As a witness to the world's education revolution, Forbes China has been deeply concerned about the education industry, especially the latest development of international education. Recently, Forbes China grandly released the results of the "2024 Forbes China · International School Annual Selection", aiming to provide a more comprehensive reference for parents and students. On this basis, Forbes China has released the results of the "2024 Forbes China · International School City Selection", which further analyzes and demonstrates the outstanding performance of different cities in the field of international education. The list not only helps Chinese families have a clearer understanding of the international education resources of each city, but also provides a platform for international schools in each city to showcase their advantages.
The list of cities includes Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou and other major cities, which have an important position and competitiveness in the allocation of China's international education resources. Through this selection, Forbes China hopes to promote more cities to improve the quality of international education and create a better international education environment, so as to provide a broader growth space for international educators.
01. Research object
Schools for the children of foreign nationals, bilingual schools, and especially prominent international schools in China (except Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) that apply the international high school curriculum and whose students study in overseas colleges and universities, as well as the international departments of public schools with special prominence.
An international school refers to an international school and an international department of a public school that only admits students with foreign passports, and a bilingual school refers to an international school and an international department of a public school that has no nationality restriction on enrollment. Among them, due to the fact that Beijing has a large number of outstanding international departments of public schools, this selection has specially counted the list of outstanding international departments of public schools in Beijing.
02. Data sources
Our selection is based on data, and the main source of the data for this selection is the 2023-2024 school data provided by the school to Forbes China, and the rest is compiled from public information. In the "Public Information Collation" section, you can check the official websites of more than 1,000 international schools, official WeChat official accounts, official websites of multiple mainstream examination boards, and official websites of mainstream education accreditation agencies.
03. Evaluation system
This year's evaluation criteria construct a comprehensive and professional evaluation system of international schools in four dimensions: basic information, teaching conditions, international accreditation and academic quality, and on this basis, separate statistics are made on international schools in each city.
Shanghai
Shanghai's international education focuses on the deep integration of local and international curricula, and is committed to cultivating talents with global vision and cross-cultural communication skills. In 2024, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission will further deepen the reform of the international high school curriculum, and make the international curriculum closer to the needs and cultural backgrounds of Chinese students through localized practices. At the same time, most schools actively carry out international exchanges and cooperation, and provide students with rich international practice opportunities, such as participating in international competitions, study tours, etc., so as to comprehensively enhance students' international competitiveness. Through these efforts, Shanghai's international education system not only cultivates future leaders with a global perspective, but also builds a solid bridge for Chinese students to go global. Among the 150 schools selected for this year's Forbes China International School Selection, Shanghai is the city with the largest number of schools, with a total of 41 schools selected. YK Pao School ranked first in the 2024 Forbes China · International Bilingual School Annual Selection, while Shanghai United States International School, Wellington College International Shanghai and Shanghai Pinghe School ranked in the top five in the 2024 Forbes China · International Schools Annual Selection and the 2024 Forbes China · International Bilingual Schools Annual Selection, respectively.
Main Judge
Sub-selection
Beijing
As China's political, cultural, scientific and technological center and international exchange center, Beijing has unique advantages in international education. First of all, Beijing has abundant educational resources, including world-class universities, scientific research institutions and cultural institutions, which provides solid support for international education. Secondly, as an international metropolis, Beijing has an open and inclusive cultural atmosphere, which greatly enhances students' cross-cultural communication skills and global vision. Finally, Beijing's policy environment provides a strong guarantee for international education, and the government actively promotes the process of education internationalization and provides comprehensive policy support for the international development of international schools and public schools. Based on these advantages, Beijing has an important position in the field of international education, providing students with a broad space for development and rich educational resources. Dulwich College Beijing United Kingdom International School ranked first in the 2024 Forbes China · International School of the Year Awards, while Beijing Shunyi International School and Beijing West Academy also ranked in the top five, fully demonstrating Beijing's international education heritage.
