Wuhan University
武汉大学
A comprehensive university on Luojia Hill by East Lake, famed for its 1930s palace-style campus and cherry blossoms.
- Students
- 49,045
- International
- 6%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 13.5:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- CN¥20,000
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1893
About WHU
Wuhan University traces its origins to the Ziqiang Institute, founded in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, the late-Qing governor of Hubei and Hunan. It took the name National Wuhan University in 1928, making it one of China's first national universities, and by 1946 had schools of arts, law, science, engineering, agriculture and medicine. In 2000 it merged with Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping and Hubei Medical University to form today's university.
WHU is a key comprehensive university under the Ministry of Education and part of the 985, 211 and Double First-Class programs. It covers 13 disciplinary categories across six faculties and 42 schools, with 131 undergraduate majors, three top-grade affiliated hospitals and 11 Double First-Class disciplines. Its schools range from remote sensing, geodesy and water resources engineering, inherited partly through the 2000 merger, to law, economics and medicine, and its researchers have worked on the Three Gorges project and the BeiDou navigation system.
The campus sits between East Lake and Luojia Hill, and 26 of its early buildings, a palace-style Sino-Western complex, are protected national cultural relics. Most undergraduate teaching for international students is in Chinese, with a small set of English-taught degrees. WHU suits students who want a large, research-heavy Chinese university with a genuinely beautiful campus in a major central-China city.
自强 弘毅 求是 拓新
“Self-improvement, Perseverance, Truth-seeking, Innovation” — university motto
Why students choose WHU
Four English-taught bachelor's degrees are offered, in Clinical Medicine, Software Engineering, Economics and Management, alongside many Chinese-taught majors.
The Economics and Management School traces business teaching back to the 1893 Ziqiang Institute and teaches its international Economics and Management programs fully in English with original English textbooks.
Undergraduate tuition for international students runs from 20,000 yuan a year (Chinese-taught liberal arts) to 40,000 yuan (English-taught medicine), with on-campus housing arranged for new students.
WHU is often called one of China's most beautiful campuses, with early Sino-Western buildings and cherry trees first planted in 1939.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 entry (the university's 2027 international admissions guide had not been published at verification; dates below are from the 2026 guide)
Selectivity
Wuhan University does not publish an admission rate for international undergraduates. Applicants are selected on documents (transcripts, CSCA results and language certificates) followed by an interview and entrance exam; outstanding applicants may be exempted from the interview.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma (or proof of impending graduation) and transcripts | Applicants generally 18 to 30 years old; under-18s need a guardian in China |
|---|---|
| CSCA (China Scholastic Competency Assessment) | Required from 2026; subjects depend on the program (see test policy). Scores are used for admission and scholarship decisions. |
| HSK (Chinese-taught programs) | New HSK 4 with 180 or more points |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 80 English-taught programs: TOEFL 80+, TOEFL Essential 8+ or IELTS 6.0+. Native English speakers or those with previous English-medium degrees may be exempted with university approval. |
Deadlines
- Autumn 2026 entry (self-funded) - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding PassedJune 30, 2026 (closed)
This was the previous cycle: the window ran October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The autumn 2027 window had not been announced as of September 29, 2026 (the latest guide on the admissions site is still the 2026 guide); a similar October-to-June window would be expected, but check the admissions site.
- Spring semester 2027 (self-funded) Non-bindingDecember 2026
The 2026 guide gives the spring 2027 window as October to December 2026, without exact days.
- Chinese Government Scholarship, Bilateral Program (Type A) Non-bindingUsually between early December and end of March (set by your home country)
Apply through your country's dispatching authority, usually the Chinese embassy or consulate. Undergraduate scholars must take Chinese-taught programs.
The 2027 admissions guide had not been published as of September 29, 2026. The last published cycle (2026 guide) had a long rolling window for autumn entry (October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026), now closed. Expect the 2027 guide in late 2026; applying early helps because CSCA results take one to two weeks and test dates are limited.
How to apply
Apply online at admission.whu.edu.cn and upload: passport, high school diploma or proof of impending graduation, transcripts, CSCA score report, HSK report (Chinese-taught) or English test (English-taught), a bank statement of at least US$5,000 and a physical examination report. Shortlisted applicants take an interview and entrance exam. Application fee: 800 yuan (or US$111).
What admissions looks for
- A completed high school education with strong transcripts.
- CSCA results in the subjects required for your program; the university uses them for both admission and scholarship decisions.
- Language readiness: new HSK 4 (180+) for Chinese-taught programs, or TOEFL 80 / IELTS 6.0 for English-taught ones.
- A good performance in the interview and entrance exam, unless you are exempted as an outstanding applicant.
Tips for applying to WHU
- 1 Book the CSCA early: in 2025-26 it ran in December, April and June for Asia-Pacific and January and March for Europe, Africa and the Americas.
- 2 Check which CSCA subjects your major needs: physics for maths, computer science and engineering; chemistry for chemistry, biology and medicine.
