The Taipei secondary landscape
Greater Taipei lists between fifteen and twenty schools running an English-medium or substantial bilingual Year 7 to Year 13 programme. The cohort is narrower than the primary cohort because not every Taipei primary feeder extends to Year 13. Foreign Schools dominate the upper end. Taipei American School in Tianmu is the largest single international school in Taiwan, with a US high school diploma anchored on a deep AP offer. Taipei European School High School on Yangmingshan delivers the IB Diploma at sixth form with British, French and German national sections feeding in through IGCSE. Dominican International School in Tianmu and Pacific American School in New Taipei round out the foreign-passport-only AP cluster. Below that sit the bilingual experimental schools, with KangChiao Xiugang and KangChiao Linkou running the IB Middle Years Programme and a Cambridge sixth form pathway. The wider Taipei context lives in our Taipei city hub and the best international schools in Taipei guide.
The three sixth form routes
Three sixth form routes anchor secondary choice in Taipei. The IB Diploma is the European route, delivered at Taipei European School High School with British, French and German section feeders into a fully integrated Year 12 and Year 13. The AP plus US high school diploma is the American route, delivered at Taipei American School Upper School, Dominican International School and Pacific American School. The Cambridge IGCSE plus A Level route is the fastest-growing, with a widening cluster of bilingual experimental schools using it as the English-medium sixth form qualification while protecting Taiwanese MoE recognition. For curriculum detail see our Taipei IB hub, Taipei American curriculum hub and Taipei British curriculum hub.
IB at TES, AP at TAS, or Cambridge at KangChiao?
Take our 5 minute school finder quiz. We shortlist three Taipei sixth forms based on your child's university targets, your passport and your home district.
Fees at Year 7 to Year 13
Secondary fees in Taipei sit at the top of the Taiwanese school market. Foreign School secondary fees in 2026 run TWD 900,000 to TWD 1,200,000 a year. The IB Diploma year at TES is TWD 1,050,000, with Years 7 to 11 stepping up from TWD 920,000 to TWD 1,010,000. TAS Upper School sits a little higher, closer to TWD 1,200,000 at the senior years. Dominican and Pacific American sit closer to TWD 900,000 to TWD 1,000,000. Bilingual experimental school secondary fees, including KangChiao Xiugang, sit at TWD 550,000 to TWD 850,000. Capital fees, transport and lunch add TWD 100,000 to TWD 200,000 across the year, IB Diploma examination fees of around TWD 30,000 fall in Year 13, and AP examination fees of approximately USD 100 per subject fall in May of each sitting year. For the full picture see our Taipei international school fees guide.
Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each shows a different point on the Taipei secondary spectrum.
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 section feeders into a fully integrated IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13.
Taipei American School Upper School in Tianmu is the largest international school in Taiwan, with a US high school diploma and a deep AP offer covering more than twenty subjects. Strong US university placements alongside steady flows to UK Russell Group and Australian Group of Eight.
KangChiao International School Xiugang Secondary in New Taipei runs the IB MYP at lower secondary with a Cambridge IGCSE and A Level pathway at upper secondary. Mostly Taiwanese cohort, strong Mandarin alongside English-medium subject delivery, and a credible English-medium route for Taiwanese nationals not eligible for Foreign Schools.
University outcomes and recognition
The university outcome picture maps to qualification route. The TES IB Diploma issues predicted grades and counsellor references for UCAS in October, US Common Application in November and direct European university applications through the spring. Most TES graduates go to UK, Commonwealth and continental European universities, with a steady minority to US universities and a smaller flow to National Taiwan University and National Tsing Hua through the international student track. TAS graduates concentrate on US universities at the upper end of the AP-driven application pipeline, with strong placement into US public flagships and a meaningful Ivy League and equivalent cohort each year. KangChiao Cambridge A Level graduates concentrate on UK, Australian and Singaporean universities, with a smaller flow into Taiwanese universities. For comparable Diploma context see our best IB schools in Taipei guide.
Admissions and the Year 12 entry route
Most Taipei international secondary schools recruit primarily through internal feeder pipelines, with external entry at Year 7 and a smaller second entry point at Year 12. Year 7 entry assessments cover English reading and writing, mathematics and a short interview. Year 12 entry, for sixth form direct entry, requires recent IGCSE results, an A-level prediction or US transcript evidence at the higher tier, plus a placement test and interview. Foreign Schools restrict admission to foreign passport holders, dual nationals and qualifying Taiwanese returnees. Bilingual experimental schools admit Taiwanese nationals freely and have an additional Mandarin component in the entry assessment. For sibling-cluster context see our Taipei primary schools hub and the Taipei bilingual hub.
Frequently asked questions
How many international secondary schools are there in Taipei?
Greater Taipei lists between fifteen and twenty secondary schools running an English-medium or substantial bilingual Year 7 to Year 13 programme. The cohort splits between the Foreign Schools, including Taipei European School and Taipei American School, and a growing bilingual experimental school cluster across New Taipei. The secondary supply is narrower than the primary supply because not every primary feeder extends to Year 13.
What are the main secondary qualification routes?
Three secondary qualification routes dominate. IGCSE plus IB Diploma sits at Taipei European School and a small number of newer experimental schools. AP plus US high school diploma sits at Taipei American School, Dominican International School and Pacific American School. Cambridge IGCSE plus A Level sits at a smaller cluster of bilingual experimental schools. A handful of schools blend MYP at lower secondary with Cambridge A Level at sixth form.
How much do secondary schools in Taipei cost?
Foreign School secondary fees in Taipei sit at TWD 900,000 to TWD 1,200,000 a year, with the IB Diploma year at TES at TWD 1,050,000 and TAS upper school close to TWD 1,200,000. Bilingual experimental school secondary fees sit at TWD 550,000 to TWD 850,000. IB Diploma examination fees of around TWD 30,000 fall in Year 13. Capital, transport and lunch add TWD 100,000 to TWD 200,000.
Can Taiwanese nationals attend international secondary schools?
It depends on the licensing. Foreign Schools restrict admission to foreign passport holders, dual nationals and Taiwanese returnees who meet the qualifying overseas-study criteria. Bilingual experimental schools admit Taiwanese nationals freely. For a Taiwanese national family without a foreign passport, the bilingual experimental school route is the main option for English-medium secondary.
Which sixth form qualification opens which universities?
The IB Diploma is widely accepted at UK, Commonwealth, European and US universities and is recognised by all Taiwanese universities. The AP plus US high school diploma is strongest for US university entry and is widely accepted at UK universities through an AP plus diploma offer. Cambridge A Level is strongest for UK and Commonwealth universities and is increasingly accepted at US universities. National Taiwan University admits IB, AP and A Level routes through international student tracks.
Are entry tests required for secondary?
Most Taipei international secondary schools run entry assessments from Year 7 onwards, with English reading and writing, mathematics and a short interview. Year 12 entry, for sixth form direct entry, typically requires recent IGCSE or US transcript evidence at the higher tier. The strongest schools, including TES, TAS and KangChiao Xiugang, have meaningful application-to-place ratios at popular entry points.
