Study in China · 南京
Chinese language programs in Nanjing
Nanjing has three different routes: a language course, a pre-university semester, and a direct bachelor's application. The requirements are not interchangeable.
Written October 20, 2026. Program, pre-university, and expenses pages were read on the same date.
Chinese language programs in Nanjing are easier to compare when you separate the route from the city. Nanjing University sells a long-term language course and a direct bachelor's route. Southeast University sells a language program, a one-semester pre-university program, and Chinese-taught degrees. A beginner and a student with HSK 5 are not shopping for the same product.
The table below keeps the routes apart. It uses the official pages we could open, and it names the page year in the row where the number is old.
Three Nanjing routes, kept apart
| Program | Route | Published cost | Chinese requirement | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanjing University, Long-term Chinese Language Training | Non-degree language course, 6 months to 2 years | RMB 10,500 per semester; RMB 21,000 per year; RMB 500 application; RMB 400 insurance per semester | Beginner to intermediate; Chinese+ for advanced (HSK Advanced required); placement method not printed | [email protected] |
| Nanjing University, Chinese-taught bachelor's | Direct bachelor's, 4 years | RMB 21,000 per year for liberal arts; RMB 24,000 for science and business; higher for software and medicine | HSK 5, 180+, no section below 60; Chinese Language major HSK 4, 180+; CSCA required from 2026/2027 | [email protected] |
| Southeast University, Chinese Language Program | Non-degree language course | RMB 16,000 per year (2021 page); RMB 800 application; RMB 800 insurance per year; RMB 9,000 per year dorm | Level table not printed on the page we read; ask the office | [email protected] |
| Southeast University, Pre-university | One-semester preparation for a Chinese-taught degree | See the 2021 expenses page; application RMB 800; insurance RMB 800 per year; dorm RMB 9,000 per year | High school graduate; the required-documents list we read does not include an HSK certificate; no placement rule printed | [email protected] |
The price of a semester in Nanjing
Nanjing University's long-term program lists RMB 10,500 per semester or RMB 21,000 per academic year. The application fee is RMB 500 and insurance is RMB 400 per semester; textbooks are charged at actual price. The course runs 20 class hours a week, from six months to two years, on the Gulou campus. Classes are divided into beginner, elementary, and intermediate levels. Advanced students go through the separate Chinese+ curriculum, which lists an HSK Advanced requirement. The application windows are October 10 to December 25 for spring and March 10 to June 25 for autumn.
Southeast University's expenses page lists RMB 16,000 per year for the Chinese Language non-degree program, a RMB 800 application fee, RMB 800 insurance per year, and RMB 9,000 per year for a shared room. The expenses page is dated 2021, so treat those numbers as the last published version; the amount charged at registration is the one that applies. The language program application window is September 1 to December 30 for spring and March 1 to July 30 for autumn.
The two courses are not the same length by default. Nanjing University sells a semester or a year; Southeast University's language program is listed by year in the expenses table. Compare the period and what the fee includes before you compare the headline number.
Which course fits which student
Nanjing University fits a student who wants a long, staged course with culture courses built into the week. The program page lists Chinese Listening and Speaking, Chinese Writing, Newspaper Reading, Chinese Characters and Chinese Culture, Tai Chi, Tea Art, Paper Cutting, and visits to historical and cultural sites around Nanjing. It is a language course with a cultural layer, not a tourism program.
Southeast University fits a student who wants a university language program with a clear path to a pre-university semester. The language program page lists spring and autumn application windows and says the program is self-financed with no scholarship at enrollment. The pre-university page describes 26 Chinese classes and 6 elective classes a week, including mathematics, physics, English, economics, and chemistry.
Southeast's one-semester bridge
Southeast University's pre-university program is one semester. It is designed for students preparing for a Chinese-taught undergraduate or postgraduate program. The page lists 26 Chinese classes a week plus 6 elective classes, high school graduation, age 18 or above (under 18 with a guardian agreement), and application windows of December 1 to January 30 and May 1 to June 30. The program opens only if more than 15 qualified applicants enroll.
The page describes preparation for a Chinese-taught degree; it does not promise admission or a scholarship recommendation. Ask the degree admissions office what completion counts for, and whether the pre-university semester satisfies the language requirement for your intended program.
NJU's direct bachelor's rule
Nanjing University's bachelor's page lists HSK 5 with at least 180 for general Chinese-taught majors. The self-funded guide adds the no-section-below-60 rule and the HSK 4 with at least 180 line for the Chinese Language major. Transfer students have higher lines. Starting in 2026/2027, all international bachelor's applicants must also submit a CSCA score; the Chinese Language major can be exempt from the CSCA Professional Chinese subject with a valid HSK 4 or above.
