About
About Renmin University of China
Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) is a comprehensive research university directly administered by the Ministry of Education and jointly supported by the Ministry of Education and the Beijing Municipal Government. It traces its origins to Shaanbei Public School, founded in 1937, and later to North China United University, Northern University and North China University; it has been designated a key national university in every national round since 1950.
RUC was in the first group of universities built under the national 985 and 211 programs, and in 2017 it was selected in the first batch of China’s “Double First-Class” initiative. Fourteen of its disciplines are included in that initiative, and its eight national key first-level disciplines and eight national key second-level disciplines rank first nationwide in the humanities and social sciences.
Its identity is unusually specific for a Chinese comprehensive university: economics, law, journalism and Marxist theory were first established as modern disciplines at RUC and then spread nationwide, and its scholars have worked on the drafting and revision of the Constitution, the Civil Code and the Criminal Law. If you are coming to China to study business, law, economics, public policy, journalism or Chinese society, this is a different proposition from a science-and-engineering campus.
Ranked first nationwide, alongside eight national key second-level disciplines
First in the humanities & social sciences
Eight national key first-level disciplines ranked first nationwide; economics, law, sociology, statistics, business administration and public administration are consistently in the country’s top tier in Ministry of Education evaluations.
Where Chinese disciplines began
Fifteen academic disciplines were first established in China at RUC, including economics, law, journalism and Marxist theory.
A national think tank
RUC scholars work on landmark legislation — the Constitution and the Civil Code among them — and on fiscal and taxation reform; the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RDCY) is one of China’s most visible think tanks.
Campuses in Beijing and Suzhou — and two official counts
The 2026 Global Talents Program guide cites the university charter for three campuses: Zhongguancun in Haidian, Tongzhou in eastern Beijing, and Suzhou in Jiangsu, which hosts the Silk Road School. RUC’s own “RUC at a Glance” page instead states four campuses without naming the fourth. Confirm your campus with your school before booking anything.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
RUC admits international students to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in both Chinese and English, and to non-degree visiting and Chinese-language programs. Everything runs through one channel: the International Students Application System at international.ruc.edu.cn/application, with a non-refundable CNY 800 application fee paid inside the system. The university states publicly that it has no partnership with any agent or third-party company, charges no “agency fee” or “deposit”, and releases all admission information only through its own channels — do not pay an application fee to any individual or non-official account. Note also that the payment function is offline daily between 23:00 and 01:30 Beijing time for financial-system maintenance, so leave yourself margin against a deadline. Know before you dial that RUC publishes three different numbers for the office that handles international students. Its English-language application guides give the International Students Office number as 86-10-62512698; its Chinese-language admission brochures give 86-10-62511588 for the same office; and every page of the university’s English site — General Information, RUC at a Glance, International Students, Venues, Partnerships and the research pages alike — carries a footer reading “International Students Office / Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office — Tel: 86-10-82509597, E-mail: international@ruc.edu.cn”. There are likewise two official email addresses: admission@ruc.edu.cn, given for admissions enquiries in both the English guides and the Chinese brochures, and international@ruc.edu.cn in that site footer. All are official; use admission@ruc.edu.cn for anything about your application.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degreeUndergraduate
Undergraduate degrees taught in Chinese across RUC’s schools — the majors on offer are listed in the annual Chinese-taught undergraduate program catalogue rather than in the brochure itself — plus the four-year English-taught Global BBA at Renmin Business School, which includes one year overseas at no additional tuition. Both the Chinese-taught and Global BBA guides require applicants to sit the CSCA test.
- Law, international studies, journalism, business, economics, finance, applied economics
- RMB 26,000 / year
- School of Arts
- RMB 30,000 / year
- Other schools
- RMB 24,000 / year
- Global BBA (English-taught)
- RMB 36,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizenship with a valid ordinary passport, valid beyond 31 March 2027 (both the Chinese-taught brochure and the Global BBA guide give that date; the separate Visiting Programs guide sets a later one — see the documents list), meeting the Ministry of Education’s nationality rules (Letter No. 12 [2020]).
- A full-time high-school diploma or higher, with eligibility to enter university.
- The China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), organised by the China Scholarship Council — for the Global BBA the mandatory subject is Mathematics, taken in English.
- Chinese-taught humanities and social science majors: HSK Level 6 with 180+; science and engineering majors: HSK Level 5 with 210+; the Chinese-language major: HSK Level 4 with 180+. Native Chinese speakers, and applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in Chinese, may apply to be exempted from submitting language proof.
