How to read a Chinese university's international admission prospectus
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
A university's prospectus (招生简章) for international students should cover six groups of items: student categories, conditions and procedure, examination or assessment and the university's decision, fees and refund rules, teaching language, and insurance. Read it in that order and check each part against the national rules below. This is an unofficial reference, and the admission facts for any university are in that university's own prospectus. For the directory's guide to choosing and checking a university, see this directory's section page.
What the rules ask a prospectus to contain
Two national documents set these items. The first is the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42 issued in 2017 by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. Its promulgation text says it came into force on 1 July 2017. The second is the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) (来华留学生高等教育质量规范（试行）), issued by Ministry of Education notice 教外〔2018〕50号 dated 3 September 2018.
The English on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text.
| Item to check | Rule | Document |
|---|---|---|
| Student categories | Article 9 | Order No. 42 (2017) |
| Enrolment plan and majors | Article 10 | Order No. 42 (2017) |
| Prospectus and admission conditions | Article 11 | Order No. 42 (2017) |
| Entry standards | Section 1 and section 1.1 | Quality Standards (2018) |
| Language ability at entry | Section 1.2 | Quality Standards (2018) |
| Examination or assessment | Article 12; section 2.2 | Order No. 42 (2017); Quality Standards (2018) |
| Admission decision | Article 12; section 2.3 | Order No. 42 (2017); Quality Standards (2018) |
| Fees, standards and refunds | Article 14; section 2.1 | Order No. 42 (2017); Quality Standards (2018) |
| Financial guarantee | Section 2.6 | Quality Standards (2018) |
| Teaching language | Article 19 | Order No. 42 (2017) |
| Insurance | Article 40 | Order No. 42 (2017) |
A reading checklist
- Find the student category.
- Find the programme's level, duration and degree.
- Find the enrolment plan and the majors.
- Find the entry standards.
- Find the language requirement.
- Find the application deadline and method.
- Find the examination or assessment method.
- Find the financial guarantee requirement.
- Find the fee items and fee standards.
- Find the refund rules for withdrawal and transfer.
- Find the teaching language.
- Find the insurance requirement.
Student categories and enrolment plan
Article 9 of Order No. 42 (2017) lists four categories for degree education: junior college students (专科生), undergraduates (本科生), master's students (硕士研究生) and doctoral students (博士研究生). It lists three categories for non-degree education: preparatory students (预科生), visiting students (进修生) and research scholars (研究学者).
Article 10 of Order No. 42 (2017) says each university decides its own international student enrolment plan and majors, unless national rules provide otherwise.
Conditions and procedure
Article 11 of Order No. 42 (2017) says each university formulates and publishes its international student prospectus under national admission rules. It admits students under the conditions and procedure the prospectus sets.
Article 23 of Order No. 42 (2017) says each university shall publicly disclose its basic information, teaching information, the prospectus, and its management and service system for international students.
Section 2.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) says the admission information a university provides shall include at least the following items:
- the application deadlines and method;
- the entry standards;
- the examination or assessment methods;
- the financial guarantee requirements;
- the handling of violations;
- the admission timetable.
Entry standards and language
Section 1 of the Quality Standards (2018) says each university sets its entry standards under national rules and the standards. The entry standards cover academic background, academic level, language ability, status qualifications and financial capacity.
Section 1.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) sets these minimum education requirements:
- Junior college and undergraduate entry requires graduation from senior high school or an equivalent. The section refers to completion of ISCED 2011 level 3 or 4 that leads to higher education.
- Master's entry requires a bachelor's degree or an equivalent. The section refers to ISCED 2011 level 6 or 7 courses.
- Doctoral entry requires a master's degree or an equivalent. The section refers to specified ISCED 2011 level 7 courses.
Section 1.2 of the Quality Standards (2018) says that for programmes taught in Chinese, the Chinese ability required at entry shall reach at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (《国际汉语能力标准》). The section names no other test for this level. For programmes taught in a foreign language, the university shall state the required foreign-language ability in its entry standards.
Examination or assessment and the decision
Article 12 of Order No. 42 (2017) says the university shall examine each applicant's admission qualification and proof of financial guarantee. It also says the university shall test or assess each applicant. The admission decision is made by the university. Article 12 says a university may not admit applicants who do not meet the admission conditions.
Section 2.2 of the Quality Standards (2018) says the university shall test or assess applicants so that those admitted reach the set entry standards. It says the university is advised to design and run entrance tests that fit its own teaching conditions. Section 2.2 also says the university shall set the academic level requirements and the assessment method. The assessment shall rest on academic results and achievements, results of Chinese national examinations, and results of foreign examinations with public credibility.
Section 2.3 of the Quality Standards (2018) says the university decides admission results on the basis of test or assessment results. The decision follows clear and standard procedures and rules. The university shall consider national needs and public interest. It shall keep written records of important matters and archive them properly.
Fees, standards and refunds
Article 14 of Order No. 42 (2017) says fee items and fee standards for international students follow national rules. It says each university shall publish its fee items, its fee standards, and its refund rules for withdrawal and transfer. Fees and refunds are priced in renminbi (人民币). Article 14 gives no fee amount.
Section 2.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) lists fee standards, payment methods and refund policy among the financial items a university provides.
Section 2.6 of the Quality Standards (2018) says each university sets its financial guarantee standard on the basis of tuition, accommodation fees and the local cost of living. It says the standard shall allow reasonable costs of study, living and international travel to be covered. Where a local education authority issues a guidance standard, the university applies that standard. The university shall require applicants to provide proof that meets its standard and shall review that proof carefully.
Section 13.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) says each university sets a scholarship management system. The scholarship criteria include academic and conduct requirements. The system includes regular review and dynamic adjustment.
Teaching language
Article 19 of Order No. 42 (2017) says a university that meets the conditions may offer some specialised courses taught in a foreign language to international students. It says an international student in foreign-language degree education may write the thesis in the corresponding foreign language. The thesis abstract shall be in Chinese. The university decides whether the thesis defence uses a foreign language.
Insurance
Article 40 of Order No. 42 (2017) says each university applies an insurance system covering all international students. International students must buy insurance under national rules and the university's requirements. The university shall set a deadline for students who have not bought insurance. If a student still has not bought insurance by that deadline, the university shall not admit the student. For students already studying at the university, the university shall require them to withdraw or refuse to register them.
Section 2.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) lists insurance among the campus life items a university provides.
Questions people ask
Who decides whether an applicant is admitted?
Article 12 of Order No. 42 (2017) says the university decides the admission of international students. Section 2.3 of the Quality Standards (2018) says the decision follows clear and standard procedures and rules, based on test or assessment results. It also says the university keeps written records of important matters in admission.
Does the prospectus have to state the fees and refund rules?
Article 14 of Order No. 42 (2017) says each university shall publish its fee items, its fee standards and its refund rules for withdrawal and transfer. Section 2.1 of the Quality Standards (2018) lists fee standards, payment methods and refund policy as admission information. Article 14 gives no fee amount, so check the amounts in each university's own prospectus.
What Chinese level does section 1.2 require for a Chinese-taught programme?
Section 1.2 of the Quality Standards (2018) says the Chinese ability for programmes taught in Chinese shall reach at least level 4 of the International Chinese Proficiency Standards (《国际汉语能力标准》). The level is on the standards' own scale, and section 1.2 names no other test for it.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42 (2017), Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) (来华留学生高等教育质量规范（试行）), notice 教外〔2018〕50号, Ministry of Education of the PRC
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by the Ministry of Education or any university, promises no admission outcome, and the official Chinese text and the current official list prevail if they differ.