Study in China · 选城
Choosing a city for Chinese study in China
Choose the route first, then the published requirement, then the city. Chengdu and Nanjing are examples, not a ranking.
Written October 20, 2026. The named examples were read from the schools' official pages on the same date.
Choosing a city for Chinese study in China is usually a decision about three things at once: what kind of course you need, what Chinese level the program publishes, and what the total cost covers. The city name is the last variable, not the first. A city with a famous campus can still be the wrong purchase if its program does not open a beginner class or if its degree route asks for an HSK level you do not have.
Chengdu and Nanjing are useful examples because they show the same route types in different combinations: a university language course, a direct bachelor's application, and, in Nanjing, a pre-university semester. The comparison below uses named programs and published figures. It does not rank the cities.
Start with the purchase, not the postcode
| Route | What it is for | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Language course | Building Mandarin from your current level, often with a placement test and a semester or year of classes. | Give you a degree or guarantee admission to one. |
| Pre-university semester | Preparing for a Chinese-taught degree with intensive Chinese plus academic subjects. | Reserve a degree place or replace the degree program's own requirement. |
| Direct bachelor's | Applying to a degree with a published HSK line, documents, and often an exam or interview. | Fix a language gap after enrollment or accept a language-course certificate automatically. |
Then compare what each program prints
| City and program | Route | Published cost | Chinese requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu: Sichuan University Chinese Language Program | Language course | RMB 8,250 per semester; RMB 600 registration | Placement test; eight stages, elementary to advanced; ask which stage takes a complete beginner |
| Chengdu: Sichuan Normal University Chinese Refresher | Language course | RMB 7,400 per 16 weeks (2023 page); insurance and dorm separate | Placement test; zero-based to advanced |
| Chengdu: Sichuan Normal University TCSOL bachelor's | Direct bachelor's | RMB 15,000 per year (2023 page); insurance RMB 800 per year | HSK 4, per the 2023 page; confirm current intake |
| Nanjing: Nanjing University Long-term Chinese Language Training | Language course | RMB 10,500 per semester; RMB 21,000 per year; application and insurance separate | Beginner to intermediate; Chinese+ for advanced (HSK Advanced required); placement method not printed |
| Nanjing: Nanjing University Chinese-taught bachelor's | Direct bachelor's | RMB 21,000 per year for liberal arts; RMB 24,000 for science and business; RMB 32,000 for software; RMB 42,000 for medicine | HSK 5, 180+, no section below 60; Chinese Language major HSK 4, 180+; CSCA required; ages 18–30 |
| Nanjing: Southeast University Chinese Language Program | Language course | RMB 16,000 per year (2021 page); application, insurance, and dorm separate | Level table not printed on the page we read; ask the office |
| Nanjing: Southeast University Pre-university | Pre-university semester | See the 2021 expenses page; application, insurance, and dorm separate | High school graduate; the required-documents list we read does not include an HSK certificate; no placement rule printed |
The Sichuan Normal University TCSOL row comes from a 2023 page and the Southeast University rows from a 2021 expenses page. The year is marked in the cost cell; for those rows, the amount charged at registration is the one that applies.
What the table leaves out
The table cannot tell you whether you will be admitted, whether the class will open, or whether the city will feel right. It cannot tell you the cost of food, local transport, or a room outside the campus. It cannot tell you whether a language course will satisfy a degree program's requirement, because that depends on the degree program.
The table also cannot compare teaching quality. We did not sit in these classes. We read the published structure: levels, class hours, class size where listed, culture courses, and application windows. A program with a lower published fee is not automatically better value if the class is larger, the housing is extra, or the level you need does not open.
A four-step order for the shortlist
1. Name the route. If you are at zero and want to study for a semester, a language course is the product. If you are preparing for a Chinese-taught degree and need subject preparation, a pre-university program is the product. If you already meet the degree's Chinese requirement, a direct application is the product.
