What would a year actually cost you?
Pick a city, then a school, and see what a year of studying there costs. Every figure here traces back to a source, a university's own fee page where one exists, a third-party aggregator where it doesn't. Where sources disagree, I show both numbers instead of picking one. For living costs around campus, see our China cost-of-living overview →
By Lin Hai. See how every figure here is sourced on the About page
Pick a city first
How the total is built
Tuition + housing + food + whatever you add
The bottom line is four things added together:
- Tuition: the program-specific rate. Shown as a range where programs at the same school are priced differently.
- Housing: either the dormitory range the university publishes, or the city's average monthly rent × 12 if you switch to off-campus.
- Food: a campus-canteen estimate for that city, not that school, × 12.
- Other: whatever you type in. Flights, insurance, visa and residence permit, books, phone plan.
Two limits worth knowing before you trust the number. The food figure is city-level, so it won't catch a school whose canteen is unusually cheap or expensive. And the off-campus option uses the city average rent, not the blocks around your campus, and in Shanghai and Beijing that difference is large. Conversion is fixed at ¥7.2 = $1; treat the dollar figure as a planning anchor, not a bank quote.
Five real years, priced out
What a year looks like at five schools
Every row below is built from the same figures the tool uses, with "other costs" left at zero. They are spread across the full range of this dataset on purpose. The cheapest year here costs less than a single semester at the most expensive one.
| School | City | Tuition | Housing | Food | One year, all in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hangzhou Dianzi University | Hangzhou | ¥16,000–18,000≈ $2,222–2,500 | ¥5,400–10,800≈ $750–1,500 | ¥8,400–16,800≈ $1,167–2,333 | ¥29,800–45,600≈ $4,139–6,333 |
| Shanghai University of Finance and Economics | Shanghai | ¥30,000≈ $4,167 | ¥14,400–43,200≈ $2,000–6,000 | ¥9,600–14,400≈ $1,333–2,000 | ¥54,000–87,600≈ $7,500–12,167 |
| Duke Kunshan University | Suzhou | ¥190,000≈ $26,389 | ¥16,500–22,500≈ $2,292–3,125 | ¥9,600–14,400≈ $1,333–2,000 | ¥216,100–226,900≈ $30,014–31,514 |
| Hainan University (Yazhou campus) | Sanya | ¥18,500–48,000≈ $2,569–6,667 | ¥1,200–3,000≈ $167–417 | ¥18,000–24,000≈ $2,500–3,333 | ¥37,700–75,000≈ $5,236–10,417 |
| Inner Mongolia University | Hohhot | ¥12,000–13,600≈ $1,667–1,889 | ¥4,000–8,000≈ $556–1,111 | ¥8,400–12,000≈ $1,167–1,667 | ¥24,400–33,600≈ $3,389–4,667 |
The cheapest year in the dataset is in Hohhot
Inner Mongolia University starts at ¥12,000 a year, less than half of what Fudan charges for a liberal arts degree, and under $3,400 for the entire year once dorm and food are added. The trade-off is not money, it is weather: Hohhot's winter is the reason the tuition is that low. See the Hohhot guide for what that actually feels like.
The most expensive school here is a joint-venture campus, not a C9 name
Duke Kunshan's ¥190,000 tuition is more than five times Zhejiang University's ¥28,000–35,000, and what you get is a degree taught in English on a campus an hour from Shanghai. You are paying for a US-style residential model, not for a higher-ranked Chinese degree. Worth pricing against staying home before you apply; see Suzhou.
In Shanghai, where you sleep moves the total more than what you study
SUFE in a dormitory: ¥54,000 for the year. The same degree, living off-campus at the Shanghai city average of $972 a month: ¥123,581. That is +¥69,581 (more than the tuition itself) for a housing choice, not an academic one. Dorm rates and room types are in the Shanghai guide.
Sanya is the one city where food outruns everything else
Hainan University's Yazhou dormitory is ¥1,200–3,000 a year, the lowest housing in this dataset. But the island's food estimate is ¥1,500–2,000 a month, which is ¥18,000–24,000 a year, more than the housing and nearly as much as the cheapest tuition tier. Cheap dorm, expensive groceries. That is the island premium. More in Sanya.
Hangzhou shows what a room type is worth
At Hangzhou Dianzi, a double room is ¥5,400 a year and a single is ¥10,800. Choosing the single adds ¥5,400 (about a third of the tuition bill) to a degree that otherwise costs ¥16,000–18,000. If you are budgeting tightly, the room choice is the single easiest number to move. Compare the other Hangzhou schools.