- Global BBA: IELTS Academic 6.0+ or TOEFL iBT 90+, not required of native English speakers, of applicants with at least three years of full-time education in English, or of applicants who can document equivalent language proficiency meeting the required standards.
- Personal statement — written in Chinese and at least 1,000 characters for Chinese-taught programs, in English with no stated length for the Global BBA — one recommendation letter from a school teacher, class teacher, school leader or other official in charge (not from a professor), a statement of guarantee, proof of economic capability (choose one: an employment and income certificate of the applicant or guarantor, or a bank deposit of no less than CNY 30,000), a no-criminal-record certificate and the Foreigner Physical Examination Form (valid six months).
- Applicants under 18 — born on or after 1 September 2008 — whose parents do not live in China must submit a notarised document naming a guardian in China.
Master’s degreeGraduate
Chinese-taught master’s degrees across RUC’s schools, and the English-taught Global Talents Program — four streams (China Studies, Global Affairs, Finance & Management, Fundamental Disciplines) with six months to one year of free basic Chinese-language training included. Chinese-taught applicants can also enter the fully Chinese “Global Young Sinologist Talents” graduate program, which adds six months to a year of free advanced and specialised Chinese.
- Chinese-taught: law, international studies, journalism, business, economics, finance, applied economics, labour & human resources — except Carbon Economy, see next row
- RMB 32,000 / year
- Chinese-taught: Carbon Economy at the School of Applied Economics (the tuition standard’s own footnote to the row above)
- RMB 148,000 / year
- Chinese-taught: School of Arts
- RMB 30,000 / year
- Chinese-taught: other schools
- RMB 28,000 / year
- English-taught: Chinese philosophy
- RMB 40,000 / year
- English-taught: international relations, public administration and policy, national economics, journalism & communication, development economics, and Civilization (Master of Chinese Culture)
- RMB 60,000 / year
- English-taught: Chinese law (LL.M.)
- RMB 70,000 / year
- English-taught: finance (Financial Technology)
- RMB 75,000 / year
- English-taught: sociology, and Chinese politics at the Silk Road School
- RMB 80,000 / year
- English-taught: urban governance
- RMB 82,000 / year
- English-taught: International MBA (IMBA)
- RMB 89,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizenship, a valid ordinary passport (valid beyond 31 March 2027 for degree programs — the Visiting Programs guide sets a later date for non-degree study) and a bachelor’s degree or above.
- English-taught programs: IELTS Academic 6.0+ or TOEFL iBT 90+, not required of native English speakers or of applicants who have completed, or are pursuing, a degree whose medium of instruction is English.
- Chinese-taught programs: HSK Level 6 with 180+ including 60+ in writing (humanities and social sciences), or HSK Level 5 with 210+ including 60+ in writing (science and engineering). Native Chinese speakers, and applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in Chinese, may apply to be exempted from submitting language proof.
- Final education certificate certified by CSCSE or through the Apostille process, plus full transcripts; final-year applicants submit a Certificate of Expected Graduation whose expected graduation date must fall before 31 August 2026.
- Personal statement and study plan — in English for English-taught programs, in Chinese and at least 1,000 characters for Chinese-taught programs — and two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors (the Chinese-taught brochure also accepts experts holding an equivalent professional title) with full contact details.
- Statement of guarantee, proof of economic capability (choose one: an employment and income certificate of the applicant or guarantor, or a bank deposit of no less than CNY 30,000), no-criminal-record certificate, Foreigner Physical Examination Form and nationality proof where applicable.
- The IMBA additionally recommends — the 2026 Global Talents Program List’s own word — a GMAT (Focus Edition) 525 or GRE 285, and prefers two or more years of relevant work experience; it also asks for its own application form, a résumé, and its two recommendation letters preferably split between an academic and a work referee.
Doctoral degreeGraduate
Doctoral study taught in Chinese across the humanities, social sciences and RUC’s newer science and engineering fields, plus one English-taught doctorate at the School of Journalism and Communication, listed in the tuition standard as 国际传播 (International Communication).
- Chinese-taught: law, international studies, journalism, business, economics, finance, applied economics, labour & human resources, statistics
- RMB 36,000 / year
- Chinese-taught: other schools
- RMB 32,000 / year
- English-taught: International Communication (School of Journalism and Communication)
- RMB 84,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizenship with a valid ordinary passport (valid beyond 31 March 2027) and a master’s degree or equivalent.
