Shanghai Scholarships for International Students

1Provincial scheme

4Universities we cover

1Cities in the province

CNY 2,800–5,200Lowest monthly cost

Schemes

What Shanghai actually offers

Provincial schemes are smaller than the central government scholarship and far less contested. Most are administered by the university after admission, so the application is often a checkbox rather than a separate portal.

Scheme	Levels	What it covers	How it is administered
Shanghai Government Scholarship	Bachelor / Master / PhD	Type A full (tuition + accommodation + stipend + insurance), Type B partial tuition, Type C partial for outstanding students	One of the most generous municipal schemes; Type A is genuinely competitive.

Coverage varies between schemes and between universities within the same province. Confirm the current terms with the international office before you rely on any of it.

Why it matters

What applying here actually gets you

Shanghai's scheme is the one to understand most carefully, because it is split into three types rather than running as a single award. Type A is full funding — tuition, accommodation, stipend and insurance. Type B is partial tuition. Type C is partial funding aimed at outstanding students. Which type you are considered for depends on the university, and the difference between Type A and Type B is the difference between a funded year and a mostly self-funded one.

Shanghai also carries the highest living costs we track, which is why the scheme's structure matters so much here rather than in a cheap city. A Type B award that would be comfortable in Chengdu leaves a gap in Shanghai. Four of the universities we cover are here, and two of them — Fudan and Shanghai Jiao Tong — are among the strongest applicants in the country, so the Type A quota is thin even before competition is counted.

What the scheme is worth

Three funding tiers — Type A full (tuition, accommodation, stipend, insurance), Type B partial tuition, Type C partial for outstanding students
One of the two most generous municipal schemes in the country, and the only one that publishes a clearly tiered structure
Reaches students at four universities we cover, including Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Tongji and East China Normal
Accommodation is included in the top tier, which is the single largest cost saving in the most expensive city we cover

Process

How the application actually runs

The steps are in the order they happen, because the first one catches most applicants out.

Get admitted, then find out your type

The tier is not something you apply for directly. It is decided at the university, so the first question to ask is which type this programme nominates for.

Ask whether Type A is realistic for your programme

Type A is genuinely competitive and the quota is small. Ask the international office how many places the programme has rather than assuming it.

Price the gap if you are Type B or C

Work out the remaining tuition and the full monthly cost at current Shanghai rates. A partial award here still leaves a substantial number.

Check the university awards on top

The universities here hold their own schemes, and a university award combined with a Type C outcome is a normal result.

Accept and register on time

Stipends begin after registration, so the sequence of offer, acceptance and enrolment matters for the cash flow.

Universities

Where the scheme can reach you in Shanghai

4 institutions we cover in this province, 4 of which can nominate scholarship students directly.

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East China Normal University

Shanghai · est. 1951 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Education, psychology, geography and a well-regarded Chinese language centre for foreigners.

Tuition: CNY 20,000–32,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

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Tongji University

Shanghai · est. 1907 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

The reference point for architecture, urban planning, civil engineering and automotive in China.

Tuition: CNY 24,000–40,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

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Fudan University

Shanghai · est. 1905 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Strong in clinical medicine, economics, journalism and international relations; large international cohort.

Tuition: CNY 26,000–42,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

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Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai · est. 1896 · Project 985 · 211 · Double First-Class

Engineering and medicine powerhouse; one of the largest English-taught master's catalogues in China.

Tuition: CNY 28,000–45,000 / yr
Chinese: None for English-taught · HSK 4–5 for Chinese-taught
CSC host: yes — Type B

Full profile →

Cities

The part the award does not cover

A tuition waiver leaves the monthly budget untouched. These are the figures that decide how far it goes.

City	Dormitory / month	Realistic total / month	Tuition you still pay
Shanghai	900–2,000	2,800–5,200	CNY 500–900 / yr

All figures CNY per month for one student. Full city profiles, including private rent, are on each city's page.

Before you commit

The part that catches people out

Do not read a Shanghai municipal award as full funding unless you have been told Type A specifically. Type B and Type C are tuition-only, and in the most expensive city we cover a tuition-only award is a discount, not a solution.

FAQ

Questions about Shanghai scholarships

Type A is full funding including accommodation, stipend and insurance. Type B is partial tuition. Type C is partial funding for outstanding students. Which one applies is decided by the university, not by you.

It is genuinely competitive and the quota is small, particularly at the most selective universities. Ask how many places your programme has rather than working from general advice.

They are separate schemes, and some universities will top up one with the other. Ask the international office in writing, because the answer depends on the university's own rules.

Not sure which scheme you can get?

Tell us your level, field and the universities you are considering. We will tell you which funding routes actually apply to you — and which ones do not.

Ask us Compare universities