Beijing Normal University

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About Beijing Normal University

Beijing Normal University (BNU) traces its origin to the teacher-training department of the Imperial University of Peking, set up in 1902. It became independent in 1908 and took its present name in 1949.^[1] In 1952 Fu Jen Catholic University was merged into it; that university’s Shichahai site became BNU’s Northern Campus.^[1]

BNU is a public university affiliated with the Ministry of Education and co-funded by the Beijing Municipal Government. It belongs to Project 211, Project 985 and the Double First-Class programme, the Chinese government schemes that fund selected universities.^[1] Its main campus is in Haidian District, with further campuses in Changping and Xicheng in Beijing and a Zhuhai campus in Guangdong.^[1] The Zhuhai campus teaches at least one international bachelor’s major, Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages.^[6]

The university is best known for education and the humanities: QS lists it first in China for Education and Training (2025 subject ranking), according to Wikipedia.^[1]

How is Beijing Normal University ranked?

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026, Beijing Normal University is ranked 237th in the world. In 2026 it was 247th, so it rose by 10 places.^[2] We could not read the QS table itself (topuniversities.com blocks automated access), so this figure comes from a ranking aggregator that republishes it. Wikipedia’s ranking table shows the same number, 237, but labels it “2026”; the aggregator’s year-by-year table places it in the 2027 edition.^[1][2]

Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Beijing Normal University?

For international applicants BNU offers programmes at three levels:

• Bachelor’s: 40 majors, all taught in Chinese, lasting four years. Each major has its own language and entrance-test requirements in the Major Catalog.^[3][6]
• Master’s and PhD: a wide range of Chinese-taught programmes; academic Chinese-taught master’s degrees last three years, professional and English-taught ones two years, and PhDs three years (four for Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages).^[4]
• Non-degree study: Chinese-language, undergraduate credit (for students already in their second year or above at home), graduate credit and research programmes.^[7]

English-taught master’s programmes

The list above is the master’s English-taught page; it names these schools and programmes, each two years.^[5] English-taught PhD programmes exist in Education, Environmental Science and Engineering, Business (International Development) and Journalism and Communication.^[8]

How much does Beijing Normal University cost for international students?

These are the fees in the 2026 admission brochures and the Major Catalog.^[3][4][6] The undergraduate brochure also lists RMB 12,400 per semester for humanities and social sciences and RMB 14,250 for science, engineering and arts; two semesters of RMB 12,400 do not add up to the RMB 24,000 stated per year, so ask the admissions office which figure is charged.^[3]

The master’s brochure gives RMB 65,000 for two years for International Chinese Language Education (a Chinese-taught programme), and the English-taught tables give RMB 60,000 (master’s) and RMB 98,000 (PhD) as totals.^[4][5][8] Students on the non-degree undergraduate credit programme pay RMB 22,400 (liberal arts) or RMB 25,300 (science, engineering, arts, P.E.) per academic year.^[7]

Other costs and scholarships

The application fee is RMB 500 for bachelor’s and RMB 600 for master’s and PhD, and it is not refunded.^[3][4] The Beijing campus has international student dormitories (single, double and other rooms); on the Zhuhai campus a place costs RMB 7,500 per person per academic year.^[3][4] BNU lists the Chinese Government Scholarship, the Beijing Government Scholarship and its own BNU scholarships; apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship through the China Scholarship Council (CSC).^[3][4] For rent and living costs in Beijing, see our Study in China guide.

How do you apply to Beijing Normal University?

All applications go through BNU’s online application system for international students at international.bnu.edu.cn.^[3][4]

• Bachelor’s: you must be a non-Chinese citizen aged 18 to 40 with a high-school certificate or higher. You submit the form online, pay the fee, mail the paper documents after the first review and take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA), a standardised test run by the China Scholarship Council, plus an interview. You can apply for two majors.^[3]
• Master’s and PhD: a bachelor’s degree (master’s) or a master’s degree (PhD) is required, and you need two recommendation letters from associate professors or higher. Applicants who have a degree verification report from CSSD or CSCSE, the Chinese degree-verification centres, do not need to mail paper documents.^[4]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year; the 2026 brochures set their own application windows, and a new brochure is published each autumn. Check the current brochure before you start. Admitted students apply for an X1 student visa with the Admission Notice and the JW201/202 form.^[4]

Which language level do you need?

HSK is the Chinese proficiency test; its levels run from 1 to 6. For the Chinese-taught bachelor’s you need HSK 5 with at least 180 points, or HSK 4 with 180 for Chinese as a Second Language and Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages.^[3] The HSK certificate must be dated no earlier than 1 November 2023 in the 2026 round.^[3]

For Chinese-taught master’s programmes the minimum is 195 points in HSK 5 in most schools, 210 in HSK 5 for the School of Chinese Language and Literature, and 220 in HSK 6 plus 65 in HSKK (the spoken test) Advanced for International Chinese Language Education; PhD applicants need 195 or 210 in HSK 5, or 240 in HSK 6 plus HSKK for the latter.^[4]

For English-taught programmes, applicants from non-English-speaking countries must prove English proficiency; each programme sets its own score in the English-taught programme list. Applicants whose previous degree was taught fully in English need a supporting certificate instead of IELTS or TOEFL.^[4]

More about studying in China

• China: best universities
• Study in China: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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