Southern University of Science and Technology — Tuition, Programmes & Funding

24,000–36,000Tuition per year, CNY

2,400–4,500Living cost per month in Shenzhen

3Discipline families

Type BCSC route

Positioning

Why students pick it

SUSTech was founded in 2011 as an explicitly research-led university with a large share of faculty hired from overseas, and much of its graduate teaching runs in English as a result. It is the strongest option on this list for a student who wants a Western-style lab culture inside China.

Where it is genuinely strong

Materials science and physics, with well-funded new laboratories
Computer science and AI, connected to Shenzhen's technology employers
Biomedical engineering and life sciences
Chemistry, with a young but internationally published faculty

At a glance

The comparable facts

Everything here is taken from the same dataset that drives the university comparison table, so the numbers match across the site.

Fact	Detail
City	Shenzhen · Guangdong
Founded	2011
Status	Double First-Class (new university)
Degree levels offered	Bachelor's, Master's, PhD
Teaching language	English and Chinese
Indicative tuition	CNY 24,000–36,000 per year
Chinese requirement	None for English-taught · HSK 4 for Chinese-taught
CSC Type B host	Yes — apply directly to the university
Living cost in this city	CNY 2,400–4,500 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.

Programmes

What you can actually study here

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)
Sciences	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Applied Maths	Bachelor, Master, PhD	18,000–36,000
Engineering	Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Automation	Bachelor, Master	18,000–36,000
Computer Science & AI	Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science	Bachelor, Master	20,000–45,000

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.

Language

Routes that do not require Chinese

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.

Materials science (master's, PhD)
Computer science and AI (master's)
Biomedical engineering (master's)

Budget

What a year costs, and what a stipend would cover

Level	Monthly stipend	Verdict in Shenzhen
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 Shenzhen is CNY 2,400–4,500 per month. A funded student still pays for travel, clothing and anything outside insurance.

Item	Indicative cost	Notes
Tuition	CNY 24,000–36,000 per year	Paid to the university, usually by semester. Scholarship holders have this waived.
Dormitory	CNY 800–1,800 per month	On-campus shared room. A single room costs more and is limited.
Food	CNY 1,200–2,200 per month	Canteen-based. Cooking or eating out changes this significantly.
Transport and misc	CNY 500–800 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.

All-in annual estimate: CNY 52,800–90,000. That is tuition plus twelve months of living costs in Shenzhen. A full scholarship removes the tuition line and most of the dorm line, which is why the funded and self-funded budgets for the same place look nothing alike.

Admission

What the application has to clear

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.

Applications: September intake; research degrees are filled largely through supervisor contact. Scholarship deadlines are always earlier than admission deadlines, sometimes by two months.

Watch for this: It is a young institution with a small alumni network and a graduate programme that is still expanding. If your plan depends on brand recognition with employers at home, check how the name reads there first.

Funding

How this university is funded

This university is a CSC Type B host. It holds its own quota of Chinese Government Scholarship places and can nominate you directly, which means you apply to the university rather than to an embassy. A supervisor who wants you is the strongest lever in this route.

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.
Provincial key universities — merit award	20–50% tuition reduction, renewable	Tuition	Renewal usually depends on maintaining a GPA threshold and attendance.

University awards are frequently decided at admission and are not always advertised. Ask the international office which ones you are automatically considered for.

Alternatives

Compare with these before you decide

Chosen for overlapping discipline strengths, not for ranking. Read two or three before you commit to one.

🏛

Zhejiang University

Hangzhou · Widest discipline coverage, Hangzhou tech corridor
Tuition CNY 24,000–40,000 / yr · CSC host

Read the profile →

🏛

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai · Engineering and medicine
Tuition CNY 28,000–45,000 / yr · CSC host

Read the profile →

🏛

University of Science and Technology of China

Hefei · Physics, quantum research and small cohorts
Tuition CNY 26,000–38,000 / yr · CSC host

Read the profile →

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