How to apply to East China Normal University as an international student: requirements, tuition and deadlines

East China Normal University (华东师范大学) is a public research university in Shanghai, Shanghai. The second-ranked normal university in China and one of the country's leading centres for Chinese language teaching and education research.

East China Normal University is China's leading research university for education, psychology and Chinese language teaching, and a strong comprehensive university in geography, statistics, software engineering and ecology.

Its Global Education Center is one of the largest and most professional Chinese-language teaching operations in the country, with a dedicated International Chinese Language Teachers programme.

Why international students choose ECNU

• Best Shanghai option for education, psychology and Chinese language teaching
• Multiple enrolment dates for language study
• Strong Confucius Institute Scholarship allocation

Programmes open to international students

Language requirements depend on the track: Chinese / English and 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, ECNU entrance examination, HSK 5 for Chinese-taught tracks. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two references, study plan.

Deadlines, fees and how to apply

Application deadlines: Bachelor: December – April. Graduate: December – March. Language programmes have multiple intakes.. 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 24,000–30,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 30,000–50,000 for master's; language courses around CNY 25,000 per year.

Shanghai 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, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Shanghai Government Scholarship, ECNU President 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

ECNU teaches across 2 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 ECNU

Faculty and research environment

The university employs around 3,200 academic staff. The Faculty of Education and the School of Psychology are the largest in China by research output and supervise international doctoral students in English.

Notable alumni

• Shi Yigong — Biologist. ECNU is one of the institutions associated with his early education.
• Yu Guangzhong (honorary) — Poet. Honorary professor and widely admired Chinese poet.
• Chen Danyan — Writer. Leading contemporary Chinese author; ECNU graduate.
• Wang Anyi — Novelist. Mao Dun Literature Prize winner with ECNU teaching ties.

How to strengthen your application

• Lead with the disciplines where ECNU is genuinely strong: Education, World History, Geography. 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 East China Normal University international admissions site and on campuschina.org, since deadlines and tuition are revised each cycle.