How to apply to Nankai University as an international student: requirements, tuition and deadlines

Nankai University (南开大学) is a public research university in Tianjin, Tianjin. One of China's historic private-founded universities, strong in chemistry, mathematics, economics and history.

Nankai University, in Tianjin, is one of China's most distinguished comprehensive universities, with historic strengths in chemistry, mathematics, statistics, economics and history. It is co-located with Tianjin University on the Haihe Education Park campus.

Nankai has a long tradition of hosting international students and runs a highly regarded Chinese language programme through its College of Chinese Language and Culture.

Why international students choose Nankai

• Strong basic-science research with a historic academic culture
• Tianjin living costs are far lower than Beijing with the same job access
• Well-established Chinese-language teaching for international students

Programmes open to international students

Language requirements depend on the track: Chinese and Chinese / English and English. 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, Nankai entrance examination, HSK 5 or IELTS 6.0. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two recommendation letters, study plan.

Deadlines, fees and how to apply

Application deadlines: Bachelor: December – April. Graduate: December – March.. 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 22,000–28,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 26,000–40,000 for master's.

Tianjin is in the North 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, Tianjin Municipal Government Scholarship, Nankai University 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

Nankai teaches across 3 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 Nankai

Faculty and research environment

The university employs around 3,100 academic staff. 16 national academy members. Nankai's College of Chemistry is one of the largest chemistry faculties in the world, and the School of Economics hosts the Institute of International Economics.

Notable alumni

• Zhou Enlai — Statesman. Nankai's most famous alumnus; the university's School of Government bears his name.
• Shiing-Shen Chern — Mathematician. Founder of the Nankai Institute of Mathematics; Wolf Prize laureate.
• Cao Yu — Playwright. One of modern China's greatest dramatists.
• Yang Zhenning — Nobel Laureate in Physics. Studied at Nankai as a young student.

How to strengthen your application

• Lead with the disciplines where Nankai is genuinely strong: Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics. 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 Nankai University international admissions site and on campuschina.org, since deadlines and tuition are revised each cycle.