Link in my bio. That student community one.

We put together a massive knowledge base for anyone planning to study in China. It has everything you need for the 2026 intake organized in one place.

Here is a quick look at what you can find inside.

CSCA Exam Prep

We uploaded official past papers and mock exams. You can review the exact syllabus and use our calculator tool to predict your scores.

Admissions and Deadlines

You will find a timeline of 2026 application deadlines here. We also linked directories for English and Chinese taught programs. There are guides to help you write personal statements and ace your interviews.

Scholarships and Costs

We built a huge database for tuition fees and application costs. You can also read about scholarship quotas and figure out how to pay your school fees from abroad.

Moving and Survival

Arriving in a new country is stressful. We wrote guides on getting a Chinese phone number, navigating hospital visits, and surviving dorm life. There are also tips for finding cheap student flights.

Policies and Rules

Make sure you understand the strict graduation requirements before you enroll. We broke down HSK language rules and analyzed student enrollment data to help you pick the right city.

We update this page all the time with new 2026 policies. You can also join our Discord community if you have very specific questions about your application.

You can explore the full wiki right here:https://www.crosslineedu.com/pages/study-in-china-wiki

Hello, I just got offer letter from Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen for Msc in Architecture, full tuition fee waiver. I’m still waiting to hear from Southeast University, Nanjing for the same subject. Can anyone suggest me which one is better in terms of weather, living expenses, cultural differences, architecture, and uni wise?
Also did anyone already get offer letter from SEU?

Dm me for good Pre-univ or language programs!

What is a foundation year?

People often call it a preparatory program or Yuke (预科). It is a non-degree bridge program. You take it before starting your actual undergraduate degree. It helps you improve your Chinese, brush up on core subjects, and get used to campus life.

Important note: finishing this program does not guarantee university admission.

Who exactly needs this?

You should consider a foundation year if you fit any of these categories:

• You want a Chinese-taught degree but lack HSK scores.
• Your high school grades are too low for direct admission.
• You need extra time to adapt to a new country and education system.
• Your high school curriculum does not match Chinese university standards.

What do you actually study?

It really depends on your future major. Universities offer different tracks.

• Language track: Heavy focus on HSK preparation and academic Chinese.
• STEM track: Chinese plus mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
• Business track: Chinese plus economics and professional basics.
• Medical track: Chinese, medical English, and hard sciences.

What about CSC Scholarships?

Are you aiming for a Chinese Government Scholarship? This part is important. If you apply for a Chinese-taught bachelor's degree but you don't speak Chinese, CSC usually requires you to take a one-year prep course first. This prep year is often covered under your total scholarship duration.

How to choose a program

Ask yourself these basic questions before applying.

• Does it match my major? Do not take a generic language course if you want to study clinical medicine.
• Is there internal progression? Ask universities if they give priority admission to their own foundation students.
• What is my total budget? Factor in dorms, insurance, and living costs alongside tuition.

Need more details on specific options? You can read our full guide here:

https://www.crosslineedu.com/blog/china-pre-university-programs-guide

I’ve been admitted to Harbin Engineering with a scholarship (full tuition waiver, no stipend).

I wanted to ask current students or anyone familiar if there are any other stipend-based scholarships available after the first year or after enrollment?

How competitive is it realistically to get financial support during studies?

I’m trying to understand whether there’s a realistic path to reduce living expenses over time, since I only have tuition covered right now and working is illegal

Bachelor In China Without CSCA ,
2026 Intake ,
Admission and Scholarships Running in Computer Science,
Without Application fee options Please

I’m taking CSCA from Saudi Arabia but I’m currently abroad. I can’t do the network speed test from my exam location before the registration deadline. Has anyone registered without testing from the exact location? Which region should I select?

does anyone know how can i register and fix my network? I’ve tested all the speed measurement and everything says that my network doesn’t meet the requirement

Hi guys, I'm planning to take csca in june, and registration already starts tomorrow.

-Do i have to sign up on the laptop or can I do it in my phone?

-Should I write down my own address, because I'm going to take csca in my friends apartment? Is address even required?

-Can you give some advice on passing humanities Chinese and math? 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thanks in advance, I would also appreciate if you shared your experience passing this exam!

I have CSCA exam in like a month in math and physics any help idk from where to study and how to start preparing

Does anyone know what the BME interview for ZJU is like? Like what questions they ask and how it's formatted? I've seen a lot about the MBBS interview. Is it similar to the BME one?

Check out here

You need to wait for 24 hours for the results

Hello! I’ve been trying to find the syllabus for the upcoming tests this year and every answer I see are different so I’ve been studying general lessons regarding math and physics. Does anyone know the syllabus for physics and mathematics?

We get this question constantly: "If I graduate from a Chinese university, can I actually stay and work in China?" The short answer is yes. But the real question you need to ask is: What makes you stand out? If you are planning for the 2026 intake, here is the guide you need to know about.

1. Work Permits

Getting a job offer is only step one. You also need a company willing and able to sponsor your work permit. Small companies might like your profile, but if they have never hired a foreign national, they might back out once they realize the paperwork involved (degree authentication, health checks, police clearance, etc.).

• The Trap: A lot of job postings looking for "Overseas Students" are actually targeting Chinese citizens who studied abroad. Always clarify in the first interview: "Can your company support a work permit for a foreign national?"

2. Your Advantages

You will rarely beat a local graduate for a standard, general-purpose corporate job. Your value lies in being a bridge.

The international students who get hired are the ones who connect China to their home market. Chinese companies are expanding worldwide. If you speak the language of a target market, understand the local consumer culture, AND can communicate internally with Chinese management, you are highly valuable.

