Quick Answer: Hong Kong has 70 IB World Schools, of which 40 offer the Primary Years Programme, 16 the Middle Years Programme, 38 the Diploma Programme and 7 the Career-related Programme, according to the IB's own country page. Fees for 2026/27 run from about HK$154,200 in primary to HK$359,200 in the final two years. ESF students averaged 36.7 Diploma points in 2026 against a worldwide mean of 30.8.
Hong Kong has 70 IB World Schools. The International Baccalaureate's own country page for Hong Kong, checked 16 September 2026, records 40 schools offering the Primary Years Programme, 16 the Middle Years Programme, 38 the Diploma Programme and 7 the Career-related Programme, with the first IB World School here dating from 1988. Published 2026/27 tuition runs from about HK$154,200 in the primary years to HK$359,200 in Years 12 and 13, and most schools add a capital levy. This guide explains the four programmes, lists named schools with their current fees, gives the results Hong Kong schools publish, and sets the IB against the local DSE. Schools appear under international schools and education on Portal Hong Kong.
What are the four IB programmes?
The Primary Years Programme is for students aged 3 to 12. It is inquiry-led, organised around transdisciplinary themes rather than subjects, and has no external examinations. The Middle Years Programme covers ages 11 to 16 across eight subject groups, assessed in school with an optional set of external e-assessments. The Diploma Programme is the two-year course for ages 16 to 19 that most people mean by "the IB": six subjects, three at higher level, plus theory of knowledge, the extended essay and creativity, activity, service, added up as a points total. The Career-related Programme wraps at least two Diploma courses around a vocational qualification, which is why only seven Hong Kong schools offer it.
A school authorised for PYP, MYP and DP runs the full continuum, so a child can go from age 3 to 19 without switching system. The counts above make clear that most Hong Kong schools are not continuum schools: 38 offer the Diploma but only 16 the MYP, so a large number of IB Diplomas here are taught after IGCSE or an American middle school programme rather than after the MYP.
Which IB schools publish 2026/27 fees?
Each figure below comes from the school's own fee page, checked 16 September 2026. Fees exclude uniforms, buses, meals and most trips.
| School | Programmes | 2026/27 tuition | Capital charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese International School | PYP, MYP, DP | HK$226,400 (Reception), HK$300,300 (Years 1-6), HK$354,500 (Years 7-11), HK$359,200 (Years 12-13) | Annual capital levy HK$30,200 |
| Canadian International School | PYP, MYP, DP | HK$217,200 (Prep to Grade 2), HK$223,100 (Grades 6-8), HK$244,800 (Grades 9-10), HK$261,500 (Grades 11-12) | Capital debenture transfer HK$2,800,000 |
| ESF Renaissance College | PYP, MYP, DP | HK$154,200 (Y1-6), HK$201,500 (Y7-11), HK$203,700 (Y12-13) | One-off building levy HK$50,000 at Year 1 |
| ESF Discovery College | PYP, MYP, DP | HK$169,900 (Y1-6), HK$223,900 (Y7-11), HK$225,600 (Y12-13) | Building levy HK$8,060 a year |
| Malvern College Hong Kong | PYP, MYP, DP | HK$208,200 (Prep 1-6), HK$236,840 (Foundation Year 1 to Upper Sixth) | Annual capital levy HK$42,000 |
| Nord Anglia Hong Kong | DP in the Sixth Form | HK$237,200 (Years 12-13) | Annual capital levy HK$35,000 for new students |
The rest of ESF is IB too: its curriculum page sets out the PYP from age 3 to 11, the MYP in Years 7 to 11 alongside IGCSE, and the Diploma in Years 12 and 13 at HK$174,200 for the subvented years; Island School and South Island School are two of them. German Swiss International School and French International School are IB World Schools that run national streams alongside the IB, and neither publishes a single headline fee that covers every stream, so check the stream you want.
What results do Hong Kong IB students get?
The IB publishes global statistical bulletins, and its Hong Kong country page carries no average score, so school-level reporting is the only official source of Hong Kong results. ESF's public examination results page, updated 7 July 2026, records that in 2026 a total of 1,007 students across ESF secondary schools were awarded the Diploma, 98.3% of entrants, at a mean of 36.7 points. On the same table the worldwide May 2026 figures are 209,607 students awarded the Diploma, 82.6% of entrants, at a mean of 30.8 points. ESF reports 33.7% of its students at 40 points or more, against 10.1% worldwide. Those are ESF's numbers for ESF, not a Hong Kong average, and other schools publish their own.
