Chinese is compulsory
Even on an English-taught degree
A required course for international higher-education students.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by SchoolsSTUDY ABROAD / CN
学以致用。Your next chapter.In China.
学以致用。 / Xué yǐ zhì yòng — 'study in order to apply it'. Learning judged by what you can do with it.
From Beijing’s university courtyards to Shanghai’s fast-moving studios and labs, China gives your ideas a different scale. Explore English-taught degrees, build your Mandarin and find a programme that turns curiosity into something you can use.
Guide checked · Official sources
BEIJING / IN FOCUSCHINA
そらみみ (Soramimi) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Display cropped
30 days
X1 arrivals: residence-permit deadline
From the date of entry, at the local exit-entry authority.
Regulations on Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Universities in BeijingPermission first
Internships and approved work-study
Your university and residence-permit conditions matter.
Beijing Government · off-campus internships and work-study01 / YOUR STARTING POINT
Where are you starting from?
Choose the closest match. Use it to plan your next checks, not as an admission decision.
Decide the language before you decide the university.
Chinese universities teach international undergraduates in Chinese or, on a smaller set of programmes, in English. The two are different applications with different preparation, and the choice shapes your whole four years.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Schools- 01Confirm the teaching language of the actual programme, then check the HSK level or English evidence it requires.
- 02Ask the institution for its admission notice and the visa application form it issues — the X1 visa depends on them.
- 03Budget the compulsory Chinese course into your timetable from year one.
Keep in mind
The administrative measures make Chinese a required course for international students in higher education, and set Chinese as the primary teaching language. An English-taught label describes the programme, not the campus.
02 / THE REAL COST
Three rules that decide whether the plan works.
Programme costs, approved practical experience and the first month on campus.
Tuition varies more by programme than by city
Use the current fee schedule for your exact programme and intake. Published older Peking University ranges are historical reference, not a current offer or a national average. Scholarship funding limits also do not establish what universities typically charge.
Tuitions of Peking UniversityWork-study has its own permissions
China allows regulated work-study under university oversight. The national measures generally cap it at 8 hours a week and 40 a month during term, with higher holiday limits. Off-campus eligibility and permit annotation must be checked before starting. This is not unrestricted employment.
Ministry of Education · international student work-study measuresThe first thirty days are administrative
For an X1 arrival, apply for the residence permit within 30 days of entry. Arrange the university’s required health checks, insurance and registration. If your passport is retained during processing, ask which services accept the application receipt.
Tips for foreign students in Beijing03 / MAKE THE NUMBERS YOURS
What would your first year look like?
Change the example figures to match your shortlist. See the expenses and the cash you may need to set aside.
UNIVERSITY STUDY / 12 MONTHS / CNY
Illustrative first year in CNY: tuition of 35,000 is an editable planning allowance, not a current university quote. Replace it with your offer. Fees allow for insurance and administration; living assumes shared or campus accommodation, food and transport in Beijing. Arrival and housing deposit are assumptions. Any deposit refund depends on the contract and deductions.
YOUR FIRST-YEAR PICTURE
Total cash to plan forCN¥89,600.00
- Estimated expenses
- CN¥87,600.00
- Refundable deposit
- CN¥2,000.00
Living costs × 12 + tuition + other fees + arrival costs. The deposit is added separately as money to set aside.
Build from funds you can rely on.
No sign-up. Your figures stay in this page.This example deducts no unawarded scholarship or income from a job you have not secured.
04 / FUNDING THE MOVE
Find the right kind of support.
Start with an affordable study plan. Then explore funding that matches your background.
Chinese Government Scholarship, through a channel
Chinese Government Scholarships use different application channels. Follow the current call for your country and programme, including the online system and any nominating authority or host-university steps. Check tuition, accommodation, stipend and insurance coverage in the actual award; an application is not confirmed funding.
Read the scholarship programmesMunicipal and provincial awards
Cities run their own schemes alongside the national one. Beijing's government scholarship is banded from full tuition and living costs down to tuition only, with medical insurance in every band. You apply to the host institution, not the city, and each institution sets its own deadline.
Check municipal scholarshipsFund the whole year before you go
Approved work-study or an internship can add experience, but availability, permissions and limited hours make earnings uncertain. Assemble tuition, insurance, housing and living costs from confirmed resources before departure.
Read the rules on workSTUDY. WORK. UPSKILL.
Work during and after your studies.
Understand the study-related options, then prepare for the next stage.
During your course
Approved work-study is possible under university supervision and the national framework. Regular employment or business activity is not automatically authorised by student status. Ask the international office to confirm your eligibility, hours and required permissions.
