Forbes China, together with HSBC Bank (China) Company Limited (“HSBC China”), jointly released the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection. This marks the first time the two parties have collaborated on this selection, which aims to provide families planning international education pathways for their children with a reference that combines professional depth with local insight.

Graham Earnshaw, Chief Strategy Officer of Forbes China

Forbes China Chief Strategy Officer Graham Earnshaw said, “The value of international schools lies not only in their university placement outcomes, but also in the implementation of their educational philosophy and their ability to cultivate future-ready talent. In this year’s selection, we have placed particular emphasis on innovation and development, especially the real-world application of artificial intelligence in education, with the hope of encouraging deeper industry reflection on ‘future education.’”

Max Xu, Managing Director, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking, HSBC China

Max Xu, Managing Director, Head of International Wealth and Premier Banking, HSBC China, said, “In an era of rapid transformation, artificial intelligence is not only reshaping how we learn but also redefining the demand of talents and educational planning. This evolution is driving a new wave of momentum in international education and global talent development. HSBC remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting Chinese families at every stage of their international education journey. At the 4th HSBC International Education Forum, we are proud to partner with Forbes China to launch the International Schools Selection, identifying top-tier international schools from early childhood through high school across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau. This collaboration represents our latest stride in deepening engagement and expanding the global education ecosystem in China. In response to the increasingly diverse educational pathways, HSBC is dedicated to providing Chinese families with forward-looking, locally relevant insights powered by systematic, multidimensional assessments and professional data analysis. We aim to empower families with the clarity and confidence they need to make informed choices in their international education planning.

“Effective academic planning for children may start from strategic wealth management. Ensuring a steady allocation of education funds allows families to confidently support their children at every stage of development. As a leading global financial institution with operations in 56 markets — covering major overseas study destinations — HSBC is uniquely positioned to support international education needs. In Chinese mainland, HSBC has the most extensive wealth management service network among foreign banks, effectively connecting global financial resources with local family needs. Through our one-stop global financial services, we provide efficient and reliable end-to-end support across three key stages: planning, pre-departure, and arrival overseas. This comprehensive approach enables families to navigate the international education journey with confidence and peace of mind, opening up a world of more opportunities ahead."

01.

Evaluation Framework: Four Key Dimensions for a Comprehensive Assessment of Schools’ True Capabilities

For the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International School Selection, we developed a systematic evaluation framework to conduct a comprehensive analysis and assessment of schools across four dimensions: academic achievement, teaching quality, foundational conditions, and innovation and development.

This structure was adopted because a school’s true capabilities are reflected not only in its ultimate educational outcomes, but also in its day-to-day teaching process. They also depend on the support of resources and environment, and are ultimately reflected in the school’s ability to achieve sustained future-oriented development. Only by bringing these dimensions together can a more comprehensive and objective assessment be formed.

• Academic Achievement: Looking Beyond Outcomes to Stability and Structure

In terms of academic achievement, the evaluation focuses primarily on three core areas: examination performance under international curricula, academic competition results, and students’ university destinations.

In the specific analysis, the evaluation does not rely solely on “top scores” or “individual cases.” Instead, it places greater emphasis on overall performance, including whether results demonstrate continuity, whether they remain stable across different years, and whether the distribution of results is balanced. This is particularly important, as it directly reflects whether a school has the ability to consistently deliver high-quality academic outcomes.

In terms of academic competitions, the evaluation looks not only at the number of awards received, but also at the diversity of competition types, the breadth of student participation, and the consistency of performance. This helps assess whether a school has made a sustained commitment to developing students’ academic enrichment capabilities. For university placement outcomes, the evaluation adopts a structural analysis approach, examining factors such as the distribution of students across different tiers of institutions and the stability of outcomes over time. This approach helps avoid allowing a small number of top-tier admissions cases to exert disproportionate influence on the overall assessment, thereby presenting a more accurate picture of the school’s overall educational outcomes.

• Teaching Quality: Assessing the Reliability of Outcomes Through the Teaching Process

The teaching quality dimension is systematically evaluated based on factors including the student-teacher ratio, teacher qualifications, participation of international faculty, and mechanisms for teachers’ professional development.

The student-teacher ratio reflects the allocation of educational resources. A relatively balanced student-teacher ratio generally means that students can receive more individual attention and that personalized teaching can be more effectively implemented. Teacher qualifications include not only academic background, but also teaching experience and actual teaching outcomes. The focus is on the degree of alignment between teachers’ capabilities and the curriculum system. The proportion of international faculty is used more as an indicator of a school’s international environment and language atmosphere. However, this metric is not assessed in isolation; instead, it is analyzed in combination with teachers’ actual classroom responsibilities and depth of participation. The teacher professional development mechanism is evaluated by looking at the frequency and coverage of training systems, as well as the extent to which they are integrated with teaching practice. This helps determine whether a school has made long-term investment and established systematic mechanisms for enhancing teaching capabilities.

The core purpose of this dimension is to answer one key question: whether a school’s current academic outcomes are built upon a stable and sustainable teaching system.

• Foundational Conditions: Assessing Support Capacity Through Environment and Resources

The foundational conditions dimension focuses primarily on the school’s overall educational environment, including campus facilities, scholarship and support systems, student activities, digital resources, and international accreditations.

