study in Shanghai
China's business and financial centre — the most internationally connected city in the country, with universities and graduate routes to match.
Shanghai is where China meets the rest of the world in business. It has the largest concentration of international companies in the country, the biggest foreign community, and a set of universities — Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Tongji — that compete directly with Beijing's.
For a student thinking about working in China afterwards, it is probably the single best-positioned city: the employers who hire foreign graduates are disproportionately here, and the municipality has been among the most active in creating routes for international graduates of its own universities.
It is also, with Beijing, the most expensive place to study in China. And the same caveat applies as everywhere: the roles that exist for foreign graduates are overwhelmingly roles that require working Chinese.
Three major research universities, with substantial English-taught provision at graduate level.
Fudan University
Medicine, economics, journalism and the sciences; among China's most selective.Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Engineering, naval architecture, computer science and a large medical school.Tongji University
Civil engineering, architecture and urban planning, with historic German ties.Shanghai matches Beijing at the top of the cost range. The argument for paying it is the graduate job market and the municipal routes — an argument that only applies if you intend to stay and can work in Chinese.
Against the other cities we cover in China, Shanghai is one of the more expensive. That is our reading of this country’s own spread, not a published index.
Living costs across China run roughly CNY 2,000–4,500 a month — Shanghai sits at the top of that range.
The practical texture of the place — what a week actually looks like.
Climate
Humid subtropical — hot, wet summers and cool, damp winters. Milder than Beijing, and wetter.
Getting around
An extensive metro and the most walkable central districts of any large Chinese city. Cycling is practical in the older areas.
Housing
University dormitories where available; the private market is the most expensive in China. Confirm your dormitory place before arrival.
Working
The national rule applies — university approval plus an Exit-Entry endorsement for any off-campus work.
Language
The most English-friendly large city in China, and still not an English-speaking one. Shanghainese coexists with Mandarin locally.
After graduation
Shanghai has been among the most active municipalities in opening routes for international graduates of its universities. Check the current terms directly — they are revised.
There is no national post-study route in China. Instead: some cities including Shanghai, Beijing and parts of Guangdong have introduced easier work routes and internship allowances for international graduates of Chinese universities
Shanghai is the clearest example of what that means in practice. The concentration of international employers, plus municipal arrangements for graduates of local universities, makes it the most realistic place in China to convert a degree into a job. It is also where that conversion still requires working Chinese, a job offer before your student status ends, and an employer willing to sponsor a work permit. Treat the city as improving your odds, not as removing the requirement.
Shanghai is one of 4 cities we cover in China. Tap any pin to compare — the city you pick moves your total cost more than almost any other choice you make.