China's higher education system is characterised by different types of higher education institutions between which students can choose. The three-tiered model of academic degrees with bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees was introduced in China in 1981. In addition to traditional university education, there are over 1,400 vocational and technical secondary schools. Studies at these schools last two to three years, while basic academic studies at a university (本科) usually take four years. At more than 828 of the 1,265 Chinese universities, students can continue their studies in the Master's programme after completing their Bachelor's degree and can also do a PhD. A Chinese Master's degree takes two to three years, a PhD three years. In addition to universities and vocational and technical high schools, there are numerous private universities and adult education institutions.

The national distance university was founded as early as 1979 and is now one of the 10 largest distance universities in the world. Due to China's enormous expanse, inadequate educational infrastructure and limited funding opportunities, it represents another important pillar of the higher education system. There are currently 68 distance universities in China, with over two million students enrolled (source: MoE). The admission requirement for all state universities is passing the National Higher Education Entrance Examination (高考). Prospective students are assigned to the various universities based on the results of this examination. The Gao Kao takes place every year in the first week of June (Source: Federal Agency for Civic Education, DAAD).

Of the 2,956 higher education institutions in China (2019), only about 400 key universities are allowed to admit foreign students; these are mostly universities that report directly to the Ministry of Education and not to the provincial governments. Key universities include, for example, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Jiaotong University in Shanghai and Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou. These 400 universities offer foreign students numerous options, both in terms of subject and geography. The decisive factor for choosing the right university and the right course of study is, above all, the desired study objective. Since Chinese universities vary greatly in the quality of their teaching and research and in their subject specialisations, foreign students should inform themselves comprehensively before making a choice.

University rankings can be helpful for this, such as that of the internet company Netbig or the ranking of the Network of Science and Education Evaluation in China (www.nseac.com). However, most rankings can only be found in Chinese. While almost all study programmes are in Chinese, the number of English-language programmes is increasing rapidly. The China Scholarship Council (CSC) provides information on English-language programmes and the associated tuition fees and application deadlines on its website (http://www.csc.edu.cn/laihua).

The number of foreign students who not only go to China for one or two-semester language study stays, but complete Bachelor's, Master's or doctoral programmes in China has risen sharply in recent years. Many of these students opt for English-language programmes for which no knowledge of Chinese is required as an entrance requirement.

However, if you want to enrol in a degree programme offered in Chinese, you must prove your language skills by taking the standardised HSK test. Proof of successfully passing level 4 is required for all study programmes. If you are going to China to study a language for one or two semesters, your language skills will be determined by a placement test at the beginning of the semester in China and you will be assigned to courses accordingly.