Secondary international school fees in Shenzhen run from about RMB 150,000 a year at bilingual schools to roughly RMB 373,000 in the sixth form at the premium end, with most established secondary places landing in the RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000 band before extras.
Secondary and the sixth form are the most expensive stages at almost every Shenzhen international school, and the gap between the tiers is widest here. Published secondary tuition in the city runs from roughly RMB 150,000 at bilingual Chinese international schools to about RMB 373,000 in the sixth form at the premium English medium end, which converts to roughly USD 21,000 to USD 52,000 at the exchange rate local schools have billed against through 2026. Most relocating families settle in the RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000 band for an established secondary place.
Schools bill in renminbi, so any dollar figure here is a conversion that moves with the exchange rate across the year. The figures on this page are published tuition drawn from our Shenzhen international school fees research and the individual school profiles. Where a school publishes an exact secondary or sixth form rate we quote it; where it does not, we place it in its market tier rather than invent a number.
Shenzhen tuition falls into four tiers, and secondary sits at the top of each school's own range because senior teaching, exam preparation and university guidance cost the most to deliver. The premium tier is anchored by the established English medium schools, the mid tiers cover Cambridge, IB and bilingual programmes, and the value tier covers smaller community settings.
| Tier | Annual fee range (RMB) | Annual fee range (USD) | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium international | RMB 250,000 to 330,000 | USD 35,000 to 46,000 | Shekou International, Shenzhen American International, ISNS, Harrow, QSI |
| Upper mid international | RMB 170,000 to 250,000 | USD 24,000 to 35,000 | Various Cambridge and IB schools, newer entrants |
| Bilingual Chinese international | RMB 130,000 to 200,000 | USD 18,000 to 28,000 | Yew Wah, Vanke and similar bilingual schools |
| Value | RMB 80,000 to 130,000 | USD 11,000 to 18,000 | Smaller bilingual and community schools |
School names illustrate each tier and are not endorsements or exact quotes. Confirm current fees directly with each school.
For secondary and the sixth form specifically, a premium place costs around RMB 290,000 to RMB 373,000, the established mid tier runs RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000, and a bilingual Chinese international secondary sits in the RMB 150,000 to RMB 220,000 band. The named anchor for the top of the market is Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai, whose published tuition is around RMB 365,700 in Year 7 and rises to about RMB 372,900 in Year 13, the sixth form year.
The named schools below all run a full secondary programme, and most take students through to IGCSE and A Level or the IB Diploma. Where a school publishes an exact figure we quote it; otherwise we note its tier and link the profile, which carries the year by year detail and current fee schedule.
Tuition is only part of the senior school bill, and the exam years add external entry fees on top of everything families already pay lower down the school. The bands below are indicative for the Shenzhen market and should be confirmed with each school, as exam and trip policies vary between the premium and bilingual tiers.
| Cost | Indicative band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and renewal | RMB 4,000 to 12,000 | Non refundable, charged per applicant and often annually. |
| School bus | RMB 22,000 to 40,000 a year | Distance based; Shenzhen sprawl and traffic make this a real budget line. |
| Uniform | RMB 4,000 to 8,000 first year | Lower replacement cost in later years. |
| Device programme | RMB 8,000 to 18,000 | iPad or laptop schemes at the through train schools. |
Bands are indicative industry ranges drawn from our Shenzhen fees research, not school specific quotes. Confirm current figures in each school's fee schedule.
Class size and specialism drive the senior fee. Sixth form teaching groups are small, subjects proliferate, and schools staff for the full breadth of IGCSE, A Level or IB Diploma options, which is expensive to sustain. Add dedicated careers and university guidance teams and the cost of running external examinations, and the senior years naturally sit at the top of each school's fee range.
Track record is the other lever. The established premium and Cambridge schools that publish strong IGCSE, A Level and IB results can command the highest fees, and families pay in part for the university destinations those results unlock. A bilingual programme that blends the Chinese national curriculum keeps senior tuition lower but offers a different exit pathway.
Tuition is the headline, but registration, the school bus and exam entries land in your budget too. Line up Shenzhen secondary fees against the city your offer is in with our comparison tool.
Open the fee comparison toolExternal exam entry fees are the charge that surprises families in the senior years, because IGCSE, A Level and IB Diploma registrations are billed on top of tuition and rise with the number of subjects a student takes. Our research puts these in the RMB 6,000 to RMB 15,000 range, and they land in the years your budget is already stretched.
Trips, university application support and subject specific materials also scale up through secondary. The school bus remains a significant recurring cost given Shenzhen's size. For the full breakdown by school, read our guide to international school fees in Shenzhen, step back to Shenzhen primary fees, or start from the Shenzhen international schools hub to shortlist by curriculum and district.
Published secondary international school fees in Shenzhen run from about RMB 150,000 a year at bilingual schools to around RMB 373,000 in the sixth form at the premium end, with Harrow Year 7 at roughly RMB 365,700 and Year 13 at roughly RMB 372,900. Most established secondary places sit in the RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000 band before extras.
Usually a little. Premium schools set their highest tuition in the IGCSE and A Level or IB Diploma years to reflect smaller classes, exam entries and university guidance. At Harrow, published Year 13 tuition is slightly above the Year 7 figure.
Harrow and several Cambridge schools such as Shenzhen College of International Education run IGCSE and A Level, while premium schools including ISNS offer the IB Diploma. The programme shapes both the senior fee and the university pathway.
Bilingual Chinese international schools sit at the value end for secondary, typically RMB 150,000 to RMB 220,000, though the strongest exam results tend to concentrate in the premium and established Cambridge schools that price higher.
Expect a registration or renewal fee, plus recurring costs for the school bus, a device programme, trips and, in the exam years, external entry fees for IGCSE, A Level or the IB Diploma. Our research puts total cost of place at 10 to 15 percent above headline tuition.
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