In terms of campus facilities, the evaluation focuses not only on the scale of hardware infrastructure, but also on whether these facilities genuinely serve teaching and learning needs. Scholarship and support systems reflect a school’s investment in educational equity and talent attraction. Student activities are used to assess the school’s cultivation system beyond the classroom, including the diversity of activity types, breadth of participation, and the degree of alignment with educational objectives. For digital and teaching infrastructure, the focus is on the school’s adaptability to a modern educational environment, as well as the depth of practical application of these tools in teaching. International accreditations provide an indirect indication of the standardization of the school’s curriculum system and management practices, as well as its degree of alignment with the international education system.

The core purpose of this dimension is to determine whether a school has a complete, stable, and effective educational ecosystem that supports both teaching and development.

• Innovation and Development: Focusing on Artificial Intelligence and Future-Ready Educational Capabilities

In the innovation and development dimension, in addition to innovations in curriculum design, exploration of teaching models, and interdisciplinary projects, this year’s selections place particular emphasis on the application of artificial intelligence (AI). This is because AI is profoundly reshaping the underlying logic of education. Its impact is reflected not only at the technological level, but also in the transformation of learning approaches and teaching models.

During the evaluation process, particular attention is paid to the following aspects: the extent to which AI is genuinely applied in teaching practice, including whether it is used for learning data analysis, behavior tracking, and the optimization of teaching feedback; AI’s ability to support personalized learning; the integration of AI into the curriculum system; teachers’ proficiency in using AI tools; and the standardization and sustainability of its application. The reason AI application is given special emphasis is that it is no longer merely a “bonus factor,” but is gradually becoming a key variable influencing the quality and efficiency of education.

This dimension is, in essence, designed to assess whether a school has the adaptability and transformational capacity required for future forms of education. Through this evaluation approach, the selections not only provide practical reference value in the present, but also, to a certain extent, reflect a school’s development potential and competitiveness in the future education landscape.

02.

Overall Landscape: Coexistence of Top-Tier Concentration and Regional Breakthroughs

According to the selection data, Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen remain the core hubs of international education. Among the top 10 bilingual high schools, Shanghai accounts for five places: YK Pao School, Guanghua Cambridge International School, Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School, Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy, and Ulink College of Shanghai. Among the top 10 international Shanghai Community International School. Shenzhen, represented by Shenzhen College of International Education and BASIS International School Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, represented by ISA Science City International School and American International School of Guangzhou, follow closely behind.

Notably, emerging first-tier cities such as Suzhou — represented by United World College Changshu China and Overseas Chinese Academy of Concord Suzhou — Tianjin — represented by YINGHUA ACADEMY OF TIANJIN — Xi’an — represented by the Xi'an Gaoxin No.1 High School International Course Center— and Chengdu — represented by Léman International School Chengdu and Malvern College Chengdu — have produced regional benchmarks. This indicates that international education resources are expanding outward from China’s super first-tier cities. At the same time, Guangdong Country Garden School in Foshan ranked third among bilingual high schools, eighth among bilingual middle schools, and eighth among bilingual primary schools, making it the only school outside first-tier cities to have consistently maintained a top-10 position across all stages of education over an extended period. Its development path of “regional breakthrough” is therefore particularly noteworthy.

The 100 bilingual high schools ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International School selection are:

Bilingual High Schools: Balancing Top-Tier Admissions with Overall Stability

The bilingual high school selections show a clear pattern of top-tier separation. YK Pao School scored 98, followed by Guanghua Cambridge International School at 97.9, Guangdong Country Garden School at 96.7, Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School at 96.6, and Shenzhen College of International Education at 96.4, together forming the first tier. After the sixth-ranked Keystone Academy at 94.7, scores decline quickly into the 90-point range. The gap of approximately 2–3 points between the first and second tiers reflects, within the weighted scoring system, substantive differences in university placement outcomes, competition performance, and faculty strength.

Beijing Royal School rose from 61st in 2025 to 16th, climbing 45 places. This improvement is mainly attributable to the school’s continued deepening of its international curriculum system. Beijing Royal School not only offers the three mainstream international curricula — AP, A-Level and IB — but has also introduced a differentiated teaching system that allows students to flexibly select courses according to their university application goals. In addition, the school has established art courses across three major pathways, steadily enhancing its educational quality through diversified curriculum development.

Living Word Shanghai rose from 95th in 2025 to 44th, climbing 51 places. In 2026, the school carried out a comprehensive upgrade of its curriculum system. Building on its existing American high school AP and A-Level programs, the high school division added the Canadian BC 2+1 Program, providing a tailored option for students seeking a high-value international education experience.

Guanghua Qidi Education rose from 80th in 2025 to 43rd, climbing 37 places. The school has consistently practiced its philosophy of “personalized education.” It is characterized by ultra-small-class teaching and a one-on-one mentorship system, adopting a small-class model of 3 to 8 students and implementing a “one student, one timetable” system. Each student receives a full-process planning solution covering academic improvement, language test preparation, and overseas study guidance. Both curriculum arrangements and university application timelines are customized according to each student’s individual needs.

XI'AN TIE YI INTERNATIONAL CURRICULUM CENTER was ranked for the first time in 2026 selection. The school has developed a diversified international curriculum system covering three major modules: AP, A-Level and GAC. It also organically integrates China’s foundational high school curriculum with international curricula, forming a curriculum structure that offers both depth and breadth. With small-class teaching of fewer than 30 students, joint curriculum research by Chinese and international teachers, and the integration of academic and enrichment courses, the school has continued to optimize curriculum quality, further consolidating its position as a leading international curriculum center in Northwest China.

