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

Shandong University (山东大学) is a public research university in Jinan, Shandong. One of China's largest comprehensive universities; strong in mathematics, medicine and materials.

Shandong University is one of China's largest and oldest comprehensive universities, with eight campuses across Jinan, Qingdao and Weihai. It is particularly strong in mathematics, clinical medicine, materials science and Chinese literature.

SDU hosts one of the oldest and best-known Chinese language programmes for international students in northern China, and Qingdao campus offers ocean-related and life-science degrees by the sea.

Why international students choose SDU

• Very low tuition and living costs for a Project 985 university
• Qingdao campus offers ocean and life sciences by the coast
• Long-standing international student services

Programmes open to international students

Language requirements depend on the track: Chinese 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, SDU 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 – April.. 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 20,000–26,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 26,000–40,000 for master's; MBBS around CNY 55,000 per year.

Jinan is in the East 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, Shandong Provincial Government Scholarship, SDU President 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

SDU teaches across 5 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 SDU

Faculty and research environment

The university employs around 6,500 academic staff. 17 national academy members. The School of Mathematics and the School of Clinical Medicine supervise international graduate students.

Notable alumni

• Zang Kejia — Poet. A leading modern Chinese poet; SDU graduate.
• Ji Xianlin — Indologist and linguist. One of China's most respected scholars of Sanskrit and Tocharian.
• Peng Shilu — Nuclear engineer. 'Father of China's nuclear submarines'; SDU-linked alumnus.
• Xue Qikun — Physicist. Academician and discoverer of the quantum anomalous Hall effect; SDU graduate.

How to strengthen your application

• Lead with the disciplines where SDU is genuinely strong: Mathematics, Clinical Medicine, Materials Science & Engineering. 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 Shandong University international admissions site and on campuschina.org, since deadlines and tuition are revised each cycle.