Study in China: Admission, Cost, Visa and Scholarships (2027)

China runs one of the world's largest higher education systems for international students, admitting them mainly through each university's own International Students Office or a dedicated international college, rather than through one national clearing system. Most bachelor's degree programmes for international students are taught in Chinese and require an HSK Chinese proficiency certificate, commonly HSK Level 5 with a score of at least 180, though a growing number of universities also run bachelor's degree programmes taught entirely in English, especially in economics, engineering, medicine and international relations, which instead ask for an IELTS or TOEFL score. Graduate admission is organised by individual school or department rather than by one university wide cycle, and international applicants to a Chinese taught master's or doctoral programme generally need a higher HSK level, commonly HSK Level 6, while English taught graduate programmes set their own IELTS or TOEFL floor.

The main intake is September, when the Chinese academic year begins; most universities' application windows for a September start open in the preceding autumn or winter and close between March and June, though the exact pattern varies by university, and this project found several universities without one fixed date at all, deferring instead to individual programme catalogues. A smaller number of universities also run a spring intake, mainly for non-degree, exchange and Chinese language students, starting around February or March. A China Scholastic Competency Assessment has become a standard extra requirement for international undergraduate applicants at several universities from the 2026-2027 cycle onward, alongside the school leaving certificate and transcripts every applicant needs.

Tuition for international students at the public universities this project researched commonly runs from about 20,000 to 48,000 CNY a year for programmes taught in Chinese, rising into six figures at institutions running separately structured, English medium colleges such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Global College. All applicants pay a one time, non-refundable application fee, commonly 400 to 800 CNY. No single official government survey of living costs for international students was found during this research; individual universities publish their own dormitory and living cost estimates instead, and costs are generally higher in Beijing and Shanghai than in smaller cities.

Every admitted applicant needs an Admission Notice from their university plus a JW201 form, if they hold a Chinese Government Scholarship, or a JW202 form, if they are self funded, to apply for an X1 student visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate before travelling. After arrival, X1 visa holders must register for a residence permit within 30 days. Students may not work or take an internship off campus without approval from both their university and the local exit and entry authority; under rules the Ministry of Education and three other ministries issued in January 2022, approved work-study is capped at 8 hours a week and 40 hours a month during term time, rising to 16 hours a week and 80 hours a month during winter and summer breaks. China does not run one national post study work visa; a small number of cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, instead let graduates of qualifying universities apply directly for a work visa without the two years of work experience usually required, rather than granting a fixed job search period.