Best Cities in China for International Students (2026)
Beijing offers 1066 English-taught programs across 24 leading universities — more than the next two cities combined. Shanghai (429) and Xi'an (392) follow. Average tuition varies meaningfully by city, so the table below pairs supply with cost.
| # | City | Leading universities | English-taught programs | Avg tuition/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing | 24 | 1066 | ¥37,441 |
| 2 | Shanghai | 9 | 429 | ¥52,084 |
| 3 | Xi'an | 6 | 392 | ¥36,519 |
| 4 | Wuhan | 7 | 323 | ¥34,218 |
| 5 | Nanjing | 8 | 297 | ¥33,841 |
| 6 | Chengdu | 4 | 185 | ¥33,592 |
| 7 | Chongqing | 2 | 184 | ¥32,042 |
| 8 | Hangzhou | 1 | 151 | ¥45,475 |
| 9 | Harbin | 4 | 136 | ¥33,809 |
| 10 | Changchun | 2 | 135 | ¥26,840 |
Methodology
Cities ranked by the number of English-taught programs offered by the catalog's 115 leading universities located there. Average tuition covers English-taught programs with published fees in that city. Data reviewed 2026-08-06.