BASIS International School Shenzhen is one of the better known American style schools families weigh up when they move to Shenzhen. It opened in 2015 as the first campus of the BASIS network in China, and it has since grown into a large school running the BASIS Curriculum from the earliest grades up to a college focused senior school. For parents who want an accelerated academic programme with Advanced Placement rather than a British or IB route, the question is usually how the school fits their child's pace and where it sits on cost, and that is what this profile addresses.
BASIS International School Shenzhen at a glance
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | BASIS Curriculum (American); Advanced Placement courses in the senior school |
| Stages | Pre kindergarten to Grade 12 (roughly ages 4 to 18) |
| Founded | 2015, the first BASIS campus in China |
| Accreditation | Authorised by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education; part of the BASIS International Schools network. External accreditation not published |
| Fee band | Premium for the Shenzhen market |
| Campus area | Nanshan District, west Shenzhen, near the Shekou and Net Valley areas |
The BASIS Curriculum in Shenzhen
The school follows the American curriculum in the distinctive BASIS form. From the early grades, lessons are delivered by subject specialist teachers rather than a single class teacher, and the programme moves at a deliberately accelerated pace, introducing formal subjects earlier than many of its peers. In the senior years the academic load is built around Advanced Placement courses, the United States college level examinations that universities recognise for credit and admission, alongside a capstone style senior project that asks students to research and present independent work.
This pace suits some children far better than others, so the honest first step is to look at how your child copes with a demanding workload before committing. Because the curriculum is American and AP based rather than IB or British, weigh it against the city's other options and confirm with the admissions team how new arrivals are supported when they join partway through a stage. Ask for the most recent AP participation and results rather than long run averages, and check how the school places its graduates.
It helps to set the school against its neighbours before deciding. Families who want a globally portable diploma often prefer an IB school, and those set on the English system look to a British school with IGCSE and A Level, while the BASIS route leans instead on the breadth of Advanced Placement and a strong core of science and mathematics. None of these is better in the abstract, so match the programme to how your child learns and to where you expect them to apply for university.
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BASIS International School Shenzhen fees
BASIS International School Shenzhen sits in the premium band for the city. Our Shenzhen international school fees guide sets out how the local market is tiered, and BASIS falls toward the upper end, with tuition rising as students move into the senior grades. The headline figure is only part of the cost, so read the published schedule in full before you plan a budget.
Alongside tuition, budget for a one off application or registration fee, a deposit, and optional extras such as the school bus and meals. Examination entries for Advanced Placement are typically charged separately, and fees tend to rise year on year, so assume increases across a multi year stay rather than a flat rate.
For a sense of where that leaves you against the rest of the city, our fees guide groups Shenzhen schools into broad tiers, and BASIS premium tuition is comparable to the other established international names. The deciding factor for most families is therefore fit and location rather than price alone. Ask whether sibling discounts or corporate billing apply, since employers often meet part of the cost for relocating staff.
Admissions
The academic year starts in late summer and the main intake follows that calendar, with places offered across the year where they exist. As an international school in mainland China, the school admits foreign passport holders and residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, in line with the rules for schools serving the children of foreign nationals, so confirm your family's eligibility early.
The process combines an application with school reports and an age appropriate assessment that becomes more formal higher up the school, in part because of the accelerated pace. Demand for the lower grades is strong, so apply ahead of your move where you can, and discuss the right entry point with admissions if your child is arriving mid stage.
It is worth preparing for the assessment rather than treating it as a formality, since the accelerated pace means the school looks for readiness in literacy and numeracy at each entry point. Gather recent school reports, any standardised test results and a record of the curriculum your child has followed, and be candid about additional learning needs so the school can tell you honestly whether it can support them. Places at popular entry points can fill well before the start of the year, so register your interest as soon as your move is confirmed, and if a place is not immediately available, ask to join the waiting list and how it is prioritised.
Location and who goes there
The campus is in the Nanshan District in the west of Shenzhen, the part of the city that holds many of its technology employers and a large share of its international residents, within reach of the Shekou and Net Valley areas where expatriate families have long clustered. That location makes it a practical choice for families working in Nanshan and Shekou, and the school draws from the foreign national communities that local rules allow it to serve.
Most international families in this part of Shenzhen settle around Shekou, Sea World and the wider Nanshan district, where housing, restaurants and clinics are geared toward expatriates, which keeps the daily commute to school short. The area is well served by the metro and by school bus routes, and its position in the west of the city makes trips toward the Hong Kong border straightforward for weekends and travel.
To see how BASIS compares with the other schools nearby and where comparable families tend to live, start from the Shenzhen city hub and work outward by curriculum and budget.
BASIS International School Shenzhen reviews
We do not yet hold any verified parent reviews for BASIS International School Shenzhen. GlobalSchoolGuide is an independent guide and no school pays to be listed, so we publish a rating only once we have collected enough verified first hand accounts to be fair to both the school and to families reading them. We would rather show nothing than show an invented score.
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Frequently asked questions
What curriculum does BASIS International School Shenzhen follow?
BASIS International School Shenzhen teaches the American BASIS Curriculum, an accelerated programme built around subject specialist teaching and Advanced Placement courses in the senior years, taking students from pre kindergarten through to Grade 12.
How much are BASIS International School Shenzhen fees?
BASIS International School Shenzhen sits in the premium band for the city. Budget for tuition plus an application fee, a deposit and optional bus and meal costs, and confirm the current schedule with the school.
Who can enrol at BASIS International School Shenzhen?
As an international school in mainland China, BASIS International School Shenzhen admits foreign passport holders and residents from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, in line with local rules for schools serving the children of foreign nationals.
When did BASIS International School Shenzhen open?
The school opened in 2015 as the first BASIS campus in China and later moved to a larger purpose built campus in the Nanshan District as enrolment grew.
Where is BASIS International School Shenzhen?
The campus is in the Nanshan District in the west of Shenzhen, the city's main hub for technology employers and international families, within reach of the Shekou and Net Valley areas.
