University guide · Beijing

北京外国语大学

Beijing Foreign Studies University BFSU

China's oldest foreign-language university, teaching 101 foreign languages, and known as “the cradle of diplomats”.

  • Founded 1941
  • Ministry of Education university
  • Beijing · Haidian

Checked against official websites · November 2026 · Sources

At a glance

26,000

CNY / year

Tuition for most Chinese-taught bachelor's programmes

Source

HSK 4

180+

Chinese level for the Chinese Language programmes

Source

CSCA

required

Score report required from every bachelor's applicant for 2026 entry

Source

2,500

CNY / month

Living allowance on BFSU's Silk Road scholarship (bachelor's)

Source

Two ways to do a bachelor's degree here

Most international students take one of these two routes. They have different ages, tests and deadlines.

1

Self-funded bachelor's

High-school graduates; under 18 needs BFSU's approval and a guardian in China

  • Tuition 26,000–39,900 CNY a year, depending on the programme
  • Chinese-taught: HSK 4 (180+) for Chinese Language; HSK 5 or higher for most other programmes
  • CSCA score report required
  • Apply online at study.bfsu.edu.cn; 800 CNY non-refundable fee
Source

2

Chinese Government Scholarship (Silk Road, Type B)

Bachelor's applicants aged 25 or under from 10 countries (2026/27 list)

  • Tuition waived, free campus housing (or 700 CNY a month if you rent off campus), 2,500 CNY a month, medical insurance included; travel not covered
  • One programme: Chinese Language (Chinese–foreign language translation), taught in Chinese, 4 years
  • CSCA Chinese and Mathematics; HSK 4 with 180+ exempts you from the CSCA Chinese test
  • Other nationalities: Type A scholarship through the Chinese embassy in your country
Source

Bachelor's programmes and tuition

Tuition is per academic year, in Chinese yuan (CNY). Chinese names are shown so you can match them on the university's application system.

Taught in English · International Business School 6 39,900 CNY / year

Requirement: IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. CSCA Mathematics only. Spring or autumn start.

  • E-commerce 电子商务
  • Business Administration (International Marketing) 工商管理（国际市场营销）
  • Business Administration (Chinese Business Studies) 工商管理（中国商务研究）
  • International Business 国际商务
  • Finance (International Finance) 金融学（国际金融）
  • International Economics and Trade 国际经济与贸易
Taught in English · School of English and International Studies 4 26,000 CNY / year

Requirement: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent (native English speakers exempt). CSCA Mathematics only. Autumn start.

  • English (Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, English Literature, Social and Cultural Studies) 英语（语言学及应用语言学、英语文学、社会与文化研究）
  • English (Country and Area Studies) 英语（国别与区域研究）
  • English (Foreign Language Education) 英语（外语教育）
  • Translation and Interpreting (Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs) 翻译（外交外事高级翻译） Also HSK 6 with 210+ (native Chinese speakers exempt)
Taught in Chinese · Chinese Language and Literature 3 26,000 CNY / year

Requirement: HSK 4 with 180 or more, plus the school's entrance assessment. A valid HSK 4 report exempts you from the CSCA Chinese test; Mathematics is still required.

  • Chinese Language 汉语言
  • Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages 汉语国际教育
  • Chinese Language (Chinese–foreign language translation) 汉语言（汉外翻译） HSK 5 with 180+, and you must be a native speaker of the other language · 28,000 CNY
Taught in Chinese · Business 8 31,000 CNY / year

Requirement: HSK 5 with 180 or more and at least 60 in each part. CSCA Humanities Chinese + Mathematics.

  • E-commerce 电子商务
  • Business Administration (International Marketing) 工商管理（国际市场营销）
  • Business Administration (Chinese Business Studies) 工商管理（中国商务研究）
  • International Business 国际商务
  • Accounting 会计学
  • Information Management and Information Systems (Big Data and Business Analytics) 信息管理与信息系统（大数据与商务分析）
  • Finance (Financial Technology) 金融学（金融科技）
  • International Economics and Trade 国际经济与贸易
Taught in Chinese · Other schools 7 26,000 CNY / year

Requirement: Requirements depend on the programme (see each row). Autumn start.

