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How to Choose a Chinese University as an International Student
Oct,05 2026
Choosing a Chinese university has worked best as a step-by-step process. Successful applicants have usually started with the teaching language and the programme, have compared entry requirements with their own profile, and have then weighed the city, the total cost and the support services before they have made a final shortlist.
Step 1: Decide on the teaching language first
Chinese universities have offered bachelor's programmes in two main forms: Chinese-taught and English-taught. This choice has shaped almost everything else.
Chinese-taught programmes have usually required HSK Level 4 or above, or one year of language preparation.
English-taught programmes have admitted students without Chinese at the start, although some universities have asked for IELTS or TOEFL scores.
If you have not studied Chinese before, an English-taught programme has often been the faster route. If you already speak some Chinese, or you want to build strong language skills during your degree, a Chinese-taught programme has opened more choices and often lower tuition fees.
Step 2: Match the programme to your goals
A university's overall ranking has mattered less than the quality of the specific programme. Before you decide, you should check:
Whether the programme has been open to international students and has had a clear curriculum
For clinical medicine (MBBS) programmes, whether the university has been authorised to enrol international students and whether the degree has been recognised for medical licensing in your home country
Whether the degree has been taught fully in English, or partly in Chinese after the first years
You should also think about your long-term plan. Students who have wanted to work in China after graduation have benefited from stronger Chinese language training, while students who have planned to return home have often looked at how the degree has been recognised there.
Step 3: Choose the city, not only the university
China has large differences in cost and lifestyle between cities. A monthly budget of RMB 2,000 may have been comfortable in some cities and tight in Beijing or Shanghai.
When you have compared cities, you should look at:
Living costs: accommodation, food and transport
Climate: winters in northern China and summers in the south have felt very different
Community: some cities have larger international student communities and halal food options, which have mattered to students from Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa
Opportunities: bigger cities have usually offered more internships and part-time options
Step 4: Check the entry requirements against your own profile
Every programme has had its own entry line. Before you apply, you should compare your high school results, your language certificates and, since the 2026/2027 cycle, your CSCA results with the requirements of each target programme.
A practical shortlist has usually mixed three types of universities:
One ambitious choice: a stronger university where your results are near the entry line
Two matched choices: universities where your profile fits the requirements well
One safe choice: a university where your results have clearly exceeded the requirements
Step 5: Compare the total cost and the scholarships
Tuition fees for international students have ranged widely, from around RMB 18,000 to more than RMB 40,000 per year for many English-taught bachelor's programmes, with medicine usually at the higher end. When you have compared offers, you should add the city's living costs to the tuition.
You should also check scholarships early. The Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC), provincial scholarships and university scholarships have had different deadlines, and some have closed months before the application season has ended.
Step 6: Check the support services
Daily life has depended a lot on services that are easy to overlook. Before you decide, you should check whether the university has offered:
On-campus dormitories for international students
An international student office with English-speaking staff
Airport pick-up and registration support for new students
Halal canteens or prayer facilities, if these matter to you
A simple way to make the final decision
After the six steps, most students have ended up with a shortlist of three to five universities. From there, you should compare the offers side by side: language, programme, city, cost, scholarships and support. The right choice has rarely been the highest-ranked university. It has been the university where the programme, the cost and your own profile have matched best.
Information sources and update time
This guide has been based on common admission practice at Chinese universities. Entry requirements, tuition fees and scholarship rules have differed between institutions and have changed over time. The content has been last updated in October 2026. Please confirm the current details on the official admission pages of your target universities.
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About SICAS
SICAS (Study In China Admission System) is a platform for international students who are interested in studying in China. It provides information on Chinese universities, degree programmes, scholarships and admission requirements, helping students explore study opportunities across China.
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