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I studied at universities in the United States and China, the first time in 2015 and the second time in 2025.
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My experience in higher education in China during two different periods showed me how different the systems are.
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The differences in cost, campus culture, and career paths made me rethink American colleges.
I did something very rare: I was an American who went to college in both the United States and China.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Political Science at SUNY and spent the summer of 2015 studying abroad in Wuhan, China. Ten years later, in 2025, I returned to Shijiazhuang, China, to intern at a medical university and complete my second graduate degree in global health.
Experiencing Chinese universities at two different stages of my life, a decade apart, gave me a rare understanding of how the system works and how it has evolved.
I haven’t met any Americans studying in China recently
On my first trip, I was with a group of about 30 American college students. The second time, I was the only one in our group to go.
According to National Public Radio, the number of American students in China has declined since the outbreak. In fact, I haven’t seen an American in the last three months I’ve been in this country.
However, both times I met a lot of African students. They invest heavily and integrate into the Chinese learning and work system.
I noticed that China helped the international students I met succeed
Many international students I interviewed in the United States told me how difficult it was to fit in and find a way to work after school in New York.
In China, I noticed that there was a pathway for international students who wanted to stay, especially those who already had strong Mandarin skills.
The Chinese government and universities are actively working to attract international students to China while also looking for ways to retain graduates.
Campus life is very different from what I experienced in the United States
China’s Internet Firewall can make research difficult, and I’ve seen doctors smoking in classrooms between lectures.
Student life also reflects a different set of norms. Many campuses in China have low tolerance for drugs and alcohol. After class, I saw my friends playing badminton instead of drinking beer.
Technology and security are also everywhere on campus. Students on the campus I studied entered by scanning their faces and were tracked by cameras.
The author has worked with many Chinese students.Courtesy of Catherine Walker
Politics also appear more openly in academic life. Most of the professors and doctors I worked with were active members of the Communist Party and often wore pins on their lapels to indicate this.
As one local friend put it, “having a state means policies don’t change every four years,” which in their view creates a level of stability for the university.
Chinese universities are cheaper and more professional
The two universities I attended in China didn’t have the fancy athletic facilities of most American universities, but many of the students I met didn’t go into debt to study either.
Tuition fees in China are subsidized by the government, especially at public universities. This means it is relatively affordable compared to many Western countries.
In my experience, housing and food costs are also very cheap. I spend $1 a day to eat a healthy lunch on campus. In 2015, my American campus once sold a banana for $1.05.
I also studied a general course in the United States for one year. While I enjoyed taking Bollywood classes as a political science major, the majors offered by many Chinese universities helped better prepare me for the real world. I also saved money by not taking regular classes while in China.
Studying in both systems changed my perspective on education
Not only do I have degrees from multiple countries; I learned about the culture of education. I learned how government affects who can study what and whether they will be successful.
I will always prefer the American academic mentality of questioning everything and forming opinions over the rote learning I saw in China, but I don’t want to go into the working world with so much student loan debt.
I hope more Americans can form their own opinions about China’s education system, which has grown rapidly and will only continue to grow in its own unique way.
Read the original article on Business Insider