- Chinese-taught programs: HSK Level 6 with 180+ including 60+ in writing (humanities and social sciences), or HSK Level 5 with 210+ including 60+ in writing (science and engineering). Native Chinese speakers, and applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in Chinese, may apply to be exempted from submitting language proof.
- Certified final degree certificate and transcripts — final-year applicants submit a Certificate of Expected Graduation whose expected graduation date must fall before 31 August 2026 — a personal statement and study plan written in Chinese and at least 1,000 characters for Chinese-taught programs, and two recommendation letters from professors, associate professors or experts of equivalent professional title.
- Statement of guarantee, proof of economic capability (choose one: an employment and income certificate of the applicant or guarantor, or a bank deposit of no less than CNY 30,000), no-criminal-record certificate, Foreigner Physical Examination Form and nationality proof where applicable.
- Shortlisted applicants are called to a departmental assessment (专业考核) after the school review.
Non-degree programs
Junior visiting program
For students already in or beyond their first undergraduate year, taking undergraduate or master’s courses. Chinese-taught humanities applicants need HSK 6 with 180+, science and engineering HSK 5 with 210+; English-taught needs IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 90 — in both cases native speakers of the language of instruction, and applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in it, may apply for exemption. HSK reports must be sent directly by CTI — personal submissions are not accepted. Note that the Visiting Programs guide requires a passport valid later than 31 July 2027, not the 31 March 2027 the degree guides use, and one semester of study means an X2 visa rather than an X1.
Fee · Charged on the undergraduate scale — RMB 24,000–30,000 / year
Senior visiting program
For applicants who already hold a master’s degree or above, doing thematic research or specialised study under a professor’s supervision. Language requirements, the 31 July 2027 passport date and the X1/X2 split are the same as for the junior program; despite holding a master’s degree, senior visiting applicants submit one recommendation letter, not the two the degree brochures require.
Fee · Charged on the master’s scale — RMB 28,000–32,000 / year
Chinese language program
Chinese-language study at the School of Chinese Studies and Cultural Exchange, open to applicants with at least a high-school diploma. No language-proficiency requirement to apply — this is the entry point for students who need Chinese before a Chinese-taught degree. It runs under the Visiting Programs guide, so the passport must be valid later than 31 July 2027, and a one-semester enrolment is an X2 visa with no residence permit.
Fee · RMB 24,000 / year
Documents to prepare
- Valid ordinary passport (identification page) — travel permits and residence permits for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents are not accepted. The validity date is not the same for everyone: the Chinese-taught undergraduate, master’s and doctoral brochures, the Global BBA guide and the Global Talents Program guide all require validity later than 31 March 2027, while the 2026 Visiting Programs Application Guide — which governs the junior visiting, senior visiting and Chinese-language programs — requires validity later than 31 July 2027. A non-degree applicant whose passport expires between those two dates would pay the non-refundable CNY 800 fee and be rejected, so check your own guide.
- Final education certificate — the certification route differs by level. Chinese-taught master’s and doctoral applicants, and Global Talents Program applicants, must have it certified by CSCSE or through the Apostille process. Chinese-taught undergraduate applicants submit the high-school diploma with a notarised copy from a notary office; Global BBA applicants submit it notarised or verified by institutions authorised by the education ministries. Final-year students submit a Certificate of Expected Graduation first, and for the graduate and Global Talents guides the expected graduation date must fall before 31 August 2026.
- Full academic transcripts, with an explanation of the grading scale if it is not out of 100.
- Language proficiency — an HSK score report, valid for two years and sent to RUC directly by CTI (Chinese Testing International) rather than by the applicant, which the Chinese-taught undergraduate, master’s and doctoral brochures and the Visiting Programs guide all require alike; or IELTS Academic / TOEFL iBT for English-taught study. Every guide offers an exemption route, though the wording differs: native speakers of the language of instruction, and applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in it, need not submit a score, and the Global BBA guide additionally exempts applicants with three years of full-time education in English or with documented equivalent proficiency.
- Personal statement and study plan — for degree programs, in English for English-taught programs and in Chinese for Chinese-taught programs, with the Chinese-taught undergraduate, master’s and doctoral statements running to at least 1,000 characters. Undergraduate applicants (Chinese-taught and Global BBA) are asked for a personal statement only, not a study plan, and the Global BBA guide sets no minimum length. Visiting programs are not split by language of instruction: the 2026 Visiting Programs Application Guide says the personal statement and study plan “shall be written in Chinese/English” and that “the content shall be not less than 1000 words”.
