Applying for 2027 entry: deadlines and a 12-month plan

From each university's own admission pages and brochures, checked on the date shown on its profile. Windows drop off once they close, and more appear as we check more universities each week.

You apply online at campuschina.org. Type A goes through the Chinese embassy or your home country's dispatching authority, Type B through a Chinese university. Each embassy and university sets its own deadline.

Other embassies post their notices over the coming weeks, each with its own deadline: check the Chinese embassy website in your country. Last round's dates show roughly when they close.

Through a university (Type B)

• by 15 Jan 2027

  Tianjin University · Tianjin

  CSC Type B High-level Graduate Program, 2027 entry

• 1 Dec 2026 – 20 Feb 2027

  Xiamen University · Xiamen

  Bachelor's and master's, 2027 entry — CSC Type B

• by 28 Feb 2027

  University of International Business and Economics · Beijing

  CSC High-level Graduate Program (Type B), 2027 entry — closes 23:59 Beijing time

• 1 Jan 2027 – 28 Feb 2027

  Northwestern Polytechnical University · Xi'an

  Master's, 2027 entry — round 2 (last round for the Chinese Government Scholarship)

• by 20 Mar 2027

  Nankai University · Tianjin

  PhD — CSC Type B scholarship

What this round's notices ask for

• At least one admission or pre-admission letter from a Chinese university when you apply.
• Bachelor's applicants: a CSCA score report. Sit the test before applying, on 19 – 20 Dec 2026 or 23 – 24 Jan 2027.
• Chinese-taught master's and PhD programs: HSK 4. General scholars: HSK 3.

How to apply: How to Apply for the Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship · Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)

The CSCA (来华留学本科入学学业水平测试) is the academic test for international bachelor's applicants. Bachelor's applicants for the CSC scholarship must sit it before applying, and some universities ask self-funded applicants for it too. Which subjects you need depends on the program; you can take it online at home or at a test center.

Registration for the November test was open for a week, about four weeks before it. Dates and registration: csca.cn

1. Sept – Oct 2026

   12 months to go

   Choose and book your tests

   • Choose your level, subject and teaching language, and shortlist three to five universities.
   • Check the language requirement: most Chinese-taught degrees ask for HSK 4 or 5, English-taught ones for IELTS or TOEFL. Book the test.
   • Check that your passport is valid: you need it for every application, the visa and the residence permit.

   Read: Universities · Study plan · HSK Requirements for Chinese Universities

2. Nov – Dec 2026

   10 months to go

   Tests, letters and documents

   • Bachelor's: register for a CSCA test on 19 – 20 Dec 2026 or 23 – 24 Jan 2027.
   • Master's and PhD: email supervisors for a pre-admission letter. The CSC asks for at least one admission letter.
   • Order the documents that take weeks: notarized diploma and transcripts, an apostille or legalization, a police certificate and the physical examination form.
   • The first university windows open: see the list above.

   Read: Application Documents Checklist for Studying in China

3. Jan 2027

   8 months to go

   Apply for the CSC scholarship

   • Write your study plan (at least 800 words for master's and PhD) and ask two professors for recommendation letters.
   • Submit at campuschina.org: Type A to your embassy (this round's first deadlines: South Sudan 20 Jan 2027 and Maldives 29 Jan 2027), Type B through your universities.
   • Bachelor's: the last CSCA test for scholarship applicants is on 23 – 24 Jan 2027.

   Read: How to Apply for the Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship

4. Feb – Apr 2027

   7 months to go

   Scholarship deadlines and self-funded applications

   • The university CSC rounds we have checked close between 15 Jan 2027 and 20 Mar 2027.
   • Apply as a self-funded student as well, in case the scholarship does not come through, and pay the application fees.
   • Check your email and the application portals: universities may ask for missing documents or an interview.

   Read: Scholarships · Tuition fees

5. May – Jul 2027

   4 months to go

   Results and visa

   • The last self-funded windows we have checked close on 30 Jun 2027.
   • Last round, CSC decisions came in July. Your admission notice comes with a visa form: JW201 for scholarship students, JW202 for self-funded students.
   • Apply for an X1 student visa at the Chinese embassy or visa center.

   Read: China Student Visa: X1 vs X2 Explained

6. Aug – Sept 2027

   1 month to go

   Travel and arrival

   • Book your flight to arrive in time for registration, and carry your original documents.
   • Within 30 days of arrival, apply for your residence permit; the university's international office helps.
   • Set up a Chinese phone number, Alipay and WeChat Pay.

   Read: Student Residence Permit in China: The 30-Day Rule · Your First 30 Days in China: Arrival Checklist · Student Life in China: Housing, Money, Food, Travel and Safety

CSC and CSCA dates checked 27 Oct 2026 against the embassy notices linked above and the official sites: campuschina.org · csca.cn