Candidater à University of Science and Technology of China en tant qu'étudiant international : exigences, frais et échéances

University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学) is a public research university in Hefei, Anhui. Consistently inside the global top 100 of THE and ARWU despite an unusually small, research-intensive student body of about 18,000.

USTC was created by the Chinese Academy of Sciences to train scientists, and it remains the most research-dense university in China: nearly three quarters of its students are postgraduates, and the majority of graduates go on to research careers.

It is the best Chinese destination for physics, chemistry, mathematics and astronomy, and it runs the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. Its international student body is deliberately small and research-focused, with most enrolments at master's and PhD level.

Why international students choose USTC

• Ideal if you want a research career rather than a taught degree
• Supervisor-led supervision with generous lab funding
• Hefei is affordable and a national science-city investment zone

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

Master's and PhD applicants need a recognised degree, transcripts, two recommendation letters and a research proposal; a supervisor's preliminary acceptance is effectively mandatory. English-taught research degrees require IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90; Chinese-taught programmes require HSK 5.

Deadlines, fees and how to apply

Application deadlines: Usually December – March for the September intake, with some CAS-affiliated programmes admitting in a second round up to May.. The application fee is CNY 500. 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 30,000–40,000 for master's; most international PhD students are fully funded.

Hefei is in the East 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, USTC Fellowship for International Students, Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI), Anhui Provincial 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

USTC 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 USTC

Faculty and research environment

The university employs around 3,200 academic staff. About 62 national academy members — an exceptionally high ratio for a university of 18,000 students. Most laboratories supervise international PhD students directly in English.

Notable alumni

• Qian Xuesen — Founder of the mechanics department. Guided USTC's founding mission in 1958.
• Pan Jianwei — Quantum physicist. Led the Micius quantum-science satellite project; USTC alumnus and professor.
• Yitang Zhang — Mathematician. Alumnus; made a landmark breakthrough on bounded prime gaps.
• Zhang Yaqin — Technologist. Former Microsoft and Baidu senior executive, USTC graduate.
• Duan Yongping — Entrepreneur. Studied at USTC-affiliated engineering programmes.

How to strengthen your application

• Lead with the disciplines where USTC is genuinely strong: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics. 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 University of Science and Technology of China international admissions site and on campuschina.org, since deadlines and tuition are revised each cycle.