Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School

What Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School does

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School (上海实剑桥), founded in 2008, is a private international high school operating two campuses in Shanghai, China: the Yangpu Campus at 99 Yanji Dong Road and the Pudong Campus at Tanglu Road in Pudong New District. The school offers a dual international curriculum comprising Cambridge International A-Level courses and College Board SAT/AP programs, and positions itself as Shanghai's first institution to deliver both credential pathways simultaneously. It also offers a Japanese High School track alongside the Anglo curriculum. The student body consists of Chinese students aged 15-18 preparing for undergraduate admission at universities abroad, and the school holds authorizations as a Cambridge International Centre and a College Board authorized testing center.

The school's core products are the A-Level program (spanning sciences, humanities, commerce, and arts), SAT/AP test preparation, and structured university application guidance and counseling services. Teaching is delivered through a faculty that combines international teachers and local educators with credentials from institutions including Wuhan University, Shanghai Normal University, the University of Strathclyde, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Marketing and recruitment operate through a direct-to-consumer model: the school website (sefls.com), WeChat public account, campus open days, entrance examinations, and public announcements of admission outcomes (Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, UCL offers) that serve as social proof.

The business model is tuition-driven recurring revenue: annual program fees for the international high school curriculum, supplemented by bundled university application and overseas study counseling services. Tuition pricing is not publicly disclosed. The school has produced 17 graduating cohorts since 2008; the 2026 cohort produced 321 graduates who received 2,056 offers across 11 countries and regions, with 298 G5 offers and a 61.4% G5 admission rate among the 306 students who applied to UK universities. Multiple students have earned Cambridge Outstanding Learner Awards (World Top in World) in mathematics examinations across 2024 and 2025. The institution is privately held with no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and no identified venture or private equity backing.

Name

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School

Legal name

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School (上实剑桥外国语中学)

Website

https://sefls.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School is a private international high school in Shanghai offering dual Cambridge A-Level and College Board SAT/AP programs to Chinese students preparing for undergraduate admission at universities across the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private International High School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• International high school education
• Cambridge A-Level program
• SAT and AP courses
• University application counseling
• Private secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: The school generates revenue through tuition fees charged for international high school education programs including A-Level, SAT/AP, and Japanese High School programs. Revenue is recurring on an annual basis with program fees.
2. Application and Counseling Services: University application guidance and overseas study counseling services included in the educational program, helping students prepare applications for international universities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School is a private international high school in Shanghai offering dual Cambridge A-Level and College Board SAT/AP curricula across two campuses. It delivers internationally recognized qualifications, English-medium instruction, and structured university application guidance to prepare Chinese students aged 15-18 for admission to overseas universities. Core services include A-Level courses, SAT/AP test preparation, university application counseling, and supplementary tracks such as a Japanese high school program.

Product overview

Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School (上实剑桥) operates as an international high school offering dual-track international curricula: Cambridge International A-Level and College Board SAT/AP programs. The school serves as both an authorized Cambridge International Centre and College Board partner. The core educational products include A-Level courses (covering sciences, humanities, and commerce subjects), SAT/AP test preparation courses, and comprehensive university application guidance services. The school also offers Japanese high school track alongside the A-Level and AP programs. Students receive holistic preparation for global university admissions across multiple countries including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and European nations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cambridge International A-Level Program (A-Level课程)
• College Board SAT and AP Program (SAT/AP课程)
• International High School Curriculum (国际高中课程)
• University Application Guidance Service (升学指导服务)

Quantifiable outcome

• 188 out of 306 students (61.4%) who applied to UK universities received offers from G5 universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE, UCL
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of OxfordcoreOthers · 18 September 2018Oxford University admissions officers have visited the school to provide information sessions about the university and admission requirements. Multiple graduates have been admitted to Oxford over the years.
• University of CambridgecoreOthers · 12 January 2018Multiple graduates have been admitted to Cambridge University, including recent admits from 2026 cohort (3 students). The school maintains a strong relationship with Cambridge as a major admission destination for graduates.
• University of British ColumbiaminorOthers · 11 September 2017UBC admissions officer Tom Whittaker visited the school to introduce UBC programs and admission standards. UBC is a popular destination for Canadian university applications.
• US Liberal Arts Colleges (Colby, Bates, Colgate, etc.)minorOthers · 13 March 201727 American universities including top liberal arts colleges visited the school for a college fair. Colby College and Bates College are members of the 'Little Ivy League' and have educated US Secretaries of State and prominent leaders.
• Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL)minorOthers · 14 December 2016The Swiss Hotel Management School (world's top hotel management program) sent admissions officers to visit the school. Alumni like Pang Yu studied at EHL. EHL is a prestigious destination for hospitality management studies.
• Imperial College LondoncoreOthers · 21 October 2015Imperial College London has a long-standing relationship with the school. Multiple graduates have been admitted to study at Imperial College. In 2015, President Xi Jinping visited Imperial College and was greeted by school alumni. The school has dozens of graduates currently studying or having graduated from Imperial College at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Harrow International School Shanghai: UK-branded premium boarding/day school in Shanghai offering IGCSE/A-Level with strong UK university placement track record. Comparable brand-driven premium international curriculum positioning.
• Shanghai American School: Large, established Shanghai international school serving expatriate and Chinese families with US-style curriculum and strong US university placement. A broader incumbent in Shanghai's premium international school market.
• Dulwich College Shanghai: UK-branded premium international school in Shanghai offering IGCSE/IB to Chinese and expatriate families. Larger global-network incumbent competing for the same Shanghai premium international school segment.
• Nord Anglia International School Shanghai: Global premium school operator (Nord Anglia) with a Shanghai campus offering IB and A-Level tracks. Larger, multinational incumbent competing for the same affluent Chinese families seeking overseas university placement.

Direct peers

• UWC Changshu China: Premium residential IB school near Shanghai serving Chinese students targeting global universities including Oxbridge and Ivy League. Comparable premium positioning, overseas admissions outcomes, and IB/A-Level curriculum delivery.
• Shanghai Wenlai Foreign Language School (上海文来外国语): Shanghai private international high school focused on A-Level/Japanese curriculum tracks for students targeting overseas study. Closely comparable product mix (international curriculum + Japanese track).
• Shanghai United International School / SUIS (上海协和双语): Multi-campus Shanghai private school group with IGCSE/A-Level and IBDP streams serving Chinese families seeking overseas university admission. Direct competitor in Cambridge curriculum delivery.
• Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School (七宝德怀特高级中学): Shanghai public-private partnership international high school offering IBDP and A-Level to Chinese students targeting overseas universities. Operates in the same premium international-curriculum niche as SEFLS with overlapping parent demographics.
• Wycombe Abbey International School (Shanghai/Changshu): Premium UK-branded international school near Shanghai offering IGCSE/A-Level to Chinese students targeting UK universities. Direct competitor for affluent families prioritizing Oxbridge/G5 outcomes.
• Shanghai Pinghe School (上海平和双语学校): Shanghai-based private K-12 school running parallel international tracks (IBDP, A-Level-equivalent) with similarly strong overseas university placement. Closest comparable premium private international curriculum school in the same city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sefls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shanghai Experimental Foreign Language School