- Recommendation letters — the count and the referee both depend on the program. Chinese-taught master’s and doctoral applicants and Global Talents Program applicants submit two, from professors or associate professors (the Chinese-taught brochures also accept experts of equivalent professional title). Junior and senior visiting applicants submit one, from a professor or associate professor — including senior visiting applicants, who already hold a master’s degree. Undergraduate applicants, Chinese-taught and Global BBA alike, submit one from a high-school teacher, class teacher, school leader or other official in charge.
- Statement of Guarantee signed by the economic guarantor, on the ISO template.
- Proof of economic capability — a bank balance is not compulsory if you can document income. The English-language guides (Global Talents Program, Global BBA, Visiting Programs) head this item “choose one of the following”: (a) an employment and income certificate of the applicant or the guarantor, or (b) a bank deposit of the applicant or guarantor of no less than CNY 30,000 or its foreign-currency equivalent. The Chinese-taught brochures are looser still, listing the guarantor’s income certificate and a bank deposit of no less than CNY 30,000 as examples “including but not limited to” (包括但不限于).
- Certificate of no criminal record from the local police or, if you are in China, from the exit–entry administration.
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form on the ISO template, complete with photo, cross-page seal, doctor’s signature and hospital seal; valid for six months. The Chinese-taught brochures add that an applicant genuinely unable to obtain the form in exceptional circumstances should contact the university separately rather than abandon the application.
- Nationality proof where Ministry of Education Letter No. 12 [2020] applies, and a notarised Chinese guardian document for applicants under 18 — born on or after 1 September 2008 — whose parents do not reside in China.
Application timeline
These are the dates Renmin University of China published for the 2026 intake. That cycle has closed. Use them as a guide to when each step falls in the year, and check the official pages for the 2027 dates before you plan around them.
- 1
English-taught master’s (Global Talents Program)
Nov 2025 – May 2026Online application 25 November 2025 – 31 May 2026; qualification review to 10 June; admission results March–July 2026.
- 2
Chinese Government Scholarship Type B deadline
By 15 Feb 2026Applicants for the High-level Program must finish the RUC application by 15 February 2026, with qualification review closing 27 February.
- 3
Chinese-taught master’s and doctoral applications
Nov 2025 – Mar 2026Online application 28 November 2025 – 31 March 2026; departmental assessment January–May; results March–July 2026.
- 4
Chinese-taught undergraduate applications
Jan – Mar 2026Online application 1 January – 31 March 2026; assessment April–May; results May–June 2026. The English-taught Global BBA runs to 31 May 2026.
- 5
Visiting and Chinese-language programs
Mar–May & Oct–Nov, annuallyFall entry applications 1 March – 15 May; spring entry 15 October – 15 November.
- 6
Onsite registration
Late Aug – early Sep 2026Admitted students register in person with the admission notice; the university re-checks every document at registration.
These are the figures in RUC’s current published tuition standard, charged per academic year and varying by school and language of instruction; English-taught master’s programs cost two to three times their Chinese-taught equivalents. The one figure that breaks the pattern is the Chinese-taught Carbon Economy master’s at the School of Applied Economics, at RMB 148,000 per year — the tuition standard carries it as an asterisked footnote to the RMB 32,000 row, and that row is shared by Chinese-taught master’s students and senior visiting students (高级进修生), so check with the school if your placement is in that program. Degree students pay a full year at registration; non-degree students pay by semester or year. Budget separately for the CNY 800 application fee, compulsory comprehensive medical insurance (no insurance, no registration) and accommodation, which RUC does not price publicly. Always confirm the current figure on the ISO tuition page before applying.
Funding
Scholarships
RUC channels international students towards government and municipal scholarships rather than a single headline university award, and — unusually — it does not publish coverage tables in English for most of them. The International Students Office site has a Scholarship menu with six entries, but every page behind those entries is empty: the headings render with a breadcrumb and nothing else. What is on the record comes from the admission guides instead, and it is thin. Where an entry below says “not published”, that is the finding, not a gap in our research: treat those schemes as unquantified, and confirm coverage, eligibility and quotas with the International Students Office or your school before you count on any of them.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Type A (Bilateral Program)
Full scholarships cover tuition, accommodation, a living allowance and medical insurance; partial scholarships cover part of those items.