Main Judge
Sub-selection
Guangzhou
Guangzhou's international high schools have flourished in recent years, highlighting the advantages of diversified curriculum, bilingual education and cultural integration, high-quality teachers and state-of-the-art teaching facilities. The school generally introduces IB, A-Level, AP and other international courses, provides a team of Chinese and foreign teachers, pays attention to the deep integration of Chinese and Western cultures, and is committed to cultivating students' cross-cultural communication skills. Through cooperation and exchange programs with prestigious overseas universities, students can obtain a wealth of international practice opportunities. In addition, the government's strong support and perfect educational facilities have further promoted the development of international high schools, so that students can obtain diversified paths for further studies and comprehensive comprehensive quality training.
As a well-established international city, Guangzhou has excellent foreign schools such as Guangzhou United States International School and Guangzhou Besaisi, as well as the international departments of highly recognized public schools such as Huafu, Guangwai, Zhixin and Guangya. At the same time, Foshan is also emerging in the field of international education, such as Guangdong Country Garden School, which has attracted a large number of outstanding students in the Guangzhou-Foshan area with its excellent education quality and rich international curriculum. Foshan's international schools and Guangzhou's educational resources complement each other, providing students with a broader development platform and better educational choices, and promoting Guangzhou-Foshan to become a high-quality region for international education in China.
Main Judge
Sub-selection
Shenzhen
Shenzhen, China's special economic zone and innovation capital, has also made remarkable achievements in the field of international education, and more and more students and parents are looking for Shenzhen as the first place to receive international education. In recent years, the number of international schools in Shenzhen has grown rapidly – as of 2024, it already has dozens of well-known international schools, covering all stages of education, from kindergarten to high school. These schools not only provide high-quality educational resources, but also in line with international standards in curriculum and teaching methods, cultivate students' global vision and comprehensive quality, and have achieved gratifying results, such as in recent years, Shenzhen Institute of International Exchange has continuously broken the data records of domestic international schools admitted to United Kingdom universities. At the same time, many excellent international schools in Dongguan, such as Qinglanshan School, also attract a large number of students from Shenzhen-Dongguan.
Main Judge
Sub-selection
Suzhou
According to Forbes China, there are currently more than 30 international schools in Suzhou, which are located in various areas of Suzhou, including Gusu District, Industrial Park, Wuzhong District, etc. These schools are not only numerous but also diverse, ranging from established international schools such as Kunshan Canada International School and Suzhou Singapore International School to high-quality private international schools, which provide students with a variety of educational options.
Main Judge
Sub-selection
nanking
In the field of international education, Nanjing is the leader in Jiangsu Province. Old famous schools such as Nanwai and Nanjing United Kingdom are well-known in the province, and new upstarts such as Gemdale and Wycombe Abbey have risen strongly, further improving the quality of education in Nanjing. In recent years, the Nanjing Municipal Government has attached great importance to the development of international education and has introduced a series of policies and measures to actively promote the optimal allocation of international education resources. As of 2024, Nanjing has a number of well-known international schools, covering the whole stage of education from kindergarten to high school. These schools not only attract a large number of expatriate children, but also provide a wealth of international educational resources for local students. With its strong educational foundation and policy support, Nanjing is increasingly becoming a new highland for international education.
Wuxi
Wuxi's international schools pay special attention to the cultivation of students' comprehensive quality and cross-cultural communication skills. Taking the International Department of Tianyi Middle School and the International Department of Daqiao Experimental School as examples, the former is known for its strict academic standards and rich extracurricular activities, which cultivate students' global vision and innovation ability. The latter, through a diverse curriculum and advanced teaching concepts, provides students with the opportunity to develop holistically and help them succeed in the international arena.
Hangzhou
As a strong city in China's economy, Hangzhou is not only known for its booming e-commerce and internet industries, but also for its commitment to innovation and international development. Its international education has shown a unique charm, which can provide high-quality educational resources and broad development space for students at home and abroad. Wellington College International Hangzhou and Betheth International Hangzhou have become the most popular international schools for parents due to their excellent educational quality. Established schools such as Hangzhou International School and Hangzhou International School have continued to achieve outstanding results, thus maintaining the forefront of international education in Zhejiang Province.
ningbo
Ningbo is home to a number of international schools that not only offer a diverse range of curriculum options, but also focus on cultivating students' intercultural communication skills and global perspective. These schools cover all stages from kindergarten to high school and cater to the needs of students of different ages. Among them, some well-known schools, such as Zhenhai Middle School Cambridge International Center, Ningbo Xiaoshi Middle School International Curriculum Class, etc., offer international classes on the basis of famous schools, and refer to the scores of the high school entrance examination for selection, providing high-quality courses while gathering excellent students. Through high-quality educational resources and advanced teaching concepts, Ningbo's international schools provide students with a platform for all-round development and help them excel in the era of globalization.
