Shanghai American School

What the school is

Campuses and qualifications

Both SAS campuses teach Pre-K through Grade 12: Pudong is at 1600 Lingbai Road, and Puxi at 258 Jinfeng Road in Minhang District. Choose the campus alongside housing and work locations; the shared school name does not make the journeys interchangeable.

SAS is WASC-accredited and offers AP courses and the IB Diploma. AP Capstone is an additional qualification. Subjects and graduation requirements differ by campus.

Admissions and eligibility

Eligibility, availability and mid-year entry

The OpenApply listing describes four Shanghai Municipal Education Commission eligibility categories: children of foreign citizens, children born overseas to PRC citizens, children of Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan residents, and children with a commission waiver letter. These are summaries, not a substitute for a document check. Ask admissions which category applies, what evidence is required and whether any separate approval is needed.

For 2027–28, applications open September 14, 2026. Completed-application dates are October 30, December 18 and February 3, with updates in December, February and March respectively; additional rounds are rolling. SAS uses a selective wait pool, not a first-come queue. For 2026–27 entry, ask admissions about limited availability at the intended campus and grade. Admissions information checked September 9, 2026.

Fees and the real cost

Tuition, recurring fees and joining charges

The official 2026–27 fee schedule lists annual tuition of RMB 246,000 for Pre-K, RMB 285,800 for Kindergarten–Grade 4, RMB 290,300 for Grade 5, RMB 301,600 for Grades 6–8 and RMB 311,000 for Grades 9–12. Checked September 9, 2026. It also lists a non-refundable annual enrolment fee of RMB 32,000, payable by returning as well as new students, and a new-student entry fee of RMB 28,000 for Pre-K/elementary or RMB 33,000 for middle/high school.

The terms make the entry fee payable again after two consecutive years of non-enrolment. They list tuition instalments on 1 June and 1 November, with a 1% discount on qualifying early prepaid amounts. Fees are set in RMB; USD wire payments use the Bank of China rate on the first working day of the month.

At the listed rates, a new high-school student’s tuition, annual enrolment fee, entry fee and RMB 2,800 application fee total RMB 378,800. Two semesters of optional bus transport at RMB 12,150 each bring that subtotal to RMB 403,100. Grades 6–12 also require a family-supplied MacBook and external drive; examination fees, lunch and PE uniform are additional. For comparison, SCIS’s 2026–27 schedule includes bus transport, lunch, one uniform set and compulsory trips in tuition. Align the fee years and remaining exclusions before comparing totals.

The family experience

School transport

SAS offers bus transport for both campuses but does not undertake to serve homes outside existing routes. Before signing a lease, check the actual stop, pickup time and return arrangements for the relevant campus. Also ask how pupils get home after activities. A neighbourhood’s popularity with school families does not guarantee service to a particular building.