Hangzhou Yungu School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 63rd. At the end of 2025, the school received an additional RMB 1.06 billion investment from its shareholders, bringing its cumulative investment to RMB 2.2 billion and providing strong support for curriculum development and hardware upgrades. At the same time, the school’s background with Alibaba partners has brought distinctive technology resources. Its smart campus system has introduced AI-based learning behavior analysis and metaverse virtual laboratories, while Alibaba technical experts serve as guest professors, teaching frontier courses such as cloud computing and big data.

Different schools demonstrate differentiated pathways of strength. The International Division of Xi'an Gaoxin No.1 High School International Course Center, ranked 12th with a score of 87.1, saw its Class of 2025 receive offers from leading universities including Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell. Its average AP subject scores were also significantly higher than the China regional averages, with Calculus BC at 4.71 versus 3.63 and Chemistry at 4.36 versus 3.85. This has created a dual advantage of “top-tier breakthroughs plus consistently high overall performance.”

YINGHUA ACADEMY OF TIANJIN, ranked 13th with a score of 87, saw its 73 graduates from the Class of 2025 receive 506 pre-admission offers, including 47 offers from UK G5 universities. The breadth of student participation in academic competitions is also noteworthy. In 2025, more than 220 students took part in competitions, with eight students winning provincial first prizes in the National High School Mathematics League and 43 students winning provincial first prizes in the Chemistry Olympiad. These results reflect the school’s long-term commitment to academic enrichment.

Guangdong Country Garden School, ranked 3rd with a score of 96.7, has seen its 406 graduates from the Class of 2026 receive 1,297 admission offers to date, including offers for six students from Oxford, eight from Cambridge, seven from Imperial College London, and 57 from UCL. The school also achieved an IB predicted average score of 40.81 and an AP average score of 4.02. Its ability to balance a large student base — with 2,070 students in the high school division — and top-tier academic outcomes demonstrates the systematic operational capabilities of a mature international school.

In terms of faculty teams, Shanghai United International School Gubei Campus, ranked 20th with a score of 86.1, has 68 international teachers and 30 Chinese teachers, with international faculty accounting for nearly 70% of the teaching staff. This supports a mature fully English-language IB curriculum environment. By contrast, the International Division of Xi'an Gaoxin No.1 High School International Course Center has only 13 international teachers, but its Chinese teachers have an average tenure of 10 years, with 45 teachers holding master’s degrees or above and 50 teachers qualified as AP examiners. This demonstrates that the alignment between teacher capabilities and the curriculum system is more critical than the sheer number of international teachers. In terms of teacher professional development, Vanke Meisha Academy, ranked 16th with a score of 86.5, provides an average of 63.2 hours of training per teacher per year, while YINGHUA ACADEMY OF TIANJIN reaches 850 hours, including specialized training such as programs under its Junior Academy of Sciences. Such intensive and systematic investment in continuing professional development is positively correlated with curriculum innovation capacity.

In the bilingual high school selections, different schools demonstrate clearly differentiated university placement pathways. Taking Hiba Academy Shanghai as an example, the school’s Class of 2025 achieved an average IBDP score of 36.7, with 100% of students obtaining the full diploma and 32% scoring 40 points or above. In addition, 87% of students took English Language and Literature, while 80% took both Chinese and English Language and Literature, fully reflecting the depth of its bilingual education implementation. The school also delivered strong results in the 2025 IGCSE examinations, with 80% of grades at A/A* and 98% at A–B. According to the Alps report, its value-added performance ranked in the top 1% globally, indicating extremely high educational efficiency between student entry and outcomes. This through-train bilingual cultivation pathway from middle school to high school is becoming an important competitive moat for leading bilingual schools.

K–12 through-train schools and standalone high schools each demonstrate distinct strengths in the selections. K–12 schools such as YK Pao School, Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School, and Keystone Academy have advantages in brand continuity and student pipeline development. By contrast, standalone high schools such as Guanghua Cambridge International School, Ulink College of Shanghai, and Shenzhen College of International Education achieve high selections through focused university placement pathways and highly selective student intake. As a K–12 school, YINGHUA ACADEMY OF TIANJIN has distinctive programs such as the Junior Academy of Sciences and the Qian Xuesen Class, demonstrating strong capabilities in integrated resource allocation. In terms of international accreditations, leading bilingual high schools generally hold accreditations or authorizations from organizations such as College Board, Cambridge International Education (CIE), Cognia, and WASC. Vanke Meisha Academy holds accreditations from WASC, College Board, and CIE, and is also an AP Capstone Diploma School.

The 50 international high schools for foreign nationals ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection are:

International High Schools for Foreign Nationals: Established Schools Remain Strong as New Schools Intensify Competition

The top five schools in the international high school selections for foreign nationals — Wellington College International Shanghai with a score of 98.6, Shanghai American School with 97.8, International School of Beijing with 97.5, Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong with 96.5, and Western Academy of Beijing with 96.4 — are all mature schools with more than 15 years of operating history and strong brand heritage.

In the 2026 selections Concordia International School Shanghai rose sharply from 20th place in 2025 to joint 5th place, with its core competitiveness reflected in the dual strengths of academic outcomes and faculty development. Academically, the school’s Class of 2025 achieved an average SAT score of 1,435, significantly above the global average. Among its 85 graduates, several were admitted to top U.S. universities including Harvard University, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Duke University, while others entered globally renowned institutions such as the University of Toronto and The University of Hong Kong. In the AMC mathematics competition, six students advanced to the AIME, with multiple students receiving global distinction and achievement awards. The school also won a global gold medal in the iGEM synthetic biology competition, while its VEX Robotics team won the national championship and advanced to the World Championship. In addition, the school claimed the 2026 Asia Championship in the NAQT Quiz Bowl. In terms of faculty, the school has 135 international teachers, including 115 native English-speaking teachers. A total of 119 teachers hold master’s degrees or above, accounting for approximately 80% of the teaching staff. Building on its WASC accreditation and authorization from the College Board, the school has developed a robust academic cultivation system, enabling its significant rise in the selections.

