How many international nurseries operate in Shanghai
Shanghai operates around 90 nurseries and kindergartens that pitch themselves as international or bilingual for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. The market splits into three layers. The top layer is roughly 35 early years units physically attached to the established international school groups, names like Dulwich, Wellington, SCIS, YCIS and Concordia. The middle layer is around 40 standalone bilingual kindergartens that operate independently, often founded by returnee Chinese parents who wanted Western-style early years pedagogy with Mandarin immersion. The bottom layer is a long tail of neighbourhood bilingual kindergartens that take a small international cohort alongside Chinese local children.
Kindergarten in Shanghai is governed by the Municipal Education Commission's early childhood framework, which is more relaxed than the primary and secondary regulations. Crucially, foreign passport restrictions on primary and secondary international school enrolment do not apply at kindergarten level. Any child of any nationality can enrol anywhere their parents can secure a place, which makes the early years market the most open part of the Shanghai school system.
Most international early years units in Shanghai follow either the Early Years Foundation Stage from England, the IB Primary Years Programme approach for pre-school, or a Reggio Emilia model. Mandarin is woven through every programme, typically as a 30 to 50 percent immersion stream, because parents in Shanghai value early Mandarin fluency regardless of their downstream primary pathway.
Fees and the bilingual split
Shanghai kindergarten fees stretch wider than primary fees. Neighbourhood bilingual settings start at about $9,800 a year for full-day care for a 3 year old. Mid-tier standalone English-medium kindergartens such as Etonkids and Victoria sit in the $14,000 to $20,000 band. Premium kindergartens inside the big international school groups, including Wellington College Pre-Nursery in Qiantan and Dulwich Early Years Centre, reach $30,000 to $32,000 a year. Our Shanghai fees guide breaks down the loading items including books, lunches and the often substantial registration deposit.
One quirk catches every newcomer. Kindergartens inside international school groups offer informal feeder priority into the linked primary school, which materially affects the family's odds of securing a Year 1 place at oversubscribed schools like Dulwich Puxi or YCIS Hongqiao. The premium kindergarten fee is partly a queue-jump for primary admissions, and families budgeting for the early years should treat it as such.
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Illustrative example settings
The settings below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has been operating in Shanghai for at least seven years and is licensed under the Municipal Education Commission's early childhood framework.
Soundbridge Pre-school in Jing'an is one of the most established standalone international early years centres in central Shanghai, taking children from 12 months and feeding strong cohorts into Dulwich, Wellington and SAS.
Victoria Kindergarten operates multiple campuses across Puxi and Pudong with a Reggio Emilia influenced, fully bilingual programme. It is the largest standalone international early years group in Shanghai.
Etonkids International Kindergarten in Pudong runs a Montessori programme in English and Mandarin, popular with American and European families based in Lujiazui and Jinqiao.
Wellington College Pre-Nursery in Qiantan offers EYFS in a setting linked to Wellington College International Shanghai, with strong continuity into the main school's primary years from age 3.
Where young families live
Young expat families in Shanghai cluster around four neighbourhoods, each shaped by the nursery and primary school supply nearby. The former French Concession (Xuhui and Jing'an) for walkable streets, plane trees and the densest concentration of premium standalone kindergartens. Pudong's Jinqiao and Lujiazui for American and Japanese families using the SAS and Concordia pipelines. Hongqiao for villa living and proximity to Western International School of Shanghai, YCIS Hongqiao and Shanghai American School Puxi. Qiantan, the newest expat enclave south of Pudong, has been built around the Wellington and Harrow campuses and is the fastest growing area for families with under-5s.
For a deeper view of where to live with school-age children, see our relocation cost calculator, which weights housing against typical school commute times by district.
Admissions and visa timing
Shanghai kindergarten admissions are simpler than primary admissions because passport restrictions do not apply. The main intake is August, with most premium settings opening applications in November of the previous year and closing tier 1 places by February. Mid-tier standalone kindergartens run rolling admissions and can place a child within four to six weeks subject to room availability. Neighbourhood bilingual kindergartens often have space at short notice.
Two practical points. First, every kindergarten requires the child's residence permit (the child's own visa, not the parent's), which usually takes four to six weeks after arrival in Shanghai. Plan the visa runway before promising a kindergarten start date. Second, the city's vaccination cross-check is strict; settings will not enrol without a complete record translated and stamped by the local Centers for Disease Control office. For a fuller view of choosing your downstream primary, see our Shanghai international schools guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many international nurseries are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai has roughly 90 internationally oriented nurseries and kindergartens operating for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. About 35 are part of established international school groups, the rest are standalone bilingual or English-medium kindergartens regulated under the municipal early years rules.
What age do Shanghai international nurseries start?
Most international early years settings in Shanghai accept children from 18 months in a toddler programme, with formal kindergarten places beginning at age 2 or 3. A small number of premium settings such as Soundbridge take infants from 12 months. Compulsory school age in China is 6.
How much do international preschools in Shanghai cost?
Fees range from about $9,800 a year at neighbourhood bilingual kindergartens to $32,000 a year at premium English-medium settings inside international school groups such as Wellington, Dulwich and SCIS. The median full-day kindergarten fee in 2026 sits near $20,400.
Can foreign children attend any Shanghai kindergarten?
Yes. Unlike primary and secondary school, where foreign passport holders are restricted to licensed international schools, kindergarten admissions in Shanghai are open to all nationalities. Many local Chinese kindergartens take a small percentage of foreign children to boost language exposure.
When should I apply for a Shanghai preschool?
Premium settings in Jing'an, the former French Concession and Pudong fill 8 to 12 months ahead for the August intake. Standalone bilingual kindergartens usually have rolling admissions and can place a child within a few weeks subject to room availability and visa status.
