How to read a Chinese university admissions brochure

A university's admissions brochure (招生简章) is the document it recruits international students by. Under Order No. 42, Article 11, the university admits students under the conditions and procedures set out in that brochure, so read it as the primary source for what the university expects of you.

Order No. 42 and the Quality Standards are published in Chinese. The English wording in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

What Article 11 says

Article 11 of Order No. 42 has two parts. The university formulates and publishes its brochure under the national rules on admissions. The university then admits international students under the conditions and procedures stated in that brochure.

The article does not list the conditions. Each university sets them in its own brochure.

Six groups of information to check

Quality Standards, section 2.1, says a university shall at least provide admissions information in six groups. The list below follows the six bullets in that section, and each line keeps the examples the bullet gives.

School basics, such as an overview of the city where the school is located and the school's conditions for running education.
Education programmes, such as academic level, training objectives, length of study, degree awarded, and rules on transfer between schools and between majors.
Admission procedures and entry requirements, such as application deadlines and methods, entry standards, examination and assessment methods, financial guarantee requirements, handling of violations, and the admission timetable.
Financial rules and policies, such as fee standards, payment methods, and refund policies.
Campus culture and life, such as dormitory or apartment conditions and how to apply for them, diet, medical care, insurance, transport, sports and cultural activities, and student associations.
Consultation contacts and complaint and reporting channels.

Section 2.1 says the information shall be true, complete, and suited to international students. The section does not set a format for the brochure.

Fees and refunds

Article 14 of Order No. 42 has two parts. The first part says fee items and fee standards for international students follow the relevant national rules. Article 14 sets no fee amount itself.

The second part says the university shall publish three things: the fee items, the fee standards, and the refund rules for withdrawal and transfer. The same paragraph says fees and refunds are priced in renminbi (RMB).

When you read a brochure, find these three items and check that the currency is RMB.

Public information

Article 23 of Order No. 42 says the university shall make public its basic information, its teaching information, its admissions brochure, and its system for managing and serving international students. The article's purpose is to make the information easy for international students to obtain.

A suggested reading order

The steps below are a suggestion, not a requirement of any provision.

Find the brochure on the university's own website.
Check the programme level and length of study.
Check the application deadline and the admission timetable.
Check the fee items, the fee standards, and the refund rules, noting that they are in RMB.
Check the financial guarantee requirement and the entry standards.
Note the contact and complaint channels before you apply.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.