Cities / Guangzhou / Utahloy International School Guangzhou
Utahloy International School Guangzhou
Lakeside IB continuum school in Baiyun district and the only campus in Guangzhou running the full PYP, MYP and Diploma pathway under one roof. Founded in 1998 and accredited by CIS and WASC, Utahloy sits on the shores of Jinhu Lake about twenty minutes from downtown.
In brief
Lakeside IB continuum school in Baiyun district and the only campus in Guangzhou running the full PYP, MYP and Diploma pathway under one roof.
Founded in 1998 and accredited by CIS and WASC, Utahloy sits on the shores of Jinhu Lake about twenty minutes from downtown. Around 700 students from over fifty nationalities, low class sizes, six mother-tongue language options, and IB Diploma results that sit comfortably above the world average. The waterfront campus is a real selling point for families coming out of dense city schools.
Parents talk warmly about caring teachers and a strong PTA, and praise the seamless transition between PYP, MYP and DP for kids who stay through. Teacher voice on staff forums flags some friction in the high school around social cliques and ethnic grouping. Best fit for committed IB families who want a green campus and don't mind the Baiyun commute.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Nido / Nursery (half-day K) | 2 | CN¥132,300 |
| K1 (half-day) | 3 | CN¥136,500 |
| Nursery (full-day K) | 3 | CN¥189,000 |
| K1 (full-day) | 4 | CN¥195,000 |
| K2 | 4 | CN¥205,000 |
| K3 | 5 | CN¥222,000 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | CN¥236,800 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | CN¥234,800 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | CN¥234,800 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | CN¥234,800 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | CN¥234,800 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | CN¥251,800 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | CN¥252,800 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | CN¥252,800 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | CN¥279,800 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | CN¥279,800 |
| Grade 11 (IB Diploma Year 1) | 16 | CN¥290,800 |
| Grade 12 (IB Diploma Year 2) | 17 | CN¥290,800 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | CN¥2,000 |
Reviews
Guangzhou's first IB World School and still the only one in the city running the full PYP, MYP and DP continuum end to end. The Baiyun campus sits beside Golden Lake about twenty minutes from the centre, and the lake-and-hillside setting is the thing parents tend to mention first. New leadership took over in August 2024 and the early note from the community is settled and positive, though the senior cohort is small and the published reception is thin in volume.
Positives
- IB continuum. Full PYP, MYP and DP under one roof, with seamless transitions between phases handled by teachers who have spent their careers inside the IB.
- Campus setting. Lakeside Baiyun campus with classrooms and play spaces opening onto forested hillsides. The feel is calm and green rather than urban-glass-tower.
- Multilingual offer. Mother-tongue programmes in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, German and Spanish, and most recent diploma graduates leaving with the IB bilingual diploma. The Korean cohort is the largest national group.
- Academic results. Recent IB diploma averages sit around 34, comfortably above the global mean, with all leavers progressing to university.
Considerations
- Senior cohort size. Diploma year groups are very small (the Class of 2025 graduated four students). That means close teacher attention and tight pastoral fit, but a thin peer group and a narrower band of HL subject combinations than larger Guangzhou competitors.
- Commute and location. Baiyun puts the school roughly twenty minutes from central Guangzhou in light traffic, longer at peak. Families based in Tianhe or Zhujiang New Town lean on the bus network.
- Leadership transition. Dr Daniel Mullen stepped in as Head of School and Superintendent in August 2024. The community has had a year to settle under him; longer-running questions about staff continuity that have surrounded the school in the past are worth treating as a live area rather than a closed one.
- Fees. Tuition runs CNY 189,000 to 290,800 for 2025/26 across the year groups, with the upper diploma years at the top of that range. Mid-pack for an IB-continuum school in Guangzhou.
Leadership
Dr. Daniel Mullen
Dr. Daniel Mullen is an international educator from the United States with 30 years of experience in business and education leadership. As an advocate for students, Dan promotes cultural understanding and encourages values of empathy and active service. As Head of School and Superintendent of Utahloy International Schools, his focus remains on strengthening the synergy between the challenging IB curriculum and the school's deep-rooted values. He has been instrumental in leading the school through its accreditation processes and fostering a community that celebrates diversity and international-mindedness.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) 02
Academic results
- Result IB DP 78% bilingual diploma rate 2025
- Result 23.7% EE 'A' grade 2025
- Result IB DP core points average 2/3 2025.