Introduction
Manila Xiamen International School (MXIS) is Xiamen’s oldest international school. It opened in 1993. But it is also one of the least clearly explained schools online — many pages give the wrong fees, the wrong address, and the wrong facts about its courses.
This guide uses only official sources: the IB’s own school list, the Xiamen Education Bureau, China’s Ministry of Education, and the school’s own WeChat account. Where we could not confirm something, we say so.
Key Takeaways
MXIS is a real IB World School — code 002768. It offers the Diploma Programme (since 2006) and the Middle Years Programme (since 2021), but not the Primary Years Programme, even though some sites say it does.
MXIS says it takes day and boarding students. But the Chinese text on its own site says “day school only.” Ask before you assume either way.
The campus was rebuilt and reopened in July 2026, after about a year at a temporary site.
In May 2026, its 18 IB Diploma students scored above the world average.
MXIS is not on the Philippine government’s list of schools abroad. Its Manila “sister school” opened seven years after MXIS, not before.
Tuition runs ¥43,460 to ¥72,000 a year depending on the course. The ¥100,000–196,000 figure you may see online belongs to a different school.
MXIS at a Glance
Checked 17 August 2026| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 厦门岷厦国际学校 |
| Opened / approved | 1993 (opened); 1998 (approved by China’s Ministry of Education) |
| School type | Licensed school for children of foreign staff |
| Address | 735 Longhushan Road, Siming District, Xiamen — campus reopened July 2026 |
| IB programmes | Diploma Programme (2006) + Middle Years Programme (2021). No PYP |
| Grades | Pre-School to Grade 12 |
| Day or boarding | Both offered; day is the norm (see below) |
| Head of school | Dr Mildred A. Go (吴美德) |
| May 2026 IB average | 31.83 (world average: 30.9) |
| Phone | 0592-2516373 / 2516375 |
MXIS, XIS or AXIS?
Xiamen has three licensed schools for children of foreign staff, and their short names look alike. This mix-up is the main reason wrong facts about MXIS spread online — including the fee numbers further down this page.
Xiamen’s three licensed international schools| School | Opened | District | IB Programmes | Boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MXIS | 1993 | Siming | DP + MYP | Yes |
| XIS | 1997 | Jimei | PYP + MYP + DP | No |
| AXIS | 2021 | Huli | PYP | Yes, G6–12 |
In short: XIS is the only one with all three IB programmes. But two schools offer the IB Diploma — XIS and MXIS. MXIS is the oldest of the three. See our full comparison of AXIS and XIS.
Is MXIS an IB World School?
Yes. MXIS is an IB World School with school code 002768. It has offered the Diploma Programme since 12 May 2006 and the Middle Years Programme since 27 January 2021.
MXIS does not have Primary Years Programme (PYP) authorisation. Some sites say its kindergarten follows “IB PYP” — this is not confirmed, and even the school’s own materials mention only DP and MYP. Public information does not show MXIS holding any other outside accreditation — it does not appear on the NEASC or College Board AP lists, and no WASC accreditation is mentioned in any of its own materials. The IB is the only outside check we could confirm.
May 2026 IB Diploma ResultsMXIS shared its newest exam results on its official WeChat account on 9 July 2026. For a small school, they are strong.
May 2026 session — 18 Diploma candidates| Metric | MXIS | World Average |
|---|---|---|
| Average diploma total | 31.83 | 30.9 |
| Scoring 40–45 points | 22.2% | 10.1% |
| Average subject grade | 5.06 / 7 | 4.9 / 7 |
| Top individual score | 43 / 45 | — |
| Bilingual diplomas | 4 students | — |
Students earned a perfect grade 7 in eight subjects, including Chinese, English Literature, Economics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Sport Science and Maths — a wide spread, not just one strong department. With only 18 candidates, each student changes the percentages a lot. Even so, beating the world average with a class this size is a genuine result, and older, unverified claims about earlier years are not used here.
What MXIS Teaches
Programme by stage| Stage | Grades | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-School | Nursery to Kinder-Two | School’s own programme — not IB PYP |
| Lower School | G1–5 | School’s own programme — not IB PYP |
| Middle School | G6–10 | IB Middle Years Programme |
| Upper School | G11–12 | IB Diploma Programme |
The IB years only start in Grade 6 — a family wanting IB from kindergarten will not find it here. Classes are in English, with Chinese taught at every level, and a one-to-two-year ESL programme for students who need it. At Grade 12, students can take the full IB Diploma, single IB subjects plus a school diploma, or the school diploma alone.
Does MXIS Offer Boarding?
MXIS describes itself as “a day and boarding school for students ages 3 to 19,” and the IB’s own records list boarding as “mixed” for MXIS too.
So why do some Chinese sites call MXIS day-only? We found the answer. The English text on the school’s own introduction says “day and boarding school.” But the Chinese text of that same document calls it a 走读学校 — a day school. The school’s own two language versions disagree with each other. In practice, expect day attendance as the norm, with boarding handled case by case. No fee or bed number is public, so ask the admissions office directly.
Where Graduates Go
MXIS names these universities in its own materials, some with scholarships: MIT, Imperial College London, UCL, the University of London, UC Berkeley, UBC, and NYU. These are cumulative claims covering many years, not one graduating class, and no student-level record is public. A claim that “90% of graduates go to top universities abroad” appears only on unofficial listing sites. We could not confirm it, so we do not repeat it here.
The Manila Connection
The name is not decoration. 岷 is an old Chinese term for Manila, so 岷厦 reads as “Manila-Xiamen.” The school was founded with money from Philippine-Chinese benefactors.
