ISA Science City International School

In Brief

ISASC is the largest IB school in Guangzhou and one of the most ambitious campuses built in mainland China in the last decade. The scale and facilities are hard to argue with - but the Huangpu location and ongoing leadership changes are the main things to investigate before committing.

With 2,200 students and a campus purpose-built around the IB curriculum, ISASC sits in a different size category to every other international school in Guangzhou. The WELL Gold v2 certification - the only K-12 school in China to hold it - reflects the level of investment in the physical environment. Boarding for up to 500 students sets it further apart, attracting families from across Guangdong and beyond, not just Guangzhou expats.

The school's 2026 university admissions season has been strong: 20 prospective graduates received 162 offers from global universities, with cumulative scholarships exceeding US$2.11 million. Scholarship programmes - including 100% tuition waivers for exceptional students - are actively promoted and represent a genuine draw for high-achieving families who might not otherwise consider the fees. Five language pathways for ages 2 to 18 make it a reasonable fit for non-English mother tongue families.

The Huangpu location on Yushu South Road in Science City is a 30-to-40-minute drive from most expat residential areas in Tianhe or Yuexiu, and closer to 45 minutes from Panyu or Baiyun at peak hours. Staff commentary (Glassdoor, 2024) flags ongoing leadership changes and a pattern of new systems each year - worth raising directly at the admissions visit. Fees run from CNY 220,000 (Early Years) to CNY 328,000 (IB Diploma), with a CNY 30,000 admissions deposit on top.