- 3 If you want a Chinese Government Scholarship as an undergraduate, plan to study in Chinese: Type A undergraduate scholars must take Chinese-taught programs, and need HSK 3 or above.
- 4 Prepare a bank statement showing at least US$5,000 and a recent physical examination report; both are required documents.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CNY
Chinese Government Scholarships are available through the Bilateral Program (Type A, applied for via your home country's dispatching authority, usually from December to March) and university-recommended Type B programs such as the Belt and Road program. Scholarship undergraduates must take Chinese-taught programs, and CSCA scores are used in scholarship evaluation.
- 800 yuan (or US$111)
- Application fee
- 1,000 yuan a year
- Insurance
- 13,000 to 16,000 yuan a year
- On-campus housing (Campus of Humanities and Science)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters (autumn and spring intakes)
Clinical Medicine (English-taught)
One of WHU's four English-taught bachelor's degrees; 40,000 yuan a year and a CSCA physics requirement.
Software Engineering (English-taught)
An English-taught computing degree at the university where Xiaomi founder Lei Jun studied computer science.
Economics and Management (English-taught)
Four-year English-taught programs in Economics and in Management, run by the Economics and Management School, WHU's largest school (12,807 students), using original English textbooks.
Remote Sensing and Geomatics
WHU has dedicated schools of remote sensing, geodesy and geomatics, and its research has contributed to the BeiDou satellite navigation system.
Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering
Built on the former Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering; the university took part in research for the Three Gorges project.
Chinese Language (for international students)
Run by the School of International Education, where students with HSK 4 or 5 and a year of prior Chinese study can be placed into the second or third year after an assessment.
Research
- WHU has 7 national key laboratories and 2 national engineering technology research centres (as of March 2026).
- The university took part in major national projects including the Three Gorges Dam and the South-North Water Diversion, and in BeiDou satellite navigation work.
- Its applied results include hybrid rice varieties and high-frequency surface-wave radar.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Information Sciences
- Faculty of Medical Sciences
- Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies
- Economics and Management School
- School of Law
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering
- School of Computer Science
- School of International Education
Student life
WHU's campus wraps around Luojia Hill beside East Lake, and its early buildings, designed largely by F. H. Kales, mix Chinese palace roofs with Western construction. The cherry trees, first planted in 1939 and added to in 1972, 1983 and 1992, bloom across campus each spring. International students are looked after by the School of International Education, which arranges on-campus rooms for new students who register on time. The university says it has over 700,000 alumni, and student activities for international students are run through the school.
- Cherry blossom season each spring on a campus known in China as its most beautiful university.
- 26 early campus buildings are protected as key national cultural relics.
- On-campus accommodation for new international students who register within the specified period.
- Over 700,000 alumni worldwide.
Housing. The School of International Education arranges on-campus rooms for new students; on the Campus of Humanities and Science they range from 13,000 yuan a year (single room in a four-room flat) to 16,000 yuan (single room with balcony).
Location
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, is a large city on the Yangtze River in central China. The university sits in Wuchang district between East Lake and Luojia Hill, a green setting within the city. New international students who register on time are given on-campus rooms arranged by the School of International Education.
Nearest airport: Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH)
Notable alumni
- LJ Lei JunFounder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi; BSc in computer science (1991)
- LW Li WenliangOphthalmologist who warned colleagues about early COVID-19 cases; studied medicine at Wuhan University
- FF Fang FangNovelist known for her literary depictions of the working poor; studied Chinese at Wuhan University from 1978
- CL Chi LiWuhan-based novelist; graduated in Chinese literature (1986)
- YZ Yi ZhongtianHistorian and professor of Chinese literature; BA (1978) and MA (1981) from Wuhan University
- YJ Yang JingyuanWriter and editor at the People's Literature Publishing House; graduate of the Department of Foreign Languages
- SH Sun HongbinFounder and chairman of property developer Sunac; graduated from Wuhan Water Conservancy and Electric Power College, now part of WHU
Frequently asked questions
Does Wuhan University teach undergraduate degrees in English?
Yes, four: Clinical Medicine, Software Engineering, Economics and Management. Most other undergraduate programs are taught in Chinese and require new HSK 4 (180+).
Do I need the CSCA to apply to Wuhan University?
Yes. From 2026 all international undergraduate applicants must take the CSCA. English-taught applicants skip Professional Chinese but still take Mathematics and Chemistry, plus Physics for medicine.
How much is tuition at Wuhan University for international students?
Per year: 20,000 yuan (liberal arts), 24,000 (science and engineering) or 30,000 (medicine) for Chinese-taught degrees, and 23,000, 28,000 or 40,000 yuan for English-taught ones.
What English score does Wuhan University require?
TOEFL 80, TOEFL Essential 8 or IELTS 6.0 for English-taught programs.
Can I get a CSC scholarship for an undergraduate degree at WHU?
Yes, through the Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program via your home country's dispatching authority, but undergraduate scholars must study in Chinese and need at least HSK 3.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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