Top Universities in Xiamen for International Students

September 16, 2026 · CSCA Gateway Team

Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, is led by Xiamen University — founded by overseas Chinese businessman Tan Kah Kee — and has a long history as a popular destination for overseas Chinese students, including from Indonesia.

1. Xiamen University (厦门大学)

Founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng) — the first university in modern Chinese history founded by an overseas Chinese individual. A Project 985 and 211 member. QS 2026: #341 globally; ARWU: #101-150 band; EduRank 2026: #437 globally, #27 in China. Strong in Economics (Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics), Accounting, and Ocean Sciences. Admits around 2,500-2,700 international students out of ~40,000 total — one of China’s top destinations for overseas Chinese and international students, partly due to its founding mission and Fujian’s close ties to the overseas Chinese community.

2. Huaqiao University (华侨大学)

Founded in 1960, specifically established (with Premier Zhou Enlai’s backing) to educate overseas Chinese students from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia — including Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Not a 985/211 member, but that’s exactly its core strength: one of China’s largest recruiters of overseas Chinese/international students (campuses in Xiamen and Quanzhou). A particularly good fit for the Indonesian-Chinese diaspora audience.

How This Relates to CSCA

Xiamen University weighs CSCA Mathematics scores strictly for its economics/accounting majors, plus Chemistry/Physics for ocean science majors. Huaqiao University, given its mission for overseas Chinese students, is generally more flexible on scores but still values solid Chinese language proficiency.