Guangzhou's flagship, with affiliated hospitals that make it a strong clinical medicine option.
Sun Yat-sen is Guangzhou's flagship comprehensive university, and its medical school comes with a hospital network that gives students real clinical volume. Business and public administration are the other strengths, and the Greater Bay Area location is a genuine employment argument.
Everything here is taken from the same dataset that drives the university comparison table, so the numbers match across the site.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| City | Guangzhou · Guangdong |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Status | Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class |
| Degree levels offered | Bachelor's, Master's, PhD |
| Teaching language | English and Chinese |
| Indicative tuition | CNY 24,000–38,000 per year |
| Chinese requirement | None for English-taught · HSK 5 for Chinese-taught |
| CSC Type B host | Yes — apply directly to the university |
| Living cost in this city | CNY 2,100–3,800 per month |
Figures are indicative reference ranges compiled by EduTourChina for planning purposes. Tuition, stipends and requirements are set by each university or awarding body and change annually — confirm current amounts before you commit.
Discipline families recorded for this university, with the programmes international applicants most often take and the tuition band those programmes sit in.
| Discipline family | Example programmes | Levels offered | Tuition band / yr (CNY) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine & Health | Clinical Medicine (MBBS), Stomatology / Dentistry, Nursing | Bachelor, Master | 18,000–45,000 |
| Business & Economics | Business Administration (BBA), MBA (English), Finance | Bachelor, Master | 18,000–90,000 |
| Sciences | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Applied Maths | Bachelor, Master, PhD | 18,000–36,000 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | Chinese Language & Literature, History, Education | Bachelor, Master | 16,000–34,000 |
Families are drawn from the discipline strengths recorded for this university; the example programmes are the ones international students most often apply for. Confirm the current catalogue with the international office before you apply.
English-taught options at this university, as recorded in its programme profile. Availability changes by intake, so confirm the current list with the international office.
| Level | Monthly stipend | Verdict in Guangzhou |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 2,500 CNY | Workable — A 2,500 CNY stipend covers a dorm place and canteen food, but little beyond that. |
| Master's | 3,000 CNY | Workable — A 3,000 CNY stipend covers a dorm place and canteen food, but little beyond that. |
| PhD | 3,500 CNY | Workable — A 3,500 CNY stipend covers a dorm place and canteen food, but little beyond that. |
Living cost in Guangzhou is CNY 2,100–3,800 per month. A funded student still pays for travel, clothing and anything outside insurance.
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | CNY 24,000–38,000 per year | Paid to the university, usually by semester. Scholarship holders have this waived. |
| Dormitory | CNY 700–1,600 per month | On-campus shared room. A single room costs more and is limited. |
| Food | CNY 1,000–1,900 per month | Canteen-based. Cooking or eating out changes this significantly. |
| Transport and misc | CNY 400–700 per month | Metro, phone, printing, clothes, occasional travel. |
| Insurance | CNY 800 per year | Student medical insurance, required for registration in most provinces. |
The estimate assumes twelve months of living costs, because rent and food continue outside term time. Figures are indicative planning ranges for 2026.
Requirements by level, plus the one practical caution specific to this university.
| Level | Academic requirement | Language requirement | Age guidance (CSC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Master's | Bachelor's degree in a related field, usually GPA 3.0/4.0 equivalent | HSK 5 (Chinese) or IELTS 6.0–6.5 (English) | Usually under 35 for CSC |
| PhD | Master's degree and a publication or strong research record | HSK 5 (Chinese) or IELTS 6.5 (English) | Usually under 40 for CSC |
Age guidance reflects scholarship limits; universities are usually more flexible for self-funded applicants.
| What a full award covers | Full scholarship | Partial scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and registration | Fully waived | Waived fully or partially |
| On-campus accommodation | Provided (shared room; single room sometimes costs extra) | Usually not included |
| Monthly living stipend | Bachelor 2,500 · Master 3,000 · PhD 3,500 | Rarely included |
| Comprehensive medical insurance | Provided | Sometimes provided |
| International airfare | Not included (except some bilateral programmes) | Not included |
Stipend rates are the national standard. International airfare is normally excluded.
| Local scheme | Covers | Levels | How it is administered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guangdong Government Scholarship | Tuition waiver, sometimes plus a living allowance | Bachelor / Master / PhD | The Greater Bay Area version; strong for engineering and business. |
Municipal and provincial schemes are usually selected by the university after admission, so the application is often a checkbox rather than a separate portal. · All Guangdong schemes →
| University-level award | Level | Covers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSC host universities — first-year tuition waiver | 25–100% of first-year tuition | Tuition only | Common recruitment tool for high-achieving applicants; often automatic if your grades are strong. |
| Medical universities — MBBS merit scholarship | Partial tuition, occasionally full | Tuition | Usually awarded after year one on academic performance rather than at admission. |
| Business schools — MBA merit scholarship | 10,000–40,000 CNY off tuition | Tuition | Often tied to GMAT/GRE, work experience or an interview score. |
University awards are frequently decided at admission and are not always advertised. Ask the international office which ones you are automatically considered for.
Chosen for overlapping discipline strengths, not for ranking. Read two or three before you commit to one.
Guangzhou · Architecture, civil engineering and food science
Tuition CNY 22,000–34,000 / yr · CSC host
Guangzhou · Overseas-Chinese heritage and English-medium MBBS
Tuition CNY 18,000–30,000 / yr · CSC host
Shanghai · Medicine, economics and international relations
Tuition CNY 26,000–42,000 / yr · CSC host
Send us your level, field and budget. We will tell you which programmes at this university are realistic for your background, what the funding route looks like, and what to fix in your file first.