ISA Science City International School was ranked for the first time in 2026 and ranked 8th with a score of 94.4, demonstrating strong development momentum. As the flagship campus of ISA International Education Group, this new school, established in 2020, has already obtained full IB continuum authorization. It is led by a principal team with more than 25 years of experience, and over 70% of its faculty hold master’s degrees or above. The campus covers approximately 38,000 square meters and has received WELL Gold Certification. In 2025, its 22 graduates received a total of 155 admission offers, with 70% entering global top 30 universities. The cohort achieved an average IB score of 37, compared with the global average of 30, highlighting the school’s significant advantages in both high investment and strong outcomes.

Merchiston International School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 13th. Drawing on the heritage of a renowned British school with nearly 200 years of history, the school offers high school students dual university pathways through both the British A-Level system and the American AP system. With a strong performance in the 2026 early application cycle, including seven Oxbridge interview invitations, the school has further consolidated its leading position in British-style international education in the Greater Bay Area.

LEH International School Foshan rose from 45th place in 2025 to 28th in 2026, climbing 17 places. The school’s rise is supported by its authentic British international curriculum. 90% of its teachers are British, and 100% of its teachers have received teacher qualification training in the UK and obtained recognized teaching credentials. The school has also successfully obtained high-level authoritative accreditation from the Council of British International Schools (COBIS). This not only demonstrates that the school’s educational standards have reached international benchmarks, but also directly contributed to its rise to a new level in the overall selections.

ISA Wuhan School rose from 36th place in 2025 to 20th in 2026, climbing 16 places. As ISA International Education Group’s flagship campus in Central China, the school adopts an innovative “one campus, two schools” operating model. Through diversified pathways including credit-transfer mechanisms with leading universities, dual-credit courses, international foundation-year programs, and master’s program support, the school helps students take university credit-bearing courses from institutions around the world in advance. These are delivered through a combination of online and offline formats, as well as modern AI-enabled education, enabling students to achieve a seamless transition in academics, language, and culture.

Léman International School Chengdu, ranked 33rd with a score of 81.5, ranked relatively lower due in part to regional and scale-related factors. However, the school achieved an average IB DP score of 37.4, with 46% of students scoring 40 points or above, a 100% bilingual diploma rate, and an average SAT score of 1,400. These results show that academically strong international schools for foreign nationals can also be found outside first-tier cities. Lycée Fran?ais de Shanghai, ranked 31st with a score of 81.6, has seen its graduates progress to institutions such as LSE, UCL, The University of Hong Kong, and EHL Hospitality Business School. The school achieved a 100% pass rate and a 100% distinction rate in the French Baccalaureate, and ranked among the global top 10 in the Concours Général, one of France’s most prestigious academic competitions. This gives the school exceptionally strong recognition within its specific community.

In the international high school selections for foreign nationals, some schools outside first-tier cities also demonstrate strong academic capabilities. Taking Wuhan Yangtze International School as an example, although it ranked 48th with a score of 78, its Class of 2026 achieved an average PSAT/NMSQT score of 1,180 out of 1,520 and an average SAT score of 1,333 out of 1,600. In addition, across 13 AP courses, 100% of students scored 3 or above, while in five AP courses, more than 75% of students scored 3 or above. These results are highly competitive among international schools for foreign nationals in Central China. The school’s graduates have progressed to globally renowned universities including the University of California, Berkeley, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Nanyang Technological University. This shows that, even with comparatively limited resources, international schools outside first-tier cities can still achieve high-quality academic outcomes by focusing on AP curriculum delivery and refined university counseling.

International schools for foreign nationals generally have a high proportion of international faculty. QSI International School of Shenzhen, ranked 22nd with a score of 84.6, has 125 international teachers and 38 Chinese teachers. A total of 115 teachers hold master’s degrees or above, and the average teacher tenure is seven to ten years, indicating a very high level of faculty stability. Shanghai French School has 156 international teachers and 26 Chinese teachers, with an average tenure of 10 years for Chinese teachers and five years for international teachers. This reflects a balance between teacher rotation and long-term retention under the AEFE system. It is worth noting that the average tenure of teachers at international schools for foreign nationals has generally declined since 2022. According to the data received for the 2026 selections, the average tenure of international faculty at these schools was 6.3 years before 2022, but decreased to 3.8 years after 2022.

The 50 bilingual middle schools ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection are:

Bilingual Middle Schools: Through-Train Schools Show Clear Advantages, While BASIS Emerges as a Strong Contender

The bilingual middle school selections are highly correlated with the high school Selections. YK Pao School with a score of 98, Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual School with 97.7, and Keystone Academy with 97.5 continue to lead the Selections.

Olive Tree International Academy BFSU rose from 52nd place in 2025 to 20th in 2026, climbing 32 places. At the middle school level, the school implements an integrated model combining the national curriculum with the IB MYP framework, emphasizing interdisciplinary inquiry and the cultivation of critical thinking. Through the IB MYP Community Project, middle school students engage with social issues. Between 2025 and 2026, the school continued to optimize its small-class teaching model and differentiated class grouping system. Supported by the brand resources of Olive Tree International Academy BFSU Affiliated to Beijing Foreign Studies University, its overall educational strength has steadily improved.

