Peking University (PKU) was founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, China’s first modern national university. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 13th in the world and first in mainland China. Its main Yanyuan campus is in Haidian district in northwest Beijing, and it has seven faculties covering the humanities, social sciences, economics and management, sciences, information science and technology, engineering, and medicine.
PKU’s bachelor’s degrees for international students are taught in Chinese, so you’ll need a high level of Chinese to apply. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Peking University’s own guidance and official Chinese government information.
1. Choose your route into PKU
International students can apply through three main routes. The Undergraduate Program Entrance Examination involves a written test in Chinese, English and mathematics. The Undergraduate Program Without Written Examination is for applicants with strong international or national exam results, who then go through PKU’s own assessment. The Boya Overseas Talent Training Program takes students recommended by selected high schools. You can’t apply to more than one route at the same time. If your Chinese isn’t strong enough yet, PKU’s Yuke pre-university programme offers one to two years of preparation, after which students who pass its final exam move on to a degree.
2. Watch for the 2027 notices in December
PKU published its 2026 notices on 17 December 2025, so expect the 2027 ones around December 2026. For 2026 entry, the no-exam route had two rounds, from 19 December 2025 to 28 February 2026 and from 12 June to 10 July 2026 (you could apply in only one), and the entrance exam route was open from 1 January to 28 February 2026, with the written exam in late March and the second-stage exam in mid-April. You apply online at PKU’s application system and pay a non-refundable fee of RMB 800. Peking University: undergraduate programmes for international students.
3. Reach HSK 6 with a score of at least 210
For the no-exam route, you need HSK level 6 with a score of 210 or more. IB applicants can instead show a score of 6 or above in Higher Level Chinese, and A Level applicants a grade A or above in Chinese. Since all teaching is in Chinese, a strong HSK result also shows PKU that you can cope with your classes from the first day.
4. Check the score requirements for the no-exam route
For 2026, PKU asked for an SAT score of at least 1400 plus three AP results of 4 or more; an IB Diploma with at least 36 points and three relevant Higher Level subjects; three relevant A Levels at no lower than ABB; or an ACT score of at least 30 with writing. National exams are accepted too, such as an Abitur of 1.5 or better, an ATAR of 90 or more, or a French baccalaureate of at least 15. If you’re applying to the sciences, information science and technology, engineering, or economics and management, you must show mathematics results. PKU also selects competitively using the new China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), taken in Chinese.
5. Make sure you’re eligible
You must be a non-Chinese citizen with a foreign passport, and, in principle, aged between 18 and 25. If one of your parents was a Chinese citizen when you were born, or you emigrated from China, strict extra rules apply: for 2026, for example, you needed at least two years of actual residence abroad between April 2022 and April 2026, proved by entry and exit records. Check these rules carefully before you apply, because PKU will cancel an offer if your nationality status doesn’t meet them.
6. Prepare your personal statement, references and video
You upload your high school transcripts and graduation certificate (or expected graduation certificate), a personal statement, award certificates, a signed commitment letter and a self-introduction video, along with your passport. No-exam applicants also need two letters of recommendation and their test score reports. Documents must be in Chinese or English, or come with a notarised translation. Use your personal statement to explain why you want your chosen school or department and how you’ve prepared. See our 50 sample SOPs for ideas.
7. Prepare for the second-stage assessment
Every route includes a second-stage assessment after the first review. For 2026, no-exam applicants took theirs between mid-March and mid-July, and successful applicants were pre-admitted, with admission documents issued from June and registration in September. PKU keeps checking your documents after pre-admission and will cancel your place if anything is found to be false. You apply to a school or department, not a specific major: students usually choose their major after the second year.
8. Apply for scholarships and plan your costs
PKU’s notices said tuition would be announced after approval, so check the current amount when you apply. Admitted students are automatically considered for the Peking University Scholarship and the Beijing Government Scholarship, which can cover tuition, accommodation, insurance and a monthly allowance. The Chinese Government Scholarship is applied for through the Chinese embassy in your country, and you must take the CSCA in Chinese: Chinese and mathematics, plus physics or chemistry for science and engineering. Unless your scholarship covers housing, you pay for your own accommodation. Peking University: 2026 Undergraduate Program Without Written Examination.
9. Get your X1 visa and residence permit
Once you’re admitted, Peking University sends you an Admission Notice and a Visa Application for Study in China form (JW201 or JW202). You take these with your passport to the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country to apply for an X1 student visa. Within 30 days of arriving in China, you must apply, through the university, to convert it into a residence permit for study. If you live off campus, you must register with the local police within 24 hours of moving in. You also have to buy the compulsory Comprehensive Insurance for International Students (about RMB 800 a year) before you can register, and the university will check your original passport, diploma and other documents when you arrive. National Immigration Administration of China.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
A student residence permit doesn’t let you work freely. To do an internship or part-time job off campus, you need approval from Peking University and an internship annotation added to your residence permit by the immigration authorities, and working without it can lead to fines or removal from China. After graduating, international students with a master’s or doctoral degree from a Chinese university and good grades can apply for a work permit within a year of graduating without the usual two years’ work experience; bachelor’s graduates usually need work experience, although some cities run their own schemes for talented graduates. Fluent Chinese makes a big difference to your job prospects. Peking University: internship and employment policies for international students.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at PKU?
PKU’s graduate schools admit international students separately, and some master’s programmes are taught in English, such as those at Yenching Academy. Applications usually open in the autumn and close in the winter for the following September, and many programmes expect you to contact a potential supervisor first. The Chinese Government Scholarship is also available for graduate students. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
PKU is one of China’s two most competitive universities, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University. Our guide to studying in China explains how the Chinese system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from Peking University’s official 2026 notices for its undergraduate entrance examination and no-written-examination routes, its score requirements and admission catalogue, its international student policies, Chinese government information and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on Peking University’s International Students Division website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Peking University.