The application window in the self-funded guide is March 1 to May 15. Tuition is RMB 21,000 per year for liberal arts, RMB 24,000 for science and business, RMB 32,000 for the Software Institute, and RMB 42,000 for the Medical School. The application fee is RMB 500 and insurance is RMB 400 per semester. The guide says applicants must be at least 18 and no older than 30, and it does not accept applicants who will be under 18 for 2027 entry. Some colleges add a written exam and interview. The guide says the final rule is the university's current notice, not an older summary.
Southeast University's 2027 undergraduate brochure is linked from its admissions page, but the PDF we opened did not yield readable text. We did not use a search summary as the HSK line. Read the current brochure or email [email protected] for the program you want.
Nanjing outside the classroom
Nanjing University's language program builds culture into the course: Tai Chi, tea art, paper cutting, Chinese Characters and Chinese Culture, and visits to historical and cultural sites around Nanjing. Southeast University's pre-university program adds academic subjects in Chinese. Those are different kinds of cultural contact: one is a language-course elective, the other is preparation for a Chinese-taught degree.
The city itself is not a course. You will still need a daily practice routine, and the language program will still place you by a test. Choose Nanjing because the program structure fits, not because a city guide says the atmosphere is right.
What to confirm before filing
Ask which levels open in your intake and how placement works, including whether a test is written, oral, or both. Ask how many class hours a week are guaranteed and how large the class is. Ask whether culture courses are included. Ask what the dormitory costs and whether it is guaranteed. Ask which visa type the program supports and what insurance it accepts.
For the direct route, ask for the current HSK line, the CSCA subject requirements, the written exam and interview format, the application fee, and the refund rule. For the pre-university route, ask whether completion satisfies the language requirement for your intended degree and what happens if you do not reach the target level.
Open questions we could not close
Southeast University's 2027 undergraduate HSK line was not readable in the PDF we opened, so we did not print a number. Southeast University's expenses page is dated 2021; the amount charged at registration is the one that applies. We did not verify cost of living, admission chances, or visa outcomes. Those are questions for the schools.
What the pages cannot tell you
How much does a Chinese language program in Nanjing cost?
Nanjing University lists RMB 10,500 per semester or RMB 21,000 per academic year for its long-term Chinese Language Program, plus a RMB 500 application fee and RMB 400 insurance per semester. Southeast University's official expenses page lists RMB 16,000 per year for the Chinese Language non-degree program, plus a RMB 800 application fee, RMB 800 insurance per year, and RMB 9,000 per year for a shared room. The Southeast page is dated 2021; the amount charged at registration is the one that applies.
Can I start Chinese from zero in Nanjing?
Nanjing University lists beginner, elementary, and intermediate classes; the page we read does not describe the placement method. Advanced students go through the separate Chinese+ curriculum, and the page lists an HSK Advanced requirement for it. Southeast University's language page points applicants to the online application system, but the page we read does not print a level table. Ask the office which levels open in your intake before paying.
Does Nanjing University require HSK for a bachelor's degree?
Nanjing University's bachelor's page lists HSK 5 with at least 180 for general Chinese-taught majors. The self-funded guide adds the no-section-below-60 rule and the HSK 4 with at least 180 line for the Chinese Language major. Starting in 2026/2027, all international bachelor's applicants must also submit a CSCA score; the Chinese Language major can be exempt from the CSCA Professional Chinese subject with a valid HSK 4 or above.
Is a pre-university program available in Nanjing?
Southeast University lists a one-semester pre-university program with 26 Chinese classes and 6 elective classes a week. It is designed for students preparing for a Chinese-taught degree. Nanjing University's long-term language program is a separate non-degree route. A pre-university program does not guarantee admission to a degree.
Does a language course guarantee a bachelor's place?
No. The language course is non-degree. Nanjing University's bachelor's route has its own HSK, CSCA, document, and interview requirements. Southeast University's pre-university page describes preparation for a Chinese-taught degree; it does not promise admission or a scholarship recommendation. Ask the degree office what completion counts for in your intended program.
Compare this with the Chengdu page if you are choosing a city. If you want the route decision first, read choosing a city for Chinese study or do you need to know Chinese to study in China.
Sources
- 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.
- Southeast University, “2027年东南大学国际学生（本科生）招生简章”, page published 10 October 2026, read 20 October 2026.
Version 1. Recheck when either school publishes a 2026 or 2027 language-course, pre-university, or bachelor's notice, or every six months.