The founder is Engr. Roman T. Go (杨玛代). His wife, Dr Mildred A. Go (吴美德), has led the school as headmistress since it opened in 1993.
MXIS has a “sister school” in Manila, St. Gabriel International School — but that school opened in 2000, seven years after MXIS. Xiamen came first, not Manila, and the two schools’ most recent joint activity we could confirm dates to 2019. MXIS is also a hub for the Filipino community in Xiamen: the Philippine Consulate has held events on its campus.
MXIS is not on the Philippine Department of Education’s list of schools abroad (Philippine Schools Overseas). We checked the full 2024 and 2026 lists directly — no school in China appears on either. So MXIS does not lead to a Philippine government diploma. What travels internationally is the IB Diploma, which MXIS does offer.
The Campus: Rebuilt and Reopened in 2026
MXIS sits at 735 Longhushan Road in Siming District, next to Xiamen University. The school reports 43,000 m² of grounds with three teaching buildings, two swimming pools, and a play area for younger children.
From August 2025, MXIS taught from a temporary site in Huli District while it rebuilt its main campus. On 23 July 2026, the school announced on WeChat that the renovated campus was open and taking new students. If you read that MXIS is in Huli District, that information is out of date — the school is back in Siming District.
How the Rebuild HappenedMXIS has told this story publicly. In a post marking its 30th year, the school said it had faced difficulties. It agreed to rebuild and run the school together with Ruan Fugui (阮福贵), a Xiamen businessman and a leader of the Xiamen Taiwan Business Association. The post linked this to a government plan to bring more Taiwanese families and businesses to Xiamen. That may explain why MXIS now highlights its Chinese-English bilingual course alongside its IB Diploma track.
The school found funding, rebuilt on schedule, and reopened — a good outcome. But it is not public who runs MXIS today, or how much control its original Philippine founders still hold. That is normal for this type of school in China, but if it matters to you, ask the admissions office directly.
Fees for 2025–26
MXIS prices two different tracks. These figures were confirmed with the school’s admissions office in August 2026.
Annual tuition, RMB, 2025–26| Stage | Track | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Primary, G1–6 | Chinese-English bilingual | ¥43,460 |
| Middle, G7–9 | Chinese-English bilingual | ¥68,300 |
| Upper, G10–12 | IB Diploma / international | ¥72,000 |
| Upper, G10–12 | Art-focused course | ¥150,000–220,000 |
Two things to check with the school: the art course is a small, separate option at three times the standard fee, so ask exactly what it covers. And the IB Diploma itself only covers Grades 11–12, even though the ¥72,000 row is listed as G10–12 — ask what Grade 10 includes.
Other costs| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application & assessment | ¥1,200, one-time |
| Textbooks | ¥2,000–5,000 |
| Uniform | ¥800–1,500 |
| School bus | ¥6,000–9,000, optional |
| Meals | ¥25–40 per meal |
| Activities & exams | ¥3,000–10,000 a year |
| Early payment | 3% discount |
| Refunds | 100% before enrolling; 70% within the first month |
Budget above the tuition line: a middle-school place at ¥68,300 plus books, uniform, bus and meals lands closer to ¥85,000 a year.
Where did ¥196,000 come from? It belongs to a different school. A 2015 comparison table correctly listed MXIS and Xiamen International School (XIS) side by side, with different prices. In 2020, a listing site wrongly claimed the two schools were “the same school” and swapped in XIS’s higher fees. Many pages have copied that error since.
A correction to our own record. An earlier version of our own school directory also carried that wrong fee range for MXIS. We are fixing it, and saying so here too.
Who Can Enrol, and How Big Is the School
MXIS does not publish a total student count. But one number tells us a lot: its 2026 IB Diploma class had only 18 students. So the whole school is likely a few hundred pupils — not the thousands some listing sites claim.
MXIS is licensed as a school for children of foreign staff — meaning mainly foreign-passport families, and often Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas-Chinese families too.
The Bilingual Course Is Not a Way Around EligibilityBecause the bilingual track is cheaper, some pages suggest it lets mainland-passport families enrol. It does not — MXIS’s licence covers who may enrol no matter which track they choose. If you hold a mainland Chinese passport, confirm your eligibility with the school before paying the ¥1,200 assessment fee.
Who MXIS Suits
Filipino families in Fujian
Foreign-passport families in Siming wanting the IB Diploma
Students joining from Grade 6 or later
Families wanting the cheaper bilingual track
Families who prefer a small, long-established school
Families wanting IB from kindergarten
Mainland-passport families
Anyone needing a fixed quote online, unconfirmed
Anyone needing written boarding terms in advance
Families who need fast replies by website
Our honest view: MXIS is a real, licensed, IB-authorised school with a genuinely interesting history and a real community role. Its online presence is weak enough to cost it families who would suit it well. Call the school rather than relying only on what you read — including this page.
How to Contact MXIS
MXIS has used several websites over the years, and most work poorly. As of August 2026:
Phone: 0592-2516373 / 0592-2516375
Email: admin@mxischina.com
WeChat: MXIS厦门岷厦国际学校 — the school’s most active channel, posting admissions news and exam results through July 2026
Do not rely on older websites such as mxis.org.cn, which resolved inconsistently when we checked. Use WeChat or the phone number above instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources
We checked every fact in this guide against the sources above, most recently on 17 August 2026, including four posts from the school’s official WeChat account. Tuition figures were confirmed directly with the school’s admissions office. The campus reopened in July 2026 after rebuilding, so some details may still be changing — please confirm directly with the school before you decide.
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