China
At a glance
- Living index rating
- Affordable
- Monthly rent
- ¥800 – ¥2,500 (RMB) in a university dorm; ¥2,000 – ¥4,000 shared flat in Beijing/Shanghai
- Monthly food
- ¥1,000 – ¥1,800 (RMB)
- Other monthly expenses
- ¥500 – ¥1,000 (RMB) (transport, phone, insurance, personal)
- Visa processing time
- Usually 4 – 10 working days at the embassy, after the JW form is issued
- Family allowed for students
- Limited
Visa requirements
- X1 student visa for courses over 180 days (X2 for shorter courses)
- Admission Notice plus a JW201 (government scholarship) or JW202 (self-funded) form from your university
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form for courses over 6 months
- Proof of funds or scholarship and insurance, as required by the university
- Apply for a residence permit at the local Exit-Entry Bureau within 30 days of arriving
- Part-time work or internships only with approval from your university and the Exit-Entry Bureau
Work permit after studies
- Graduates with a master's degree or higher from a Chinese university (or a top foreign university) can get a work permit without the usual 2 years' work experience
- Some cities offer job-seeking or entrepreneurship residence permits for recent graduates (up to 2 – 5 years for innovation projects)
- Otherwise switch to a Z work visa with a job offer
Citizenship route
- Permanent residence ('China Green Card') is possible for some graduates, e.g. a Chinese master's or higher plus about 3 years of work in China with good salary and tax record
- Naturalisation is extremely rare for foreigners, and China doesn't allow dual nationality
Family details
- Spouse, children and parents can apply for an S1 visa (stays over 180 days) or S2 visa (shorter stays) to visit or stay with a student
- S visa holders can't work in China
- You'll need your university's documents and proof of the relationship
Universities in China
Top-ranked
QS #14THE #11ARWU #18
Famous for: Engineering, Computer science and AI, Architecture
QS #13THE #13ARWU #22
Famous for: Mathematics, Chemistry, Economics
Zhejiang University · Hangzhou
QS #47THE #34=ARWU #24
Famous for: Engineering, Computer science, Agriculture
QS #26THE #38ARWU #41
Famous for: Medicine, Economics, Journalism
Shanghai Jiao Tong University · Shanghai
QS #36THE #39ARWU #27
Famous for: Engineering, Medicine, Naval architecture
University of Science and Technology of China · Hefei
THE #51=ARWU #39
THE #59ARWU #70
Sun Yat-sen University · Guangzhou
THE #205=ARWU #62
Huazhong University of Science and Technology · Wuhan
THE #191=ARWU #72
THE #224=ARWU #77
THE #121=ARWU #77
Xi'an Jiaotong University · Xi'an
THE #196=ARWU #79
All other universities and colleges (295), A–Z
Anhui Agricultural University · Hefei
ARWU 601–700
Anhui Medical University · Hefei
ARWU 301–400
THE 1001–1200ARWU 301–400
THE #185=ARWU 101–150
Beijing Forestry University · Beijing
ARWU 601–700
Beijing Institute of Technology · Beijing
THE #234ARWU 101–150
Beijing Jiaotong University · Beijing
ARWU 401–500
Beijing Normal University · Beijing
THE #125ARWU 101–150
Beijing Technology and Business University · Beijing
ARWU 801–900
Beijing University of Chemical Technology · Beijing
THE 551–600ARWU 201–300
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine · Beijing
ARWU 901–1000
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications · Beijing
ARWU 601–700
Beijing University of Technology · Beijing
ARWU 201–300
Capital Medical University · Beijing
THE 1001–1200ARWU 201–300
Central China Normal University · Wuhan
ARWU 501–600
Central South University · Changsha
THE #277=ARWU #83
Central University of Finance and Economics · Beijing
ARWU 901–1000
THE 1001–1200ARWU 501–600
Changsha University of Science and Technology · Changsha
THE 1201–1400ARWU 801–900
Chengdu University of Technology · Chengdu
ARWU 601–700
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Chengdu
ARWU 901–1000
China Agricultural University · Beijing
ARWU 151–200
China Medical University · Shenyang
ARWU 501–600
China Pharmaceutical University · Nanjing
ARWU 601–700
