Fudan University was founded in 1905 and is one of China’s leading comprehensive universities. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 26th in the world and third in mainland China. Its main Handan campus is in Yangpu district in Shanghai, and it’s known for economics, international relations, journalism, medicine and the sciences.
Fudan offers degrees taught in Chinese and several taught entirely in English. Its 2027 guides hadn’t been published by October 2026, so this article uses the 2026 rules as a guide. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Fudan University’s own guidance and official Chinese government information.
1. Choose a Chinese-taught or English-taught degree
Most of Fudan’s bachelor’s degrees are taught in Chinese. For 2026, its English-taught degrees were International Organizations and Global Governance, the Undergraduate International Program in Economics, the Global Bachelor of Fintech, Data Science and Big Data Technology, and a six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). You can’t change your major on any of these English-taught programmes, so choose carefully.
2. Take the CSCA early
Fudan requires a score report from the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), run by the China Scholarship Council for the Ministry of Education, and you must take it before you apply. For English-taught programmes, the subjects depend on the degree: mathematics for International Organizations and Global Governance, Economics and Fintech, mathematics and physics for Data Science, and mathematics, physics and chemistry for the MBBS. For 2026, only results from the December 2025 sitting counted for the first phase, so plan to take the test well before the application window.
3. Apply in the short winter windows
For 2026 entry, Fudan’s first phase ran from 1 to 15 January 2026 and its second phase from 23 February to 6 March 2026. You apply online, choose one programme and pay a non-refundable fee of RMB 800. Pre-admission results came from 15 February (first phase) and 10 April (second phase), and you had to pay your first year’s tuition within two weeks to confirm your place. Fudan published its 2026 guides between late September and early December 2025, so watch its website for the 2027 dates. Fudan University: undergraduate admissions for international students.
4. Show your Chinese, if you’re applying in Chinese
For Chinese-taught degrees, an HSK certificate isn’t compulsory, but you can submit HSK level 5 with 210 or more or level 6 with 180 or more, and the interview assesses your Chinese. Strong Chinese will make your studies much easier, because all teaching is in Chinese.
5. Meet the English requirement
For the English-taught Economics programme in 2026, Fudan asked for TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110 or PTE Academic 61, unless English is your native language or your high school taught its main courses in English. Check the requirement for your programme, as they can differ. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests.
6. Gather your documents
You’ll need your passport (valid until at least March of the year after you start), your high school diploma or expected graduation certificate, full transcripts, your CSCA score report, a certificate showing you have no criminal record and a statement showing how you’ll pay for your studies. English-taught programmes also ask for two recommendation letters in English. Documents not in Chinese or English need notarised translations, and if you’re under 18 you need a guarantee statement from an adult living in mainland China.
7. Prepare for the interview
Applicants who meet the requirements are invited to an interview, which looks at your overall qualities and, for Chinese-taught degrees, your Chinese. Be ready to explain why you chose your programme and how your studies so far have prepared you. You can’t add documents after you submit your application, so make sure it’s complete.
8. Understand the fees and scholarships
In 2026, tuition for Chinese-taught degrees was RMB 23,000 to 42,000 a year. English-taught degrees cost more: RMB 100,000 a year for International Organizations and Global Governance, RMB 80,000 for Economics, Fintech and Data Science, and RMB 75,000 for the MBBS. Fudan awards the Shanghai Government Scholarship and its own International Students’ Scholarship to strong applicants based on their results and admission evaluation, and you can apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship through the Chinese embassy in your country.
9. Get your X1 visa and residence permit
Once you’re admitted, Fudan 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 Fudan 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 Fudan?
Fudan’s graduate programmes admit international students separately, and several master’s degrees are taught in English. Check each programme’s dates and requirements, and contact a potential supervisor before applying for a research degree. 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
Fudan’s English-taught programmes are small and competitive, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to Peking University, Tsinghua 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 Fudan University’s official 2026 admission information for Chinese-taught undergraduate programmes, its 2026 list of English-taught programmes and its 2026 Economics programme guide, 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 Fudan University’s International Students Office website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with Fudan University.