Best IB Schools in Beijing (2026) | International Schools Guide

The brief

International School of Beijing (ISB) is the city's IB anchor, 35.4 average in 2025, foreign-passport-only, full PYP-MYP-DP continuum. Profile.
Dulwich College Beijing posts the highest 2025 DP average in the city, 38.6, via a British pathway through IGCSE. Profile.
Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) is the Chaoyang IB veteran, 30.6 in 2025, broad American-influenced programme. Profile.
Keystone Academy is the Chinese-passport-eligible standout, 36 across 101 candidates, boarding from Grade 7. Profile.
YCIS Beijing and BCIS sit mid-tier at around 34 points, both cheaper than the anchors. YCIS | BCIS.

Beijing's IB market

One regulatory rule shapes everything. Foreign-passport-only schools are restricted to children with foreign passports. Chinese nationals attend domestic schools or a regulated bilingual private sector. The line has been enforced harder since the 2021 private education reforms.

The foreign-passport tier is led by International School of Beijing in Shunyi and Western Academy of Beijing in Chaoyang, with Dulwich College Beijing alongside them in Shunyi posting the strongest 2025 average. The bilingual tier, open to Chinese nationals, is led by Keystone Academy and Daystar Academy, both delivering strong Diploma results inside the post-2021 frame.

Geography clusters the market. Shunyi, north-east near the airport, holds ISB, Dulwich, BSB Shunyi, Keystone, BIBA and BIBS, the historical foreign-passport heartland of gated compounds. Chaoyang, centre and east, holds WAB, BCIS, YCIS Beijing, CISB and Daystar, closer to the business and embassy districts.

The 2024 global IB DP average was 30.32. Beijing's published numbers run from 30 to 39.

The top tier

International School of Beijing

ISB is the city's IB benchmark. Founded 1980, around 1,800 students across PYP, MYP and DP on a large purpose-built campus in Shunyi. The 2025 Diploma cohort averaged 35.4 points with a 100% pass rate and 85 diplomas awarded, squarely in the upper band for Asian international schools.

ISB is foreign-passport-only, dual CIS and NEASC accredited, broad student body from North American, European and Korean expat communities. Fees CNY 155,800 to 361,800 (USD 21,600 to 50,200). Daniel Rubenstein as Head.

Western Academy of Beijing

WAB is the Chaoyang counterpart to ISB. Founded 1994, around 1,300 students, full IB continuum, dual CIS and NEASC accreditation, pulling from the embassy and business communities south of the airport.

The 2025 cohort posted 30.6 points with a 94.5% pass rate, a step below ISB and Dulwich on the headline number. Families choosing WAB usually do so for a more American-flavoured programme, a strong arts and service tradition, and a smaller campus footprint. Fees CNY 148,000 to 380,500 (USD 20,600 to 52,800), the highest top-end number in the city.

Dulwich College Beijing

Dulwich Beijing posted the highest published Diploma average in the city in 2025, 38.6 points with a 100% pass rate. Combined with a 35.4% A* rate at IGCSE, it makes Dulwich the strongest foreign-passport results performer in the most recent cycle.

The route is hybrid: English National Curriculum at primary and middle, IGCSEs at Year 11, IB Diploma at sixth form. British rigour through Key Stage 4, IB breadth at 16.

Around 1,600 students, founded 2005, Shunyi campus, CIS and WASC accredited, Cameron Pyke as Head. Fees CNY 245,000 to 373,000 (USD 34,000 to 51,800). Operator is Dulwich International, not Dulwich College London; quality lives at the campus.

Mid-tier

Yew Chung International School of Beijing

YCIS Beijing has run an IB Diploma in Chaoyang since the 1990s, posting 19 consecutive years of 100% pass rates and a 2025 average of 34 points. The distinctive feature is bilingualism: 71.4% of 2025 diplomas were bilingual diplomas, well above the global rate, reflecting the school's co-teaching model that pairs a Western and a Chinese teacher from early years onwards. Around 750 students, CIS accredited. Fees CNY 137,000 to 334,000 (USD 19,000 to 46,400).

Beijing City International School

BCIS runs the full IB continuum in central Chaoyang. 34.0 average across 52 candidates in 2025, 83% DP pass rate in 2024. Around 1,300 students, CIS and WASC accredited, Tom Egerton as Head, founded 2005. Fees CNY 244,000 to 349,000 (USD 33,900 to 48,500), premium pricing for a mid-tier results profile.