Tianjin
At present, Tianjin's international education system is becoming more and more perfect, covering all stages from primary school, junior high school to high school. Tianjin has a number of well-known international schools, such as Wellington College International School, MacDuffie International School, Tianjin Haijia International School, etc., which provide a complete K-12 education system, as well as continuous and systematic international education. These schools not only focus on academic education, but also cultivate students' comprehensive quality and global perspective through rich extracurricular activities and cross-cultural exchange programs.
In addition, there are some international curriculum centers in Tianjin that specialize in providing high school courses, such as the OSSD International Curriculum Center of Tianjin University, Farragut School, etc. These centers focus on international curriculum education at the high school level, providing international courses such as IB, A-Level, AP and OSSD to help students successfully transition to overseas university education.
Qingdao
As one of the five cities in China, Qingdao is an important central city and coastal resort in China's coastal areas, which provides rich resources and a broad platform for Qingdao's international education. Qingdao's international schools not only focus on academic education, but also on cultivating students' comprehensive quality and international vision. Among them, Malvern College Qingdao has excellent results in leading academic studies, while Yew Chung International School Qingdao and Qingdao American and Asian International School have a variety of practical activities and cultural exchanges. These schools can help students better understand and integrate into the world, so as to develop future talents who are globally competitive.
Wuhan
One of the most significant features of Wuhan's international education is its diversified curriculum system, covering almost all mainstream international courses such as A-Level, IBDP, AP, IFY, GAC-ACT, OSSD, etc. This diverse curriculum provides students with a wide range of options to choose the most suitable course for them based on their interests and career plans.
For example, as a leader in international education in Wuhan, the Anglo-Chinese School of Wuhan Foreign Chinese School not only offers a variety of international courses, but also has a team of high-quality teachers and advanced teaching facilities. The school's students have won many excellent results in international competitions, fully demonstrating the excellence of its international education. In addition, ISA Wenhua Wuhan and ISA International School Wuhan actively introduce advanced international educational concepts and teaching resources to create an international educational environment for students.
Chongqing
As an important city in southwest China, Chongqing's international education is showing its unique vitality. According to the data obtained by Forbes China, there are 22 international schools in Chongqing, mainly public schools. Among them, the International Department of Chongqing Nankai Middle School is at the forefront in terms of teachers and further study results, while the International Department of Chongqing Yucai Middle School has been extremely outstanding in the past two years, and has made breakthroughs in the application direction of United States every year. In the UK, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong, Maple Leaf Chinese Restaurant Chongqing and Yew Chung International School of Chongqing have achieved excellent results. Chongqing Harrow Reed High School is a very young school with excellent teachers and facilities, which deserves continued attention.
Chengdu
As a famous historical and cultural city, Chengdu has a profound cultural heritage and rich cultural resources, and this cultural atmosphere is also reflected in its international education. Chengdu's international schools not only inherit and promote Chinese culture, but also actively introduce excellent foreign cultures to provide students with opportunities for multicultural exchange and learning. The school often organizes various cultural activities, such as international cultural festivals, Chinese and foreign art weeks, etc., so that students can better understand and appreciate the cultures of different countries and nationalities. This multicultural educational environment not only broadens students' international perspectives, but also develops their cross-cultural communication skills and global thinking. Chengdu Léman International School and Chengdu Meishi School both have a history of more than 10 years and have a good reputation. Chengdu Shengpo International School is a young school that deserves continuous attention, with excellent teachers and campus management system, and has begun to emerge in the international education market.
Image source: Visual China
Disclaimer: The selection is a business cooperation content, part/all of the data used for the research comes from partners and third parties, and the relevant views and conclusions are based on the above data research, and do not make any investment guidance and reference.