China · Beijing, Haidian District
Peking University
China's first national comprehensive university, taught in Chinese
Photo: galaygobi · CC BY 2.0
- QS World Ranking 2027
- #13
- Founded
- 1898
- Students
- 46,000
- Bachelor's degree
- 4 years
- Acceptance rate
- Not published; admission by document screening and a secondary examination (a written exam on the other route)
- Typical IB offer
- Diploma, 36+ points, 3+ HL courses relevant to the major (2026 route without written exam)
- Typical A-level offer
- 3+ subjects relevant to the major, none below ABB (2026 route without written exam)
- How admission works
- Chinese proficiency is required: HSK 6 with 210 or more, or 6+ in IB HL Chinese, or grade A or above in A-level Chinese. The other route is a written exam in Chinese, English and Mathematics (2026: late March), then a secondary examination in mid-April.
- Language of instruction
- Chinese (all undergraduate teaching for international students is in Chinese; HSK 6 on the route without a written exam)
These are the 2026 conditions; the 2027 undergraduate notice for international students was not yet published on 2 November 2026. Applicants for science, information, engineering and economics departments must also present mathematics-related results.
Worth knowing
Peking University began in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, China's first national comprehensive university, and it was also the highest administrative organ for education at the time. Undergraduates are admitted by department, not by major, and generally choose a major only after the second year.
How hard is it to get in, and why
The university publishes no admission rate. Foreign applicants either pass document screening against published exam minimums and then a secondary examination, or sit a written exam in Chinese, English and Mathematics followed by a secondary examination. Teaching is in Chinese, and the route without a written exam asks for HSK 6 (210 or more) or a 6 or above in IB Chinese HL. It is closest to NUS and HKU: a published bar plus an interview-style second stage, with the language as the extra filter.
What it costs
Tuition
$4k–5k per year
The university's fee notice of October 2025 gives international bachelor's tuition of RMB 26,000 a year for humanities and RMB 30,000 for science and engineering. The 2027 admission notice for international undergraduates says the fee will be announced after approval, so the amount may change. The living figure is accommodation only: the notice lists international dormitories at RMB 70 to 220 per bed per night, times 365 days, a calculation. The university publishes no full living budget, so food and transport are not included.
Living costs
$4k–12k per year
Scholarships and financial aid
Admitted undergraduates can apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A, which requires China Scholastic Competency Assessment scores and covers tuition, accommodation, insurance and a monthly allowance), the Beijing Government Scholarship for International Students (types A, B and C) and the Peking University Scholarship for International Students (full or partial tuition waiver). The Beijing and university scholarships need no separate application.
How to apply
Applications go through the university's online system for international students (studyatpku.com), and a student can apply to only one undergraduate route at a time. Last year's cycle (2026) had a route without a written exam in two rounds (19 December 2025 to 28 February 2026 and 12 June to 10 July 2026) and an entrance-exam route open 1 January to 28 February 2026; the 2027 dates are not yet published. The application fee is RMB 800. Documents include transcripts, two recommendation letters, a personal statement and a self-introduction video.
Official websiteWhat makes it special
- 137 undergraduate majors in 51 major categories across seven faculties, from humanities to medical sciences.
- Yuke Pre-uni Program: one to two years of preparatory training with language training; students who pass the final examination and meet the admission standards enter the undergraduate programme automatically.
- The admission catalogue lists a Free Selection of Major in the Whole University option and a General Artificial Intelligence Experimental Class.
- Zhongguanyuan Global Village, opposite the southeast gate, houses international students in single, double, twin, three-bedroom and quadruple rooms.
About studying in China
Four-year degrees, taught mainly in Chinese; tuition and English-taught options differ by university and programme. Peking University takes international applicants through its own online system, or through the Chinese Government Scholarship, and its route without a written exam asks for HSK 6 (score 210 or more), or a 6 or above in IB Chinese HL, so the language bar at the top is high. Check each university's own page for tuition and for any English-taught bachelor's programmes. The honest caveat is that for most students the language, not the grades, decides whether China is realistic.
Teaching staff
The dossier on teaching staff for this university is still being written.
The campus in photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Visited, applied, or studied here? Be the first.