Ten discipline families, each with duration, teaching language, annual tuition band and the language certificate the programme actually asks for.
The most competitive and most regulated field for international students. English-medium MBBS exists, but seats are limited and clinical exposure…
Jump to Medicine →China's largest export discipline. Tuition is moderate, labs are well funded, and many master's programmes are taught in English because the cohort…
Jump to Engineering →The fastest-growing English-taught offering. Expect programming-heavy coursework, project work in Mandarin-heavy teams, and strong hiring pipelines…
Jump to Computer →Wide choice and the widest quality spread. Check accreditation and cohort composition before choosing — an English-taught MBA can be excellent or…
Jump to Business →Research master's and doctoral routes are the strongest value here: supervisors actively recruit international PhD students and scholarships are more…
Jump to Sciences →Usually taught in Chinese, which makes them a realistic goal after one year of language study rather than from zero. A good route for students who…
Jump to Humanities →The lowest-barrier entry point and the most flexible: start any semester, any level, with a placement test on arrival. Many students use it as a…
Jump to Chinese →Portfolio-dependent. Architecture is five years and studio-intensive; design schools increasingly run English-medium master's programmes aimed at…
Jump to Architecture →Chinese law degrees are taught in Chinese and are mainly chosen by students who intend to work on China-related transactions. English-medium LLM…
Jump to Law →Underrated and inexpensive. Food science, agronomy and veterinary medicine are strong at specialist universities and rarely oversubscribed by…
Jump to Agriculture →The most competitive and most regulated field for international students. English-medium MBBS exists, but seats are limited and clinical exposure varies by hospital network.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Medicine (MBBS) | Bachelor | 6 years (5 + 1 internship) | English or Chinese | 25,000–45,000 / yr | None for English track · HSK 5 for Chinese track |
| Stomatology / Dentistry | Bachelor | 5 years | Chinese (some English) | 26,000–40,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Nursing | Bachelor | 4 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Pharmacy | Bachelor | 4 years | Chinese or English | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4–5 |
| Public Health | Master | 2 years | English | 22,000–35,000 / yr | None for English track |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine | Bachelor / Master | 5 years / 3 years | Chinese | 20,000–32,000 / yr | HSK 4–5 |
China's largest export discipline. Tuition is moderate, labs are well funded, and many master's programmes are taught in English because the cohort is mostly international.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–32,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Electrical & Automation | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–32,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese (some English) | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| Aerospace Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese (some English) | 22,000–36,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Environmental Engineering | Master | 2–3 years | English | 20,000–34,000 / yr | None for English track |
The fastest-growing English-taught offering. Expect programming-heavy coursework, project work in Mandarin-heavy teams, and strong hiring pipelines in Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Beijing.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–38,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Artificial Intelligence | Master | 2–3 years | English | 25,000–45,000 / yr | None for English track |
| Data Science | Master | 2 years | English | 25,000–42,000 / yr | None for English track |
| Software Engineering | Bachelor | 4 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–36,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Electronic & Information Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–34,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
Wide choice and the widest quality spread. Check accreditation and cohort composition before choosing — an English-taught MBA can be excellent or empty depending on the school.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration (BBA) | Bachelor | 4 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| MBA (English) | Master | 2 years | English | 40,000–90,000 / yr | None · 2–3 years work experience typical |
| Finance | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 2 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–40,000 / yr | HSK 4–5 |
| International Economics & Trade | Bachelor | 4 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| Accounting | Bachelor | 4 years | Chinese mostly | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| International Relations | Master | 2 years | English | 22,000–38,000 / yr | None for English track |