Canadian International School of Beijing

CISB runs the full IB continuum in Chaoyang, around 1,400 students from over 60 nationalities, founded 2005, CIS accredited. Fees CNY 135,500 to 336,800 (USD 18,800 to 46,800). CISB does not publish a Diploma cohort average, a meaningful data gap when ranking on results.

The British School of Beijing, Shunyi

BSB Shunyi is operated by Nord Anglia, running a British primary and secondary programme with the IB Diploma at sixth form alongside Cambridge A Levels. 2025 university destinations were strong, 72 offers, 79% to QS top-100 universities, 24 Russell Group offers, two Cambridge offers in 2026. No Diploma cohort average published in the form ISB or Dulwich publish. Around 1,100 students, founded 2009, triple-accredited (CIS, NEASC, COGNIA), Bevan Graham as Head. Fees CNY 165,000 to 361,100 (USD 22,900 to 50,200).

Best for full IB continuum (PYP + MYP + DP)

Three Beijing schools deliver the IB from age 3 through the Diploma without switching frameworks: WAB, ISB and BCIS in the foreign-passport tier; Keystone, Daystar and CISB in the bilingual or open tier.

The continuum case is coherent in theory, a single IB assessment culture for 15 years. In practice PYP and MYP execution varies significantly between schools, and a mediocre MYP can deliver less Diploma preparation than a strong IGCSE programme. Dulwich's 38.6 came out of an IGCSE pathway, not a continuum. Keystone's 36 came out of an integrated bilingual continuum. Both work.

Chinese-passport-eligible IB options

A regulatory caveat first. The 2021 Private Education Promotion Law amendments tightened the rules for schools enrolling Chinese nationals. State-mandated content (Chinese language, history, ideology and politics) must sit alongside any international curriculum at compulsory stages. The IB itself can still be delivered, but inside a tighter frame than a foreign-passport school faces. Implementation has shifted year to year.

Keystone Academy

Keystone is the strongest Chinese-passport-eligible IB school in Beijing. Founded 2014 in Shunyi, around 1,200 students, boarding from Grade 7 onwards, CIS and NEASC accredited. The 2025 Diploma cohort posted an average of 36 across 101 candidates with a 97% pass rate and 62% scoring 35 or above.

The model is bilingual at primary, English-dominant by senior school, IB Diploma at the top. University destinations skew US with meaningful UK and Hong Kong tails. Fees CNY 110,250 to 323,950 (USD 15,300 to 45,000). Dr. Emily McCarren as Head.

Daystar Academy

Daystar runs the full IB continuum in Chaoyang and is MOE-registered alongside CIS and WASC accreditation, the triple credentialing of a serious bilingual operation. The 2025 Diploma cohort posted 37 average with 50% scoring 40-45, a remarkable top-end distribution, though cohort size is smaller than Keystone. Around 900 students, founded 2002, fees CNY 218,000 to 254,000 (USD 30,300 to 35,300). Dr. Daniel Williams as Head.

Beijing No. 4 High School International Campus and Tsinghua International School

Both run IB-style programmes attached to elite domestic schools. Both operate under tighter restrictions on Chinese-passport enrolment since the 2021 reforms, and neither publishes cohort-level Diploma averages. Families researching this segment should enquire directly about current enrolment policy and published results.

At a glance

School	Area	Top-year fees (CNY)	Top-year fees (USD)	IB programmes	Passport	2025 DP average	Standout
International School of Beijing	Shunyi	361,800	50,200	PYP, MYP, DP	Foreign	35.4	85 diplomas
Western Academy of Beijing	Chaoyang	380,500	52,800	PYP, MYP, DP	Foreign	30.6	Chaoyang continuum
Dulwich College Beijing	Shunyi	373,000	51,800	DP over IGCSE	Foreign	38.6	Strongest average
YCIS Beijing	Chaoyang	334,000	46,400	DP	Foreign	34	71.4% bilingual diplomas
BCIS	Chaoyang	349,000	48,500	PYP, MYP, DP	Foreign	34.0	Chaoyang continuum
CISB	Chaoyang	336,800	46,800	PYP, MYP, DP	Foreign	Not pub	60+ nationalities
BSB Shunyi	Shunyi	361,100	50,200	DP, A Levels	Foreign	Not pub	79% QS top-100
Keystone Academy	Shunyi	323,950	45,000	DP bilingual	Open	36	Boarding from G7
Daystar Academy	Chaoyang	254,000	35,300	PYP, MYP, DP	Open	37	MOE + CIS + WASC
BIBA	Shunyi	292,000	40,600	PYP, MYP, DP	Open	Not pub	Long age range

Fees converted to USD at indicative 2026 rate of CNY 7.2 = USD 1. Foreign-passport schools require a foreign passport for the child at the relevant age. Verify current figures with each school.