Hiba Academy Nantong rose from 34th place in 2025 to 10th in 2026, climbing 24 places. As a member of Wellington College China, the school draws on the group’s more than a decade of mature experience in bilingual education. At the middle school level, it has introduced a “dual-language, dual-culture” curriculum system that integrates the strengths of both Chinese and British curricula. Supported by an experienced Chinese and international teaching and management team, the school has achieved a significant improvement in educational quality.

Beijing Royal School rose from 41st place in 2025 to 19th, climbing 22 places. The school’s middle school division is based on China’s compulsory education curriculum, while effectively integrating IB MYP educational concepts and IGCSE content. In 2025, the school further expanded the coverage of differentiated teaching and personalized tutoring. At the same time, leveraging its mature articulation pathways across the three major international curricula — AP, A-Level and IB — the school provides middle school students with earlier opportunities for academic exploration, significantly strengthening its overall competitiveness.

Living Word Shanghai rose from 70th place in 2025 to 32nd in 2026, climbing 38 places. In 2026, the school carried out a comprehensive optimization of its middle school curriculum. Building on a solid foundation of the national curriculum, it added the LWS Living Word Shanghai Middle School Integrated Program. This integrated program preserves the language advantages, international perspective, and distinctive American high school-style curriculum resources of the traditional bilingual program, while also building academic depth and exam preparation capabilities benchmarked against leading domestic middle schools. As a result, the school’s educational quality has improved significantly.

Soochow Foreign Language School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 48th. At the middle school level, the school offers two pathways: the Inclusive Program and the Holistic Education Program. The former applies IB principles to guide the national curriculum, while implementing a mentorship system and differentiated teaching. The latter offers an integrated curriculum, with an emphasis on bilingual teaching and CAS activities. Upon completing Grade 9, students may choose either the Zhongkao or international curriculum examinations, providing flexible options for students pursuing different academic pathways.

From the perspective of stability in academic pathways, most graduates from bilingual middle schools progress directly to their own high school divisions. At Living Word Shanghai, among the 120 graduates from the 2025 middle school cohort, 80 advanced to the school’s own high school division, demonstrating the student-retention effect of a K–12 school model. As a K–12 school, YINGHUA ACADEMY OF TIANJIN provides direct articulation from its middle school division to the high school international curriculum, ensuring academic continuity.

The richness of student activities at the middle school level has a significant impact on selections. Daystar Academy ranked fifth among bilingual middle schools with a score of 93.6, while its primary school division also ranked fifth among bilingual primary schools with a score of 95.1. This indicates that its full-stage cultivation system has been well recognized. Hiba Academy Nantong ranked 10th among bilingual middle schools with a score of 92.5. As a newly established school founded in 2018, it delivered a particularly strong performance, rising rapidly with the support of the Wellington brand and its hardware advantages.

Competition at the bilingual middle school level is reflected not only in academic results, but also in the breadth and depth of student activities. Taking Beijing City International School as an example, its middle school division has adopted the “DEAR” — Drop Everything and Read — program, setting aside a fixed 15-minute interdisciplinary reading period each day. This has effectively improved students’ reading and comprehension scores in the MAP test and even attracted proactive attention from NWEA. This case shows that systematic reading intervention measures can significantly strengthen students’ foundational academic capabilities.

In addition, the middle school division of Merchiston International School adopts a data-driven leveled reading system. Through the Star Reader assessment, students are divided into three reading levels, with personalized guidance provided for each level. This type of refined teaching management is becoming an important approach to improving academic outcomes at the middle school level.

The 30 international middle schools for foreign nationals ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection are:

International Middle Schools for Foreign Nationals: Wellington Shanghai Leads, with Intense Competition in Shenzhen

The international middle school selections for foreign nationals are highly consistent with the high school selections. Wellington College International Shanghai ranked 1st with a score of 97.9, followed by International School of Beijing with 97.1 and Western Academy of Beijing with 96.3. Shekou International School ranked 8th with a score of 92.5, while Merchiston International School ranked 9th with a score of 92.2, indicating increasingly intense competition among international schools for foreign nationals at the middle school level in Shenzhen.

Concordia International School Shanghai rose from 20th place in 2025 to 7th in 2026, climbing 13 places. The school’s middle school division emphasizes inquiry-based and experiential learning, offering a distinctive Applied Learning Exploration Program. This program breaks down grade-level boundaries through mixed-age instruction, not only promoting cross-grade interaction among students, but also creating multidimensional opportunities for teacher-student engagement. As a result, it comprehensively enhances students’ overall competencies and academic competitiveness.

Wellington College International Hangzhou rose from 23rd place in 2025 to 16th in 2026, climbing 7 places. Leveraging the brand resources of Wellington College in the UK, the school fully implements a British curriculum system at the middle school level, while incorporating international elements to meet the needs of students from around the world. Subjects are taught by specialist teachers, and students also develop practical skills in areas such as science, information and communications technology, and the arts under the guidance of dedicated subject specialists. At the same time, the curriculum prepares students for the IGCSE examinations in the next stage of learning.

ISA Science City International School was ranked for the first time in 2026 and ranked an impressive 6th. At the middle school level, the school builds on high academic standards while progressively connecting students with college-preparatory pathways. Through differentiated teaching, multi-level English support, mother-tongue programs, and early-stage university guidance and exploration, the school places strong emphasis on the personalized growth of each student. This systematic curriculum design and student support framework is an important reason why the school received strong recognition in its first year of participation.

