Sun Yat-sen University
中山大学
Photo: MA Haofeng, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Guangzhou, Guangdong. Founded 1924.
Leading university of South China.
Intl acceptance
Intl tuition / year
HSK requirement
Most Chinese universities publish no acceptance rate, admission is by gaokao score cut-off (domestic) or materials review (international). See selectivity below for how it actually works for each pool.
Strengths
- Medicine & Clinical Medicine
- Marine Sciences
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Ecology
Admission & selectivity
International applicants
~25–40% (est.)Sun Yat-sen University does not publish an international acceptance rate. International undergraduate admission is materials-based: applicants submit passport, high-school diploma and transcripts, and language certificates.
Chinese-taught programs require a valid HSK certificate of at least HSK Level 4 (180+), while some programs expect HSK Level 5 (180+); applicants whose prior education was Chinese-medium may apply for an HSK waiver via a Certificate of Chinese-Medium Instruction.
The English-taught MBBS program requires TOEFL iBT 105+ or IELTS 7.5+.
Domestic (mainland) students
Top ~1–2% provincial (est.)Domestic undergraduate admission is gaokao-based; no acceptance rate is published. As a top-tier Double First-Class / former Project 985 university, SYSU requires high gaokao scores, generally within the top few percent of test-takers in a given province, with exact score/ranking cut-offs varying by province, major and year.
Language of instruction
Undergraduate programmes at Sun Yat-sen are Chinese-taught: the current official guidelines require HSK (Level V / 180+, or Level IV for a Chinese-language degree) plus the CSCA, with no English-taught undergraduate track. English-medium study is graduate-only.
RequirementsInternational undergraduate
These figures are for international undergraduateadmission. Master’s and PhD requirements, funding and deadlines differ, see the official site (graduate programs are often more English-taught and better funded).
- HSK level
- HSK Level 5, score 180 or above (for Chinese-taught undergraduate programs); Chinese Language program under Department of Chinese Language requires HSK Level 4, score 180 or above
- Minimum GPA
- To be verified
- Tuition / year
- $4,985 / year (¥33,800)
- Application window
- First Round: January 1 – February 28, 2026; Second Round: March 1 – April 30, 2026
Some requirement details above are still being verified, check the official site.
Colleges & schools37
- Department of Chinese Language and Literature
- Department of History
- Department of Philosophy
- School of Foreign Languages
- School of Sociology and Anthropology
- School of Government
- Law School
- School of Marxism
- Department of Psychology
- School of Journalism and Communication
- School of Information Management
- School of International Relations
- Lingnan College
- Business School
- School of Tourism Management
- International School of Business and Finance
- School of Mathematics
- School of Physics
- School of Chemistry
- School of Life Sciences
- School of Geography and Planning
- School of Earth Science and Engineering
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering
- School of Civil Engineering
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- School of Computer Science and Engineering
- School of Electronics and Information Technology
- School of Microelectronics Science and Technology
- School of Artificial Intelligence
- School of Software Engineering
- Zhongshan School of Medicine
- School of Public Health
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Nursing
- Hospital of Stomatology
How admission works
Applicants must take the CSCA test (mandatory) and apply online at apply.sysu.edu.cn. After document review, qualified applicants are invited to an interview; preliminary results are published 15 days after the interview, with admission letters issued from July 2026.
Frequently asked
How do I apply?
Most Chinese universities take applications through their own international admissions portal. Open the official website below to see the current steps, required documents and deadlines, then start your file with us and we will guide you through it.
What does it cost?
Tuition, housing and living costs vary by program and city. Where we have a figure confirmed from the official site, it is shown above, otherwise it is marked to verify. Always confirm the current amount on the official site before you budget.
Is it a reach for me?
Admission depends on your grades, your Chinese or English level and the specific program. We can look at your profile together and suggest a realistic list, this university included, rather than guessing.