10 Best English-Taught Universities in China for International Students
You do not need to speak Chinese to earn a degree in China. There are now many universities where English is the working language of the classroom, and many of them award a second degree from a partner university in the UK or the US on top of the Chinese one. This article walks through 10 of the strongest English-taught universities in China, what makes each one different, and who each is a good fit for, so you can decide where to look closer instead of guessing from a ranking table.
The biggest worry we hear from students looking at China is the language barrier because a Chinese-medium degree usually expects you to pass the HSK and sit lectures in Chinese.
The universities on this list work differently. They are for international students, English is the medium of instruction, and the application does not require you to speak Chinese at all.
What you get in return is the part that is hard to find anywhere else. You study in English, you sit alongside classmates from dozens of countries, and you still live in China, learn the language at your own pace, and experience the culture day to day rather than from a textbook.
Many of these universities also hand you two degrees, one recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education and one from a Western partner like the University of Liverpool, the University of Nottingham, NYU, Duke, or Kean, which is a strong position to be in whether you want to stay in China or take the qualification home.
The list below is ordered roughly by how widely each university is recognised, starting with the names most international students already search for. Tuition and exact deadlines change every cycle, so each entry links to where you can check the current numbers and apply.
The 10 best English-taught universities in China
1. New York University, Shanghai (NYU Shanghai)
NYU Shanghai is the most recognised name on this list. Founded in 2012 as a partnership between New York University and East China Normal University, it was the first Sino-US research university approved by China's Ministry of Education.
Every undergraduate course is taught in English, the student body is split close to evenly between Chinese and international students, and graduates receive degrees from both NYU Shanghai and New York University. Because it sits inside NYU's global network, students can spend a semester studying away in New York, Abu Dhabi, or any of NYU's other sites, then return to a campus in Pudong, one of Shanghai's main financial districts.
The NYU Shanghai campus is located in Pudong, Shanghai, China.
NYU Shanghai is the strongest fit if you want a globally mobile, American-style liberal arts education without leaving Asia.
You can explore NYU Shanghai's programs here.
2. Duke Kunshan University
Duke Kunshan University, or DKU, is the joint venture between Duke University in the US and Wuhan University, located in Kunshan, a short train ride from both Shanghai and Suzhou.
The undergraduate program launched in 2018 and is taught entirely in English, built around a liberal arts and sciences model where students take interdisciplinary majors and study in shorter, focused seven-week sessions rather than long semesters. Undergraduates earn two degrees, one from Duke Kunshan and one from Duke University, and the campus is small and highly selective, which means close contact with faculty.
DKU suits students who want the Duke name and a discussion-based, research-driven education in a quieter setting than a megacity.
You can explore Duke Kunshan's programs here.
3. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen)
CUHK-Shenzhen was founded in 2014 and runs on what the university calls a "one brand, two campuses" relationship with the original Chinese University of Hong Kong, which means your degree is conferred by CUHK itself.
More than 20 undergraduate programs are taught fully in English across schools including Management and Economics, Science and Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Medicine.
The campus is located in Shenzhen, the centre of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and home to companies like Tencent and Huawei, which makes it a practical base if you are aiming at technology, finance, or data careers.
CUHK-Shenzhen also runs generous entry scholarships that can cover full or partial tuition based on your academic record and an interview.
It is a good fit if you want a Hong Kong-standard degree with mainland China tuition and access to the southern tech hub.
You can explore CUHK-Shenzhen's programs here.
4. Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)
XJTLU, founded in 2006 in Suzhou by Xi'an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool, is the largest Sino-British university of its kind, with more than 10,000 students on campus. It offers over 100 degree programs across science, engineering, business, finance, architecture, and the humanities, and all of them are taught in English with no Chinese language required to apply.
Undergraduates graduate with two degrees, one from XJTLU recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education and one from the University of Liverpool, a member of the UK's Russell Group. Students can complete the full degree in Suzhou through the 4+0 pathway, or take a 2+2 route that finishes the final two years in Liverpool.
XJTLU works well for students who want a UK degree, a large international campus, and the flexibility to study in both China and Britain.
You can explore XJTLU's programs here.
5. University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC)
UNNC was established in 2004 and was the first foreign university granted independent legal status by China's Ministry of Education, which is part of why its degrees carry weight. Every undergraduate and postgraduate program in Ningbo is taught entirely in English, held to the same standards as the UK campus, and the degree you receive is a University of Nottingham degree. The campus has an international community of around 6,500 students from more than 70 nationalities, and once enrolled, students can spend time at Nottingham's UK or Malaysia campuses or with overseas partner universities. Programs span engineering, computer science, economics, architecture, business, and English studies. UNNC is a strong choice if you want an established British degree, a genuinely international cohort, and the option to move between three countries during your studies.
You can explore UNNC programs here.
6. Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU)
Wenzhou-Kean University is the Sino-American joint venture between Kean University in New Jersey and Wenzhou University, located in Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province. The entire curriculum is imported from Kean and taught in English, using American textbooks, and all faculty are recruited globally, so the classroom experience follows a US model from the first day. Students graduate with dual degrees from both Wenzhou-Kean and Kean University in the US, and the degree meets the same accreditation standards that apply to Kean's American programs. With a student population of around 4,500, WKU is mid-sized and growing, and it suits students who want an American degree and curriculum but prefer a lower cost of living than studying in the US itself.