Merchiston International School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 9th. At the KS3 middle school stage, the school adopts a broad and balanced curriculum, with an emphasis on developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and independent learning capabilities. Through a rich range of extracurricular activities, it also supports students’ holistic development, enabling the school to enter the national top 10 in its first year of participation.

Shanghai French School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 17th. The school offers a truly trilingual learning environment, enabling students to progress confidently in French, English and Chinese. At the middle school level, students may also continue learning additional languages such as German, Spanish or Italian. Here, multilingual education is not merely a subject, but a way of thinking, communicating and understanding the world. This distinctive educational philosophy was a key factor behind the school’s first-time inclusion in the selections.

International middle schools for foreign nationals generally have systematic university guidance structures in place. At the middle school division of QSI International School of Shenzhen, the median percentile in the MAP test reached 96% for Grade 8, indicating a strong academic foundation. Shanghai French School offers dual pathways at the middle school level through both IGCSE and the French National Diploma, or Dipl?me National du Brevet (DNB), meeting the needs of different families. At ISA Science City International School, whose middle school division ranked sixth with a score of 93.9, Grade 8 students’ average mathematics performance reached Stanine 8, approximately 25 points above the international standardized average, while 36% of students demonstrated accelerated growth.

The 50 bilingual primary schools ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection are:

Bilingual Primary Schools: Keystone Academy Takes the Top Spot as Beijing and Shanghai Continue to Advance in Parallel

Keystone Academy ranked 1st among bilingual primary schools with a score of 97.9, surpassing YK Pao School, which scored 96.5. This reflects the strong recognition of Keystone’s immersive bilingual education and IB PYP curriculum at the primary school level. BASIS Bilingual School Shenzhen Futian ranked 4th with a score of 95.8. The school introduces advanced mathematics and English curricula from the primary stage, aligning with BASIS’s distinctive emphasis on academic acceleration.

Hiba Academy Shanghai and Daystar Academy tied for 5th place with a score of 95.1. Both schools place strong emphasis on character education and social-emotional learning, forming a clear contrast with BASIS’s more academically driven approach. Cogdel Cranleigh School Changsha ranked 10th with a score of 90.9, making it the only non-first-tier city school among the top 10. This reflects Changsha’s investment in international education and the results it has achieved.

Vanke Bilingual School rose from 91st place in 2025 to 27th in 2026, climbing 64 places. At the primary school level, the school has continued to optimize its integrated Chinese-English bilingual curriculum, while strengthening STEAM education and project-based learning. With resource support from DTD Education Group, it has also introduced distinctive sports programs such as rowing and rock climbing. As a result, the school’s educational features have become increasingly distinctive, and its overall strength has improved significantly.

Wuxi United International School rose from 78th place in 2025 to 42nd in 2026, climbing 36 places. This year, the school comprehensively upgraded its primary division’s “dual-track, dual-pathway” education system, further optimizing curriculum integration and its curriculum map to provide parents with more diversified and personalized choices. Between 2025 and 2026, the school also further expanded its campus facilities, adding innovation laboratories and an arts theatre to provide students with richer learning experiences. These developments contributed to its substantial rise in the selections.

Living Word International School Suzhou rose from joint 78th place in 2025 to 45th in 2026, climbing 33 places. This year, the school introduced a comprehensive upgrade to its class structure and curriculum system at the primary level. The upgraded bilingual program enables students to achieve proficiency in both Chinese and English through an immersive language environment and structured training, building a solid foundation for cross-linguistic learning and communication. At the same time, the school adopts small-class teaching, and its personalized cultivation model has gained recognition from parents, contributing to a steady improvement in the school’s reputation.

Shanghai United International School Qingpu Campus rose from 61st place in 2025 to 34th in 2026, climbing 27 places. As one of the flagship campuses of Xiehe Education Group, the school’s primary division organically integrates the national curriculum with elements of international curricula. It aims to develop students’ practical English proficiency and their ability to think in English, while strengthening communication and collaboration skills in cross-cultural contexts. In 2025, the school further optimized its Chinese-international co-teaching model, enhanced leveled English reading, and strengthened mathematical thinking enrichment, significantly improving its academic competitiveness.

Living Word Shanghai was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 30th. At the primary level, the school adopts an integrated model combining the national curriculum with distinctive LWS courses, emphasizing bilingual teaching and holistic education, while promoting parallel development in the humanities and technology. Its curriculum is broad and diverse, covering electives such as third languages, STEM, arts and drama, as well as arts courses including violin, piano, choir and dance, and sports programs such as golf, football and basketball. The school also provides 90 minutes of science classes each week, reflecting a balanced development model that combines arts, sports and academics. At the same time, the school implements a Chinese-international dual homeroom teacher system, creating an immersive bilingual environment. Together with its personalized growth support system, these factors contributed to its recognition in its first year of inclusion. In addition, although 3e International School is an international school for foreign nationals, its bilingual immersion model is distinctive at the primary level. Its graduates primarily progress to leading international middle schools such as International School of Beijing and Western Academy of Beijing.

The 30 international primary schools for foreign nationals ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools Selection are:

International Primary Schools for Foreign Nationals: Wellington College International Shanghai, ISB and WAB Form a Leading Trio

Wellington College International Shanghai with a score of 97.8, International School of Beijing with 96.5, and Western Academy of Beijing with 96.1 form the first tier. They are followed by Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong with 94.2 and Dulwich College Beijing with 93.1. At the primary level, these schools generally adopt either the IB PYP or a British-style early years and primary education framework, and maintain an exceptionally high proportion of international faculty.

