Choices, choices: A 2011 Mazda Miata MX5 or senior year in an international school in Beijing? Both will cost you USD 30,500
Like rent, transportation and the cost of vegetables, international school tuition is quickly rising in Beijing.
The Global Times reported yesterday in a story on inflation that 2011/2012 tuitions posted on international school websites in Beijing were up by 10% or more from the previous year.
A quick reference check on a dozen of Beijing’s top international schools reveals annual 12th grade (or its equivalent) tuitions that range from RMB 110,000 to RMB 216,000, with a median price of RMB 198,500.
In US dollar terms, that’s a range of roughly $17,000 to $33,000, with a median of $30,500 for senior year of high school.
The comparison is somewhat arbitrary as most schools charge less for lower grades, and the myriad discounts on one end and additional fees on the other render a head-to-head comparison almost moot. However, one thing is clear: the cost of education is indeed going up. Quickly.
An influx of new school choices over the past few years (with more to come this year) has seemingly not affected the overall cost of the schools. With rising numbers of expat families considering Beijing a long-term home and an increasing number of Chinese opting out of the local school system, demand for spaces in these schools does not appear to be diminishing.
Rather than competing on price, Beijing’s international schools compete on offerings — world-class facilities, top-notch teachers recruited from overseas, and enrichment programs that make these schools not only educational facilities but centers of the family community.
While the price is high, no doubt the quality is there. The only question being: if tuition continues to go up 10% a year, how much longer before the cost of living for expatriate families becomes too high to bear?