You can find programs on the Wenzhou-Kean University website.
7. Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU)
BNBU, known until March 2025 as United International College or UIC, was the first liberal arts university on the Chinese mainland, established in 2005 as a joint venture between Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist University. It sits in Zhuhai, inside the Greater Bay Area and close to Macao, and English is the medium of instruction across roughly 30 undergraduate programs spread over faculties in business, humanities, science and technology, culture and creativity, and a school of Artificial Intelligence and Liberal Arts. The outcome record is the part worth paying attention to, with over 80 percent of recent graduates going on to postgraduate study, many of them at universities ranked in the QS world top 100. BNBU fits students who want a whole-person liberal arts education in English and a clear path toward a strong master's afterward.
You can see the university and its programs on the BNBU page on Global Admissions.
8. East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) and its JMD programs
ECUST is a public university in Shanghai, and what makes it relevant here is its Joint Multi-Degree, or JMD, program, which is taught entirely in English. The structure is unusual in a useful way, because in four years you can earn two bachelor's degrees, one from ECUST and one from a partner university abroad, with an optional master's degree from a university in the partner country on top. Fields include International Economics and Trade, Computer Science and Technology, Chemical Engineering and Technology, which is ECUST's flagship discipline, and Visual Communication. Faculty are drawn from global universities, so the classroom is international from the start, and ECUST offers JMD scholarships that range from 10 percent up to a full ride covering tuition and accommodation. It is a good fit if you want multiple recognised degrees efficiently and a route into either a Chinese or an overseas master's.
You can read about the program on the ECUST guide on Global Admissions.
9. Sino-British College, USST
Sino-British College, USST founded in 2006 in Shanghai, is an international college set up by the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology together with nine British universities from the NCUK group. British degrees from partner universities are delivered and assessed in English on the Shanghai campus, taught by an academic team of around 80 staff from 20 countries. Eligible students can take a dual-degree route that awards bachelor's degrees from both the British partner and USST after a four-year program, and there is the option to complete the final two years in the UK. SBC suits students who want a British degree and a small, genuinely international college environment in central Shanghai, with a built-in pathway to finish in Britain if they choose.
You can explore SBC's programs here.
10. Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU)
BFSU is one of China's most respected public universities for languages, diplomacy, and international relations, and it rounds out this list because it offers English-taught bachelor's and master's programs alongside its language strengths. International students can study fields such as Business Administration with a focus on Chinese Business Studies, finance, international business, diplomacy, and international journalism and communications, taught in English, while also taking Mandarin alongside their degree. More than 1,000 international students from around 60 countries study at BFSU, and its reputation in foreign affairs makes it a natural fit if you are aiming at diplomacy, translation, international trade, or a career that bridges China and the rest of the world.
You can explore BFSU's programs here.
What about the C9 League universities?
You will notice that none of China's most famous research universities, the C9 League, appear in the numbered list above, and that is a deliberate choice rather than an oversight.
The C9 League is often called China's Ivy League, and it includes Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Xi'an Jiaotong University.
Several of them, Tsinghua and Fudan in particular, now offer a solid number of English-taught master's programs and some undergraduate options, often with China Scholarship Council funding that can cover tuition, accommodation, and a living stipend.
The difference is the environment. At a C9 university you are joining a predominantly Chinese institution where English-taught programs sit within a much larger Mandarin-medium university, which is excellent if you want the prestige and the immersion.
The 10 universities above were instead designed around an international cohort, with English as the working language across the whole campus, so you experience Chinese culture and language while studying in an environment built for students from abroad.
Both are worth considering, and which one fits depends on how much immersion you want from day one.
How to choose between them
A few practical points to help you narrow the list.
If a second Western degree matters to you, look at XJTLU, UNNC, Wenzhou-Kean, NYU Shanghai, and Duke Kunshan, since each pairs a Chinese degree with a recognised UK or US one.
If cost is the deciding factor, the Sino-Chinese public options and the JMD route at ECUST tend to sit well below the US-style tuition at NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan, and most of these universities offer scholarships worth checking before you rule anything out.
If location drives your career plans, Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area suit technology and finance, Shanghai suits business and international trade, and Beijing suits diplomacy and policy.
The honest advice is to shortlist two or three rather than applying everywhere, take your English test early since IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 or TOEFL 80 to 90 is the usual floor, and check each university's current deadlines directly, because the intake windows shift every year.
Browse English-taught programs in China
The full, searchable list of English-taught bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs at universities across China, with tuition and requirements in one place:
Browse English-taught programs in China
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST) Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) Shantou University Medical College (SUMC) Shantou University Medical College (SUMC)
Bachelor in Computer Science and Technology
Bachelor in Computer Science and Technology
Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence (Dual Degree - JMD)
Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence (Dual Degree - JMD)
Master in International Relations
Master in International Relations
Bachelor in International Business Management
Bachelor in International Business Management
Bachelor in MBBS (5-Years)
Bachelor in MBBS (5-Years)
Angel is from the Philippines and is responsible for a wide range of tasks at Global Admissions to help students achieve their dreams. She is focused on boosting the company's growth presence, writing articles, and assisting with applicant screening.
