Study in Nanjing — Universities, Costs & Living

2Universities we cover

CNY 1,800–3,200Living cost per month

CNY 600–1,400University dormitory

#12Cheapest of 18 cities

Positioning

Why students end up in Nanjing

Nanjing University covers the comprehensive and humanities side, with particular strength in Chinese language and literature, physics, astronomy and earth sciences. Southeast University is the engineering and architecture school, strong in civil engineering, electronic engineering and transport. Between them they cover most of what a postgraduate applicant is looking for, and the city's wider student population — several large universities we do not cover sit here too — means the infrastructure is built around students.

The cost case is straightforward: Nanjing delivers most of what Shanghai offers academically, at 30–40% lower living costs, an hour and a half away by train. The trade-off is a quieter job market and a less international everyday environment.

Where the city is genuinely strong

Architecture, urban planning and civil engineering at Southeast, which is one of the traditional 'eight schools' of Chinese architecture
Electronic engineering and communications, with a direct pipeline into the software and semiconductor employers in the region
Chinese language, literature and history — Nanjing is a serious place to study them
Astronomy and earth sciences, small fields where Nanjing is genuinely world-class

Cost

What a month costs in Nanjing

One student, CNY. The total assumes university accommodation; the private-rent line is there because it is the number that changes the answer.

Item	CNY per month	Notes
University dormitory	600–1,400	Shared room, usually 2–4 students, utilities included
Private rent, one bedroom	1,600–3,400	Off campus, excluding utilities and deposit
Food	900–1,700	Canteen meals plus occasional eating out
Transport and other	350–650	Metro, phone, laundry, incidentals
Realistic monthly total	1,800–3,200	CNY per month, one student

Indicative ranges. Dormitory prices are set by the university and vary by room type; ask the international office for the current rate before you budget.

Comparison

How Nanjing compares

The same table for the cities students most often weigh against it.

City	Dormitory	Private rent	Food	Monthly total
Nanjing	600–1,400	1,600–3,400	900–1,700	1,800–3,200
Shanghai	900–2,000	2,500–5,500	1,300–2,400	2,800–5,200
Suzhou	600–1,300	1,500–3,200	900–1,700	1,700–3,000
Hangzhou	700–1,500	1,800–3,800	1,000–1,900	2,000–3,600

All figures CNY per month for one student.

Universities

What you can study in Nanjing

2 institutions we cover, 2 of which can nominate scholarship students directly.

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Nanjing University

Nanjing · est. 1902 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Research-led university known for physics, chemistry, astronomy, environment and Chinese literature.

Tuition: CNY 22,000–35,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

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Southeast University

Nanjing · est. 1902 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Architecture, civil engineering, electronics and biomedical engineering with a compact campus.

Tuition: CNY 20,000–34,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

After graduation

Work and industry

The software valley district, semiconductor fabrication including TSMC's Nanjing plant, and the automotive suppliers around the city. Salaries are lower than Shanghai but so are costs. Most international graduates who stay move to Shanghai or Suzhou for work rather than staying locally.

Internships are not automatic. Work while studying requires university approval and immigration reporting, and the permitted hours are limited. Arrange placements through the university rather than informally.

Work permits & the graduate market →

Living

Climate, and getting there

Season	Typical range	What to expect
Spring (Mar–May)	10–22°C	Warm and wet, with a long plum rain season starting in June.
Summer (Jun–Aug)	28–38°C	One of the traditional 'furnace' cities. Hot, humid and relentless for six to eight weeks.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	15–25°C	Clear and comfortable, and the reason the city has a reputation for pleasant autumns.
Winter (Dec–Feb)	0–8°C	Damp cold with no district heating. Snow is occasional rather than usual.

Transport

Lukou airport for domestic and regional flights. Nanjing South is a major high-speed hub: one hour to Shanghai, an hour and a half to Hangzhou, three to Beijing. The metro covers the main student districts.

Before you commit

The part brochures leave out

The summer heat is not a minor inconvenience — it is the defining feature of July and August, and dormitories without air conditioning are genuinely uninhabitable. Winter is damp and unheated. The city is large enough that campus location matters for daily life.

Funding

Provincial scholarships for Jiangsu

A tuition waiver does not change what a month costs. The Jiangsu award reaches students at 2 universities we cover in Jiangsu, and the monthly figures above are what it has to cover.

All Jiangsu scholarship schemes →

Nearby

Worth comparing before you decide

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Shanghai

East · 4 universities
CNY 2,800–5,200 per month

Read the city profile →

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Suzhou

East · 2 universities
CNY 1,700–3,000 per month

Read the city profile →

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Hangzhou

East · 2 universities
CNY 2,000–3,600 per month

Read the city profile →

FAQ

Questions specific to Nanjing

For study, yes: the academic quality is high and the monthly cost of 1,800–3,200 CNY is well below Shanghai. For work afterwards, less so — most international hiring is in Shanghai, an hour away, and commuting to interviews is normal.

July and August regularly reach 36–38°C with high humidity, and the heat persists overnight. Air conditioning is not a luxury here; confirm it is included in your accommodation before you accept.

At master's and doctoral level, several programmes do. Undergraduate teaching is mostly in Chinese and requires HSK 4–5. Check the specific programme rather than the university's general English-language claim.

Want a budget for Nanjing?

Send us your subject, level and intended intake. We will come back with the universities that fit and a monthly budget that includes the costs students usually forget.

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