Research master's and doctoral routes are the strongest value here: supervisors actively recruit international PhD students and scholarships are more plentiful than at bachelor level.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | Bachelor / Master / PhD | 4 / 3 / 4 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–35,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Chemistry | Bachelor / Master / PhD | 4 / 3 / 4 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–35,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Mathematics & Applied Maths | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | English or Chinese | 18,000–32,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Materials Science | Master / PhD | 3 / 4 years | English | 22,000–36,000 / yr | None for English track |
| Environmental Science | Master / PhD | 3 / 4 years | English | 20,000–34,000 / yr | None for English track |
Usually taught in Chinese, which makes them a realistic goal after one year of language study rather than from zero. A good route for students who want deep language immersion.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Language & Literature | Bachelor | 4 years | Chinese | 16,000–26,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| History | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese | 16,000–26,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Education | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 2 years | Chinese or English | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 4–5 |
| Journalism & Communication | Master | 2 years | Chinese or English | 20,000–34,000 / yr | HSK 5 for Chinese track |
| Psychology | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 2 years | Chinese or English | 18,000–32,000 / yr | HSK 4–5 |
The lowest-barrier entry point and the most flexible: start any semester, any level, with a placement test on arrival. Many students use it as a bridge year before a degree.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive Chinese (long-term) | Non-degree | 1 semester – 2 years | Chinese | 12,000–25,000 / yr | None · placement test |
| Short-term Chinese (summer / winter) | Non-degree | 2–8 weeks | Chinese | 3,000–8,000 / course | None — open to all levels |
| Business Chinese | Non-degree | 1 semester – 1 year | Chinese | 14,000–26,000 / yr | HSK 3 recommended |
| Teaching Chinese (TCSOL) | Master | 2 years | Chinese or English | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Chinese for Academic Purposes | Non-degree | 1 year | Chinese | 12,000–22,000 / yr | None · pre-degree preparation |
Portfolio-dependent. Architecture is five years and studio-intensive; design schools increasingly run English-medium master's programmes aimed at international students.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Bachelor | 5 years | English or Chinese | 22,000–40,000 / yr | Portfolio · HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Urban Planning | Bachelor / Master | 5 / 3 years | Chinese mostly | 22,000–38,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Industrial Design | Bachelor | 4 years | Chinese or English | 20,000–34,000 / yr | Portfolio |
| Visual Communication | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese mostly | 20,000–35,000 / yr | Portfolio |
Chinese law degrees are taught in Chinese and are mainly chosen by students who intend to work on China-related transactions. English-medium LLM options exist but are narrower.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Law (LLB) | Bachelor | 4 years | Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| International Law (LLM) | Master | 2 years | English or Chinese | 22,000–38,000 / yr | None for English track |
| Intellectual Property | Master | 2 years | Chinese or English | 22,000–36,000 / yr | HSK 5 for Chinese track |
Underrated and inexpensive. Food science, agronomy and veterinary medicine are strong at specialist universities and rarely oversubscribed by international applicants.
| Programme | Level | Duration | Language | Tuition / yr (CNY) | Language requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Science & Engineering | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese or English | 16,000–28,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| Agronomy | Bachelor / Master | 4 / 3 years | Chinese | 14,000–26,000 / yr | HSK 4 |
| Veterinary Medicine | Bachelor | 5 years | Chinese | 18,000–30,000 / yr | HSK 5 |
| Animal Science | Master | 3 years | English or Chinese | 16,000–28,000 / yr | HSK 4 if Chinese-taught |
| Level | Duration | Typical language | Tuition band / yr | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language year | 1 semester – 2 years | Chinese | 12,000–25,000 | Bridging into a Chinese-taught degree, or testing the water |
| Bachelor's | 4–6 years | English or Chinese | 16,000–45,000 | School leavers; MBBS and architecture are the long ones |
| Master's | 2–3 years | Often English | 20,000–90,000 | Career change or specialisation; MBA is the top of the band |
| PhD | 3–4 years | English or Chinese | 20,000–40,000 | Research careers; the most heavily funded level |
Durations assume full-time study and normal progression. MBBS is five years of coursework plus a one-year internship.
We cover the common routes here. If your discipline is more specific — petroleum engineering, marine science, veterinary medicine, traditional Chinese medicine — tell us and we will map the universities that teach it in your language.