Top 3 Chinese Universities without Application Fees

China in no small way is becoming one of the favorite study abroad destinations for international students. Besides its massive economic growth and top rated education practices, Chinese universities charge low tuition compared to institutions in the U.K. and the U.S. However, international students are expected to pay much more than just tuition fees, including expenses such as outbound and return flights, visas, living expense, accommodation,etc. When you add application fees to these expenses, then applying to and studying abroad becomes impossible for some. If you are keen on saving some money without putting the possibilities of getting into a university at risk, then do well to review some Chinese universities that do not charge application fees.

Universities typically charge application fees to take care of the cost of reviewing each application. So even when the process is completed online, each application and document submitted has to be reviewed one after the other in order to select the right candidates and ensure that the information submitted is true. What this means is that the university has to pay a specialist who will spend hours reviewing applications.

In addition, universities ask for these fees to ensure that only people who truly wish to study there submit an application. Otherwise,thousands of students would apply to hundreds of universities to up their chances of receiving admission, and universities would be tasked with manually reviewing millions of applications within a span of one month.

That said, application fees in China can range from 90 USB to 150 USD.What that means is that an international student that applies to 5 universities would be required to pay roughly 450 USD to 750 USD! And that’s not adding any other costs you may pay during the whole application process.

In order to assist you, we have put together a good list of top rated Chinese universities that don’t have application fees.

Universities in China without Application Fees

South China University of Technology (SCUT)

This university has more than 60 decades of experience in the educational field, and is ranked within the top 30 best institutions in China, with its engineering school ranking within the 50 best engineering programs across the world. It is actually part of the Chinese plan Double First Class that seeks to develop and cultivate elite universities into world-class institutions. This university for instance does not charge application fees, which is great news for international students!

The South China University of Technology is found in Guangzhou, in the popular Guangdong Province. This institution has two popular campuses: the north campus, with 17 schools, and the south campus, with 11 schools. It does 80 undergraduate programs, 42 disciplines and 193 specialties at Master’s Degree level, and 25 disciplines and 107 specialties at the Doctorate level.

Also the application process in SCUT is online. What this means is that once you provide your personal info in the online application form, you will be required to submit a scanned copy of the documents asked for.Please note that every document has to be translated into Chinese or English.Applications are typically processed within two weeks, and afterwards you’ll receive an email with the Admission Letter if you were accepted. When that’s done, you’ll receive the JW202 Form and the official admission letter that will eventually allow you to apply for a student visa.

The Admission page of SCUT discuss all the steps you should follow, and has a Fee section.In there, you’ll discover that the application is free. The registration fee listed there is paid by the university the moment you start your studies. You will also find an estimated budget of the amount of cash you’ll need. It has prices of the insurance, tuition, living expenses, campus card, etc. Do well to check their Admissions page to learn more.

Shandong University

This university has well more than 60,000 full-time students, and currently the biggest university in China in terms of student population. This institution came about as a result of merging top rated institutions into one big university, and its origins and foundations can be traced to the 19th century. It is located in Jinan, in the Shandong province.

There are eight mega campuses! About six of them are based in Jinan, and the newest campus was opened very recently in 2016. As you can tell, the programs on offer has something for everyone. There are a total of 104 programs available for undergraduate students, and if you are a graduate international student, there are more than 209 master’s degree programs, and 127 doctorate programs in total.

When we talk about research, this institution is second to no other! They run a national engineering laboratory, including two national key laboratories, one national research center, six ministry of education key laboratories, three reputable national research institutes, 14 province research centers, plus one ministry of health laboratory. They are even three big hospitals!

The application process is entirely online. You are expected to complete the information requester and submit all scanned documents required, which should be certified and translated into English or Chinese. They will talk you through the steps you should follow in case you are applying for the Chinese Government Scholarship.

On the the Application Instructions page you’ll has find a list of fees you have to pay. When you check it, you’ll see that the application is completely free! To learn more, please visit the Admission page and download the Application Instructions Guide.

Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU)

With well more than 100 years of experience in educational and agricultural fields, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) is a top rated university located in Wuhan, in Hubei province. Although this instruction focuses on agriculture, education is nicely complemented by other top rated programs that include engineering, economics, law, liberal arts, basic sciences, and management.

This institution is also the first agricultural university of China and the second one in terms of animal science and veterinary medicine. There are more than 48 undergraduate programs, 87 master’s degree programs, and 54 doctorate degree programs. It also runs two national labs, six national emphatic subjects, and an aesthetic campus of more than 495 hectares.

Please note that the application process here is slightly different from other universities. You will have to choose the program you want and apply for it. When that’s done,you’ll be accepted by a professor of that program’s college, and then you go on to the online enrollment application. After that, you can also apply through the Chinese embassy, and they explain the process in case you are interested in the Chinese Government Scholarship or for the university’s scholarships.

It is discussed in the list of fees available on their Admissions page and on the FAQ section that application has no fees, so you do not have to worry about paying for it. If you’d like to learn more, please visit their website.