China University of Geosciences (Beijing) · Beijing
ARWU 401–500
China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) · Wuhan
ARWU 201–300
China University of Mining and Technology · Xuzhou
ARWU 401–500
China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) · Beijing
ARWU 501–600
China University of Petroleum (Beijing) · Beijing
THE 501–550ARWU 401–500
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) · Shenzhen
Chongqing Medical University · Chongqing
ARWU 301–400
Chongqing University · Chongqing
THE 376–400ARWU 151–200
Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications · Chongqing
ARWU 701–800
Communication University of China · Beijing
THE 1601–1800
Dalian Maritime University · Dalian
ARWU 701–800
Dalian Medical University · Dalian
ARWU 801–900
Dalian Polytechnic University · Dalian
ARWU 701–800
Dalian University of Technology · Dalian
THE 326–350ARWU 151–200
THE 451–500ARWU 401–500
East China Normal University · Shanghai
THE #242=ARWU 201–300
East China University of Political Science and Law · Shanghai
East China University of Science and Technology · Shanghai
THE 551–600ARWU 201–300
Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University · Fuzhou
THE 1001–1200ARWU 401–500
Fujian Medical University · Fuzhou
ARWU 301–400
Fujian Normal University · Fuzhou
THE 1001–1200ARWU 501–600
THE 701–800ARWU 201–300
Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences · Beijing
Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology · Shantou
Guangxi Medical University · Nanning
ARWU 701–800
Guangxi Normal University · Guilin
ARWU 801–900
ARWU 301–400
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · Guangzhou
ARWU 701–800
Guilin University of Electronic Technology · Guilin
ARWU 901–1000
ARWU 301–400
Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences · Danzhou
Hainan Lausanne University of Tourism · Sanya
THE 801–1000ARWU 301–400
Hangzhou Normal University · Hangzhou
THE 1001–1200ARWU 601–700
Harbin Engineering University · Harbin
THE 651–700ARWU 401–500
Harbin Institute of Technology · Harbin
THE #96ARWU #97
Harbin Medical University · Harbin
ARWU 601–700
Hebei Medical University · Shijiazhuang
ARWU 701–800
ARWU 501–600
Hebei University of Technology · Tianjin
ARWU 501–600
Hefei University of Technology · Hefei
ARWU 401–500
Heihe University · Heihe
Heilongjiang University · Harbin
ARWU 601–700
THE 1001–1200ARWU 301–400
Henan University of Technology · Zhengzhou
ARWU 601–700
ARWU 301–400
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) · Guangzhou
ARWU 801–900
THE 1201–1400ARWU 901–1000
Huazhong Agricultural University · Wuhan
ARWU 201–300
ARWU 901–1000
Hunan Normal University · Changsha
ARWU 601–700
THE #263=ARWU 151–200
Inner Mongolia University · Hohhot
ARWU 901–1000
THE 601–650ARWU 301–400
Jiangsu University · Zhenjiang
THE 501–550ARWU 201–300
Jiangxi Normal University · Nanchang
THE 1401–1600ARWU 901–1000
Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Nanchang
Jilin Agricultural University · Changchun
ARWU 701–800
THE 376–400ARWU 101–150
THE 501–550ARWU 201–300
Kunming Medical University · Kunming
THE 1601–1800ARWU 701–800
Kunming University of Science and Technology · Kunming
ARWU 401–500
ARWU 201–300
Lanzhou University of Technology · Lanzhou
ARWU 801–900
Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Shenyang
Nanchang University · Nanchang
ARWU 301–400
Nanjing Agricultural University · Nanjing
ARWU 201–300
Nanjing Forestry University · Nanjing
THE 651–700ARWU 401–500
Nanjing Normal University · Nanjing
THE 801–1000ARWU 301–400
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics · Nanjing
THE 651–700ARWU 201–300
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine · Nanjing
ARWU 401–500
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology · Nanjing
THE 801–1000ARWU 301–400
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications · Nanjing
ARWU 301–400
Nanjing University of Science and Technology · Nanjing
THE 551–600ARWU 201–300
THE #173=ARWU 101–150
ARWU 401–500
ARWU 301–400
ARWU 901–1000
North China Electric Power University · Beijing
THE 801–1000ARWU 401–500