  • Diplomacy 外交学 HSK 5 with 180+, and IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 70–79 (or from an English-speaking country)
  • Computer Science and Technology (Language Intelligence) 计算机科学与技术（语言智能） HSK 5 with 180+, at least 60 in each part, plus a written test and interview (maths and physics) · CSCA Science Chinese
  • Journalism · Communication Studies 新闻学 · 传播学 HSK 6 with 210+, and IELTS 6.5 or equivalent
  • Arabic · Russian 阿拉伯语 · 俄语 HSK 5 with 180+
  • German 德语 HSK 5 with 180+, plus an interview
  • Zulu · Swahili 祖鲁语 · 斯瓦西里语 HSK 5 with 180+, plus BFSU's own Chinese test (oral and written)
  • Italian 意大利语
Source

Which CSCA subjects are required

Chinese-taught humanities, language and business programmes

Humanities Chinese + Mathematics

Computer Science and Technology (Language Intelligence)

Science Chinese + Mathematics

English-taught programmes

Mathematics only

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

How to apply

Self-funded

  1. Register at study.bfsu.edu.cn (Chinese or English) and upload your documents.
  2. Pay the 800 CNY application fee online, in RMB only (non-refundable).
  3. The Overseas Students Affairs Office checks your file, then your school assesses you (test or interview, depending on the programme). Track progress in the system.
  4. If admitted, you receive the admission letter and JW201/202 visa form by email, about 4–5 weeks after the decision.

Documents: High-school diploma · full high-school transcripts · CSCA score report · HSK or English test certificate · personal statement (500+ words) · passport page · signed student pledge and guarantor letter · employer's consent letter if you work

Scholarship (Type A)

  1. Apply at study.bfsu.edu.cn: Chinese Government Scholarship B › Undergraduate › School of Chinese Language and Literature › Chinese–foreign language translation.
  2. Also apply at campuschina.org (BFSU agency number 10030, Type B, bachelor's) and download your application form.
  3. BFSU reviews your file and emails you about a test; the shortlist is posted on the BFSU website.
  4. The China Scholarship Council reviews BFSU's nominees; BFSU then emails your admission documents.

📅 Dates

For spring 2027 entry, BFSU's application system is open from 15 October to 15 December 2026; only some programmes take spring students. The Silk Road scholarship deadline for 2026/27 was 1 June 2026. The 2027 autumn guide has not been published yet. Source

About the university

BFSU is a national key university under China's Ministry of Education, one of the first Project 211 universities and one of the first Double First-Class universities. It is China's oldest foreign-language university and the one that teaches the most languages: 101 foreign languages, covering the official languages of the 183 countries that have diplomatic relations with China.

Its roots go back to a Russian-language unit founded in Yan'an in 1941. It became Beijing Foreign Languages Institute in 1954 and took its current name in 1994. More than 500 of its graduates have served as ambassadors, which is why it is called “the cradle of diplomats”.

BFSU offers 122 bachelor's programmes, 46 of them found at no other university in China, and has more than 1,200 international students. In 2024 it received an A grade in China's reaccreditation of higher education quality for international students. The university also runs FLTRP, China's largest publisher of foreign-language books.

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

On-campus housing

Single room, shared bathroom60 CNY / day
Single room, private bathroom70–100 CNY / day
Double room, shared bathroom40 CNY / bed / day
Double room, private bathroom70 CNY / bed / day

International student dorms on BFSU's East and West campuses. Rooms are limited, you book online, and semester fees are paid in one go. Medical insurance is compulsory: 800 CNY a year (400 CNY for half a year). Source

Admissions contact

Overseas Students Affairs Office · +86-10-88816549 · study@bfsu.edu.cn

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Checked November 2026.

  1. BFSU · 2026年国际学生本科生招生简章 (2026 undergraduate admissions guide)
  2. BFSU · 2026 Undergraduate Admissions Prospectus for International Students
  3. BFSU · 2026年国际学生本科生招生专业目录 (2026 undergraduate programme catalogue)
  4. BFSU · International Business School admissions
  5. BFSU · School of English and International Studies admissions
  6. BFSU · School of Chinese Language and Literature admissions
  7. BFSU · School of International Relations and Diplomacy admissions
  8. BFSU · School of International Journalism and Communication admissions
  9. BFSU · School of Information Science and Technology admissions
  10. BFSU · School of Arabic Studies admissions
  11. BFSU · School of Russian Studies admissions
  12. BFSU · School of German Studies admissions
  13. BFSU · School of African Studies admissions
  14. BFSU · 2026/2027 Chinese Government Scholarship Silk Road Program guide
  15. BFSU · Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A) application procedure
  16. BFSU · International student room types and fees (3 Jul 2026)
  17. BFSU · Insurance information for international students
  18. BFSU · 北外简介
  19. BFSU · Overview
  20. CSCA official site

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