Eligibility: Apply first through the dispatching authority in your home country (a Chinese embassy or consulate), then in the CGS system at studyinchina.csc.edu.cn choosing Type A with Renmin University of China as first choice. RUC advises this is the stronger channel.
Chinese Government Scholarship — Type B (High-level Program & Silk Road Program)
Awarded and set by the China Scholarship Council, which issues the final name list.
Eligibility: Apply to RUC and to the CSC at the same time; RUC’s agency number is 10002. The 15 February 2026 RUC-side deadline, with qualification review closing 27 February, is stated only for High-level Graduate Program applicants, in the master’s and doctoral brochures and the Global Talents Program guide — it is not a Type B deadline in general. The Chinese-taught undergraduate brochure lists only the Silk Road Program under Type B and states no separate deadline for it, so undergraduate applicants follow the ordinary 31 March 2026 cut-off. Check the application guide of your own scholarship program, as every RUC guide directs you to.
Beijing Government Scholarship
Set by the Beijing Municipal Government; RUC states that requirements are notified separately each cycle.
Eligibility: International students studying or conducting research at universities in Beijing.
International Confucian Association (ICA) Scholarship
Not published by RUC. The 2026 Global Talents Program guide lists the scholarship and says only that “the application requirements and procedure will be further notified”.
Eligibility: Not published. The International Students Office also carries it as a heading in its Scholarship menu, but that page has no content.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship (CIS) & China Studies Program
Not published by RUC — neither scheme’s ISO page carries any text, and no RUC page in this source list states what either one pays. Both are run by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education, which, in RUC’s wording, “organizes the application and assessment process, and recommends candidates to the university for review and admission”, with the admission result “subject to the announcement made by CLEC”.
Eligibility: Applied for through CLEC rather than through RUC. The 2026 Visiting Programs guide and the Chinese-taught master’s brochure route the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship to cis.chinese.cn; the Visiting Programs guide and the Chinese-taught doctoral brochure (where it appears as 新汉学计划) route the China Studies Program Scholarship to csp.chinese.cn. Neither scheme is listed in the Chinese-taught undergraduate brochure or the Global BBA guide.
RUC Award for International Students
Not published. This award appears in the International Students Office’s Scholarship menu, but the page behind that link contains no text at all — no amount, no coverage, no procedure.
Eligibility: Not published. Nothing beyond the menu label exists on any RUC page we could reach, so treat the award as unconfirmed and ask the International Students Office before counting on it.
Program-level tuition scholarships (varies by program)
Terms are set per program, not university-wide. The Contemporary China Studies Program states its tuition scholarships may cover full tuition or half tuition, or take the form of a tuition refund on successfully completing each semester, with quotas changing every year. The Silk Road School states separately that it offers full and partial scholarships. Other programs publish nothing — assume no award unless your program’s own page says otherwise.
Eligibility: Assessed on the strength of the overall application and on each funding body’s own criteria (nationality, education background). The Contemporary China Studies Program notifies outcomes by the end of June; note that its programme site has not been updated since its 2025 fall intake, so confirm the current terms with the school.
Research
Research at the university
RUC’s research centre of gravity is the humanities and social sciences, where it holds a founding position in modern Chinese scholarship. Alongside that, it has built a deliberately narrow science and engineering footprint under a “2+2+1” strategy — two academic domains, two shared infrastructure hubs and one technology-transfer engine — rather than trying to be a general STEM university.
Humanities & social sciences
Over a thousand faculty in the humanities and social sciences; economics, law, sociology, statistics, business administration and public administration sit in the national top tier in Ministry of Education discipline evaluations.
National governance & think tanks
Scholars work on landmark legislation including the Constitution and the Civil Code; the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RDCY) feeds university expertise into national policymaking.
Digital science
AI, big data, blockchain and quantum technology combined with RUC’s social-science strengths to build tools for governance and evidence-based decision-making.
Physical science & technology transfer
AI for Science, new materials and atomic-level manufacturing, served by an Instrumentation Center and an AI Computing Center, with the Institute for Future Intelligent Manufacturing in the Xiong’an New Area moving laboratory work to market.
- Fifteen academic disciplines were first established in China at RUC, among them economics, law, journalism and Marxist theory.
- The People’s Republic of China’s first PhD graduates in law and journalism, and its first foreign PhD graduate in the humanities and social sciences, all graduated from RUC.