Ministry of Education · international student work-study measuresBefore an off-campus placement
Obtain school approval and the required residence-permit annotation from exit-entry authorities before starting. Confirm the local documents and validity period; do not assume a fee or six-month limit from one city applies nationwide.
Beijing Government · off-campus internships and work-studyAfter you graduate
A national route for outstanding foreign graduates includes eligible master’s graduates and above from Chinese universities within one year of graduating, with academic, employer and salary conditions. It is one route, not a universal rule excluding every bachelor’s graduate. Check local talent policies and the work-permit category that fits the actual job.
Notice on allowing outstanding foreign graduates to get employment in China05 / FROM INTEREST TO ACTION
A route you can work through.
Start at the step that matches where you are. Course dates and your circumstances set the pace.
- 01
Fix the teaching language and the HSK target
Decide English-taught or Chinese-taught, then find the level that programme requires.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Schools - 02
Verify the institution for your subject
For medicine, check the Ministry of Education list before anything else.
Consulate General of India, Shanghai · study in China - 03
Get the fee and the admission documents in writing
The annual figure, the admission notice and the visa application form the school issues.
Tuitions of Peking University - 04
Plan the X1 visa and the thirty-day conversion
Physical examination record, then the residence permit within 30 days of entry.
Regulations on Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Universities in Beijing - 05
Fund the full year before departure
Cover tuition and living from confirmed resources; do not rely on finding a paid placement.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Schools
06 / KEEP YOUR PLAN CURRENT
Worth knowing before you apply.
Reviewed guidance and official publishers to follow as your plan develops.
GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT
Graduate employment depends on the route.
The outstanding-graduate notice describes a specific route for eligible master’s graduates and above. It is not a complete account of every local talent or work-permit option. Check the intended city and employer before treating a qualification as permission to stay.
Notice on allowing outstanding foreign graduates to get employment in ChinaReviewed 12 September 2026MEDICAL STUDY · INDIA
Programme approval and Indian registration are separate.
China's Ministry of Education lists the institutions approved to teach undergraduate clinical medicine in English; India's National Medical Commission endorses no list of foreign medical universities at all. NEET is mandatory for admission abroad and a screening test is required to register in India.
National Medical Commission · for students studying abroadReviewed 12 September 2026Keep an eye on what’s new
For the latest published notices, visit Beijing Government · Study in China. Read the date, eligibility and deadline on each announcement.
The reviewed guidance above is a dated reference. New announcements do not automatically change the page’s advice.
THE QUESTIONS THAT MATTER
A little more clarity.
Useful answers to bring into your next conversation.
Many programmes are taught in English, and dissertations may be written in a foreign language with a Chinese abstract. But Chinese is a compulsory course for international students in higher education, and Chinese is the primary teaching language of universities. English-taught describes your modules, not your life.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by SchoolsYOUR NEXT MOVE, WITH STAAR
Turn “what if” into a first step.
Tell us where you are today. We’ll help you explore what comes next.
SOURCE NOTES
Check the detail at its source.
Reviewed 12 September 2026. Course, funding and immigration rules can change. Use the current rules for your nationality, residence and intake.
Administrative Measures for the Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Schools
Compulsory Chinese course, teaching language, work-study and employment prohibition, economic guarantee, 30-day residence certificate.
Regulations on Enrollment and Cultivation of International Students by Universities in BeijingX1 and X2 student visas, the 180-day threshold and the 30-day residence permit deadline.
Regulations on adding an internship annotation to a residence permitUniversity and exit-entry approval, documents required, the six-month limit and the fee.
Notice on allowing outstanding foreign graduates to get employment in ChinaDegree level, one-year window, score threshold, subject match, wage and employer conditions.
Chinese Government ScholarshipsScholarship programmes, application channels, tuition and accommodation coverage and monthly stipends.
Application procedures for the Beijing Government ScholarshipMunicipal scholarship bands, application through the host institution and institution-set deadlines.
Tuitions of Peking UniversityPublished international tuition ranges by level at a leading Chinese university.
Tips for foreign students in BeijingInsurance for stays over six months, registration steps and the residence permit process.
Consulate General of India, Shanghai · study in ChinaOfficial Indian guidance on agents, private medical institutions, the MOE list, working and insurance.
National Medical Commission · for students studying abroadNEET requirement, the absence of any endorsed university list and the screening test.
Ministry of Education · international student work-study measures2022 framework for approved work-study, hours and off-campus eligibility.
Beijing Government · off-campus internships and work-studySchool consent and residence-permit annotation before off-campus activities.
NMC · Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate RegulationsCourse, internship, language, local licensing and Indian registration requirements; check cohort-specific provisions.