Sun Yat-sen University campus
Guangzhou, China
Photo: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)

Sun Yat-sen University

Guangzhou·public

#=276

QS Rank

4%

Intl. students

$4,000

Tuition/yr

65,000

Enrollment

15.5:1

Student:Faculty

About Sun Yat-sen University

Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) is a public research university founded in 1924 in Guangzhou, China, ranked 65th globally by ARWU 2025.

Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), known in Chinese as Zhongshan University, is a public comprehensive research university founded in 1924 by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. It is designated a Double First-Class university by the Chinese government and operates five campuses across Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Shenzhen, enrolling approximately 65,000 students.

SYSU has particular academic strengths in medicine, life sciences, chemistry, and marine sciences, and operates ten affiliated hospitals including some of China's top-ranked clinical facilities. Eighteen of its disciplines rank in the top one percent globally according to the Essential Science Indicators (ESI), and the university has collaborative agreements with over 240 institutions across 39 countries.

The main Guangzhou campuses sit in a major metropolitan area offering direct access to one of China's largest urban economies. The Zhuhai campus focuses on deep-sea, deep-space, and deep-earth sciences, while the Shenzhen campus concentrates on new medicine, engineering, and agriculture, giving students exposure to China's most dynamic technology and manufacturing regions.

World University Rankings

QS World University Rankings (2026)#=276
Times Higher Education (THE) (2025)#201–250
ARWU / Shanghai Rankings (2024)#65

For Nepali students

  • SYSU is one of China's most affordable research-intensive universities for international students: annual undergraduate tuition ranges from approximately CNY 26,000 (~USD 3,600) for humanities to CNY 33,800 (~USD 4,700) for science and engineering programs, and CNY 48,000 (~USD 6,600) for medicine, significantly lower than equivalent-ranked universities in the UK, Australia, or Canada.
  • Nepali students can apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) through SYSU's institution code 10558, which covers full tuition, campus accommodation, and provides a monthly living stipend of CNY 2,500 for undergraduates and CNY 3,000 for postgraduates, making a degree here potentially free of cost.
  • SYSU's strengths in medicine, life sciences, and engineering align well with popular Nepali study choices, and its MBBS and clinical medicine programs are accredited for graduates to sit medical licensing exams in multiple countries including Nepal through the Nepal Medical Council verification process.
  • China offers a post-study work permit for graduates who secure employment, and SYSU's Guangzhou location, a major hub for South and Southeast Asian trade, provides networking opportunities relevant to Nepali students interested in business, supply chain, or manufacturing sectors.

Programs(10)

Bachelor's~$4k/yr

BSc Computer Science

Computer Science & IT
Bachelor's~$4k/yr

BEng Civil Engineering

Engineering
Bachelor's~$4k/yr

MSc Data Science and Big Data Technology

Data Science & Analytics
Master's~$4k/yr

MSc Public Health

Nursing & Health Sciences
Master's~$4k/yr
Master's~$4k/yr

MSc Environmental Science

Engineering
Master's~$4k/yr

PhD Biomedical Sciences

Engineering
PhD~$4k/yr
PhD~$4k/yr

MSc Electrical Engineering

Engineering
Master's~$4k/yr

Data last verified from official sources · Disclaimer

Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents

A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:

GPA 3.060%+ in NEB +2, B+ average in Cambridge A-levels, or Second Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.370%+ in NEB +2 or First Division in a TU bachelor's degree.
GPA 3.675%+ in NEB +2 or First Division with Distinction in a TU bachelor's degree.
IELTS 6.5The most common graduate minimum — achievable with 2–3 months of focused preparation. IELTS 7.0+ needed for the most competitive programs.

Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.

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