The four IB programmes

The IB is a single global framework. PYP from 3 to 12, MYP from 11 to 16, the Diploma from 16 to 19, plus an optional Career-related Programme. The Diploma is six subjects (three HL, three SL) plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS. Graded out of 45. Structurally heavy by design.

What changes between schools is execution. PYP execution varies most: inquiry-led, no external exams, the only signal of quality is what happens in the classroom. MYP execution varies more still: eight subject groups, criterion-referenced internal assessment. Some Beijing schools deliver a tight MYP that prepares students well for the Diploma; others deliver a holding pattern between PYP and DP.

DP execution is the easiest to read because the external exam is moderated globally. ISB delivered 35.4. Dulwich delivered 38.6. Keystone delivered 36 across 101 candidates. These are not marketing numbers.

How to choose between them

The first cut is usually made for the family rather than by them.

Passport. Foreign passport opens the foreign-passport tier. Chinese passport leaves Keystone, Daystar, BIBA and a handful of other bilingual schools as the IB choices.

Location. Shunyi holds most of the largest foreign-passport IB schools. A family living south of the second ring will spend an hour each way on the school bus to a Shunyi campus.

Published versus unpublished results. ISB, WAB, Dulwich, YCIS, BCIS, Keystone and Daystar all publish a Diploma cohort average. CISB, BSB Shunyi and BIBA do not. The data gap is a real factor in a results-based shortlist.

Cohort size. A 35-point average across 85 candidates (ISB) is a different signal from a 38.6 across a smaller Dulwich cohort. Larger cohorts give the average more weight. Ask each school for cohort size, not the headline alone.

Brand operator does not equal campus quality. Dulwich International, Nord Anglia and YCIS run campus franchises here. The campus is the school.

FAQs

Can a Chinese-passport child attend ISB, WAB or Dulwich Beijing? No. The foreign-passport-tier schools require the child to hold a foreign passport, and the rule has been enforced more tightly since the 2021 reforms. Families with one Chinese-national parent should confirm which passport the child holds before assuming eligibility.

Which Beijing IB school posted the highest Diploma average in 2025? Dulwich College Beijing, with 38.6 points and a 100% pass rate. ISB followed at 35.4 with 85 diplomas awarded. Keystone posted 36 across 101 candidates. The 2024 global IB Diploma average was 30.32.

Which schools run the full PYP-MYP-DP continuum? In the foreign-passport tier, WAB, ISB and BCIS. In the bilingual or open-passport tier, Keystone, Daystar, CISB and BIBA. Dulwich Beijing and BSB Shunyi run a British primary and middle school with the IB Diploma at sixth form.

Is the bilingual IB stream as strong as the foreign-passport schools? On 2025 published averages, yes. Keystone posted 36 across 101 candidates; Daystar posted 37 with 50% scoring 40 to 45. Both sit alongside or above the foreign-passport mid-tier. The difference is curriculum balance and regulatory frame, not academic output.

How much does an IB Diploma cost in Beijing? Top-year fees at the foreign-passport anchors run CNY 360,000 to 380,000, around USD 50,000 to 53,000. The bilingual tier sits below, with Keystone at CNY 324,000 (USD 45,000) and Daystar at CNY 254,000 (USD 35,300).

Does an IB Diploma from Beijing carry the same value as one from London or Singapore? Yes. The Diploma is externally moderated and is the same qualification wherever it is sat. Universities read a 38.6 from Dulwich Beijing, a 35.4 from ISB or a 36 from Keystone the same way they read a Diploma from any other authorised IB World School.

Sources: 2025 published exam results from school websites and annual reports. 2024 global IB DP average from IBO statistical bulletin. Passport-eligibility rules from China Ministry of Education guidance and post-2021 Private Education Promotion Law amendments. Fee data from current school admissions pages, verified February 2026. Exchange rate indicative at CNY 7.2 = USD 1.