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English-Taught Degrees in China: Programmes, Universities, Fees and Requirements

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You can study in English at almost every leading Chinese university, but how much choice you get depends on the level. Master's and doctoral programmes in English are plentiful; at bachelor's level each university offers only a handful. English-taught programmes usually cost more than Chinese-taught ones at the same university: at Tsinghua $14,920 (RMB 100,000) a year versus $3,880–4,480 (RMB 26,000–30,000), and for engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong $17,900 (RMB 120,000) versus $3,700 (RMB 24,800). The typical requirement is IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 85–90, rising to TOEFL 100 for master's programmes at top universities. Since 2026, many universities also require bachelor's applicants to take the CSCA test, usually in mathematics.

This guide covers which English-taught programmes Chinese universities offer, what they cost, which tests you need, which scholarships work without Chinese and how to check that a programme is genuinely taught in English.

Pale building with a clock tower at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China beyond a lake and stone balustrade
The Trent Building of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, seen across Nottingham Lake, Ningbo, China. Photo: 源義信 / source, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where you can study in English in China

Level Choice Typical requirements Examples
Bachelor's Limited: 2–5 programmes per leading university, mostly engineering, economics, medicine IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 85–90, CSCA maths (often physics), school grades, interview Tsinghua, Fudan, Jiao Tong, Tongji, Beihang, Beijing Institute of Technology
MBBS (medicine) Dedicated programmes for international students Biology, chemistry, maths; often HSK by graduation Fudan, Tongji
Master's Broad: engineering, IT, business, public policy, international relations, law, journalism Bachelor's degree, IELTS/TOEFL, references, study plan Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan, Jiao Tong
Doctorate Broad in sciences and engineering Master's degree, supervisor's agreement Tsinghua, Fudan
Sino-foreign universities Most programmes in English School results, IELTS/TOEFL, own selection NYU Shanghai, XJTLU, Duke Kunshan, Nottingham Ningbo

English-taught bachelor's programmes at leading universities

University English-taught programmes Annual fee
Tsinghua (2027 entry) Global Talents in Science and Engineering; Urban Regeneration and Design; Politics, Economics and Sociology; dual economics degree with CUHK $14,910 (RMB 100,000)
Fudan (2026) International Organizations and Global Governance $14,910 (RMB 100,000)
Fudan (2026) Economics, Fintech, Data Science and Big Data Technology $11,930 (RMB 80,000)
Fudan (2026) MBBS, 6 years $11,180 (RMB 75,000)
Shanghai Jiao Tong (2026) Engineering Cluster; Puyuan School of Future Technology $17,890 (RMB 120,000)
Shanghai Jiao Tong (2026) Civil Engineering (Smart and Sustainable Construction) $11,930 (RMB 80,000)
Tongji (2026) Architecture / Civil Engineering (international classes) $5,040 / $5,220 (RMB 33,800 / 35,000)
Tongji (2026) MBBS, 6 years $6,710 (RMB 45,000)
Beijing Institute of Technology (2026) English-taught bachelor's programmes $4,470 (RMB 30,000)
University of Science and Technology Beijing (2026) English-taught programmes at the Chinese-taught fee; IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 70 $3,470 (RMB 23,300)
Beihang (2026) 11 majors: communication engineering, aircraft design, low-altitude technology, computer science, mechanical engineering, robotics, safety engineering, quality and reliability, AI, biomedical engineering, international trade $4,470 (RMB 30,000)
Renmin University of China (2026 fee list) Global BBA $5,370 (RMB 36,000)
Beijing Foreign Studies University (current catalogue) Business, languages, international relations and more $3,880–5,950 (RMB 26,000–39,900)
East China Normal University, Shanghai (2026) Visual communication and environmental design / business administration $7,450 / $8,050 (RMB 50,000 / 54,000)
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (2026) Finance, international trade $4,470 (RMB 30,000)

Fees vary enormously: an English-taught engineering bachelor's costs from $3,470 at USTB to $17,890 at Jiao Tong. The university and the programme matter more than the language.