Every school in the dataset
All 57 schools, tuition and dorm at a glance
This table is the full dataset behind the tool above: every school it can price, in plain HTML so search engines and readers without JavaScript see all of them. Each row links to that city's university guide, where the figure is sourced. Tuition and dorm are per year for an international undergraduate unless a school's note says otherwise; the second line uses the site's fixed rate of ¥7.2 = $1.
| School | City | Tuition / year | Dorm / year | Source tier | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xi'an Jiao Tong University | Xi'an | ¥20,000–40,000≈ $2,778–5,556 | ¥8,000–19,000≈ $1,111–2,639 | official | Xi'an guide |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Xi'an | ¥20,000≈ $2,778 | ¥5,000–12,000≈ $694–1,667 | third-party | Xi'an guide |
| Xidian University | Xi'an | ¥17,000≈ $2,361 | ¥5,000–15,000≈ $694–2,083 | official | Xi'an guide |
| Tsinghua University | Beijing | ¥26,000–45,000≈ $3,611–6,250 | ¥6,000–8,000≈ $833–1,111 | third-party | Beijing guide |
| Peking University | Beijing | ¥26,000–45,000≈ $3,611–6,250 | ¥25,000–35,000≈ $3,472–4,861 | mixed | Beijing guide |
| Renmin University of China | Beijing | ¥21,500–24,000≈ $2,986–3,333 | ¥12,000–36,000≈ $1,667–5,000 | mixed | Beijing guide |
| Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications | Beijing | ¥20,000–40,000≈ $2,778–5,556 | ¥10,800–30,000≈ $1,500–4,167 | third-party | Beijing guide |
| Fudan University | Shanghai | ¥30,000–54,000≈ $4,167–7,500 | ¥1,200–2,000≈ $167–278 | official | Shanghai guide |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Shanghai | ¥24,800≈ $3,444 | ¥13,200–25,200≈ $1,833–3,500 | official | Shanghai guide |
| Tongji University | Shanghai | ¥25,080–40,000≈ $3,483–5,556 | ¥10,000–20,000≈ $1,389–2,778 | third-party | Shanghai guide |
| Shanghai University of Finance and Economics | Shanghai | ¥30,000≈ $4,167 | ¥14,400–43,200≈ $2,000–6,000 | official | Shanghai guide |
| Zhejiang University | Hangzhou | ¥28,000–35,000≈ $3,889–4,861 | ¥8,000≈ $1,111 | mixed | Hangzhou guide |
| Hangzhou Dianzi University | Hangzhou | ¥16,000–18,000≈ $2,222–2,500 | ¥5,400–10,800≈ $750–1,500 | mixed | Hangzhou guide |
| Zhejiang International Studies University | Hangzhou | ¥18,000≈ $2,500 | ¥12,000–24,000≈ $1,667–3,333 | official | Hangzhou guide |
| Dalian University of Technology | Dalian | ¥19,500–25,500≈ $2,708–3,542 | ¥14,400–21,600≈ $2,000–3,000 | third-party | Dalian guide |
| Dongbei University of Finance and Economics | Dalian | ¥19,000–35,000≈ $2,639–4,861 | ¥13,200–21,600≈ $1,833–3,000 | mixed | Dalian guide |
| Dalian Maritime University | Dalian | ¥20,000–30,000≈ $2,778–4,167 | ¥7,000–12,000≈ $972–1,667 | third-party | Dalian guide |
| Nanjing University | Nanjing | ¥21,000–54,000≈ $2,917–7,500 | ¥1,500–23,400≈ $208–3,250 | official | Nanjing guide |
| Southeast University | Nanjing | ¥16,000–33,000≈ $2,222–4,583 | ¥11,000–15,000≈ $1,528–2,083 | mixed | Nanjing guide |
| Hohai University | Nanjing | ¥20,000≈ $2,778 | ¥7,200–24,000≈ $1,000–3,333 | official | Nanjing guide |
| Chongqing University | Chongqing | ¥14,000–20,000≈ $1,944–2,778 | ¥5,000–10,000≈ $694–1,389 | official | Chongqing guide |
| Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications | Chongqing | ¥15,000–20,000≈ $2,083–2,778 | ¥3,600–9,600≈ $500–1,333 | official | Chongqing guide |
| Southwest University | Chongqing | ¥18,000–22,000≈ $2,500–3,056 | ¥6,000–12,000≈ $833–1,667 | official | Chongqing guide |
| University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | Chengdu | ¥15,000–45,000≈ $2,083–6,250 | ¥3,000–6,000≈ $417–833 | official | Chengdu guide |
| Sichuan University | Chengdu | ¥16,000–20,000≈ $2,222–2,778 | ¥4,500–18,000≈ $625–2,500 | official | Chengdu guide |
| Southwest Jiaotong University | Chengdu | ¥18,000–25,000≈ $2,500–3,472 | ¥9,000–12,000≈ $1,250–1,667 | official | Chengdu guide |
