How many IB schools in Taipei
Greater Taipei, taking in Taipei City and New Taipei City, currently lists three to four authorised IB World Schools delivering the IB Diploma at sixth form, plus a handful of additional settings running the IB Primary Years Programme and Middle Years Programme without the full Diploma at present. The market is dominated by a single anchor: Taipei European School High School on Yangmingshan, which has delivered the IB Diploma since the early 2000s and is the only IB Diploma school inside the Taipei City Foreign School framework. Around it sit two main KangChiao International School campuses in New Taipei, at Linkou and Xiugang, which run the PYP and MYP for younger years with the Diploma growing through sister campuses.
The Taipei IB market sits inside a much larger AP-dominated international school sector. Taipei American School in Tianmu, the largest international school in the city, runs the US high school diploma with a deep AP offer rather than the IB. That single fact shapes the Taipei IB cohort: Diploma students at TES tend to come from families with European or Commonwealth roots who actively chose the IB route, or from families targeting universities outside the United States. For the wider Taipei international school market see our Taipei city hub and the global IB curriculum hub.
The PYP and MYP picture is thicker than the Diploma picture. KangChiao runs the PYP across multiple New Taipei campuses, and a small number of Taiwanese experimental schools run the PYP framework alongside Taiwanese national curriculum elements. These provide a credible IB primary route for families who prefer the inquiry-based PYP framework lower down, even if the Diploma is delivered elsewhere at sixth form.
Fees and the Yangmingshan premium
Fees at Taipei IB schools span a wider range than most cities of Taipei's size, because the gap between Taipei European School and the New Taipei private experimental schools is significant. TES High School tuition at the Diploma year in 2026 is roughly TWD 1,050,000, with the lower years from TWD 800,000 to TWD 950,000. KangChiao IB programmes sit around TWD 660,000 to TWD 800,000 at sixth form, considerably below TES. In US dollar terms, the range is roughly USD 21,000 to USD 33,500 per year. Capital or facility fees of TWD 80,000 to TWD 200,000 sit on entry at most settings, transport from TWD 35,000 to TWD 60,000, lunch around TWD 25,000, and IB Diploma examination fees of around TWD 30,000 in Year 13.
The Yangmingshan premium reflects more than the school itself. TES sits in a mountainside campus with substantial green space, a feature that is unusual inside Taipei City and that drives both the development costs and the appeal for European and Commonwealth families. The trade-off is the commute up the hill from Tianmu and central Shilin, which the school answers with a deep coach network from points across Taipei and New Taipei. For the full fee picture see our Taipei fees guide, and run the broader relocation budget through the cost calculator.
Foreign-passport TES, or New Taipei experimental IB?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Taipei IB options based on your child's age, your passport, and your home district.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each runs an established IB programme with a distinct identity in the Taipei market.
Taipei European School High School on Yangmingshan in Shilin District is the anchor IB Diploma provider in the city. Single-site high school with British, French and German national sections in the lower years feeding into a fully integrated IB Diploma at Years 12 and 13. Settled European and Commonwealth family base, strong university placements into Russell Group, German federal universities and a Cambridge and Oxford pipeline, plus a respected sciences faculty.
KangChiao International School Linkou in New Taipei runs the PYP and MYP within a private experimental school framework, with extensive bilingual delivery in Mandarin and English. The cohort is overwhelmingly Taiwanese, which makes it a strong choice for returnee families and for foreign families who want a deep Mandarin immersion alongside an IB framework lower down.
KangChiao International School Xiugang in New Taipei is the sister campus, with a similar PYP and MYP offer and a stronger New Taipei resident family base. The two KangChiao campuses share curriculum and assessment moderation across the IB programmes.
I-Shou International School in Kaohsiung is not a Taipei school but warrants mention as the longest-established IB Diploma World School in Taiwan outside Taipei. Some Taipei families with stronger university targets in southern Taiwan or with multi-city Taiwanese family ties consider I-Shou for sixth form, often via boarding.
