Fees Increase at Hong Kong Schools

Tuition fees at some international schools in Hong Kong will increase by an average of 4.26%. The Education Bureau has approved an increase of fees at primary and secondary schools across Hong Kong, after many had frozen their fees for the past two years since the outbreak of Covid-19.

All international, Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) and private schools must apply to the EDB for the approval of any adjustment to tuition fees. 

The EDB has approved fee increases at a total of 167 international, private and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools for this academic year. This is considerably more than the 87 schools given approval for an increase last year.

In April, Hong Kong’s largest provider of international education, the English Schools Foundation (ESF) announced plans to increased its fees for primary and secondary students after a two-year freeze.

Annual tuition fees at English Schools Foundation (ESF) schools will rise by an average of 2.9% for the 2022-23 academic year – but Year 7 will be the hardest hit with an annual increase of 19%. This above-average increase is due to the loss of ESF's annual HKD 283 million subsidy from the government, which started being phased out six years ago and will last for a period of 13 years. While the government subvention continues for all students in Years 8 to 13 in 2022-23, a new fee structure now applies to all students in Years 1-7.

Fees for primary school students in Years 1-6 to rise by HKD 3,300 from HKD 115,800 to HKD 119,100. Year 7 fees will increase from HKD 133,800 to HKD 159,300. 

At secondary schools including Sha Tin College, South Island School, King George V, West Island School, and Island School, the fees for Years 8 to 11 will be HKD 137,600, up from HKD 133,800; families of students studying the IBDP in Years 12 and 13 will continue to pay HKD 144,700.

Kellett School, Harrow International School and Stamford American School, Hong Kong are among those international schools to also announce fee increases of up to HKD 10,000 per year. 

The cost of an education at any of Hong Kong’s international schools cannot be judged by its tuition fees alone, though. Most schools charge an annual non-refundable capital levy per student. These can range from an annual levy of HKD 7,530 at Discovery College to as much as HKD 60,000 at Harrow International School.  Other schools charge a compulsory debenture, ranging from HKD 90,000 at French International School to HKD 450,000 at The Harbour School. And this is all before counting the cost of other fees covering technology, field trips, lunch, uniform etc.

Read more about the true cost of an education at international schools in Hong Kong here.