Although 3e International School is relatively small in scale, with only 26 primary students, it is distinguished by its bilingual immersion model. All of its graduates progress to schools ranked among the top 50 international high schools for foreign nationals in the selection, demonstrating the success of its “small but refined” model. The primary division of Shanghai French School provides trilingual instruction in French, English and Chinese, and offers a rich range of courses and activities including robotics, swimming and the arts. In the 2025 Math Kangaroo competition, one of its students ranked among the global top five.

Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai with a score of 87.6 and Merchiston International School with 86.4 both entered the top 20, reflecting the rapid expansion of international primary school provision for foreign nationals in Shenzhen. Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai carries forward the 450-year educational heritage of Harrow School in the UK. At the primary level, it adopts a British curriculum system, with an emphasis on leadership development and holistic education. To enhance the coherence and practical relevance of learning, students engage in theme-based curricula that integrate content across multiple subject areas. At the same time, language and literacy development runs throughout the entire primary stage. The continued improvement in the school’s educational quality has contributed to its significant rise in the selections. Merchiston International School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing joint 13th. At the primary level, the school adopts the English National Curriculum, offering a dynamic and engaging learning experience designed to cultivate a love of learning while laying a solid foundation for academic success. Its curriculum combines a rich range of core subjects with creative opportunities, ensuring that students receive a well-rounded education.

ISA Science City International School was ranked for the first time in 2026, placing 11th. To align students’ learning progression with international standards, the school adopts the National Curriculum of England and Wales and delivers teaching within the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). Its primary curriculum is grounded in inquiry-based learning. While ensuring academic rigor across individual subjects, it also emphasizes connections between multiple disciplines. The school’s educational strength has therefore gained broad recognition.

The international kindergartens ranked for the 2026 HSBC | Forbes China International Schools selection are:

International Kindergartens: Diverse Curriculum Systems with Distinctive Features

The international kindergarten selection does not provide specific scores or rankings, but instead presents a list of schools. The evaluation focuses on factors including the student-teacher ratio, curriculum systems — such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and IB PYP — parent-child activities, mental health support, food safety, and the campus environment.

3e International School Kindergarten adopts a bilingual immersion model, with a student-teacher ratio ranging from 1:5 to 1:7. The average teacher tenure is 9.9 years for Chinese teachers and 3.1 years for international teachers. The kindergarten places strong emphasis on social-emotional learning. Shanghai French School Kindergarten follows the French education system, with a student-teacher ratio of 2:10 for K1–K2. It offers courses such as music initiation, LEGO, mini-gymnastics and robotics, and has six psychological counselors across the school.

International School of Nanshan Shenzhen Kindergarten adopts a curriculum under the IB framework. In 2025, its admission-to-application ratio for new kindergarten entrants was only 0.14, with 28 students admitted out of 199 applicants, indicating highly intense competition. Qingdao Amerasia International School Kindergarten (QAIS) is the first Montessori education institution in Asia to receive AMS accreditation. It also integrates the IB PYP framework. The school demonstrates strong faculty stability, with an average teacher tenure of 9.7 years for Chinese teachers and five years for international teachers.

Outstanding International Schools in Hong Kong and Macao, China, listed in alphabetical order by pinyin initials

• Diocesan Boys’ School (Hong Kong)

• German Swiss International School (Hong Kong)

• Harrow International School Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

• Chinese International School (Hong Kong)

• The Independent Schools Foundation Academy (Hong Kong)

• Victoria Shanghai Academy (Hong Kong)

• Escola das Na??es (Macao)

• Macau Anglican College (Macao)

• Canadian International School of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

• Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

• St. Paul’s Co-educational College (Hong Kong)

• Hong Kong International School (Hong Kong)

03.

Analysis of the International Education Market in Hong Kong and Macao, China

International education in Hong Kong and Macao shows a positive pattern characterized by high concentration in Hong Kong and steady development in Macao. In terms of academic outcomes, leading schools in Hong Kong have delivered particularly strong results. St. Paul’s Co-educational College has maintained an average IB score of above 42, with multiple students admitted to the University of Cambridge. German Swiss International School has produced several perfect-score students and secured top university offers from institutions such as Stanford University and Yale University. Schools such as Harrow International School Hong Kong and Chinese International School have also achieved strong results in admissions to leading universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. As a benchmark school in Macao, Escola das Na??es has cultivated some of the city’s first students to achieve full marks in the IB, while also securing offers from leading U.S. universities such as Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania. Graduates from Macau Anglican College have also maintained a strong record of admission to universities across multiple countries.

In terms of day-to-day teaching, schools in Hong Kong generally have mature IB, A-Level and AP curriculum systems, supported by experienced and highly stable faculty teams. Small-class teaching and personalized guidance have become common practice. Macau Anglican College is distinguished by its IGCSE and Cambridge Pathway curricula, with a strong emphasis on teaching students according to their individual abilities. Its graduates have achieved stable admission outcomes at well-known universities in Australia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and other destinations.

From the perspective of resources and campus environment, many century-old prestigious schools and international-brand schools in Hong Kong are equipped with advanced campus facilities, including libraries, laboratories, theatres and other comprehensive learning spaces. Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong benefits from the global UWC network, providing students with rich platforms for cross-cultural exchange. As one of the more established international schools in Macao, Escola das Na??es also provides local students with a stable and high-quality IB learning environment.