Where IB families live in Taipei
IB families in Taipei cluster around two main anchors. Tianmu, in the southern foothills of Yangmingshan in Shilin District, is the centre of European, British and Commonwealth family life and the natural anchor for TES. Tianmu apartment stock in the area west of Zhongshan North Road runs TWD 80,000 to TWD 140,000 a month for a three-bedroom unit, with larger villas on the Yangmingshan slope considerably higher. The expatriate community runs through Tianmu Sports Park, the Tianmu shops at the upper end of Tianmu East Road and the cluster of churches and embassies between the Tianmu Y junction and the foot of Yangde Boulevard.
Inside Taipei City, Da'an and Xinyi hold a smaller European and IB family stock, mostly families using the TES coach network. Three-bedroom apartments in Da'an run TWD 90,000 to TWD 160,000 a month. Across the Tamsui River, Linkou and Banqiao in New Taipei serve the KangChiao IB cohort with newer apartment stock and a faster MRT into central Taipei than the Yangmingshan commute. For the full residential picture see our Taipei neighbourhood guide and the best international schools in Taipei guide.
Admissions, foreign passport rules and NTU recognition
Taipei international IB admissions run on two parallel tracks. Taipei European School is licensed under the Ministry of Education Foreign School framework: admission is restricted to foreign passport holders, dual nationals who hold a foreign passport, and Taiwanese returnees who meet qualifying overseas-study criteria. KangChiao and the wider private experimental schools sit under different licensing and admit Taiwanese nationals freely. This is the single largest filter on which IB route is open to a Taipei family.
The IB Diploma is recognised by all Taiwanese universities, including National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua and National Chengchi University, through the international student admissions track. Most Taiwanese universities set minimums in the 30 to 32 point range, with specific subject requirements for medicine and engineering at NTU. For families targeting US universities, the TES IB Diploma issues predicted grades and counsellor references on the standard November US deadline. UK university applications follow the January UCAS deadline with predicted grades issued in October. Most TES Diploma graduates go to UK, Commonwealth and European universities, with a steady minority to US universities. Compare with our Taipei British curriculum hub and Taipei American curriculum hub for curriculum-specific entry guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How many IB schools are there in Taipei?
Greater Taipei, including New Taipei, currently lists three to four authorised IB World Schools delivering the IB Diploma at sixth form. Taipei European School High School is the longest-standing IB Diploma provider in the city. Two KangChiao International School campuses in Linkou and Xiugang offer the PYP and MYP, with the Diploma in pilot stages at sister campuses.
Can Taiwanese nationals attend IB schools in Taipei?
Schools licensed under Taiwan's Foreign School framework, including Taipei European School and Taipei American School, admit only foreign passport holders, returnee Taiwanese children who hold dual nationality or who have lived overseas for a qualifying period. KangChiao and other private experimental schools admit Taiwanese nationals freely under different licensing.
How much do IB schools in Taipei cost?
Fees for IB schools in Taipei range from TWD 660,000 at the Diploma year at private experimental schools to TWD 1,050,000 a year at Taipei European School High School. In US dollar terms that is roughly USD 21,000 to USD 33,500 per year, before capital fees, transport, lunch and IB Diploma examination charges.
Is the IB Diploma recognised by Taiwanese universities?
Yes. National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua and National Chengchi University all admit IB Diploma holders through their international student admissions tracks. The Ministry of Education recognises the IB Diploma for entry to all Taiwanese universities, typically with minimums in the 30 to 32 point range and specific subject requirements for medicine and engineering.
Where are IB schools in Taipei located?
The main IB campus, Taipei European School High School, sits on Yangmingshan in Shilin District, north of central Taipei. KangChiao operates two main campuses across the river in New Taipei City at Linkou and Xiugang. The dispersed footprint makes neighbourhood choice critical to the daily commute for IB families.
