Best International Schools in Nantong: 2026 Guide for Families

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Choosing among the best international schools in Nantong is a smaller exercise than in Shanghai or Suzhou, and that is useful to know before you start. The city on the north bank of the Yangtze has only a handful of schools that teach in English, so the real question is not which one tops a league table but which one matches your child's passport, age and plans for university.

The answer depends heavily on nationality. China separates schools for the children of foreign nationals from bilingual private schools, and the two groups admit different families. This guide explains that split first, then walks through the three schools we list in Nantong and who each one tends to suit.

Nantong in context: why families come and where the schools sit

Nantong is a river port on the northern bank of the Yangtze, just across from Shanghai. Families usually arrive because of a manufacturing, engineering or shipping posting, or because a Chinese-British household wants a quieter base than the megacities. Since the Shanghai to Nantong railway opened on 1 July 2020, with a journey of just over an hour according to Wikipedia, the city has been easier to reach from Shanghai, which matters if you plan to use Shanghai hospitals, airports or consulates.

The schools are spread across new development zones rather than one central district. Nantong Stalford International School sits at 46 Hongxing Road in the Economic and Technology Development Area. Hiba Academy Nantong is at 66 Haide Road in the Su-Xi-Tong Science and Technology Industrial Park. Nord Anglia School Nantong is listed at 99 Jiangcheng Road in Sutong District. Expect a car or school bus commute, and ask each school about bus routes from your housing compound before you apply.

Who can enrol: the foreign passport rule

This is the single most important filter. Under China's 1995 regulations on international schools for expatriate children, schools for the children of foreign nationals are limited to foreign passport holders, according to China Briefing. Bilingual private schools run under the Chinese national framework and, as Nord Anglia Education explains for its own network, accept both Chinese nationals and international passport holders. Science and Technology Daily reported that China had 142 schools for children of foreign nationals in 2022.

In practice, check three things with admissions: the passport and residence permit your child holds, whether the school is classed as a school for foreign nationals or a bilingual school, and which exams it can legally offer to your child.

Curricula available in Nantong

• IB: Nantong Stalford International School is listed by the IBO as an authorised IB World School, authorised in December 2019, with English and Chinese as languages of instruction.
• Cambridge IGCSE and A Level: Nantong Stalford describes itself as a Cambridge International examination centre for IGCSE and A Level, which is the school's own claim. Hiba Academy Nantong teaches A Level in its high school, according to a September 2025 China Daily report.
• Chinese national curriculum with international methods: Hiba Academy's younger years and Nord Anglia's bilingual schools both build on the Chinese curriculum and add Western teaching approaches.
• English Early Years Foundation Stage: Hiba Academy's nurseries blend the English EYFS with the Chinese curriculum, according to Wellington College Education (China).

Schools to consider in Nantong

Nantong Stalford International School

Founded by Singapore's Stalford Educational Group, the school takes children from age 3 to 18 on a campus of more than 70,000 square metres with swimming pools and gyms, according to a China Daily report from 2018. The same report called it the first bilingual international school in Nantong. The IBO lists it as private, coeducational and offering mixed boarding facilities.

It tends to suit families who want a single campus from kindergarten to pre-university and an English-medium route towards overseas universities. One tip: the IBO page does not itemise which IB programmes run, so ask the school directly whether your child's year group sits in the Diploma Programme or in a Cambridge pathway.

Hiba Academy Nantong

Hiba Academy is the bilingual boarding school of the Wellington College Education group. Wellington College Education (China) says Hiba schools follow the Chinese National Curriculum and use Chinese and Western co-teaching, with nurseries that blend the English EYFS and high schools offering IB or A Level routes across the group.

In 2025 the school launched an international boarding programme, with a house parent, a mentor and a matron on each boarding floor, according to a China Daily piece reposted by the Nantong government. The same report mentions A Level teaching, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and AI lessons from Grade 3. It suits families who want a bilingual Chinese-English education, or international boarders aged mid-teens who are heading for A Levels. Ask which passport route applies, because the bilingual and international programmes are different admissions tracks.

