Cheapest English-Taught Programs in the Greater Bay Area (2027)

You don't need to speak Chinese to study affordably in the Greater Bay Area. The region now offers more than 80 English-taught programs across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau — and some of them cost a fraction of what you'd pay in the West, or even in Hong Kong's priciest universities.

We ranked the cheapest English-taught options in the GBA for the 2027 intake, using real tuition figures from university program listings. All mainland figures are in Chinese yuan (¥), Hong Kong figures in HK$, and Macau figures in MOP.

Bottom line: English-taught bachelor degrees in the GBA start from around ¥25,000/year on the mainland, MOP 80,000/year in Macau, and HK$145,000/year in Hong Kong — with graduate options from as low as ¥5,710–10,000/year.

Cheapest English-Taught Bachelor Degrees

University	Program	Tuition / year
SUSTech (Shenzhen)	Science & Engineering (varies by track)	¥10,000–30,000
GZUCM (Guangzhou)	Chinese Medicine, 5 years	¥25,000
SCUT (Guangzhou)	English-taught Bachelor programs	¥26,000
Shenzhen University	International Economics & Trade	¥26,000
Jinan University	Intl Economics & Trade / Finance / Intl Journalism	¥28,000
Jinan University	Computer Science / Pharmacy / Food Nutrition	¥30,000
GDUFS (Guangzhou)	Business Administration, 4 years	¥33,500–33,800
Jinan University	Clinical Medicine (MBBS), 6 years	¥34,000

SUSTech: the research powerhouse wildcard

Southern University of Science and Technology lists its English-taught Science & Engineering bachelor programs at ¥10,000–30,000/year depending on track and year — a remarkable range given that SUSTech ranks among China's top young universities (#343 in QS World Rankings). Entry is competitive and requires IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 75 / Duolingo 95, with an April 30, 2027 application deadline.

GZUCM: a unique English-taught medicine option

Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine offers a 5-year English-taught Chinese Medicine bachelor at ¥25,000/year — the cheapest fixed-price English-taught bachelor in Guangzhou. Entry requires IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 80 (or HSK 4 for Chinese-taught routes).

Jinan University: the best value portfolio

At ¥28,000–34,000/year, Jinan University runs the GBA's widest English-taught bachelor catalogue: International Economics & Trade, Finance, International Journalism & Communication (all ¥28,000), Computer Science, Pharmacy and Food Nutrition (¥30,000), Accounting with CPA Canada embedded (¥32,000), and a 6-year English-taught Clinical Medicine degree (¥34,000). The entry bar is friendly too: IELTS 5.5 (5.0+) / TOEFL 80 / SAT 1030.

Cheapest English-Taught Master's Degrees

University	Program	Tuition / year
Foshan University	Agriculture (Master, 3 years)	¥5,710–10,000 (est.)
SUSTech	CS / BME / Materials / Physics (Master, 3 years)	¥10,000–30,000
SCUT	Info & Comm Eng / Control Eng / Food Science (Master, 2 years)	¥34,000
HIT-SZ	Computer / Communication / Mechanical / Civil (Master, 3 years)	¥35,000
Sun Yat-sen University	English-taught Master programs (MPA, MBA, Physics...)	¥30,000–55,000
GMU / Shantou University	English-taught Clinical Medicine (MBBS)	¥40,000

Foshan University's English-taught Agriculture master's — listed at an estimated ¥5,710–10,000/year — is the cheapest English-taught graduate program in the entire GBA. Note that for graduate programs, the listed tuition is often further offset by full or partial scholarships (see our GBA scholarships guide).

Hong Kong: Where the English-Taught Floor Sits at HK$145K

Hong Kong universities teach entirely in English, but at a premium. The most affordable entry point is City University of Hong Kong at HK$145,000/year for Business, Engineering, and Science bachelor programs (IELTS 6.5, main-round deadline January 15, 2027). Next come HKBU and Lingnan University at HK$175,000, EdUHK at HK$180,000, PolyU at HK$200,000, CUHK at HK$214,000, HKUST at HK$215,000, and HKU at HK$224,000–249,000. For comparison and decision help, see our Study in Hong Kong guide.

Macau: English Degrees from MOP 80,000

The University of Macau offers English-taught bachelor programs in Arts & Humanities, Business Administration, and Science & Technology at MOP 80,000/year (IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 78). For a bilingual budget option, BNBU in Zhuhai offers fully English-taught bachelor programs at ¥110,000/year with IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 80 entry.

Save Even More: Start with a Foundation Year

If your grades or English aren't quite at degree level yet, SCUT's International Foundation Program (1 year, English-taught) costs just ¥18,000/year — the cheapest English-medium year in the GBA — and pathways into SCUT's degree programs. Learn more in our foundation program guide.

Key Takeaways

• Cheapest fixed-price English-taught bachelor: GZUCM Chinese Medicine at ¥25,000/year
• Cheapest English-taught master: Foshan University Agriculture at ¥5,710–10,000/year (est.)
• Cheapest Hong Kong option: CityU at HK$145,000/year
• Cheapest Macau option: University of Macau at MOP 80,000/year
• Lowest English-entry requirement: Jinan University at IELTS 5.5 (5.0+)

Tuition figures are quoted from current university listings and may change for the 2027 intake. For more low-cost picks (including Chinese-taught routes from ¥5,050/year), see our cheapest cities in the GBA ranking, and browse all English-taught options on our programs page.