2. Find the published requirement. Look for the HSK level, sub-scores, CSCA requirement, and whether the program accepts a placement test instead of a certificate. If the page does not print a line, email the office. Do not fill the gap with a third-party summary.
3. Compare the same period. A semester, 16 weeks, a year, and a one-semester pre-university program are different units. Add application, insurance, housing, and materials before you compare the total.
4. Then choose the city. Chengdu and Nanjing both teach Mandarin. Choose the city after the route and the requirement, not before.
Where the named examples live
The Chengdu page covers Sichuan University and Sichuan Normal University, including the direct TCSOL bachelor's line. The Nanjing page covers Nanjing University and Southeast University, including the pre-university semester and the direct bachelor's requirements.
If you are still deciding whether you need Chinese for a degree, read do you need to know Chinese to study in China first. If you are comparing program lengths and costs, the language program page and the cost page keep the periods separate.
Before you shortlist a city
Is Chengdu or Nanjing better for learning Chinese?
There is no single answer. Both cities have university language programs that teach Mandarin and describe levels. The pages differ on how placement works: Sichuan University lists placement exams, while Nanjing University's page describes levels without naming a test. The useful comparison is the route and the published requirement: a language course, a pre-university semester, or a direct bachelor's. Choose the route first, then compare the named programs in each city.
Can I study Chinese in Chengdu or Nanjing from zero?
The language programs we read describe levels in different detail. Sichuan University describes eight stages from elementary to advanced and does not list a separate beginner level on the page we read; Sichuan Normal University lists a zero-based listening and speaking class; Nanjing University lists beginner, elementary, and intermediate classes, with advanced students going through Chinese+ and an HSK Advanced requirement. Southeast University's language page does not print a level table in the section we read, so ask the office. Confirm that your intake opens the level you need.
Do I need to speak the local dialect?
No. The programs we read teach Mandarin. Chengdu has Sichuan dialect and Nanjing has a local dialect, but the language courses use Mandarin and may offer dialect or local culture as an elective. Treat the dialect as a later listening project, not an entry requirement.
Which city is cheaper?
The published program fees differ, but they cover different periods and extras. Sichuan University lists RMB 8,250 per semester; Sichuan Normal University lists RMB 7,400 per 16 weeks on a 2023 page; Nanjing University lists RMB 10,500 per semester; Southeast University lists RMB 16,000 per year on a 2021 page. Add application, insurance, housing, and the length you will actually stay before comparing. For the older pages, the amount charged at registration is the one that applies.
Can a language course lead to a degree?
It can prepare you, but it is not a degree and it does not replace the degree program's own requirement. Direct bachelor's routes have separate HSK, CSCA, document, and interview rules. Ask the degree admissions office what completion of the language or pre-university course counts for in your intended program.
Sources
- Sichuan University, “Chinese Language Program: Program Overview”, read 20 October 2026.
- Sichuan University, “Tuition and Length of Schooling”, read 20 October 2026.
- Sichuan Normal University, “留学生非学历语言进修课程招生简章”, page dated 26 June 2023, read 20 October 2026.
- Sichuan Normal University, “汉语国际教育专业留学生招生简章”, page dated 26 June 2023, read 20 October 2026.
- Nanjing University, “Long-term Trainings”, read 20 October 2026.
- Nanjing University, “Bachelor's Programs”, read 20 October 2026.
- Nanjing University, “自费申报指南”, page updated 16 September 2026, read 20 October 2026.
- Nanjing University, “关于将‘来华留学本科入学学业水平测试成绩单’列入南京大学本科申请材料的通知”, published 23 October 2025, read 20 October 2026.
- Southeast University, “Language Program and Undergraduate's Programs”, read 20 October 2026.
- Southeast University, “Pre-university”, read 20 October 2026.
- Southeast University, “Expenses”, page dated 15 December 2021, read 20 October 2026.
Version 1. Recheck when a named program publishes its next intake, or every six months.