| Ocean University of China | Qingdao | ¥18,000–30,000≈ $2,500–4,167 | ¥12,800–73,000≈ $1,778–10,139 | official | Qingdao guide |
| China University of Petroleum (East China) | Qingdao | ¥24,000–30,000≈ $3,333–4,167 | ¥4,000–14,400≈ $556–2,000 | official | Qingdao guide |
| Qingdao University | Qingdao | ¥20,000–30,000≈ $2,778–4,167 | ¥4,000–8,800≈ $556–1,222 | official | Qingdao guide |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Harbin | ¥26,000–28,000≈ $3,611–3,889 | ¥7,200–28,800≈ $1,000–4,000 | official | Harbin guide |
| Harbin Engineering University | Harbin | ¥17,000–22,000≈ $2,361–3,056 | ¥4,800–9,600≈ $667–1,333 | official | Harbin guide |
| Harbin Medical University | Harbin | ¥30,000≈ $4,167 | ¥3,600–5,000≈ $500–694 | official | Harbin guide |
| Harbin Normal University | Harbin | ¥15,500≈ $2,153 | ¥9,000–20,000≈ $1,250–2,778 | third-party | Harbin guide |
| Inner Mongolia University | Hohhot | ¥12,000–13,600≈ $1,667–1,889 | ¥4,000–8,000≈ $556–1,111 | official | Hohhot guide |
| Jingdezhen Ceramic University | Jingdezhen | ¥14,000–21,000≈ $1,944–2,917 | ¥3,600≈ $500 | official | Jingdezhen guide |
| Southern University of Science and Technology | Shenzhen | ¥32,200–40,000≈ $4,472–5,556 | ¥1,300–6,000≈ $181–833 | third-party | Shenzhen guide |
| Shenzhen University | Shenzhen | ¥26,000–40,000≈ $3,611–5,556 | ¥1,500–16,000≈ $208–2,222 | official | Shenzhen guide |
| Sun Yat-sen University | Guangzhou | ¥17,400–33,800≈ $2,417–4,694 | ¥4,000–6,000≈ $556–833 | official | Guangzhou guide |
| South China University of Technology | Guangzhou | ¥32,000≈ $4,444 | ¥5,000–9,000≈ $694–1,250 | official | Guangzhou guide |
| Jinan University | Guangzhou | ¥15,000–34,000≈ $2,083–4,722 | ¥6,000–12,400≈ $833–1,722 | mixed | Guangzhou guide |
| Wuhan University | Wuhan | ¥17,000–40,000≈ $2,361–5,556 | ¥19,200–24,600≈ $2,667–3,417 | official | Wuhan guide |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Wuhan | ¥18,000–40,000≈ $2,500–5,556 | ¥3,600–14,400≈ $500–2,000 | mixed | Wuhan guide |
| China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) | Wuhan | ¥22,000–35,000≈ $3,056–4,861 | ¥8,400–12,000≈ $1,167–1,667 | third-party | Wuhan guide |
| Xiamen University | Xiamen | ¥24,000–90,000≈ $3,333–12,500 | ¥1,100–23,725≈ $153–3,295 | official | Xiamen guide |
| Jimei University | Xiamen | ¥14,000–21,000≈ $1,944–2,917 | ¥2,400–9,600≈ $333–1,333 | mixed | Xiamen guide |
| Huaqiao University | Xiamen | ¥15,700≈ $2,181 | ¥1,300–5,800≈ $181–806 | official | Xiamen guide |
| Yunnan University | Kunming | ¥10,000–16,000≈ $1,389–2,222 | ¥16,200–32,400≈ $2,250–4,500 | third-party | Kunming guide |
| Kunming University of Science and Technology | Kunming | ¥19,900≈ $2,764 | ¥7,200–12,000≈ $1,000–1,667 | official | Kunming guide |
| Yunnan Normal University | Kunming | ¥15,000–16,000≈ $2,083–2,222 | ¥1,600–2,400≈ $222–333 | official | Kunming guide |
| Soochow University | Suzhou | ¥18,000–32,500≈ $2,500–4,514 | ¥7,200–10,800≈ $1,000–1,500 | mixed | Suzhou guide |
| Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University | Suzhou | ¥93,000≈ $12,917 | ¥2,200–14,000≈ $306–1,944 | official | Suzhou guide |
| Duke Kunshan University | Suzhou | ¥190,000≈ $26,389 | ¥16,500–22,500≈ $2,292–3,125 | mixed | Suzhou guide |
| Suzhou University of Science and Technology | Suzhou | ¥16,000–18,000≈ $2,222–2,500 | ¥3,000≈ $417 | official | Suzhou guide |
| Hainan University (Yazhou Campus) | Sanya | ¥18,500–48,000≈ $2,569–6,667 | ¥1,200–3,000≈ $167–417 | official | Sanya guide |
| Hainan Tropical Ocean University | Sanya | ¥19,000–26,000≈ $2,639–3,611 | ¥3,200–9,600≈ $444–1,333 | mixed | Sanya guide |
| Sanya University | Sanya | ¥31,900–48,000≈ $4,431–6,667 | ¥2,800–16,200≈ $389–2,250 | third-party | Sanya guide |
| Hainan Lausanne Tourism University (EHL-Sanya) | Sanya | ¥72,000–92,000≈ $10,000–12,778 | ¥8,000–18,000≈ $1,111–2,500 | official | Sanya guide |