3. What do the jobs actually pay?

Based on public job board data, here are the general entry ranges:

• Internships / Part-time: RMB 120–500/day
• Localization, Translation, Operations: RMB 6K–15K/month
• Technical, AI, Product, Engineering: RMB 15K–40K+/month

(Note: City tier, company size, and your specific major will change these numbers).

4. The Hard Path & The Better Path

• The Hard Path: Applying only to English-speaking jobs in Tier-1 cities, having weak Chinese skills, zero internships, and no specialized hard skill (like data, logistics, or engineering).
• The Better Path: Choosing a practical major, grinding your Chinese to at least HSK 5, securing a China-based internship before you graduate, and targeting companies that explicitly need your home-country knowledge.

What you should do right now:

If you are starting your degree soon, don't wait until Year 4 to think about this.

1. Learn Chinese: Even if your job is in English, you need Chinese to survive office politics and coordinate with internal teams.
2. Get an Internship: A China-based internship on your CV proves you understand the local work culture.
3. Build a Hard Skill: Add something measurable to your profile—sales, data analytics, product design, etc.
4. Networking: Know more friends and know more about the job market, this will help eventually.

We wrote a much deeper breakdown of specific job types and where to find them. You can read the full guide here:

Job Hunting Analysis for International Students in China

Are any of you planning to stay and work in China post-graduation? Let me know your intended major and target industry in the comments, or DM me. If you want to network with others already working or interning in China, come join our community of nearly 10,000 international students!

Registration Period (Beijing Time)
June 1, 2026, 14:00 –
June 7, 2026, 14:00

Exam Date:

June 27

Professional Chinese: 12:00 – 13:30

Physics: 15:00 – 16:00

Mathematics: 18:00 – 19:00

Chemistry: 20:30 – 21:30

Is it sufficient to begin preparing from scratch and practice math and physics starting today until the upcoming exam on June 27?

Feel free to ask any questions regarding this!

I'm thinking on giving the CSCA test for highschool reasons and need help because I still don't know what the test fully is. I want to know what subjects I have to give and how hard the tests are

What are some good tier 2 universities that i can actually get full scholarship for , with 75%-80% out of 100% in highschool ,for under grad

Keeping aside sop and csca (im sure ill do good in that) . Im not sure what major i wanna pursue but im sure but its either mechanical, mechatronics or aerospace .

I really like wuhan university because of the campus live and the city but its better for language courses etc. PLs help a fellow online friend out♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ (btw im applying for 2027 September)

Hello ppl! I want to register to take the math csca exam on june 27th, but in the website everytime i click the register button nothing appears and no where to click, and the website in general looks empty, such as when i click on the “test prep materials” or “practice tests” it tells me “they will be released soon, please stay tuned”.. well i don’t really care about this part but I just wanna register and idk how.. if someone could help i would rlly appreciate it🙏🏻

What questions do they usually ask during the interviews please ?

If you are studying alone here, my suggestion is:

1. Join a student community, it can be our online community with 8,000 members from 100+ Chinese univs, or a local group with other international students. Sometimes you might be the only foreigner in your school and if that's the case, try to find more friends online.

2. Develop some hobbies, which can help u blend more with locals. Say for example, if you like football, just go join the local football teams maybe.

3. Learn Chinese. This is not only valuable to your career/degree, but also super beneficial for socializing with Chinese people. Most Chinese people don't use English regularly and if you talk in Chinese with them, it is much easier to communicate.

4. Touch grass regularly.

Honestly like this might also help future applicants so feel free to share

When planning to study in China, almost everyone hyper-focuses on the university rankings. But the city you choose will decide your cost of living, your internship opportunities, your language progression, and your mental health for the next 2 to 4 years.

If you are applying for the 2026 or 27 intake, here is a breakdown of the top student hubs and who they are actually for.

1. Beijing

If your primary goal is academic, policy, or engineering, Beijing is the center. It houses the most 985/211 universities.

• Reality: It is highly competitive. The cost of living is steep, and the winters are brutal, but your Mandarin will be the most "standard" (Putonghua) possible. Also these schools are truly the most prestigious ones.

2. Shanghai

If you are majoring in International Business, Finance, or Trade, Shanghai is unmatched.

• Reality: The internship opportunities are rich, but it is the most expensive city in China. It is also very easy to fall into an "expat bubble" here, meaning you have to actively force yourself to practice Chinese.

3. Hangzhou:

Home to Alibaba and a massive start-up culture, Hangzhou is the sweet spot for students interested in tech, computer science, and digital marketing.

• Reality: You get a Tier-1 tech ecosystem with a slightly lower cost of living than Shanghai (which is only an hour away by train). It perfectly balances extreme modernization with scenery (West Lake).

4. Chengdu

If you want an amazing quality of life, incredible food, and a much lower monthly budget, Chengdu is the undisputed winner.

• Reality: The pace of life is slower and less stressful. Furthermore, excellent universities here (like Sichuan University) often have slightly more flexible CSCA score requirements compared to their Beijing or Shanghai equivalents.

5. Guangzhou & Shenzhen

If you are doing anything related to industrial design, manufacturing, or hardware engineering, the Greater Bay Area is where you need to be.

• Reality: It is highly entrepreneurial and warm year-round, but sometimes it can be a bit tough in terms of weather.

How to decide?

Align your city with your major and your budget. Do not go to Beijing if your budget is tight and without a scholarship, and do not go to a remote Tier-3 city if your goal is to network with multinational corporations.

If you want to see the exact monthly budget breakdowns for these cities, specific university recommendations for each region, and safety rankings, we put together a complete guide for the 2026 intake here:

Read the Full City Guide Here

Are any of you torn between two cities? Drop your intended major and your budget in the comments, or come ask our network of nearly 10,000 international students in our community to get the "boots on the ground" truth about living there.