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Study at Capital Medical University: Beijing’s Hospital-Run MBBS

Universities
Sep 28, 2026
Study at Capital Medical University: Beijing’s Hospital-Run MBBS

To study at Capital Medical University is to pick a medical school by its hospitals rather than its badges. The school opened in 1960 as Beijing Second Medical College and took its current name in 1994 (Capital Medical University, n.d.). It is not a Project 211 school. It is not on the Double First-Class list either. Yet it trains doctors inside some of the busiest hospitals in Beijing. So the real question is simple: does the label matter more than the wards? This guide covers that, plus the new CSCA exam that 2026 applicants now have to sit, the fees and the two teaching routes.

Quick Links Before You Study at Capital Medical University

Why Study at Capital Medical University: the Hospitals Are the Point

No 211 badge, no Double First-Class listing

Start with the awkward part. Capital Medical University is a Beijing municipal university, co-built by the city government, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education. It never joined Project 211. It also did not appear on the second Double First-Class list, published in February 2022 (Ministry of Education et al., 2022). So a sponsor that reads only those two lists will skip it. Our guide to China’s 985 and 211 universities explains what those labels do and do not measure.

Still, labels are not the whole picture. Medical schools in China are often judged by a different yardstick: which hospitals they teach in. On that yardstick, this school does well. Our overview of top universities in China puts the national lists in context.

Twenty-two hospitals behind one medical school

The university runs 23 clinical medical schools across 22 affiliated hospitals, plus 15 teaching hospitals (Capital Medical University, n.d.). Several names will mean something to anyone in Chinese medicine:

  • Xuanwu Hospital — the First Clinical Medical School, known for neurology.
  • Beijing Friendship Hospital — the Second, strong in digestive disease.
  • Beijing Chaoyang Hospital — the Third, big in respiratory medicine.
  • Beijing Tongren Hospital — the Fourth, famous for eye and ENT care.
  • Beijing Tiantan Hospital — the Fifth, a national centre for neurosurgery.
  • Beijing Anzhen Hospital — the Sixth, a heart and lung specialist.

That matters because clinical years happen on hospital wards. A student here sees a very large patient load. Also, 16 of its disciplines sit in the ESI global top 1%, which is a research signal rather than a ranking, but a real one.

On the ministry’s English-taught MBBS list

Only schools on a Ministry of Education list may enrol international students in English-taught undergraduate clinical medicine. The latest public list, for 2023–2024, named 44 universities and 3,048 places. Capital Medical University was on it, with 100 places (Ministry of Education, 2023). A school missing from that list cannot run the programme at all. So check the list before you pay any agent anywhere.

Admissions: How to Apply to Capital Medical University

Two routes, two languages

One detail in the Chinese-taught guide is easy to miss. International clinical medicine students form their own class, but they sit in lectures with Chinese students and take separate exams. In the other majors, they study and sit exams alongside Chinese classmates.

The new CSCA requirement

Here is the change most older guides miss. Both 2026 guides ask for CSCA results, with mathematics compulsory and either physics or chemistry as the second subject. The China Scholarship Council runs the test. Starting in 2026, it sits five times a year, in January, March, April, June and December. One subject costs 450 CNY; two or more cost 700 CNY (Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Mongolia, 2025). In short, book an early sitting. A June score arrives very close to the deadlines below.

On top of the CSCA, the university admits on high-school grades, language level and its own enrolment exam. For Chinese-taught applicants, that exam covered maths, physics and chemistry in mid-June 2026, on site or online.

Eligibility, documents and deadlines

  • Age — 18 to 30, non-Chinese citizen with an ordinary passport.
  • English route — IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 recommended; native speakers and English-medium school leavers can be exempt.
  • Chinese route — HSK 5 or above. Our note on the HSK level for university explains the bands.
  • Health — no colour blindness, a medical form within six months, and blood tests for hepatitis B, HIV, syphilis and TB.
  • Money — a bank deposit certificate of at least 15,000 USD.
  • Other papers — diploma and transcripts, a police clearance within six months, and a guarantor form.

For 2026, the English-taught window closed on 15 August and the Chinese-taught one on 10 June. The 2027 guides are not out yet. So treat those dates as a pattern, not a promise, and check the admissions page from January.

Tuition and Scholarships at Capital Medical University

What a year costs

  • English-taught MBBS — 50,000 CNY a year, paid in full each year.
  • Chinese-taught degrees — 42,000 CNY a year.
  • Dorm, triple room — 7,500 CNY per bed per year.
  • Dorm, double room — 15,000 CNY per bed per year.
  • Insurance — 800, 1,000 or 1,200 CNY a year.

So an MBBS student in a triple room pays roughly 58,000 CNY a year before food. That is mid-range for Beijing, and far below most Western medical degrees. However, campus rooms are limited and go first come, first served. Off-campus rent in Beijing costs much more, so apply early for a bed.

Scholarship options

The undergraduate guides name one award: the Beijing Government Scholarship, run under the city’s own rules. There is no CSC undergraduate track listed for these programmes. Honestly, most MBBS students here pay their own way. Our guide to scholarships in China covers the national and provincial options for later study.

Living in Beijing as an International Student

Campus and housing

The main campus sits in Fengtai, just outside the old Youanmen gate in south-west Beijing. The International School runs its own student apartments nearby, with air conditioning, hot water and Wi-Fi. It is not a leafy campus. It is a working medical district, and that is part of the appeal.

Chinese on the wards

Even on the English route, patients speak Mandarin. Clinical years will likely feel very different if you can take a history in Chinese. So start language classes in year one, not year four. Seriously — this single habit probably shapes your internship more than anything else.

Getting around and city life

The metro reaches most of the big teaching hospitals, and mobile payment covers almost everything. Beijing South railway station is close, which makes weekend trips easy. Our Beijing city guide covers the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Capital Medical University a 211 or Double First-Class school?

No to both. It is a Beijing municipal university with a large affiliated-hospital network.

Is its English-taught MBBS recognised?

It is on the Ministry of Education’s 2023–2024 list of approved English-taught clinical medicine programmes. Check your home country’s licensing body as well.

Do I need the CSCA to study at Capital Medical University?

Yes, for 2026 undergraduate entry: mathematics plus physics or chemistry.

How much does the MBBS cost?

50,000 CNY a year in tuition, plus 7,500–15,000 CNY for a dorm bed.

What HSK level does the Chinese-taught route need?

HSK 5 or above.

Conclusion: Is It Worth It to Study at Capital Medical University?

For a future doctor, probably yes. The hospital network is the real asset, and the ministry list confirms the MBBS is legitimate. The missing 211 badge matters mostly to sponsors, not to patients. The catches are practical: a new exam, a tight timeline and limited dorm beds. Sort those out early. Then, once the offer arrives, our China student visa guide covers the next step.

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