English-taught master's and doctoral programmes

Choice is wider and prices closer to Chinese-taught programmes. Tsinghua's 2026 fees:

Tsinghua English-taught programme Fee
Advanced Computing; Electronic Information $5,810 (RMB 39,000) a year
Materials Science; Shenzhen International Graduate School programmes (data science, environment, bioengineering) $4,920 (RMB 33,000) a year
International Development and Governance (MIDG) $4,470 (RMB 30,000) a year
Environment, Vehicle and Mobility, Global Manufacturing, International Master of Engineering Management $11,630 (RMB 78,000) for the programme
Global Business Journalism $7,450 (RMB 50,000) a year
Chinese Politics, Foreign Policy and International Relations $17,890 (RMB 120,000) for the programme
LLM in Chinese Law $21,770 (RMB 146,000) for the programme
Global MBA $29,520 (RMB 198,000) for two years
English-taught doctorates (computing, environment, mathematics and others) $5,960 (RMB 40,000) a year

Fudan teaches master's programmes in English in global public policy, Chinese politics and diplomacy, international public policy, BRICS countries and the Global South and public administration (IMPA), plus doctorates in international politics, physics, mathematics and other fields. Peking University asks non-native speakers applying to English-taught master's programmes for TOEFL iBT 100 or GRE 315.

Two programmes deserve a separate mention:

  • Schwarzman Scholars, a fully funded one-year master's in global affairs at Tsinghua. Applicants must be at least 18 and under 29 on 1 August of the enrolment year, with TOEFL 100 or IELTS 7. The 2027–28 intake is closed; the main application window for 2028–29 runs from April to September 2027.
  • Yenching Academy of Peking University, a China Studies master's in English with full fellowships. Applications for 2027 close on 30 November 2026.

See also master's in China.

Sino-foreign universities: English from day one

The Ministry of Education lists 11 joint institutions at bachelor's level, with foreign or Hong Kong partners, including NYU Shanghai, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Duke Kunshan, the University of Nottingham Ningbo, Wenzhou-Kean, CUHK-Shenzhen and HKUST (Guangzhou). They follow their foreign partner's academic model; check the language of each programme on the university's website.

The main drawback is cost. NYU Shanghai's tuition for 2026/27 is $68,576, and the full cost of attendance including housing, food and travel is $91,676. Graduates receive an NYU degree and a Chinese-accredited NYU Shanghai diploma. Teaching is in English, but international students must reach proficiency in Mandarin.

English or Chinese: how to decide

Factor English-taught Chinese-taught
Fee at the same university 1.3–5 times higher Base fee
Bachelor's choice A few programmes Almost every major
Entry IELTS/TOEFL, often CSCA maths HSK 5 (usually 180–200), CSCA including Chinese
Time to start Immediately Plus a language year if you have no Chinese
Classmates Often international only Mixed with Chinese students
Scholarships Available, especially for master's More options, especially for bachelor's
Career in China Limited without Chinese The language is your main advantage

If you want a China-related career, an English-taught degree without Chinese gives you the qualification but not the key skill. A sensible compromise is an English-taught programme plus serious Chinese classes from the first semester; some universities require it anyway (Jiao Tong's Engineering Cluster requires HSK 4 to graduate). If your English is below the requirement and you have no Chinese, see foundation year in China and Chinese language programmes.

Who an English-taught programme suits

It suits you if:

  • you want to start without a Chinese language year;
  • you are heading for a master's or PhD in engineering, IT, sciences, public policy or international relations, where English-taught choice is broad;
  • your career will be outside China and Chinese experience is an addition;
  • you can pay more: at leading universities an English-taught bachelor's usually costs more than a Chinese-taught one.

Choose a Chinese-taught programme if:

  • you plan to work in China or with Chinese companies;
  • your budget is tight: the Chinese-taught programme at the same university is cheaper, sometimes several times over;
  • your major is missing from the English-taught list, which is common at bachelor's level;
  • you are counting on the Shanghai scholarship, which requires HSK 4 in any case.

