Vocational Colleges in China: The Associate (Dazhuan) Route

Not everyone wants a four-year academic degree. China's higher vocational colleges (高职, gaozhi) teach practical, job-focused programs, and many admit international students. Their associate programs are called dazhuan (大专) or zhuanke (专科).

Is it a real qualification?

Yes. China's 2017 rules for international students list four kinds of degree students: associate (专科), bachelor's, master's and PhD (Order No. 42, Art. 9). The same rules apply to all of them: X1 visa, residence permit, compulsory insurance, compulsory Chinese and China Overview courses (see our guide to China's rules for international students).

China's Higher Education Law sets the basic length of associate programs at two to three years, against four to five years for a bachelor's (Art. 17).

What you receive at the end is a graduation diploma (毕业证书), and the college registers it electronically (Order No. 42, Art. 21). You do not receive a degree: under China's Degree Law, in force since 1 January 2025, the only degrees are bachelor's, master's and doctorate.

Who it suits

• You want hands-on skills for a specific job: manufacturing, automotive, construction, IT, e-commerce, hospitality
• You want a shorter, cheaper program than a bachelor's
• Your employer or government sends you on a training partnership with a Chinese college

It suits you less if you want to go on to a master's, or if you want to work in China after graduating (see below).

What a vocational college offers: an example

Changzhou Vocational Institute of Engineering in Jiangsu (常州工程职业技术学院) publishes a brochure for international students. Its 2024 edition lists programs in seven schools, including:

• Intelligent manufacturing: welding, mechatronics, electrical automation, Internet of Things, big data, software, cloud computing
• Chemical and pharmaceutical engineering: applied chemistry, pharmaceutical production, photovoltaic materials
• Civil engineering: construction, cost estimation, road and bridge engineering
• Business: e-commerce, marketing, accounting with big data, hotel management

The brochure plans for three years of study.

Requirements

From the same 2024 brochure:

• Non-Chinese citizen with a valid passport, in good health
• High-school diploma or higher (China's quality standards set this for associate and bachelor's programs alike)
• Chinese-taught programs: HSK 4 or above. Without HSK 4, you can study Chinese at the college for a year and start your major after passing HSK 4 (see our language-year guide)
• English-taught programs: good English
• Usually 18 or older (the brochure also asks that applicants be unmarried), with the money to cover three years of study and living costs

Other colleges set their own rules, so read each brochure.

Costs

Vocational tuition is far below most universities'. Changzhou's 2024 fees per year:

For comparison, the lowest bachelor's tuition among the 46 universities in our database that publish it starts at 10,000 CNY a year.

There is no Chinese Government Scholarship for associate programs: it covers bachelor's, master's and PhD students and general and senior scholars. Ask the college about its own scholarships and fee reductions.

How to apply

1. Find a college. Our university database covers degree-granting universities, so look up vocational colleges on their own websites, under the international office or school of international education (国际教育学院).
2. Apply online with your passport, high-school diploma and transcripts, HSK or English certificate and the physical exam form.
3. The college reviews your file and applies for your JW202 visa form through the national system for international students. Changzhou asks admitted students to pay the 500 CNY registration fee within seven working days, then sends the admission letter and JW202.
4. Apply for an X1 visa at home, then a residence permit within 30 days of arrival (see our X1 vs X2 guide).

Changzhou's 2024 intake took applications from 1 May to 30 August, with arrival in mid to late September.

Before you choose

• Check the diploma at home. Ask your ministry of education or your future employer whether they recognize a Chinese associate diploma, and for which jobs.
• Working in China is harder. The professional (B) work permit asks for a bachelor's degree and two years of relevant work experience (see our work permit guide). Check whether a dazhuan diploma qualifies for the job and city you have in mind.
• Ask about practical training. Internships must follow the national rules for international students (see our part-time work guide).
• Use an official channel. A college that admits international students must file a record with the education authorities (Order No. 42, Art. 8), and it applies for your JW202 form itself. Be wary of agents who cannot show you the college's own brochure.