FAQs

What are the entrance qualifications to study in Shanghai?
How much does it cost to study in Shanghai?
How much will it cost to rent an apartment?
How much should I expect to spend on food and transport in Shanghai?
How can I get to the university from the airport?
How much does it cost to apply for a program?
Can I take the HSK in Shanghai?

What are the entrance qualifications to study in Shanghai?

Each program has their own requirements. Before you start your application, please read the Entry Requirements carefully while you're on the program's page. Please make sure that you comply and are able submit the relevant documents. Click here for detailed inforamtion.

How much does it cost to study in Shanghai?

Tuition: 2000-4000 U.S. dollars a year (depending on the school and major)
Accommodation: 200-300 U.S. dollars a month (depending on the school)
Insurance: RMB 600 (about 100 USD) for a year
Medical Examination Fee: Around 100 U.S. dollars

Tuition fees can vary between programs, universities, whether the conducted language is English or Chinese. Specific comparisons of tuition costs for non-degree language courses, full time undergraduate programs and graduate programs can be found here.

How much will it cost to rent an apartment?

There is a range of accommodation options to choose from. If you're on a budget you will be able to find an apartment for less than 1000 RMB (not including bills). Generally, the more people you share an apartment with, the cheaper the rent will be. However, a more typical range is 1600-2000 RMB per month. Living in a students’ dormitory is likely to be cheaper than living off-campus.

For more detailed information, please visit the Housing & Dining page.

How much should I expect to spend on food and transportation in Shanghai?

Food

A meal will cost anywhere from 10 RMB to 100 RMB per person.Eating at the student canteen on campus is much cheaper than dining out at a Western restaurant, for instance. A meal at a small, family-run Chinese restaurant typically costs 10-25 RMB per head. At a mid to upper-range location, it may be 30-60 RMB. Eating at a Western restaurant (of which there are many in Shanghai) may cost 30-100 RMB.

Transport

Shanghai has an excellent public transport system. The extensive metro system is the longest in the world and easy to navigate even if you don’t speak Chinese. Fares are calculated by distance and range from 3 RMB for journeys under 6 km to 10 RMB for journeys over 66 km. A bus ride costs around 2 RMB.

If you’re going to be in Shanghai for awhile, you might want to buy a bike. A bicycle can be bought for around 300-500 RMB, while an electric scooter typically costs between 1000-2000 RMB.

Taxis start at 11 RMB for the first 3 km during the day, and rise by 2.1 RMB per kilometer thereafter. 

 Taxi fare:

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How can I get to the university from the airport?

1. Pick-up Service

Most universities offer an airport pick-up service. If there is no such service, CUCAS can arrange one for you. There will be an additional fee of RMB 200-300 per person for Hongqiao Airport; RMB 300-400 per person for Pudong Airport.

2. Going to the school by yourself

Taxi: Pudong Airport is located 55km away from the city center, and a taxi should cost approximately RMB 150. Hongqiao airport is just 15km from the city centre and a taxi from Hongqiao CBD should cost approximately RMB 30 to 50.

Metro: If you arrive at Pudong Airport, you can take the high-speed Maglev train to the city in 8 minutes and transfer to Metro Line 2. A single ticket is RMB 50. Hongqiao Airport is connected to the city center by Metro Line 2 and Line 10.

How much does it cost to apply for a program?

Each international applicant is required to pay the CUCAS Processing Fee (30 U.S. dollars, which covers your application to six programs) as well as the university's application fee (ranging from 60-120 U.S. dollars per program). CUCAS offers four kinds of payment methods. For more information, please see CUCAS Payment Methods.

Can I take take the HSK in Shanghai?

There are six universities in Shanghai that are authorized as Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) examination organizations by the HSK Center of Beijing Language and Culture University. Five are reccommended to international students by us, they are: Fudan University, Shanghai International Studies University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and Shanghai Normal University.

Currently, there are three ways to register for the HSK test. Online registration, register on the spot, and register by mail. Please see Chinese Proficiency Test for more information.

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