Deutsche Schule Shanghai is a German Curriculum school in Shanghai, China. Founded in 1995. Annual tuition ranges from $21,197 to $28,787 USD.
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Location & Getting There
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Key Details
Scholarships Available
No regular merit-based scholarship programme is published. In justified individual cases involving acute emergencies, families may apply for temporary reductions in school fees by contacting [email protected] with supporting documentation.
Key facts
About
Deutsche Schule Shanghai (DSS) is a German international school (Auslandsschule) operating two campuses in Shanghai — Hongqiao and Yangpu — that serves approximately 1,100 children from 18 months to 18 years. The school follows the German curriculum throughout, offering the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) and Fachoberschule pathway, with a strong MINT programme and multilingual instruction in German, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish and Latin. Governed by a non-profit Schulverein, DSS provides full-day education within a Eurocampus arrangement shared with the French school and offers integrated DaF/DaZ language support and dedicated special-education provision.
School data verified by NanaSays. Last updated: April 2026.
Why Families Choose
DSS is a German international Auslandsschule offering the full range of German certificates including the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) and Fachoberschule (FOS). It operates two campuses in Shanghai within a Eurocampus arrangement shared with the French school. Strong MINT programme, multilingual education from early years, dedicated DaF/DaZ language support, and integrated special-education provision are key differentiators.
Fees & Financials
| Grade / Year | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Nursery | RMB 166,500 |
| Grades 1-12 | RMB 208,600 |
| Kindergarten | RMB 153,600 |
Conversions to USD use exchange rates as of April 2026.
Original currency: RMB 153,600 - 208,600. Application fee: $690.
Admissions Process
- 1Contact admissions ([email protected]) to check availability and start a digital pre-enrolment. 2) Book a tour or open day visit. 3) Submit digital application and pay non-refundable registration fee of RMB 5,000 with required documents. 4) Language assessment (DaF/DaZ) for non-German-speaking children. 5) Receive provisional offer; pay admission fee (RMB 30,000) and deposit (RMB 75,000 private / RMB 125,000 corporate) within 21 days. 6) Document validation and residency eligibility check. 7) Receive enrolment confirmation, start date and class placement.
Admissions Details
No formal published waitlist policy. Places are offered subject to availability on a first-to-accept-and-pay basis. Families are advised to enquire early and ask the admissions team whether a provisional holding or internal list position is available.
School Day
Kindergarten arrivals begin around 08:00 with a morning circle and integrated activities, followed by lunch and a rest period. Primary and secondary students follow a full-day (Ganztagsschule) arrangement with lessons across morning and afternoon hours plus after-school activities. Exact schedules vary by year group.
Student Life
The Kantine is open daily from 8:00 to 17:00 and serves breakfast and a variety of hot and cold dishes for lunch across five stations; the Café offers snacks and beverages. Operated by Sodexo, the Kantine is nut-free and can accommodate dietary needs with advance notice; a mini-program provides the weekly menu and enables community input on meals.
Facilities & Programmes
Wellbeing & Safety
Mental wellbeing is led by the Schulsozialarbeit (school social-work) team, which provides individual and group counselling, crisis intervention, preventive programmes, conflict mediation, and referral to external specialists. Social-training and theatre-pedagogical methods are used for violence prevention and to teach empathy, self-control and problem-solving. Medical first-aid teams are present on both campuses.
The school publishes a formal Schutzkonzept (protection/safeguarding concept) built on a 2021 child-protection concept and adopted by the school conference. It emphasises the right to a discrimination- and violence-free environment, includes a Verhaltenskodex (code of conduct), and defines the school's obligations to create a protected learning and living space. Prepared in response to ZfA guidance.
Student Demographics
School Background
Non-profit association (Schulverein) governed by a volunteer board of eight members who set the strategic and financial framework. All families with enrolled children are members. In 2025/26, the Hongqiao and Yangpu campuses merged to form a single Deutsche Schule Shanghai.