrol only students holding a foreign passport or, in some cases, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan documents. Chinese passport holders attend bilingual private schools, which follow the national curriculum through the compulsory education years and add international programmes such as IGCSE, A Level or the IB Diploma in senior high school.
How much Mandarin will an expat child actually learn at a Shenzhen school?
At international schools Mandarin is usually a daily subject of 45 to 60 minutes, which produces conversational competence over several years but rarely literacy at a native level. At bilingual schools that accept foreign students, roughly half the day is in Chinese, including maths and Chinese literature, and children who join before age 8 typically reach genuine reading and writing fluency.
What do bilingual and international schools in Shenzhen cost in 2026?
Tuition at the leading international schools runs roughly RMB 180,000 to 320,000 a year, with the British boarding school at the top. Bilingual private schools charge roughly RMB 150,000 to 280,000. Add a one-off enrolment fee at some schools, school bus at RMB 10,000 to 18,000, uniforms, meals and external exam fees. Most schools invoice by semester.