When not to trust this number
Four cases where the total will be wrong
- You win a scholarship. CSC, provincial, and university awards can zero out tuition, cover the dorm, and add a monthly stipend. Application windows are usually January–March for the September intake.
- You're in medicine, an MBA, or a joint program. These routinely price above the published range, sometimes by a lot.
- You're an exchange or 2+2 student. You usually pay your home institution's tuition, not these rates.
- A line reads "not confirmed". I leave it blank rather than estimate, because a made-up number is worse than no number.
Add 15–25% on top for insurance, visa and residence permit fees, books, and flights home. Those vary too much by person and program for a tool to guess responsibly.
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Questions people actually ask
Quick answers
What currency are the numbers in?
All figures are in Chinese yuan (RMB). The calculator converts them to USD at roughly ¥7.2 = $1. Your actual exchange rate will move with the market, so treat the converted number as a planning anchor, not a bank quote.
Why is there a range instead of one tuition number?
Chinese universities usually charge by program. A humanities degree can cost half what a clinical medicine or engineering program costs. Where I found a single published rate, the range is narrow; where programs spread wide, the range is wide.
What do the source tiers mean?
The tier tells you how close the figure is to a primary source:
- Official: the university's own published fee page.
- Mixed: part official, part third-party aggregator.
- Third-party: consistent aggregator data I could not independently confirm.
- Thin: sources conflict or data is sparse, so treat it as a rough bracket rather than a quote.
Is this calculator for international students?
Yes. These are the rates a foreign passport holder applying for a degree or language program would typically see. Domestic Chinese tuition is a separate, much lower system.
What other costs should I budget?
At least four things this tool does not include:
- Health insurance for international students: usually around ¥800/year and often compulsory.
- Visa / residence permit renewal and medical exam fees.
- Books, lab materials, field trips: varies hugely by major.
- Flights home and travel during long breaks.
Add 15–25% on top of tuition+dorm to be safe.
Why are some figures marked 'not confirmed'?
I only show a number when I can trace it to a source I can name. If a school's published page is down, behind a login, or contradicts itself, I leave it blank rather than invent a figure.
Do scholarships change these numbers?
Yes. Chinese Government Scholarships (CSC), provincial scholarships, and university-level awards can cover tuition, dorm, and sometimes a monthly stipend. They are competitive and application deadlines are usually January to March for the September intake.
How current are these figures?
Most are from 2026 admissions or fee pages. Tuition and dorm rates usually update once per year around March–May. Verify the exact figure with the university's admissions office before you budget.
Why is international tuition so much higher than for Chinese students?
Domestic Chinese students pay state-subsidized RMB rates. International students are placed on a separate, higher fee schedule (often several times the domestic rate) because they aren't covered by the same subsidies. That's why the numbers here look large next to a Chinese student's bill, and why the tool is built around the rates a foreign applicant actually sees.
Does the tuition figure include accommodation?
No. Tuition and dormitory fees are listed separately, and the bottom-line total adds tuition + dorm + your chosen housing + food + other costs on top. Read the tuition line as the academic fee only, not an all-in price.