International Schools in Xiamen: AXIS vs XIS Compared 2026

Introduction

Xiamen has only three licensed international schools — and for most expatriate families, the real choice comes down to two. Xiamen International School (XIS) is the city’s 1997 pioneer and the only one authorised for all three IB programmes. Achieve Xiamen International School (AXIS) is the 2021 newcomer, backed by International Schools Services (ISS), offering an American pathway with boarding. This guide compares XIS and AXIS side by side — curriculum, fees, boarding, location, and admissions — using each school’s official data, so you can decide which one fits your child.

Key Takeaways

XIS vs AXIS at a Glance

Here is a quick side-by-side view of the two schools. Each section below explains the details.

The Three International Schools in Xiamen

Xiamen’s international schools are officially “schools for children of foreign personnel.” They admit only foreign-passport holders and residents of Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan. The Xiamen Education Bureau lists exactly three:

Most families weighing a full international education focus on XIS and AXIS, so this guide compares those two in depth.

XIS is a day school. It teaches over 400 students from 30 countries. Its faculty represents more than 15 nationalities, with over 60% holding postgraduate degrees and more than 12 years of teaching experience on average.

Its headline strength is results. XIS is the only school in Xiamen authorised for all three IB programmes, and it is accredited by WASC. Its IB Diploma pass rate was 100% for the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025, against a world average of about 81%, and the Class of 2025 averaged 34.5 points out of 45 — the world average is 30. On the SAT, recent students averaged 607 in Reading and Writing and 652 in Maths. Between 2016 and 2024, XIS graduates were accepted to universities including Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, New York University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

AXIS is on Xiamen Island, near the airport and the Torch Hi-Tech Zone. It teaches students from 25 countries and follows a US school structure: an Early Childhood Centre, then Grades 1–12. Facilities include a turf football field, a rock-climbing wall, a gymnasium with NBA-quality flooring, and a fitness centre.

AXIS is authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). In secondary school it teaches to US standards and offers College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses in Grades 9–12, and is an authorised AP test site and SAT examination centre. AXIS is a WASC candidate school. It also offers boarding for Grades 6–12, with a capacity of 200 students — the school runs both a day and a boarding programme.

Curriculum: Full IB vs American and AP

This is the biggest difference between the two schools.

XIS is a pure IB school. Children move through the Primary Years Programme (PK–5), the Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10), and the Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12). The IB Diploma is recognised by universities worldwide, and XIS’s results are strong.

AXIS mixes two systems. Primary years use the IB PYP. From Grade 6, teaching follows the US Common Core standards. In high school, students take American courses and College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams. AXIS is authorised for the IB Primary Years Programme only. It does not offer the IB Diploma — its high school pathway is American and AP-based. Xiamen has two IB Diploma schools, and AXIS is not one of them: XIS is authorised for all three IB programmes, and MXIS for the Diploma and Middle Years Programmes.

In short: choose XIS for a full IB education, or AXIS for an American, AP-driven path.

Tuition and Fees for 2026–27

The two schools price tuition differently — XIS in US dollars, AXIS in Chinese yuan. The 2026–27 rates below come from each school’s official fee schedule.

At an exchange rate near ¥7.15 to the US dollar, AXIS runs a little higher than XIS at every stage. For example, XIS’s top rate of US$29,000 is about ¥207,000, against ¥225,500 at AXIS. Exchange rates change, so treat the yuan figures for XIS as approximate.

MXIS, the third licensed school, sits in a different price bracket altogether: ¥43,460 to ¥72,000 a year depending on the programme, confirmed with its admissions office in August 2026. If budget is the binding constraint, it is the option to look at first — see our MXIS profile for what that money buys.

Boarding versus Day School

Two of Xiamen’s three international schools take boarders. AXIS has boarding for Grades 6–12, with room for 200 students, in shared en-suite rooms with evening tutoring. This suits families where a parent travels often, works in another city, or lives outside Xiamen. XIS is a day school, so a child must be collected each afternoon.

MXIS also boards — it describes itself as a day and boarding school for ages 3 to 19, and the IB register lists mixed boarding facilities. However, it publishes no dormitory capacity, boarding fee, or eligible grade range, so boarding there has to be settled by direct enquiry. Our MXIS profile sets out what is and is not verifiable.

Location and the Daily Commute

Where each school sits matters for the daily commute. Most of Xiamen’s foreign residents live on Xiamen Island — in the Huli and Siming districts, near Yundang Lake and Wuyuanwan.

AXIS is on the island, in Huli, near the airport and the Torch Hi-Tech Zone. It is a short drive from the main expat neighbourhoods. MXIS is also on the island, in Siming, where its rebuilt campus reopened in July 2026 after about a year at a temporary site in Huli.

XIS is off the island, in Xinglin, Jimei. Reaching it from the island core means crossing a bridge — roughly 15–20 km. In return, XIS has the largest campus of the three. Both schools run bus services, and families usually choose housing to match the school run and the workplace.

Admissions and Who Can Enrol

All three schools admit only children with a foreign passport, or with Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan residency. Children on a mainland-Chinese passport are not eligible — this is set by Chinese rules for schools for children of foreign personnel.

Both XIS and AXIS use rolling admissions, so places fill first-come, first-served. AXIS applies through the OpenApply system, with a ¥2,500 application fee, and assesses English, maths, and prior school records. Students who need English support can enter through its EAL programme. Families of children with special learning needs should share full assessment reports up front.

Which School for Which Family

There is no single “best” school. The right choice depends on curriculum, boarding, location, and budget.

Disclosure: Alifa Education Services is an independent education placement consultancy. We may earn a referral fee from partner schools when families enrol, at no extra cost to the family. Our recommendations are based on fit, not fee structure.

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