📖 About the university

East China Normal University (ECNU) is a public research university in Shanghai, founded in 1951, and it is one of China's leading universities for education and the humanities as well as a strong comprehensive institution. It is included in Project 985, Project 211, and the Double First-Class initiative. ECNU is especially renowned for education, geography, psychology, Chinese language and literature, and statistics, and it combines a traditional strength in teacher training with growing capacity across the sciences. Its balanced profile in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences underpins its reputation.

Located in the international city of Shanghai, the university offers attractive campuses and a cosmopolitan academic environment. ECNU maintains extensive international collaborations and hosts a large international student community, and it is a well-known destination for the study of the Chinese language and culture. International applicants can study the Chinese language and prepare for the HSK, and the university offers a range of degree programs, including English-taught options at the graduate level. It is well suited to academically strong students interested in education, psychology, the humanities, geography, or careers in teaching and research within a major world city.

🎯 Fields of study

🏛️ Colleges & schools

🌆 About Shanghai

Shanghai is China's largest city and its foremost financial and commercial center, a truly global metropolis on the East China Sea coast. With a metropolitan population of around 25 million, it blends colonial-era waterfront architecture with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. The climate is humid subtropical, bringing hot, humid summers and cool, damp winters. Its iconic sights include the riverside Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower in Pudong, the classical Yu Garden, and the bustling Nanjing Road. Local cuisine is known for xiaolongbao soup dumplings, pan-fried shengjianbao, and sweet red-braised pork. Shanghai runs one of the world's largest metro systems, two international airports, and high-speed rail to the entire country. For an international student, Shanghai offers world-class universities, a huge international community, and endless opportunity, balanced against a fast pace and the highest living costs in China.

💰 Fees & costs

💡 General estimates for international students in China; they vary by major and university, and the official figure is always on the university website.

🛂 Visa requirements by nationality

These are the general steps for the China student visa (X1/X2); details vary by the Chinese embassy in your country.