Entry requirements

  • English. For 2026, Beijing Institute of Technology accepted IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 85 or Duolingo 110; Jiao Tong TOEFL iBT 90 or IELTS 6.0; Peking University's master's programmes TOEFL 100. Native speakers are usually exempt. Tsinghua requires no Chinese for English-taught programmes.
  • CSCA. Many universities require it for English-taught bachelor's programmes too: Tongji from all applicants, Jiao Tong the maths paper (which could be submitted after a conditional offer). See our overview of universities in China.
  • School results. Grades, national exams and optionally SAT, A-Level or IB; Tsinghua also considers olympiad awards.
  • Age. Tsinghua applicants must be 18 by 1 September of the entry year; younger applicants need a guardian in China.
  • Documents. See applying to Chinese universities.

Scholarships for English-taught programmes

  • Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) covers English-taught programmes, most often at master's and doctoral level.
  • University and city awards through the university. For Jiao Tong's 2026 English-taught programmes, the first-class award (Shanghai Government or SJTU scholarship) waived tuition and paid $370 (RMB 2,500) a month for living costs in the Engineering Cluster or $220 (RMB 1,500) in civil engineering, plus $160 (RMB 1,100) for housing; the second class waived half the tuition, the third a quarter.
  • The Shanghai Government Scholarship requires HSK 4 even for English-taught programmes.
  • Schwarzman Scholars and Yenching Academy are fully funded master's programmes.

Scholarships are awarded by the funder or the university; no agency can guarantee one. Budget as if you will not receive it. More options: scholarships abroad.

How to check that a programme is really in English

  1. Find it in the university's official list of English-taught programmes. At Tsinghua, "Chinese-English" programmes require HSK 5; only programmes on the separate English-taught list can be taken without Chinese.
  2. Ask about the language of placements and the thesis. In medicine, clinical training involves Chinese-speaking patients.
  3. Check Chinese requirements for graduation, as in Jiao Tong's Engineering Cluster (HSK 4).
  4. Ask who is in the class. English-taught groups are often international-only, and you will not pick up Chinese without effort.
  5. Compare fees. Prices for English-taught programmes within one university can differ several times over.

Deadlines

University Programme Latest cycle
Tsinghua Bachelor's 2027 30 Sep – 20 Nov 2026 and 21 Nov 2026 – 28 Feb 2027
Jiao Tong Engineering Cluster 2026 by 31 Mar 2026; written-test registration 6 Feb – 10 Mar
Jiao Tong Civil Engineering 2026 main round by 31 Mar; supplementary rounds by 31 May and 30 Jun 2026
Yenching Academy Master's 2027 by 30 Nov 2026
Beijing Institute of Technology Bachelor's 2026 by 1 Jun 2026

Scholarship deadlines usually come earlier than self-funded ones. After admission you need an X1 visa: see the Chinese student visa.

Common mistakes

  • Judging by the English version of a website: the site's language is not the programme's language.
  • Comparing brands only: fees for similar programmes differ fivefold.
  • Forgetting the CSCA: an English-taught programme does not exempt you where the test is required.
  • Skipping Chinese: it makes daily life, placements and job-hunting in China harder, and some universities require HSK to graduate.
  • Choosing an MBBS without checking recognition at home: see studying medicine in China.

FAQ

Yes, on programmes from the university's official English-taught list. You will still need Chinese for daily life, placements and work in China, and some universities require HSK 4 to graduate.

For 2026: from $3,470 (RMB 23,300) at USTB to $14,910 at Tsinghua and Fudan and $17,890 for Jiao Tong's Engineering Cluster. NYU Shanghai charges $68,576 a year.

Usually 6.0 for bachelor's programmes (BIT, Jiao Tong). Leading master's programmes ask for more: Peking University wants TOEFL 100, Schwarzman Scholars IELTS 7.

At many universities, yes: Jiao Tong required maths and Tongji required the test from all applicants. It is not needed for master's programmes.

Yes: the Chinese Government Scholarship (mostly master's and PhD), university awards (up to a full tuition waiver at Jiao Tong), and the fully funded Schwarzman Scholars and Yenching Academy. The Shanghai Government Scholarship requires HSK 4.

If timing matters and you do not plan to work in China, choose English. If you want a China-related career or your budget is tight, take a language year and a Chinese-taught programme: it is cheaper and the choice of majors is wider.

Sources

Dollar amounts are converted at the ECB reference rate of 29 September 2026 ($1 = RMB 6.7034) and rounded.

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