Bachelor's degree in China — Requirements, Cost & Funding

4 years (5 for architecture, 6 for medicine)Typical duration

CNY 14,000–45,000Tuition per year

Under 25Age limit (funded)

45Universities we cover

Positioning

What this level is actually for

A bachelor's degree in China is a four-year commitment, five for architecture and six for medicine, and it is the level where teaching is least likely to be in English. The English-taught undergraduate catalogue exists — business, computer science, electronics and a handful of engineering programmes — but it is a fraction of what is available in Chinese, and the further you go from business and computing, the thinner it gets.

This is also the level where the age rule bites hardest: the government scholarship caps bachelor's applicants at 25, and provincial schemes usually mirror it. If you are 24 and considering a four-year degree, the funding question is effectively decided before you write anything.

The practical consequence is that a language year in front of the degree is normal here rather than exceptional. Students who arrive at HSK 4 and start a Chinese-taught bachelor's do better than those who spend the first year of the degree catching up on vocabulary.

The four things that decide it

Four years is the standard, with architecture at five and clinical medicine at six including internship
Chinese-taught is the default; the English-taught catalogue concentrates in business, computing and electronics
The scholarship age ceiling is 25, which rules out a late start on funded study
A language year before the degree is the common route, not a fallback

Requirements

What the application actually asks for

These are the working requirements rather than the published minimums.

Level	Academic background	Language	Age guidance	Notes
Bachelor's	High-school diploma with strong grades in relevant subjects	HSK 4–5 (Chinese) or IELTS 6.0 (English)	Usually under 25 for CSC; universities are more flexible	Competitive majors (MBBS, CS, architecture) fill early.

Language

The route that decides your timeline

The same degree can be a two-year plan or a four-year plan depending on which of these you take.

Route	What it requires
Chinese-taught	HSK 4 for science and engineering, HSK 5 for humanities, medicine and law. This is the majority of the catalogue.
English-taught	IELTS 5.5–6.0 or equivalent, or a medium-of-instruction letter. Concentrated in business, computer science and electronics.
Language year first	One year of intensive Chinese to reach HSK 4 or 5, then enter the degree the following intake.

Requirements are set by the university, not by the scholarship. Confirm the specific programme.

Funding

What is available at this level

Route or rule	What it means
CSC bachelor's award	Tuition, dormitory, insurance and a 2,500 CNY monthly stipend.
Age ceiling	Under 25 at the point of application. Work experience does not extend it.
Provincial schemes	Most mirror the age rule and cover tuition at 50–100%, sometimes with a top-up.

Figures are the national scholarship standard. Provincial schemes usually mirror the age rules but check the specific call.

Full funding map →

Fields

What you can actually study at this level

10 of our ten discipline families are taught at this level by the universities we cover.

🔬

Sciences

Taught at this level by 33 universities we cover

Open the field →

⚙️

Engineering

Taught at this level by 30 universities we cover

Open the field →

💼

Business & Economics

Taught at this level by 22 universities we cover

Open the field →

🩺

Medicine & Health

Taught at this level by 17 universities we cover

Open the field →

💻

Computer Science & AI

Taught at this level by 17 universities we cover

Open the field →

📖

Humanities & Social Sciences

Taught at this level by 16 universities we cover

Open the field →

🏛️

Architecture & Design

Taught at this level by 11 universities we cover

Open the field →

🀄

Chinese Language

Taught at this level by 7 universities we cover

Open the field →

⚖️

Law

Taught at this level by 3 universities we cover

Open the field →

🌾

Agriculture & Food Science

Taught at this level by 2 universities we cover

Open the field →

Universities

Where this level is offered

45 institutions we cover run this level, 41 of which can nominate scholarship students directly. Showing twelve; the comparison page has all 45.

🏛

Huaqiao University

Xiamen · est. 1960 · National overseas-Chinese university · not 985/211

Founded for the Chinese diaspora, with the highest proportion of overseas students in the country.

Tuition: CNY 15,000–28,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Beijing Language and Culture University

Beijing · est. 1962 · Double First-Class (language)

The specialist Chinese-language university: the largest intake of language students in the country.

Tuition: CNY 16,000–26,000 / yr
Chinese: Placement test on arrival · HSK 4 for degree entry
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Soochow University

Suzhou · est. 1900 · Project 211 · Double First-Class

Medicine, materials, textiles and law, in a lower-cost city an hour from Shanghai.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–28,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Shandong University

Jinan · est. 1901 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Clinical medicine and materials science across several campuses; mid-range tuition for a 985 university.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Central South University

Changsha · est. 2000 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Strong in clinical medicine, mining, metallurgy and rail transport; one of the better value 985s.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Jinan University

Guangzhou · est. 1906 · Project 211 · Double First-Class

Historically the university for overseas Chinese students; a well-established English-taught MBBS track.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Hunan University

Changsha · est. 976 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Descended from the Yuelu Academy of 976; strong in civil engineering, architecture and chemistry.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Harbin Engineering University

Harbin · est. 1953 · Project 211 · Double First-Class

Shipbuilding, marine engineering and nuclear technology — a specialist school with a narrow, deep focus.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Hefei University of Technology

Hefei · est. 1945 · Project 211 · Double First-Class

Vehicle engineering, mechanical design and materials, tied to Anhui's car and appliance industries.

Tuition: CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Xiamen University

Xiamen · est. 1921 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Economics, accounting, chemistry and oceanography on a coastal campus with lower living costs.

Tuition: CNY 20,000–30,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Harbin Institute of Technology

Harbin · est. 1920 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Aerospace, robotics, civil engineering and materials; unusually generous funding for engineering researchers.

Tuition: CNY 20,000–32,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

🏛

Tianjin University

Tianjin · est. 1895 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

China's first modern university; chemical engineering, instruments and civil engineering are its core.

Tuition: CNY 20,000–32,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

All 45 universities →

Timing

The calendar for this level

Intake	Application window	Decision	Notes
September intake (main)	December – April (CSC), January – May (self-funded)	May – July	The main cycle. Scholarship deadlines are the earliest and are hard cut-offs.
March intake (secondary)	September – December	December – January	Fewer programmes, mostly language courses, MBBS occasionally, some master's.
Rolling / language programmes	Any time, 2–3 months before the semester	2–4 weeks	Chinese language courses accept applications year-round at most universities.

Scholarship deadlines are the real deadlines. A university may accept applications until May while its scholarship shortlist closed in January.

Before you commit

The thing that decides the outcome

The strongest undergraduate programmes — medicine, architecture, law, most engineering — run in Chinese, and the English-taught alternative is often a narrower or more expensive option. Decide early whether you are prepared to spend a year on language, because that decision sets the whole timeline.

FAQ

Questions about this level

At some universities, in a limited range of subjects — mainly business, computer science, electronics and a few engineering programmes. Medicine and architecture are usually Chinese-taught, so plan a language year if those are your target.

Four years as standard. Architecture is five, and clinical medicine (MBBS) is six including the internship year. Language preparation adds a year if you start from zero.

Yes. The government scholarship caps bachelor's applicants at 25 and provincial schemes usually follow. Self-funded study has no such ceiling, but the funded route closes at that age.

Think this is the right level?

Send us your current qualification and target field. We will confirm the level, the language route and the funding that actually applies to you.

Ask us See universities