- The first cohorts of Chinese PhDs in political economy, world economy, monetary and banking studies and statistics were trained here.
- The faculty includes 165 selectees of the National Major Talent Program, 197 of the National Major Young Talent Program and 533 recipients of State Council Special Allowances.
Global engagement
Global engagement
RUC’s international work is built around explaining China to the world — Confucius Institutes, civilisation-exchange research centres and English-taught China-focused degrees — as much as around conventional student exchange. Two official RUC pages give different partner counts, and we state both rather than pick one: the English-language Partnerships page, dated 29 September 2025, says that “to date, RUC has established university-level partnerships with 313 universities and organizations across 63 countries and regions worldwide”, while the 2026 Chinese-taught undergraduate admission brochure says that as of May 2025 the university had established partnerships with 316 higher-education institutions and international organizations in 63 countries and regions. The “RUC at a Glance” page is vaguer again, giving “200+ partnerships across 63 countries and regions” as of January 2026. All three agree on 63 countries and regions.
Silk Road School, Suzhou campus
A school on RUC’s Suzhou campus in Jiangsu running the Master of Contemporary Chinese Studies for students from Belt and Road countries and beyond, focused on China’s history, cultures, governance and development; the 2026 Global Talents Program list files it under the major Chinese Politics at CNY 80,000 a year. The school’s most recent published intake page (2025) states that it offers both full and partial scholarships — check the current cycle’s page for terms.
Global Talents Program
RUC’s English-taught master’s portfolio, grouped into China Studies, Global Affairs, Finance & Management and Fundamental Disciplines, with six months to a year of free basic Chinese-language training built in.
Civilisation-exchange research centres
Six overseas Research Centers for Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations — China–Greece, China–France, China–Hungary, China–Africa, China–Spain and China–Brazil.
International academic platforms
The university’s General Information page states that RUC “has led the establishment of international academic platforms, including the Economics Discipline Construction Community of the China–CEEC Higher Education Institutions Consortium, the Social Sciences Universities Network, and the Academic Association for International Cultural Exchange (AAICE)”, and that “it launched the world’s first international triple bachelor’s degree program in management”.
College-level exchange programs
Beyond the 116 university-level student exchange programs with 112 foreign partner institutions, RUC’s schools operate a further 298 exchange programs with overseas partners.
Career
Career & alumni
RUC states it has educated more than 408,000 high-level professionals and outstanding talents across a wide range of fields since the Shaanbei Public School era; it does not publish a breakdown by sector or an employment-outcomes report in English. It does list an Employment page under Study @RUC on the International Students Office site, but that page currently carries no content, and the ISO publishes no graduate salary or placement figures. Plan on your school and the ISO being the route to internships rather than a central careers centre.
Career support
- The International Students Office runs an Alumni section with a form for keeping your record current — updates go to intlalumni@ruc.edu.cn, the ISO’s international alumni address — and an Activities page carrying Chinese-language alumni news, none of it added since 2015. Its Internship & Employment page is a heading with nothing under it, so do not plan around it.
- ISO publishes the Procedures for Adding the Internship Visa: an internship in China requires an endorsement on your study residence permit, applied for through the ISO with a school-stamped form and an internship agreement from the employer. Not every international student qualifies — the guide sets three conditions that must all be met: you are “expected to graduate in the current academic year”, or “the cultivation plan requires an internship” (the Chinese text excludes students in the extension or completion-certificate period); you “hold a valid residence permit on the passport” of the study type; and the internship falls inside your basic length of study, with each application covering “no longer than 6 months”.
- Both the English-taught Global Talents Program and the Chinese-taught Global Young Sinologist Talents program include free Chinese-language training — six months to a year of basic Chinese in the former, of advanced and specialised Chinese in the latter.
Notable alumni
Campus life
Campus life
Work out which campus your program is on before you book a flight — this is the single most consequential practical fact about arriving at RUC. The Zhongguancun campus is at No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, and the International Students Office lists Room 108 of the International Cultural Exchange Center there as its address. ISO gives a second address at Room 342 of the Student Affairs Center on the Tongzhou campus, No.37 Yunhedong Street, Tongzhou District, on the eastern side of Beijing. And if you are admitted to the Silk Road School, you are not moving to Beijing at all: that campus is in Suzhou, in Jiangsu province. Note that RUC’s two official counts disagree — the 2026 Global Talents Program guide cites the university charter for three campuses (Zhongguancun, Tongzhou, Suzhou), while the “RUC at a Glance” page states four and does not name them.