How does the IB compare with the DSE?
The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education is the local school-leaving examination and the route into publicly funded degrees through JUPAS. It is much bigger: the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority reports in its 2026 HKDSE results release that 58,487 candidates registered, including 43,534 day school candidates from 416 schools, and that 15,973 of them, about 36.8%, met the minimum entrance requirement for a local undergraduate degree.
| IB Diploma | HKDSE | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Fee-paying, HK$174,200 to HK$359,200 a year in the final two years | Free at government and aided schools |
| Scale in 2026 | 38 Hong Kong schools authorised for the DP | 58,487 registered candidates |
| Structure | Six subjects, three at higher level, plus theory of knowledge, the extended essay and CAS | Four core subjects plus two or three electives |
| Language | English, with a second language required | Chinese and English both compulsory |
Neither is automatically stronger. The DSE is the better fit for a child who will study in Hong Kong and needs Chinese at full strength; the Diploma suits a family expecting to apply overseas or to move again. For the British and American alternatives see British curriculum schools in Hong Kong and American curriculum schools in Hong Kong. Families topping up at home should read tutorial centres in Hong Kong, and those still at the nursery stage preschools and pre-nursery in Hong Kong.
Frequently asked questions
- How many IB schools are there in Hong Kong?
- The International Baccalaureate's country page for Hong Kong lists 70 IB World Schools currently offering one or more of the four programmes, checked 16 September 2026. Of those, 40 offer the Primary Years Programme, 16 the Middle Years Programme, 38 the Diploma Programme and 7 the Career-related Programme. The numbers add up to more than 70 because a school can be authorised for several programmes at once. Hong Kong has had an IB World School since 1988.
- What is the IB continuum?
- The continuum means a single school is authorised for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes, so a child can move from age 3 to 19 without changing system. The PYP covers ages 3 to 12 and is inquiry-led with no external exams, the MYP covers ages 11 to 16 with school-assessed and optional e-assessed courses, and the two-year Diploma for ages 16 to 19 ends in external examinations and a points total. Only a minority of Hong Kong IB schools are authorised for all three.
- How much do IB schools in Hong Kong cost in 2026/27?
- Published 2026/27 tuition runs from HK$154,200 for Renaissance College Years 1 to 6 to HK$359,200 for Chinese International School Years 12 and 13. Canadian International School charges HK$200,000 in Grades 4 and 5, rising to HK$261,500 in Grades 11 and 12. Malvern College Hong Kong charges HK$208,200 in Prep and HK$236,840 from the middle years up. Most schools add an annual capital levy on top, from HK$8,060 at Discovery College to HK$42,000 at Malvern.
- What Diploma results do Hong Kong students get?
- The IB publishes no Hong Kong average on its country page, so school-level figures are the reliable ones. ESF reports that in 2026, 1,007 students across its secondary schools took the Diploma and 98.3% were awarded it, with a mean of 36.7 points. The worldwide May 2026 figures on the same table are 209,607 students awarded the Diploma, 82.6% of entrants, at a mean of 30.8 points. ESF also reports 33.7% of its cohort scoring 40 points or more.
- Is the IB Diploma better than the HKDSE?
- They answer different questions. The DSE is the local school-leaving examination, free at government and aided schools, and the standard route into Hong Kong's publicly funded degrees through JUPAS. The IB Diploma is fee-paying, taught in English at private and international schools, and is designed for international university applications. In 2026, 58,487 candidates registered for the DSE and 15,973 day school candidates, about 36.8%, met the minimum entrance requirement for a local undergraduate degree.
- Can my child join an IB school without prior IB experience?
- Yes for the primary and middle years, where schools assess English proficiency and general readiness rather than IB-specific knowledge. Entry straight into Year 12 for the Diploma is harder: schools usually want evidence of strong results at IGCSE, MYP or an equivalent, and want the six-subject choice settled before the first term. Transferring in mid-Diploma is rarely practical because subject combinations and internal assessment deadlines differ between schools.
- Do IB schools in Hong Kong charge a debenture?
- Most charge something under the Education Bureau's Other Charges heading. Chinese International School charges an annual capital levy of HK$30,200 for students joining from 2025-26, plus a non-refundable reservation deposit of HK$150,000 on acceptance. Canadian International School lists a capital debenture transfer at HK$2,800,000 and a Gold Corporate Debenture at HK$10,000,000. ESF's Discovery College takes a HK$8,060 annual building levy instead, paid in ten instalments with the monthly fees.
