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Study at the China Academy of Art: Portfolio, Then Interview

Universities
Nov 6, 2026
Study at the China Academy of Art: Portfolio, Then Interview

To study at the China Academy of Art is to apply to an art school that, for the 2026 intake, never asked international applicants to fly in for an exam. Known at home as 国美 (Guomei), the academy opened on 26 March 1928 on Gushan, the small island in Hangzhou’s West Lake. Cai Yuanpei founded it, and the painter Lin Fengmian was its first president. It took its current name in November 1993 (Information Office of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, 2016). It is not a 985 or 211 university. Even so, the Ministry of Education’s 2022 Double First-Class list names it for one discipline: Fine Arts (美术学) (Ministry of Education, 2022).

Here is the doubt this guide answers. Most people hear that Chinese art academies want fluent Chinese and a gruelling on-site drawing test. For CAA, the 2026 brochures said something different. The bachelor’s route asked for HSK 4, CSCA scores, a portfolio and an online interview (China Academy of Art [CAA], 2026a). Below we compare that route with Beijing’s, then cover fees, scholarships, housing and the campus itself.

Quick Links Before You Study at the China Academy of Art

Why Study at the China Academy of Art: The West Lake School

Double First-Class in Fine Arts, not 211

The list in question is 教研函〔2022〕1号, issued in February 2022. Its line for the academy is short: 中国美术学院：美术学 (Ministry of Education, 2022). So CAA holds Fine Arts only. By contrast, the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing holds both Fine Arts and Design. Does that make CAA the lesser school? Not really. In Zhejiang, only two other universities made the 2022 list: Zhejiang University and Ningbo University. Our guide to China’s 985, 211 and Double First-Class universities explains why a discipline-level listing still carries weight.

From an island in West Lake to five campuses

The school started small, in a garden on Gushan. Today it is spread out. The 2026 master’s brochure lists four campuses in Hangzhou, at Nanshan, Xiangshan, Liangzhu and Xianghu, plus a fifth at Zhangjiang in Shanghai (CAA, 2025b). Which one you live on depends on your major. Honestly, check this before you choose, since Xiangshan and Liangzhu are a long ride apart.

More than ink and oil

The 2026 bachelor’s catalogue opened 33 numbered majors and directions to international students (CAA, 2026a). They include:

  • Chinese painting in three tracks: figure, landscape, and birds and flowers.
  • Calligraphy and seal carving, sculpture, painting, photography and fibre art.
  • Intermedia art, digital media, visual communication, product and fashion design.
  • Architecture, landscape architecture, animation, film, and art history.

Most run four years. Sculpture and architecture take five. If you want the background to ink painting and calligraphy first, our overview of Chinese art is a good warm-up.

How to Apply to Study at the China Academy of Art

The bachelor’s route: file, CSCA, then an online interview

The 2026 deadline was 31 March 2026, later extended to 30 April 2026 (CAA, 2026a). Everything went through the online system. The core papers were:

  • A passport valid beyond 30 September 2026, and a high-school diploma by 1 September 2026.
  • CSCA scores in Professional Chinese (Liberal Arts) and Mathematics.
  • HSK 4 with at least 180 points, and a listening score of at least 70.
  • A portfolio, a physical examination form and a no-criminal-record certificate.

Our explainer on China’s CSCA exam covers that test. After that, the school reviewed files and invited those who passed to an online interview. A pre-admission letter followed within a month. Self-funded students then had to prepay the first year’s tuition to hold their place. Note one more rule. If a parent is or was a Chinese citizen, extra residence and nationality conditions apply, so read that section of the brochure closely.

What the portfolio has to show

Each major sets its own pack. For example, landscape painting wanted copies of classical landscapes, your own landscape work, and calligraphy or sketches. Calligraphy and seal carving wanted copies and original work in at least three scripts, plus seal carvings. Painting asked for colour work, drawing and sketches. Art history wanted an essay of at least 3,000 characters instead (CAA, 2026a). In other words, the work you send does the job that Beijing’s drawing exam does.

Master’s and PhD: video interviews, plus one English route

Graduate applicants also faced a file review and then a video interview. The 2026 master’s deadline was 31 December 2025, extended to 28 February 2026. It asked for HSK 4 at the same 180 mark, a study plan in Chinese of at least 2,000 characters, and two letters from professors or associate professors (CAA, 2025b). Theory directions, such as art history or design theory, needed no portfolio. The Chinese-taught PhD had a 1 March 2026 deadline, later moved to 1 May 2026, again with HSK 4 (CAA, 2025c).

