Education in China: Universities and majors

The Chinese government dedicates a significant portion of its national budget to the advancement of education. As a result, Chinese universities have maintained high standards on a global scale, with some of them ranking in the top 100 of the World University Rankings. Through partnerships with prestigious international institutions, students have the opportunity to earn dual degrees and participate in exchange programs, allowing them to study at both top Chinese universities and renowned institutions worldwide.

1. Structure of education in China
2. Languages of instruction
3. Top universities
4. Popular programs
5. Cost of living

Structure of education in China

There are about 3 thousand universities in China, most of which invite international students to study for bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees.

Bachelor’s degree: 4-5 years of study (some universities have a maximum of 6 years);

Master’s degree: professional specialization — 2 years, academic-3 years; during training in professional specialization, the emphasis is placed on practice, on the skills of the profession that the student is studying for; in academic specializations, the emphasis is placed on the theoretical part of training, on research activities, preparing the master’s student as a scientific specialist who can later continue your studies and earn your PhD.

PhD: 3-4 years.

Language of education in China

The main language is Chinese.

For such programs, you need to provide HSK 4 for bachelor’s degree, HSK-5 for Master’s degree, and HSK-6 for PhD.

There are many programs with English as the language of education.  By choosing a program in English, the student can learn Chinese in parallel: the Chinese language course is immediately included in the curriculum.

Top Universities in China

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY (Beijing)

Tsinghua is the most prestigious university in China and one of the top 30 universities in the world. More than 5,000 international students from more than 130 countries study at the university every year.

The best majors (areas of studies) in Tsinghua according to the world rankings are engineering, computer science, materials science, chemistry, physics, nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Tuition fee per year:

Bachelor’s degree – ￥26000-40000;

Master’s degree – ￥28000-45000 (Finance – ￥128000-129000);

PhD – ￥32000-50000 yuan.

Cost of accommodation on campus: single room – ￥80 per day, double room – ￥40 per day.

Entrance fee: ￥800

PEKING UNIVERSITY (Beijing)

Peking University is the first national university in the modern history of China, founded in 1898. It is one of the top 50 best universities in the world. The University focuses on fundamental sciences, paying special attention to the development of applied sciences. In recent years, more than 6,000 international students from 116 countries have been enrolled.

The best majors according to the world rankings are biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, pharmacology, geosciences, social sciences, nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Tuition fee per year:

Bachelor’s degree – ￥26,000-30,000;

Master’s degree – ￥29,000-33,000;

PhD – ￥32000-40000.

Cost of living on campus: approximately ￥35,000 per year.

Entrance fee: ￥800

SHANGHAI JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY (Shanghai)

SJTU is a world-leading internationalized university focused on research. It is one of the top 5 universities in China and one of the top 110 largest universities in the world. SJTU has more than 3,600 international students per year.

The best majors according to the world rankings are: biotechnology and applied microbiology, chemistry, information technology, electrical and electronics engineering, engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, pharmacology, optics, nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Tuition fee per year:

Bachelor’s degree – ￥24,000;

Master’s degree – ￥28,900;

PhD – ￥45 500;

Cost of living on campuses:

Minhang Campus: single room (private bathroom) – ￥12600 per semester, single room (shared bathroom) – ￥10080 per semester, double room – ￥6600 per semester;

Xuhui campus: single room — ￥10600-11900 per semester or ￥9300 per semester, double room – ￥6600 per semester.

Entrance fee: ￥800

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA (Hefei)

USTC is a national research university founded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as a strategic measure of the Chinese government to meet the scientific and technological needs of China. It is one of the top 120 best universities in the world. The University focuses on scientific and technical research, management, and the humanities. Over 1000 international students enroll to the university in a year.

The best majors according to the world rankings: nanoscience and nanotechnology, chemistry, physics, energy and fuel, polymer science, materials science, mechanical engineering, engineering.

Tuition fee per year:

Bachelor’s degree – ￥26000;

Master’s degree – ￥30,000;

PhD – ￥35000;

Cost of accommodation on campus: ￥500-1 000 per month, depending on the type and size of the room.

ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY (Hangzhou)

Zhejiang University is one of the most prestigious universities in China and is one of the top 120 best universities in the world. Every year, the university accepts about 8,000 international students from 148 countries for long-term and short-term programs.

The best majors according to the world rankings are: agricultural sciences, biotechnology and applied microbiology, chemical engineering, chemistry, information technology, energy and fuel, mechanical engineering, nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Tuition fee per year:

Bachelor’s degree – ￥19800-29800;

Bachelor’s Degree (Clinical Medicine-MBBS – – ￥42 800;

Master’s degree – ￥22 800-32 800;

PhD – ￥29 800-39 800;

Cost of living on campuses:

Zijingang (East) campus: double room – ￥36,000, quadruple room – ￥48,000, double room (with bath) – ￥60,000 per year, quadruple room (with bath) – ￥66,000 per year;

Zijingang (West) campus: single room – ￥24000-30000, double room – ￥36000;

Yuquan Campus: single room – ￥24000-30000, double room – ￥36000-48000, quadruple room (with bathroom) — ￥84000 (prices vary by dorm);

Xixi Campus: double room — ￥30000

Entrance fee: ￥800

Popular programs and tuition fees

Popular programs among international students

1. Clinical medicine
2. International economics and trade
3. Engineering 
4. Information technology
5. Business administration
6. Finance
7. International relations
8. Chinese language and literature, Chinese as a foreign language

Despite the high standard of living in China, the cost of education and accommodation, compared to other major Asian countries or European universities, is very affordable.

Public universities:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chinese — ￥12000-26000 per year
• Bachelor’s degree in English – ￥14000-28000 per year
• Master’s degree in Chinese — about ￥17000-30000 per year
• Master’s degree in English – ￥26000-40000 per year
• PhD — ￥20000-50000 per year

Tuition fees depend on the duration of the course, the level of the university, and the language of instruction.

Private universities

Most courses cost around ￥190,000 per year, while some MBA programs cost more than ￥250,000 per year.

Private educational institutions in other countries

The cost of studying at, for example, New York University (NYU) Shanghai, created in collaboration with East China Normal University in Shanghai, is more than ￥315,000 per year.

Cost of living

In large cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou), prices for accommodation will be slightly higher than in nearby cities (Tianjin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Sichuan, etc.)

Cheapest housing options (on university campuses):

• hostels for international students,
• guesthouses,
• hotels at universities.

Prices: from ￥1,000 to 2,500 per month (single / double rooms).

Off-campus housing: rent a room or apartment.

In large cities, the price for a room is ￥3000-3500 per month, while apartments will cost from ￥2,500 to 6,350 per month (depending on the city, location of the apartment, and services included in the price).