Best IB Schools in Shanghai

Shanghai's IB market

Shanghai is one of the world's deepest IB markets and one of the most regulated. The 2021 reset, when authorities pushed back on foreign curricula for Chinese nationals, redrew the map. Foreign-passport-only schools (SAS, Dulwich, Wellington, NAIS, BISS, SCIS, SSIS, WISS, YCIS) kept their IB authorisation intact. Several mixed Chinese-international schools that previously ran the Diploma switched tracks or dropped IB at compulsory levels. Shanghai Pinghe is among the few private bilingual schools still running IB DP for local families.

Pudong (east of the Huangpu) holds SAS Pudong, Dulwich Pudong, NAIS Pudong, SCIS Pudong, and Wellington in Qiantan. Puxi (west) holds SAS Puxi, Dulwich Puxi, BISS Puxi, SCIS Hongqiao, WISS in Qingpu, and YCIS campuses on both sides. Most families pick by side of the river.

2024 global IB DP average: 30.32. Every school here clears it.

The top tier

Four schools posted 2025 IB averages of 37 or higher. All foreign-passport-only, CNY 270k–400k (USD 38k–56k) at top of school.

Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong

Dulwich Pudong posted an IB Diploma average of 38.1 with a 100% pass rate in 2025, among Shanghai's strongest published averages. ENC through IGCSE, then IB DP at Sixth Form. Founded 2003 in Jinqiao, ~1,600 students, 2–18. CIS and WASC accredited.

Fees (top of school): CNY 399,750 (~USD 56,000) · Spine: ENC → IGCSE → IB DP

Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi

Dulwich Puxi opened 2016 in Maqiao, Minhang. 2025 IB average 37.1, 100% pass rate, top score 44. ~1,400 students, 2–18, same spine as Pudong. The two campuses are not interchangeable; parents pick by side of the river, not by reputation.

Fees (top of school): CNY 399,750 (~USD 56,000) · Spine: ENC → IGCSE → IB DP

Wellington College International Shanghai

Wellington Shanghai in Qiantan (the New Bund, Pudong) posted a 2025 IB average of 37.4 with 33% A*/A at IGCSE. Founded 2014, ~1,660 students, 2–18. CIS, WASC, COBIS Patrons. The Qiantan campus is one of the best-resourced sites in the city.

Fees (top of school): CNY 391,000 (~USD 54,000) · Spine: ENC → IGCSE → IB DP

Nord Anglia International School Shanghai Pudong

NAIS Pudong is smaller (~700 students) than Dulwich and Wellington but academically competitive. 2025 IB average 37, with 50% of graduates scoring 40+. The 40+ share signals depth at the top end, not just a healthy middle. Founded 2002, Kangqiao, NEASC accredited.

Fees (top of school): CNY 385,090 (~USD 53,000) · Spine: ENC → IGCSE → IB DP

Strong mid-tier

These schools deliver the IB Diploma at or above the global benchmark, at fees that step down from the top tier.

Shanghai American School

SAS is the city's oldest international school (founded 1912) and the only Shanghai school running a dual IB + AP exit. Two campuses (Pudong; Puxi Minhang), ~2,700 students combined. American spine with IB PYP and MYP in lower divisions, then IB DP or AP in Grades 11–12. 2024 IB average 35, 94% of AP exams scored 3+. CIS and WASC accredited. The proposition is scale, history, and choice: the largest non-Chinese expat community at a single school, the deepest US college counselling, and the only school that defers the IB-vs-AP decision to Grade 11.

Fees (high school): CNY 304,100 (~USD 42,000) · Spine: American + IB PYP/MYP → IB DP or AP

The British International School Shanghai, Puxi

BISS Puxi is NAIS Pudong's Puxi sister under the same Nord Anglia group. IB average 34.5 in 2024, ~1,000 students, 2–18. Huacao (Minhang), serving the Hongqiao expat catchment. Cognia and CIS accredited.

Fees (top of school): CNY 385,090 (~USD 53,000) · Spine: ENC → IGCSE → IB DP

Yew Chung International School of Shanghai

YCIS is Shanghai's longest-running English-Chinese bilingual international school (founded 1995). IB average 34, Class of 2025. ~2,200 students, 2–18. The signature feature is the co-teaching model: every primary class has a Western and a Chinese co-teacher in the room. CIS accredited. Bilingual immersion is the reason to pick YCIS; the IB result is competitive but not the headline.

Fees (top of school): CNY 362,700 (~USD 50,000) · Spine: Bilingual + ENC influence → IB DP

Shanghai Singapore International School

SSIS runs IB DP, IB CP, and Cambridge A Levels side by side at Sixth Form. ~1,400 students, Minhang, founded 1996. No published aggregate IB average; reports an 8th-in-China IB ranking in a 2024 league table. CIS accredited. The school for families who want a Singapore-style academic culture without paying SAS or Dulwich fees.

Fees (top of school): CNY 315,000 (~USD 44,000) · Spine: Singapore + ENC blend → IB DP / CP / A Level

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

Most Shanghai IB schools sit IGCSE at 16, then move to the Diploma. Two stay in the IB stream the whole way.

Shanghai Community International School

SCIS runs the most established full IB continuum in Shanghai: PYP from age 3, MYP from 11, DP at 16. Two campuses (Hongqiao in Changning; Pudong in Lujiazui), ~1,800 students, founded 1996. WASC accredited. Students have scored 45/45 on the Diploma; the school reports 100% university acceptance, 40% to top-50 universities, without publishing a cohort-average DP score at the level of detail the British schools do.

