Beijing 2026 public intl school admissions cap is 2,420. RDFZ Shijingshan AP ends; Luhe Intl goes public at ¥138k. Focus on faculty and college placements.
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Source: OT-Team(G), 留学杂志
As the 2026 high school admissions season gets underway, Beijing’s public international departments are undergoing their most significant realignment in years. The city’s list of authorized public international programs has shrunk from 25 to 24, with total enrollment slots now capped at 2,420, according to the latest admissions plan released by the Beijing Education Examination Authority.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. Behind the static count lies a dynamic—and telling—reshuffling: one well-known program has been cut, a longtime private institution has transitioned to public status, and admission bars at elite schools have dropped markedly. The landscape of international education in the capital is being redrawn.
RDFZ Shijingshan AP Program Withdraws: A Prestigious Name Wasn’t Enough
Among the most notable exits is the AP program at RDFZ Shijingshan School, which has been removed from this year’s admissions roster. First approved in 2020 as the only public international curriculum program in Shijingshan District, it enrolled three cohorts between 2023 and 2025, taking in 90 students each year. That run has now come to an abrupt end.
From the outset, the program occupied an awkward position. Though operating under the prestigious RDFZ (Renmin University of China Affiliated High School) brand, it was effectively managed by RDFZ Xishan School. Students held Shijingshan district registrations but attended classes in Haidian’s Malianwa area—essentially functioning as an offshoot of Xishan’s own AP offering, with branding in Shijingshan but resources dependent on Haidian.
When cross-district admissions policies tightened, the structural flaw became fatal. In 2025, the program had 90 slots: 40 reserved for Shijingshan residents and 20 for Haidian. But Shijingshan’s small student base yielded a thin pool of high-caliber applicants, while the 20 Haidian slots faced fierce competition from eight other public international programs within that district. Caught in the middle, the program failed to fill its seats last year, ending the cycle with just four spots left in supplemental admissions.
Exits and Entries Running in Parallel
RDFZ Shijingshan AP is not the first to bow out. In 2022, the Sino-foreign cooperative education program at Beijing No. 25 High School was terminated. That same year, Beijing No. 12 High School’s international department transitioned into Lize International School, a private institution.
At the same time, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission has approved several new projects in recent years, including the Sino-American program at The High School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University (80 seats), the Sino-American program at Beijing Academy (100 seats), and the Sino-American program at The Experimental School of Beijing Institute of Technology (50 seats).
The logic behind this churn is clear: programs whose operational models no longer align with policy directions are being phased out, while those gaining approval tend to share common traits—demonstrated college placement results, stable local applicant pools, and clearly defined educational missions. The track hasn’t disappeared; it’s being reshuffled.
Luhe International Makes the Leap: Private to Public
On the other side of the equation, Luhe International Education Academy has officially transitioned to public status, becoming the International Department of Luhe High School.
This is not a net new addition but a fundamental change in legal and operational standing. The school’s Chinese sponsor has been changed to Luhe High School in Tongzhou District, fully integrating the program into the Luhe system. As a public entity, the department now benefits from greater administrative stability and resource security, while admissions must strictly follow public-school international department procedures. Following the transition, the program maintained its 60-student intake for 2025, with tuition held at ¥138,000 per academic year—unchanged from its private-period rate.
Founded in 2005, Luhe International is one of Beijing’s earliest international high schools rooted in a public-school framework, offering A-Level, AP, and Hong Kong DSE curricula. For families in Tongzhou and neighboring districts, this shift is unequivocally positive news.
A Structural Recalibration—Not a Retreat
From the closure of Shijingshan AP to Luhe’s public conversion and the notable drop in admission thresholds at top-tier schools, a common thread runs through these developments: Beijing’s international education sector is undergoing a structural adjustment.
Tighter cross-district enrollment policies are forcing every program to rely on its home district’s student base and demonstrable teaching quality. Programs that depend on brand licensing or poaching top students from other districts will find the road increasingly difficult.
For families navigating this new terrain, the shift in admissions strategy is clear: look beyond the nameplate affixed to a program. Instead, parents should scrutinize the fundamentals: Does the program have a stable teaching faculty and clear student-record management? Does it deliver verifiable college-acceptance outcomes? Are the curriculum and resources genuinely in place, or are they merely promotional gloss?
The international education track in Beijing isn't shrinking—it’s being rebuilt. And in this new landscape, only programs with real substance, local roots, and sustainable operations will endure.
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