Peking University
Beijing · Comprehensive
Top tier — Priority coverage — programs, tuition and English-taught options actively maintained; a full international admission profile is shown where available.
Beijing
Major city Metro Est. budget CNY 3,500–6,500 (USD 490–900) / month incl. dorm or shared flatThe national capital and the center of Chinese education, politics and culture, Beijing packs Peking University, Tsinghua and dozens of other universities into the Haidian campus belt alone. For international students it offers the widest choice of programs and scholarships in China, the largest foreign-student community, and unmatched access to embassies, international organizations, media and multinationals. Four thousand years of history — from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall — sit alongside a first-tier modern city.
City guide: climate, halal food, healthcare & rent →
International admission
Bachelor: High school certificate; HSK 5–6 (Chinese-taught) or IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 80–90 (English-taught)
Master’s: Bachelor degree + HSK 5–6 (Chinese-taught) or IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 (English-taught)
PhD: Master degree + research proposal and supervisor acceptance; HSK or English proof depending on program language
English-taught: IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 typical
Chinese-taught: HSK 5 typical for bachelor, HSK 6 often expected for postgrad
Tuition (typical range — pending verification): Bachelor ¥ 26,000–40,000 / Master ¥ 26,000–46,000 / PhD ¥ 30,000–40,000 per year (typical published ranges; verify)
Accommodation: On-campus international student dormitory; typical CNY 800–1,500/month for shared rooms (verify)
Intakes: Sep (main); some programs Mar
Application window: Dec 1 – Mar 15 (Sep intake); some programs close earlier
PKU International Students Program portal handles admissions; Yenching Academy runs its own fully funded selection
Source: https://www.pku.edu.cn · compiled 2026-09-21, source verification pending
English-taught programs (4)
| Program | Level | Tuition (official) | English req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA in International Relations | Master | CNY 46,000/yr * | IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 |
| MSc in Finance (Peking University HSBC Business School, Shenzhen) | Master | CNY 60,000/yr * | IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 |
| Yenching Academy MA in China Studies | Master | See university page | IELTS 6.5–7.0 / TOEFL 90–100 |
| PhD in Mathematics | PhD | CNY 40,000/yr * | IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 |
* upper end of the published range — see the profile page for the official wording.
Scholarships you can apply for
Academic strengths
China’s official discipline evaluation (MOE Degree Centre, 4th round, 2017): A+ ≈ top 2%, A ≈ top 2–5%. Methodology
| Double First-Class discipline | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Philosophy | A+ |
| Applied Economics | A+ |
| Political Science | A+ |
| Sociology | A+ |
| Psychology | A+ |
| Chinese Language & Literature | A+ |
| Foreign Languages & Literatures | A+ |
| Archaeology | A+ |
| World History | A+ |
| Mathematics | A+ |
| Physics | A+ |
| Chemistry | A+ |
All evaluated disciplines (49)
- Philosophy A+
- Applied Economics A+
- Political Science A+
- Sociology A+
- Psychology A+
- Chinese Language & Literature A+
- Foreign Languages & Literatures A+
- Archaeology A+
- World History A+
- Mathematics A+
- Physics A+
- Chemistry A+
- Geography A+
- Atmospheric Science A+
- Biology A+
- Statistics A+
- Mechanics A+
- Computer Science A+
- Basic Medicine A+
- Stomatology A+
- Art Theory A+
- Theoretical Economics A
- Law A
- Marxist Theory A
- Chinese History A
- Ecology A
- Electronic Science & Technology A
- Environmental Engineering A
- Software Engineering A
- Pharmacy A
- Business Administration A
- Public Administration A
- Education A-
- Clinical Medicine A-
- Public Health A-
- Journalism B+
- Geology B+
- Information & Communications Engineering B+
- Geomatics B+
- Nuclear Science B+
- Biomedical Engineering B+
- Nursing B+
- Information Management B+
- Geophysics B
- History Of Science B
- Integrative Medicine B
- Astronomy B-
- Management Science & Engineering B-
- Theater, Film & Television C+
What its badges mean
China’s elite university initiative (147 universities designated in the 2022 MOE list)
The original 39 top universities selected in 1998 for world-class development
112 universities chosen in the 1990s for key national investment
China’s equivalent of the Ivy League — nine top research universities
Data sources: university international-admission pages (linked above), MOE Double First-Class list (2022), MOE Degree Centre discipline evaluation (2017). Figures marked as typical ranges are editorial estimates, dated — per-source verification in progress — full data notes.