Then there is the surprise. In April 2026 the academy posted a separate PhD brochure taught in English. It said earlier doctoral programmes ran in Chinese, but this batch would be delivered in English. The programme lasts three years, the deadline was 20 June 2026, and applicants needed IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 90 (CAA, 2026b). We found no English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degree in the 2026 brochures.

Tuition and Scholarships at CAA

Tuition by level

The 2026 brochures list these yearly fees, each including comprehensive medical insurance:

  • Bachelor’s: RMB 52,000 a year (CAA, 2026a).
  • Master’s: RMB 60,000 a year (CAA, 2025b).
  • PhD, in Chinese or English: RMB 68,000 a year (CAA, 2025c, 2026b).
  • Application fee: RMB 800, non-refundable.

Interestingly, these match CAFA’s 2026 figures exactly. So money will not decide between the two schools. Also, prepaid tuition is generally not refunded, even if your visa or registration later falls through.

Scholarship options

The bachelor’s brochure names the Chinese Government Scholarship in two forms. Type A runs through the scholarship body or Chinese embassy in your country. Type B runs through the university itself. Bachelor’s applicants should generally be under 25, and master’s applicants under 35 (CAA, 2025b, 2026a). Once enrolled, self-funded students may also apply for the Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship and the academy’s own award. Meanwhile, a 2025 rule set up a new scholarship for incoming self-funded master’s and PhD students. It covers full tuition, campus housing and medical insurance, though the number of places is fixed each year (CAA, 2025d). Our guide to scholarships in China explains how these schemes fit together.

Living in Hangzhou While You Study at the China Academy of Art

Housing: on campus in year one

This is where CAA and CAFA really differ. CAFA gave its 2026 degree students no housing at all. CAA, by contrast, expects undergraduates to live in the international student apartments for their first year, in principle (CAA, 2026c). The rates posted in June 2026 were:

  • Liangzhu campus, Building 17, double room: RMB 16,800 per person a year.
  • Xiangshan campus, Shanbei Building 7, single room under 20 m²: RMB 12,000 a year.
  • The same building, single room over 20 m²: RMB 14,400 a year.

Each room has a private bathroom, Wi-Fi and air conditioning. Water, power and internet cost extra. You pay the full year at registration. After year one, you may apply to move off campus, but only to housing that is registered to accept foreign residents.

Hangzhou as a student city

Hangzhou is calmer than Beijing, yet Shanghai is close by train. Our Hangzhou travel guide covers the city, and our West Lake guide covers the lake where the school began. You will not be the only international student in town, either. Zhejiang University sits across the city, which is handy if you want friends outside the studio.

Visiting the Xiangshan Campus

Even if you never apply, Xiangshan is worth the trip for its architecture. Wang Shu designed it while heading the academy’s architecture school. Phase one opened in 2004 and phase two in 2007. For the roofs, he salvaged over two million tiles from demolished traditional houses. In 2012 he won the Pritzker Architecture Prize (The Pritzker Architecture Prize, 2012). Campus access rules can change, so check before you go.

Practical Tips for an International Applicant

  • Watch the listening score. HSK 4 at 180 is not enough on its own; listening must reach 70.
  • Book the CSCA early. The 2026 brochure said it runs five times a year, and bachelor’s files need it.
  • Prepare for the interview like a crit. Be ready to talk through your own portfolio, in Chinese.
  • Check the admissions page from October. When we checked in early November 2026, the 2027 brochures were not yet posted.
  • Short of HSK 4? The academy’s Chinese programme at Xiangshan cost RMB 16,000 a year in 2026, plus fees (CAA, 2025a). Or compare other universities in China.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is the China Academy of Art a 985 or 211 university? No. It holds Double First-Class status for one discipline, Fine Arts, named in February 2022.
  2. What HSK level does CAA ask for? For 2026, HSK 4 with 180 points and a listening score of 70, at every Chinese-taught level.
  3. Do I have to travel to Hangzhou for an exam? Not in 2026. Shortlisted applicants had an online or video interview.
  4. Can I study in English? Only at PhD level, in the 2026 English-taught batch. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees were taught in Chinese.
  5. Does CAA provide a dorm? Yes. In 2026, rooms cost RMB 12,000 to 16,800 a year, and undergraduates lived on campus in year one.

Conclusion: Should You Study at the China Academy of Art?

If you want to study at the China Academy of Art, the trade is fairly clear. You get a Double First-Class Fine Arts school by West Lake, a campus by a Pritzker winner, and a dorm room waiting. In return, you bring HSK 4 with solid listening, CSCA scores, and a portfolio that can carry an interview. Next to Beijing’s route, that bar is arguably lower, though nobody should call it easy. Either way, read the China student visa guide alongside your admission letter.

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