Looking ahead, schools such as The Independent Schools Foundation Academy and Victoria Shanghai Academy in Hong Kong are actively exploring AI education and interdisciplinary projects. Some schools have already introduced frontier courses in areas such as coding, robotics and design thinking. Although The International School of Macao Heritage is a newly established school, it is actively introducing the IBDP curriculum, demonstrating the vitality of Macao’s international education sector as it continues to expand curriculum boundaries and align with international standards.

Overall, Hong Kong continues to lead, supported by its high concentration of top-tier educational resources, mature curriculum systems, and strong certainty in university progression outcomes. Macao, meanwhile, offers families another high-quality option, with strong value for money and smooth articulation pathways to universities in Australia, Hong Kong and other destinations. Based on publicly available data, this year’s selections present the overall landscape of international education in Hong Kong and Macao, as well as representative schools in the region. Going forward, we will continue to track education developments in both places, further refine our evaluation methodology, and provide parents with more valuable references for cross-regional comparison.

04.

Trends and Outlook

Market concentration and differentiation coexist. The brand effect of leading schools such as YK Pao School, Wellington College International Shanghai, and Keystone Academy continues to grow. At the same time, regional leaders such as Tianjin Yinghua Experimental School, the International Division of Xi’an Gaoxin No. 1 High School, and Guangdong Country Garden School have gained broad recognition through distinctive localized programs. New schools such as ISA Science City International School of Guangzhou and Huili School Nantong have quickly entered the selections by leveraging strong brand backing and campus infrastructure. Going forward, the stability of their academic outcomes will be worth close attention.

Teacher professional development is a core competitive strength. The experience of schools such as Tianjin Yinghua Experimental School and Vanke Meisha Academy shows that high-investment, systematic teacher training is positively correlated with teaching innovation and curriculum iteration. The evaluation process also found that the systematic and sustained nature of teacher professional development is becoming a key variable in differentiating schools across tiers.

Urban divergence and the policy environment continue to evolve. The density of international schools in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen is already approaching saturation, increasing enrollment pressure for new schools. By contrast, emerging first-tier cities such as Chengdu, Wuhan and Xi’an still have room for growth. At the same time, private education policies have a greater impact on bilingual schools than on international schools for foreign nationals, a trend that will continue to shape the industry landscape.

Data transparency and scientific rigor in evaluation. During the evaluation process, it was found that schools vary in the extent to which they disclose information on key indicators. Going forward, cross-validation of data with third-party examination organizations, such as the College Board and the IBO, will be used to further enhance the objectivity and comprehensiveness of the evaluation.

The 2026 selection data reveals a more mature, diverse and stratified international education ecosystem in China. Academic achievement remains the core criterion, but the stability of teaching quality and the support provided by foundational conditions are reshaping the competitive landscape among schools. For parents, beyond the selections themselves, it is increasingly important to focus on a school’s long-term cultivation logic. For schools, only sustained investment across the three key dimensions of academics, teaching and resources will enable them to maintain an advantage in an increasingly competitive environment. Forbes China and HSBC China will continue to monitor this sector, providing families with more valuable references and jointly promoting the high-quality development of international education in China.

About Forbes China

Founded in New York in 1917, Forbes is guided by the motto “The Entrepreneurial Spirit and the Tools of Wealth Creation.” With its entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation, Forbes has become a leader in the industry. Forbes selections are widely regarded as a “barometer of the economy” and a “weathervane of wealth.” In 2003, Forbes officially entered the Chinese market.

As an innovation-driven business media brand, Forbes China upholds the DNA of entrepreneurship, innovation and wealth creation. Drawing on its long-term observation and research of high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, technology, investment, healthcare, lifestyle and other fields, Forbes China has launched a series of selections and content products that have had a significant impact on the economy and society. The impartiality and fairness of Forbes China’s selections have made them benchmarks across various sectors, while its highly insightful content provides readers with multidimensional information and reference points, inspiring entrepreneurs and business elites to create greater wealth and business value. At the same time, Forbes China is committed to building an ambitious interactive community for high-end clients, providing a forward-looking and sharing-oriented environment, and constructing an information ecosystem centered on entrepreneurship and innovation.

About HSBC

HSBC’s global network spans 56 countries and territories, serving around 41 million customers worldwide. With assets of US$3,233 billion on 31 December 2025, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

HSBC is one of the largest investors among international financial institutions in the Chinese mainland, investing in sectors including banking, insurance, fund management, securities and financial technology. As HSBC Group’s flagship entity in the Chinese mainland, HSBC China has branches and sub-branches across over 40 cities. This is the largest service network covering the widest geographical reach by any foreign bank in the market. With knowledge of the Chinese mainland and international operations, HSBC China is able to provide customers with a wide range of financial and banking services, including International Wealth and Premier Banking, and Corporate and Institutional Banking.

HSBC China not only helps families plan their children’s academic journeys but also leverages its global network to deliver efficient and secure financial support throughout the journey. At the three key stages that parents care about —planning, pre-departure, and arrival overseas — HSBC China offers a range of services and benefits, including education financial planning consultation, HSBC overseas* account opening appointment, convenient foreign exchange services, free fast cross-border transfers, and exclusive credit card benefits for overseas spending.

*Including overseas and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan region.

Disclaimer: This selection is commercial collaborative content. Part or all of the data used for the research was provided by partners and third parties. The relevant views and conclusions are derived from research based on the above data and do not constitute any investment guidance or reference.

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