Northeast Electric Power University · Jilin City
ARWU 901–1000
Northeast Forestry University · Harbin
ARWU 401–500
Northeast Normal University · Changchun
THE 701–800ARWU 501–600
Northeastern University · Shenyang
THE 451–500ARWU 201–300
Northwest A&F University · Xianyang
ARWU 301–400
THE 1001–1200ARWU 401–500
Northwestern Polytechnical University · Xi'an
THE #224=ARWU 151–200
Ocean University of China · Qingdao
THE 601–650ARWU 201–300
Peking Union Medical College · Beijing
ARWU 151–200
THE 701–800ARWU 301–400
Qingdao University of Science and Technology · Qingdao
ARWU 501–600
ARWU 901–1000
Renmin University of China · Beijing
ARWU 301–400
Shaanxi Normal University · Xi'an
ARWU 401–500
Shandong Normal University · Jinan
ARWU 601–700
THE #263=ARWU 101–150
Shandong University of Science and Technology · Qingdao
ARWU 601–700
Shandong University of Technology · Zibo
ARWU 801–900
Shanghai Normal University · Shanghai
THE 1001–1200ARWU 601–700
Shanghai Ocean University · Shanghai
ARWU 601–700
Shanghai University · Shanghai
THE 501–550ARWU 301–400
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics · Shanghai
ARWU 901–1000
Shanghai University of International Business and Economics · Shanghai
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Shanghai
ARWU 601–700
ShanghaiTech University · Shanghai
ARWU 201–300
THE 801–1000ARWU 701–800
ARWU 401–500
Shenyang University of Technology · Shenyang
ARWU 801–900
ARWU 801–900
Sichuan Agricultural University · Ya'an
ARWU 501–600
THE 551–600ARWU 101–150
South China Agricultural University · Guangzhou
ARWU 401–500
South China Normal University · Guangzhou
THE 701–800ARWU 401–500
South China University of Technology · Guangzhou
THE #265ARWU 101–150
Southeast University · Nanjing
THE #247=ARWU #89
Southern Medical University · Guangzhou
THE #284=ARWU 201–300
Southern University of Science and Technology · Shenzhen
THE #163=ARWU 101–150
Southwest Jiaotong University · Chengdu
THE 701–800ARWU 301–400
Southwest Petroleum University · Chengdu
THE 1601–1800ARWU 701–800
Southwest University · Chongqing
ARWU 301–400
Southwest University of Political Science and Law · Chongqing
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics · Chengdu
ARWU 701–800
Taiyuan University of Technology · Taiyuan
ARWU 401–500
THE 1401–1600ARWU 601–700
Tianjin Medical University · Tianjin
ARWU 401–500
Tianjin Normal University · Tianjin
THE 1401–1600
THE #196=ARWU #98
Tianjin University of Science and Technology · Tianjin
ARWU 801–900
Tianjin University of Technology · Tianjin
ARWU 601–700
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Tianjin
THE #124ARWU 101–150
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China · Chengdu
THE 351–375ARWU 151–200
University of International Business and Economics · Beijing
THE 551–600
ARWU 801–900
University of Science and Technology Beijing · Beijing
ARWU 201–300
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology · Shanghai
ARWU 301–400
Wenzhou Medical University · Wenzhou
THE 1001–1200ARWU 301–400
THE 801–1000ARWU 501–600
Wenzhou-Kean University · Wenzhou
THE 801–1000
Westlake University · Hangzhou
ARWU 201–300
Wuhan Textile University · Wuhan
THE 1201–1400ARWU 801–900
Wuhan University of Technology · Wuhan
THE 701–800ARWU 201–300
THE #224=ARWU 101–150
Xiangtan University · Xiangtan
THE 1001–1200ARWU 701–800
THE 601–650ARWU 301–400
Xinjiang Medical University · Ürümqi
ARWU 901–1000
ARWU 601–700
ARWU 801–900
Yangzhou University · Yangzhou
THE 551–600ARWU 201–300
Yanshan University · Qinhuangdao
THE 1401–1600ARWU 401–500
ARWU 901–1000
ARWU 301–400
Zhejiang Normal University · Jinhua
THE 601–650ARWU 501–600
Zhejiang Sci-Tech University · Hangzhou
ARWU 501–600
Zhejiang University of Technology · Hangzhou
THE 501–550ARWU 201–300
Zhengzhou University · Zhengzhou
THE 651–700ARWU 151–200
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law · Wuhan
ARWU 901–1000
No universities match your search.
This guide is for general information. Visa and immigration rules change often, so always check the official government website before you apply. Last updated 6 October 2026.