Candidater à Sun Yat-sen University en tant qu'étudiant international : exigences, frais et échéances

Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学) is a public research university in Guangzhou, Guangdong. China's highest-ranked university in ARWU 2025 outside the C9 League, placing 65th globally.

Sun Yat-sen University is the leading comprehensive university in southern China and the academic anchor of the Greater Bay Area. It has an enormous footprint: five campuses across Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, 59,000 students and 10 affiliated hospitals.

Its medical school is one of the best in China, and its business school, School of Public Health and School of Life Sciences are all nationally ranked. SYSU is also the most popular destination for international students from Southeast Asia and the Belt and Road region.

Why international students choose SYSU

• Ideal for medicine and business in China's fastest-growing economic region
• Guangzhou and Shenzhen job market for graduates
• Warm climate, large Muslim and international food scene on campus

Programmes open to international students

Language requirements depend on the track: English and Chinese. Confirm the exact requirement with the international office, because some departments within the same university set different thresholds.

Entry requirements in detail

Bachelor: high school diploma plus SYSU's own entrance examination or a recognised test score; HSK 5 or IELTS 6.0 depending on track. MBBS applicants sit an additional science test. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two references and a study plan.

Deadlines, fees and how to apply

Application deadlines: Bachelor: 1 December – 30 April. Graduate: December – April.. The application fee is CNY 400. Applications are submitted through the university's own international admissions system — see the official international office link at the bottom of this page.

The document set is standard across Chinese universities: passport, notarised diploma and transcripts with certified translations, a study plan or research proposal, two recommendation letters for graduate programmes, the Foreigner Physical Examination Form, a police clearance certificate and, for scholarship applicants, a CSCA score report where required. Start with document authentication eight to ten weeks before the deadline.

Tuition and total cost

CNY 26,000–30,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 30,000–50,000 for master's; MBBS around CNY 80,000 per year.

Guangzhou is in the South China region. A realistic student budget including accommodation, food, transport and insurance typically sits between CNY 2,100 and 7,000 per month depending on whether you live in a university dormitory and how far the campus is from the city centre.

Scholarships you can apply for

Chinese Government Scholarship, Guangdong Provincial Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, One Belt One Road scholarship schemes, SYSU International Student Scholarship.

The Chinese Government Scholarship requires a pre-admission document from a target university, which means the university application has to be completed before the CSC deadline. Apply to the university first, indicate every scholarship you are eligible for in the same form, and submit a separate CSC Type A application through your national embassy if its deadline allows.

Where you will study

SYSU teaches across 5 campuses. Several Chinese universities deliver programmes in more than one city, so confirm in writing which campus your programme uses before accepting an offer.

Academic strengths at SYSU

Faculty and research environment

The university employs around 6,700 academic staff. 24 national academy members. The Shenzhen campus recruits heavily from overseas, and the School of Business runs an English-taught IMBA and a Doctor of Business Administration.

Notable alumni

• Ding Ying — Agronomist. Founding figure of modern Chinese agricultural science.
• Chen Zhuo — Physician. Pioneer of Chinese ophthalmology and one of SYSU's earliest medical graduates.
• Ma Huateng (Pony Ma) — Founder of Tencent. Guangdong-born entrepreneur with close ties to SYSU's business school.
• Xu Yangsheng — Roboticist. Academician and pioneer in Chinese robotics.
• Chen Chun — Computer scientist. Alumnus; leading Chinese researcher in database systems.

How to strengthen your application

• Lead with the disciplines where SYSU is genuinely strong: Clinical Medicine, Basic Medicine, Ecology. A study plan that references specific research groups or courses carries far more weight than a general statement.
• If you are applying for a research degree, contact a prospective supervisor 8–12 months before the deadline with a specific proposal. For Chinese universities this is the single most decisive step.
• Submit the language evidence the programme actually asks for. If you are applying to an English-taught track, ask which language the examination papers are delivered in before you accept.
• Apply to more than one university. Chinese scholarship schemes are assessed by different committees and a rejection from one does not affect the others.

Always verify current requirements on the official Sun Yat-sen University international admissions site and on campuschina.org, since deadlines and tuition are revised each cycle.