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Study at Henan University: The Exam-Hall Campus, Kaifeng or Zhengzhou

Universities
Sep 23, 2026
The great auditorium of Henan University on the Minglun campus in Kaifeng under a blue sky

To study at Henan University is to enrol at a school that began on the grounds of an imperial examination hall. It opened in 1912, in Kaifeng, on the eastern half of the old Henan provincial exam compound, where Qing-dynasty candidates once sat in cells for days to earn an official post (Henan University, n.d.). It is not a Project 211 or 985 school. Still, it has been on the Double First-Class list since 2017, with biology as its listed discipline. And there is a question most profiles skip: which of its two cities will you actually live in? This guide answers that, then covers fees, the language bar and scholarships.

Quick Links Before You Study at Henan University

Why Study at Henan University: a Campus Older Than Its Labels

From exam hall to university

The school started life as the Henan Preparatory School for Study in Europe and America. Its job was blunt: get young Henanese ready to study abroad. It became Zhongzhou University in 1923, took the name Henan University in 1930 and went national in 1942. Then the 1950s reorganisation split it apart. Its agriculture and medicine faculties left to form separate universities, and the name itself vanished until 1984 (Henan University, n.d.).

What survived is the campus. The early buildings on Minglun Street — the great auditorium, the south gate, Buildings 6 and 7, the east and west dormitory halls — mix Chinese official architecture with Western columns and windows. In 2006 the State Council listed them as a national key cultural relics site. Few students anywhere attend lectures inside a protected monument. Here, some do.

Double First-Class status, without 211

Agents who sort schools by 211 status will skip Henan University, because the 211 list never included it. The newer scheme did. Biology entered the first Double First-Class round in 2017 and kept its place in the second round, published on 14 February 2022 (Ministry of Education et al., 2022). Only two universities in Henan made that list at all. So if your sponsor recognises Double First-Class, this is a current-list school. If it reads only the old 211 list, check first. Our overview of top universities in China explains how the two systems fit together.

Where the strength sits

The biology listing rests on crop science. The university runs a province–ministry state key laboratory for crop stress adaptation and improvement, alongside a national key laboratory for cotton biology and breeding. In plain terms, it studies how wheat and cotton survive drought, heat and salt — no small thing in China’s largest grain province. History, archaeology and Chinese literature are the other old strengths, which fits a school sitting in a former imperial capital.

Kaifeng or Zhengzhou: Where You Will Study at Henan University

This is the question to settle before you pick a major. The university lists three campuses: Minglun and Jinming in Kaifeng, and Longzihu in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital (Henan University School of International Education, 2025). Roughly speaking, the newer Zhengzhou campus took on medicine, life sciences, business and graduate schools as it opened from 2021. Meanwhile, the humanities stayed largely in Kaifeng. That split is a pattern, not a rule, so ask the admissions office which campus your programme uses.

  • Kaifeng — a small, slow former Song-dynasty capital. Cheap, walkable, heavy with history. Fewer internships.
  • Zhengzhou — a big rail hub with a growing tech and logistics economy. Newer buildings, more city, more cost. Our Zhengzhou city guide covers it.

Admissions: How to Apply to Henan University

Programmes and language requirements

The 2025–2026 undergraduate guide lists 31 programmes. Almost all are taught in Chinese; English is the main exception. Clinical medicine and stomatology run as five-year classes for international students only. For Chinese-taught degrees the entry bar is HSK 4. For English-taught ones it is IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 86, unless English is your native or official language. Applicants should generally be 25 or younger and hold a high-school diploma (Henan University School of International Education, 2025).

Documents and deadlines

  • Passport valid for more than one year.
  • Notarised high-school diploma and transcript, with translations if not in Chinese or English.
  • A study plan of at least 400 words, in the language of the programme.
  • The Foreigner Physical Examination Form, complete and valid for six months.
  • A police clearance certificate, dated within six months.
  • A financial guarantee letter with the guarantor’s deposit certificate.

The last undergraduate deadline was 1 June 2025, and offer letters went out electronically in early July. The university posts no paper JW202 forms; you download it yourself. The 2027 guide is not out yet, so treat those dates as a pattern and check again in spring.

Tuition and Scholarships at Henan University

What a year costs

Tuition depends on the discipline group. Published annual rates for Chinese-taught undergraduates are (Henan University School of International Education, 2025):

  • Liberal arts — 16,000 CNY.
  • Science, engineering, agriculture, sport and art — 17,600 CNY.
  • Medicine — 27,000 CNY.
  • Preparatory (foundation) year — 16,000 CNY.

On top of that come a four-bed dorm at 3,000 CNY a year, insurance at 800, the residence permit at 400, a one-off 800 CNY registration fee and about 350 for the medical check. So a liberal-arts student pays around 21,000 CNY in the first year before food. That is one of the lower totals for a Double First-Class school anywhere in China. Note the fine print, though: dorm places are limited and assigned by the university.

Scholarship options

  • Chinese Government Scholarship, Type B — for master’s and PhD applicants, under agency code 10475. The 2026/27 round closed on 16 January 2026, and it asked for HSK 5 at 180 or more for Chinese-taught study (Henan University School of International Education, 2025b).
  • Henan Excellent International Students Scholarship — the provincial award. Its 2023 terms covered tuition and a dorm place, plus 1,500 CNY a month for master’s and 2,000 for PhD students (Henan University School of International Education, 2023).
  • International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship — for Chinese-language study, announced each spring.

Our guide to scholarships in China explains how the national and provincial tracks differ.

Living in Kaifeng as an International Student

A small city with a long memory

Kaifeng was the Northern Song capital a thousand years ago, and it feels like a city living off that name. The Iron Pagoda stands just north of the old campus. The night market at Gulou sells soup dumplings and peanut cake late into the evening. Weekends are easy: the Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden rebuilds the Song city from a famous scroll painting, a short ride away.

Cost of living

Kaifeng is cheap by any Chinese standard. Canteen meals rarely pass 20 CNY, and most students walk or cycle. Zhengzhou costs more, but it is still far below Beijing or Shanghai. Honestly, the budget risk is not rent here; it is travel, because Henan is worth exploring. Our Henan province guide lists the trips most students take.

Getting around

Kaifeng and Zhengzhou are close, with rail and an expressway between them. Zhengzhou East is one of the country’s biggest high-speed hubs, so Beijing, Xi’an and Wuhan are all a few hours out. Luoyang and the Shaolin Temple are day-trip distance too. Payments are cashless, so set up mobile pay in week one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Henan University a 211 university?

No. It is neither 211 nor 985. It is a Double First-Class university, listed for biology in 2017 and again in 2022.

Is it the same as Zhengzhou University?

No. Zhengzhou University is the province’s 211 school. Henan University is older and separate, though it now has a Zhengzhou campus too.

What HSK level do I need?

HSK 4 for Chinese-taught undergraduate degrees. The CSC postgraduate route asks for HSK 5 at 180 or above.

How much does it cost to study at Henan University?

16,000–27,000 CNY a year in tuition, depending on the subject. Housing and fees add roughly 5,000 CNY in the first year.

Can I visit the historic campus?

Campus access rules change, so bring your passport and expect a gate check. The auditorium and south gate are the pieces worth seeing.

Conclusion: Is It Worth It to Study at Henan University?

For a student who wants low fees, a real historic campus and a Chinese-taught degree, the case is good. For a biologist or crop scientist it is better than good, since that is where the national listing sits. The two catches are the missing 211 badge and the campus lottery between Kaifeng and Zhengzhou. Resolve both before you apply. Then, once the offer arrives, our China student visa guide covers the next step.

References