The fee range is wide (CNY 151k–325k / USD 21k–45k) because early-years fees sit well below high-school fees, making SCIS one of the more accessible premium IB schools at the bottom end.

Fees (high school): CNY 324,500 (~USD 45,000) · Spine: IB PYP → MYP → DP

Western International School of Shanghai

WISS is the other full-continuum school, and the only Shanghai school authorised for all four IB programmes: PYP, MYP, DP, and CP. Founded 2006, Xujing (Qingpu, far western edge of Puxi), ~700 students, 2–18. CIS accredited. No recent aggregate DP averages published, which is the one caveat. Qingpu is inconvenient for central-Shanghai families but serves western Pudong and Hongqiao catchments.

Fees (top of school): CNY 267,332 (~USD 37,000) · Spine: IB PYP → MYP → DP / CP

Chinese-passport-eligible IB options

Foreign-passport-only schools (everything above) are closed to Chinese-passport holders. The DP options that remain are private bilingual schools whose international stream has local-authority sign-off. Hedged on purpose; the regulatory ground continues to move.

Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School

Shanghai Pinghe is a private bilingual school in Pudong, founded 1996, ~2,500 students, 3–18. Runs an IB DP track alongside the Ontario Secondary School Diploma in its international division. Fees CNY 84,000–150,000 (~USD 12,000–21,000), a fraction of foreign-passport-only premium fees. Pinghe does not publish aggregate IB averages and operates under tighter local oversight on Chinese-history content.

Shanghai United International School (SUIS) Gubei

SUIS Gubei runs IGCSE and IB DP at upper-school level for a predominantly Chinese-passport student body. Founded 2007, ~800 students, 11–18. Reports 141 offers from QS Top 30 and U.S. News Top 30 universities for the Class of 2026 without publishing an aggregate DP score.

The two-passport question matters more than fee or score for families with a Chinese national parent. Foreign-passport-only schools will not enrol Chinese-passport children regardless of income or English ability. Confirm eligibility before scheduling visits.

The age-16 transition

Six schools use IB only at Diploma level on top of a British or American spine. Two run the full PYP → MYP → DP continuum. SAS layers IB PYP/MYP under an American spine and offers both IB DP and AP at exit.

The biggest practical decision is the age-16 transition. Dulwich, Wellington, NAIS, BISS, and YCIS sit IGCSE at 16, then move into the Diploma. SCIS and WISS stay IB throughout. SAS lets the family pick IB or AP for the final two years. The Diploma is six subjects (three HL, three SL) plus TOK, an Extended Essay, and CAS, graded out of 45.

How to choose between them

Side of the river. Pudong and Puxi have different commute patterns and expat communities. Most families pick a side based on the working parent's office.

Curriculum spine before 16. British-system families: Dulwich, Wellington, NAIS, BISS, YCIS keep IGCSE intact. American-system: SAS keeps AP on the table. IB end-to-end: SCIS and WISS.

Score visibility. Dulwich, Wellington, NAIS, BISS, YCIS, and SAS publish cohort IB averages. SCIS, WISS, SSIS, and the Chinese-passport-eligible schools publish less. Absence of a published average does not mean weak cohorts.

At a glance

Fees converted to USD at indicative 2026 rates (CNY 7.2 = USD 1). Verify current figures with each school.

Related reading

• Best international schools in Shanghai
• What is the IB Diploma?
• IB HL vs SL
• IB vs A-Levels
• British vs IB vs American
• What is CIS accreditation?

FAQs

Which Shanghai IB school has the highest published Diploma average? Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong, 38.1 in 2025. Dulwich Puxi (37.1), Wellington Shanghai (37.4), and NAIS Pudong (37) sit behind. All four clear the global IB average of 30.32 by six or more points.

Can Chinese-passport holders attend an IB school in Shanghai? Not at the foreign-passport-only schools. The DP options for Chinese-passport families are private bilingual schools like Shanghai Pinghe and SUIS Gubei, where the local authority has approved an international stream. Eligibility and quotas vary year to year.

Why did so many Chinese schools drop IB after 2021? The 2021 regulatory reset restricted foreign curricula in Chinese national education at compulsory levels. Foreign-passport-only schools were not affected. Mixed Chinese-international schools reworked their offer, kept IB DP at upper-school level only, or switched to Chinese curriculum plus international exit qualifications.

Pudong or Puxi for IB schools? Both sides hold strong IB schools. Pudong: SAS Pudong, Dulwich Pudong, Wellington, NAIS Pudong, SCIS Pudong. Puxi: SAS Puxi, Dulwich Puxi, BISS Puxi, SCIS Hongqiao, WISS, YCIS. Pick by commute, then by school.

Is the full PYP → MYP → DP continuum better than IGCSE → DP? Not inherently. The full IB continuum (SCIS, WISS) gives a coherent inquiry-led philosophy from age 3 to 18 with no curriculum switch. The IGCSE → DP route (Dulwich, Wellington, NAIS, BISS) gives a more structured British-style subject framework through 16, then opens out into IB breadth. Both produce strong DP results when the school is strong. PYP and MYP implementation varies more between schools than IGCSE does.

Sources

• IB cohort averages and pass rates: school admissions pages and communications (2024–2025).
• 2024 global IB DP average (30.32): International Baccalaureate Organization annual statistical bulletin.
• Fees: school 2025–26 fee schedules.
• Regulatory context: Shanghai Municipal Education Commission guidance on foreign curricula following 2021.
• Currency: indicative CNY/USD rate, 7.2 = 1, as of 2026.

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