Nord Anglia School Nantong

This school is listed as a bilingual day and boarding school covering primary, junior secondary and senior high, built on the Chinese national curriculum with Chinese teachers and native English speakers working together. Nord Anglia Education describes its China bilingual schools as an immersive Chinese and English environment for ages 6 to 18, with annual fees listed as starting from RMB 72,000 at its Suzhou bilingual campus and RMB 154,000 at its Shanghai one.

A word of caution: when we reviewed the group's own China school list in October 2026, it did not yet include a Nantong campus, so confirm the opening status, grades offered and fees directly with the school. It is most relevant for Chinese-national or dual-heritage families who want a bilingual route inside the national system, with the option of boarding.

What makes a school the best fit

For most families the useful tests are practical. First, passport route: this decides which schools are even open to you. Second, language of instruction: Stalford runs in English and Chinese, while the bilingual schools describe an immersive Chinese and English environment. Third, exam pathway: IB, Cambridge or A Level lead to different university applications, and switching late is hard. Fourth, boarding: if your posting is short or your child is a teenager, boarding changes both the cost and the daily routine.

None of the three is the right answer for everybody. A family on a two-year posting with a six-year-old and a foreign passport will usually compare Stalford first. A Chinese-British household that wants Mandarin fluency will weigh Hiba and Nord Anglia more heavily.

International school fees in Nantong

None of the three schools publishes a full fee schedule online that we could verify, so treat every figure here as a planning range. Fees are quoted in Chinese yuan (RMB). The only published benchmarks are Nord Anglia Education's starting fees in the region: RMB 72,000 a year at its Suzhou bilingual campus (roughly US$10,000), RMB 154,000 at its Shanghai bilingual campus (roughly US$21,000) and RMB 213,145 at the British School of Nanjing, an international day school (roughly US$30,000). These are not Nantong prices, so use them only to judge the scale. Boarding and the senior years usually sit at the top of any school's range.

• Registration or application fee: usually a one-off charge when you apply.
• Enrolment deposit or place-holding fee: often credited against tuition, so ask whether it is refundable.
• Boarding: priced separately from tuition at most boarding schools.
• Meals, uniform and school bus: frequently billed per term.
• Exam entry fees: IGCSE, A Level or IB entries are normally charged to families.
• Devices and trips: not always included in the headline fee.

One rule shapes the whole market: schools for children of foreign nationals admit foreign passport holders only, while bilingual schools admit both.

Practical advice before you apply

Visit in term time. With so few options, a campus visit tells you more than any brochure. Ask to see a Year 3 and a Year 9 lesson, and ask how many teaching staff hold qualified teacher status from their home country.

Ask for the fee schedule in writing. Request tuition by year group, all compulsory charges and the refund terms for deposits, then compare the all-in annual cost across the three schools.

Plan the exit route. If you may move on to Shanghai or home within three years, choose a curriculum that is easy to continue elsewhere. IB and Cambridge are widely recognised; a bilingual Chinese-curriculum track can be harder to rejoin abroad.

Compare schools in Nantong on ISA

For a side-by-side view of the schools in the city, see the full ranking of international schools in Nantong on International School Advisor.

More guides to schools in Nantong

• How to choose an international school in Nantong
• International school fees in Nantong
• International school admissions in Nantong
• Bilingual schools in Nantong
• see the full ranking of international schools in Nantong

Frequently asked questions

Which international schools are in Nantong?

Nantong has three international or bilingual options listed on ISA: Nantong Stalford International School (ages 3 to 18, IB-authorised), Hiba Academy Nantong (bilingual boarding, A Level) and Nord Anglia School Nantong (Chinese-curriculum bilingual). Check each school's status and grades directly, because the market is small and offerings change.

Can my child attend an international school in Nantong on a Chinese passport?

It depends on the school type. Under China's 1995 regulations, schools for the children of foreign nationals admit foreign passport holders only. Bilingual private schools, such as those in the Nord Anglia and Wellington College groups, accept both Chinese nationals and international passport holders, so ask which track applies.

How much do international schools in Nantong cost?

Nantong schools do not publish full fee schedules we could verify. Nord Anglia Education lists starting fees from RMB 72,000 at its Suzhou bilingual campus to RMB 154,000 at its Shanghai one, and RMB 213,145 at the British School of Nanjing. Treat these as regional benchmarks, not Nantong prices, and ask each school for its 2026-27 schedule.