Accommodation
University housing, arranged by the RUC Housing Office
Not published online
After admission the housing office sends a Room Reservation Form setting out living conditions and the booking procedure; it can be reached on +86-10-62511395 or at LGIA@ruc.edu.cn. If you live off campus, Chinese law requires you to register your address at the nearest police station within 24 hours of moving in.
Dining
RUC lists Dining and Accommodation under Campus Life on its English site, but that link is a redirect that forwards to the International Students Office’s Accommodation Q&A page, and that page publishes no questions or answers under its heading. The ISO’s own Campus life page under Study @RUC is likewise a heading with no body text. So no menus, canteen list or prices are published in English anywhere on either site. Ask the ISO or your school which canteens serve your campus.
Facilities
RUC Library
A collection of 4.2 million volumes. RUC does not publish a subject breakdown of the collection in English.
RUC Museum & Archives
The RUC Museum and RUC Archives are both listed on the university’s Venues page; no visiting details are published in English.
Sports venues
Listed on the Venues page, which links out to the university sports department site; the ISO does not publish which venues serve which campus.
RUC Hospital
Listed on the university’s Venues page. Separately, comprehensive medical insurance is compulsory for international students — the university will not register anyone without valid cover.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Renmin University of China for international students?+
Chinese-taught undergraduate tuition is RMB 24,000–30,000 per year and the English-taught Global BBA is RMB 36,000. Chinese-taught master’s programs run RMB 28,000–32,000 with one documented exception — the Chinese-taught Carbon Economy master’s at the School of Applied Economics is RMB 148,000 per year, more than four times the top of that band — and Chinese-taught doctorates are RMB 32,000–36,000. English-taught master’s programs are considerably more: RMB 40,000 for Chinese philosophy, RMB 60,000 for most China-studies and social-science degrees, and up to RMB 89,000 for the IMBA; the English-taught PhD at the School of Journalism and Communication (国际传播, International Communication) is RMB 84,000. Non-degree visiting students are charged on the undergraduate or master’s scale according to their level, and the Chinese-language program is RMB 24,000.
What are the admission requirements for international students at RUC?+
You need non-Chinese citizenship and an ordinary passport, the relevant prior qualification, and language proof. English-taught programs require IELTS Academic 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 90; Chinese-taught programs require HSK Level 6 with 180+ (humanities and social sciences) or HSK Level 5 with 210+ (science and engineering), with 60+ in writing at graduate level, and the Chinese-language bachelor’s major only HSK 4 with 180+. Both language tests can be waived — for native speakers of the language of instruction, and for applicants whose previous or current degree was taught in it. Undergraduate applicants must also sit the CSCA test. Every applicant submits a statement of guarantee, a no-criminal-record certificate, a Foreigner Physical Examination Form and proof of economic capability — and that last one is a choice of two, not a cash requirement: either an employment and income certificate of the applicant or the guarantor, or a bank deposit of no less than CNY 30,000. Passport validity differs by program: later than 31 March 2027 for degree applicants, later than 31 July 2027 for the visiting and Chinese-language programs.
When are the RUC application deadlines?+
In the 2026 cycle: Chinese-taught undergraduate applications ran 1 January – 31 March 2026; the English-taught Global BBA 1 January – 31 May; Chinese-taught master’s and doctoral applications 28 November 2025 – 31 March 2026; and the English-taught Global Talents master’s programs 25 November 2025 – 31 May 2026. Applicants for the Chinese Government Scholarship Type B High-level Graduate Program had to finish the RUC side by 15 February — that date is stated for the High-level Program only, not for Type B as a whole. The visiting and Chinese-language programs run on their own annual cycle instead: 1 March – 15 May for fall entry, 15 October – 15 November for spring entry. Expect a similar shape for the next intake and check the ISO site for the current notice.
Does RUC teach degrees in English?+
Yes, mainly at master’s level through the Global Talents Program — Chinese philosophy, international relations, public administration, development economics, national economics, journalism and communication, Chinese law, financial technology, sociology, urban governance, Chinese politics at the Silk Road School, Civilization (the Master of Chinese Culture, taught jointly by the School of Chinese Studies and Cultural Exchange, School of Liberal Arts, School of Chinese Classics and School of Philosophy) and the IMBA. There is one English-taught bachelor’s degree, the Global BBA, and one English-taught doctorate at the School of Journalism and Communication, listed in the tuition standard as 国际传播 (International Communication).
