Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics — guide for international students

Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics (浙江财经大学, ZUFE) was founded in 1974 as the Zhejiang College of Public Finance and Banking. The State Education Commission renamed it the Zhejiang Institute of Finance and Economics in 1987; it was authorised to confer bachelor’s degrees in 1991 and master’s degrees in 2003, began doctoral training in 2012 under the national special-needs talent project, adopted its present name in 2013, gained a post-doctoral program in 2014 and full doctoral-degree authority in 2018.

ZUFE describes itself as a multi-disciplinary university focused on finance and economics — the “cradle of accountants, bankers and entrepreneurs” — with its main campus in the Xiasha Higher Education Zone on the eastern edge of Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province. It is a provincial public university rather than a national Double First-Class institution; its strengths are applied economics and statistics, both ranked 15th nationally in the university’s own summary, alongside accounting, finance, taxation, public administration and law.

The university’s English pages give slightly different headline figures depending on when they were written. The Introduction page (figures “as of 2020”) cites more than 17,000 full-time students including 462 international students, about 379 acres, 4 campuses, 16 schools, 3 research institutions and 1 department, and 6 doctoral, 54 master’s and 45 undergraduate programs. The Facts & Figures page lists 14,150 undergraduates, 2,143 postgraduates, 507 international students and 20 schools, institutes and departments, while the SIES page on ZUFE cites more than 19,000 full-time students, about 1,700 faculty and staff and more than 100,000 alumni. Treat all of these as approximate.

International students are admitted and looked after by the School of International Education and Studies (SIES, 国际学院), established in 2013. SIES reports that, as of October 2021, it had enrolled more than 1,600 international students historically and had 449 on its books; the university’s Admissions and Majors page now says ZUFE “has enrolled over 2000 international students” through SIES, and its Global page says they come from more than 70 countries and regions.

ZUFE admits international students to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and to a non-degree Chinese language program, all through the School of International Education and Studies (SIES). Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens in good physical and mental health, normally aged at least 18 — applicants under 18 must provide a guardianship certificate. Bachelor’s applicants need a high-school certificate, master’s applicants a bachelor’s degree and doctoral applicants a master’s degree. Chinese-taught programs require HSK 4 (180+) or HSK 5 (180+) depending on the major; English-taught programs require good English, and non-native speakers submit TOEFL, IELTS or a national English certificate — ZUFE does not publish a minimum TOEFL or IELTS score on its English pages, so ask the office what your program accepts. Students below HSK 4 who want a Chinese-taught degree are advised to take 6–12 months of intensive Chinese first. Applications are accepted year-round through the online system at zufe.at0086.cn; SIES says a pre-admission offer is normally issued within two weeks of a complete application, and the offer states which fees (the RMB 500 application fee and a deposit) must then be paid. Doctoral study is offered only in statistics and is taught in Chinese.

Degree programs

Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.

Non-degree programs

Documents to prepare

Application timeline

These are the dates Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics 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.

ZUFE’s scholarship pages list two schemes for international students: the Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship and the university’s own ZUFE Scholarship, which works as a tuition waiver. Neither SIES’s English scholarship pages nor the university’s Fees and Scholarship page list a Chinese Government (CSC) scholarship channel, so ask the office before applying through CSC. University scholarship applications generally run from March to July each year; new students apply through the online application system and current students submit the form to the SIES office. Awards are for one year and are re-assessed annually on academic results and conduct.

ZUFE’s research concentrates on applied economics, public finance, regulation, finance and statistics. Over the most recent five-year period cited on its Research Overview page, it reports 247 national research projects, 501 provincial and ministerial projects, 46 provincial or ministerial research awards, 1,143 high-level papers (426 in Level-A journals) and about 700 papers indexed in SCI, SSCI, A&HCI and EI. Four ZUFE faculty members have received the Sun Yefang Economics Science Prize, which the university calls the highest honour for China’s economists, and it runs a post-doctoral center in applied economics.

ZUFE reports partnerships with 135 universities and institutions in 33 countries and regions (the SIES page gives 137). It runs four Sino-foreign joint programs — undergraduate programs in accounting with Laurentian University (Canada), finance with Bangor University (UK) and marketing with the University of Toledo (USA), and a graduate program in applied finance with Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand) — and sends Chinese students on exchanges across Europe, Asia and North America. International students at ZUFE come from more than 70 countries and regions.

ZUFE’s strongest selling point for careers is its regional reputation: the university reports ranking 1st in Zhejiang Province for graduate employability, 2nd for graduate average salary, and 9th in China for the number of graduates serving as CFOs of A-share listed companies. For international students specifically, SIES says its programs are linked with more than 30 enterprises such as Alibaba for internships, and its students have won national bronze and provincial gold and silver awards in the “Internet+” innovation and entrepreneurship competition. ZUFE does not publish employment statistics for its international graduates.

International students live and study on the Xiasha campus at 18 Xueyuan Street in Hangzhou’s Xiasha Higher Education Zone, where SIES has its office. The university provides furnished single and double rooms for international students in the Taoli (桃李) residential area; rooms have an air-conditioner, refrigerator and washing machine, and water, electricity and internet are paid separately. Students may live off campus at market rates with the university’s approval. SIES runs Chinese-culture events such as the annual “Dream Zhejiang” performance and song competition and study trips around Zhejiang.

Accommodation

Dining

ZUFE’s English pages do not describe the canteens or give meal prices; ask SIES about dining options on the Xiasha campus.

Facilities

Reach the School of International Education and Studies (SIES), Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics — Admission Office (Ms Chen / Mr Wang) for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Hangzhou.