Which campus will I actually study on?+
It depends on the program. The 2026 Global Talents Program guide cites the university charter for three campuses: Zhongguancun in Haidian, Beijing; Tongzhou in Tongzhou District on the eastern side of Beijing; and Suzhou in Jiangsu, which hosts the Silk Road School. RUC’s “RUC at a Glance” page states four campuses but does not name them, so the two official counts disagree. The International Students Office gives addresses at both Zhongguancun (Room 108, International Cultural Exchange Center) and Tongzhou (Room 342, Student Affairs Center). Confirm your campus with your school before arranging housing.
Does RUC work with admission agents?+
No. The university states that it has never established a cooperation relationship with any agency or third-party company, that all admission information is published only through its official channels, and that it charges no agency fee or deposit of any kind. Application fees are paid only inside the official application system — never to an individual or a non-official account.
Where do international students live at RUC?+
RUC publishes that on-campus rooms include single and double rooms, but does not publish prices online. The housing office issues a Room Reservation Form to admitted students with living conditions and the booking procedure, and can be reached at +86-10-62511395 or LGIA@ruc.edu.cn. Students living off campus must register with the local police station within 24 hours of moving in.
What visa do I need and when?+
It depends on how long you are staying, so check your own guide before you book an embassy appointment. Degree students, and non-degree students enrolling for a full academic year, apply for an X1 visa at a Chinese embassy or consulate with the admission notice and the JW201/202 Confirmation Form for Study in China, then convert it to a residence permit within 30 days of arriving in China. Applicants whose study period is six months or less apply for an X2 visa instead, with no residence permit — the 2026 Visiting Programs Application Guide is explicit about this, and it catches most single-semester students, since RUC’s fall semester runs from September to January. You also need valid comprehensive medical insurance before the university will register you, whichever visa you hold.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the International Students Office (ISO) for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Beijing.
- Office
- International Students Office (ISO)
- Address
- Room 108, International Cultural Exchange Center, Renmin University of China, No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China — and Room 342, Student Affairs Center, Tongzhou Campus, No.37 Yunhedong Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing
- admission@ruc.edu.cn — admissions enquiries (English application guides and Chinese admission brochures)international@ruc.edu.cn — International Students Office / Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office (en.ruc.edu.cn site footer)
- Phone
- +86-10-62512698 — International Students Office, per RUC’s English-language application guides+86-10-62511588 — the same office, per RUC’s Chinese-language admission brochures+86-10-82509597 — International Students Office / Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office, per the en.ruc.edu.cn site footer
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-08-16
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official Renmin University of China pages before applying.
- International Students Office
- About RUC (International Students Office)
- Scholarship — Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) (ISO; resolved target of Scholarship/index.htm, which is a redirect stub; no content published)
- Scholarship — International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship (CIS) (ISO; currently no content)
- Scholarship — China Studies Program (ISO; currently no content)
- Scholarship — Beijing Government Scholarship (ISO; currently no content)
- Scholarship — International Confucian Association (ICA) (ISO; currently no content)
- Scholarship — RUC Award for International Students (ISO; menu heading only, currently no content)
- Alumni — update your information (ISO)
- Alumni — Activities (ISO; Chinese-language items, none newer than 2015)
- Alumni — Internship & Employment (ISO; menu heading only, currently no content)
- Procedures for Adding the Internship Visa (ISO)
- Study @RUC — Employment (ISO; currently no content)
- Study @RUC — Campus life (ISO; currently no content)
- Tuition Fee Information (2026)
- 2026 Global Talents Program Application Guide (English-taught master’s)
- 2026 Global Talents Program List
- 2026 Global BBA Application Guide
- 2026 undergraduate admission brochure (Chinese-taught)
- 2026 master’s admission brochure (Chinese-taught)
- 2026 doctoral admission brochure (Chinese-taught)
- 2026 Visiting Programs Application Guide
- Important Notice on admissions and agents
- General Information
- RUC at a Glance
- International Students
- Research — Humanities and Social Sciences
- Research — Sciences and Engineering
- Campus Life — Venues
- Global — Partnerships (resolved target of en.ruc.edu.cn/Partnerships.html)
- Q & A — Accommodation (ISO; resolved target of Campus Life — Dining and Accommodation, no content published)
- Silk Road School, Master of Contemporary Chinese Studies (2025 intake page)
- Contemporary China Studies Program — fees & scholarships (last updated for the 2025 fall intake)