Why ChinaGrad Exists
The UK graduate jobs market has never been more competitive. Over 700,000 graduates are currently unemployed, and a Masters degree has become the new baseline for careers in finance, law, business, and technology. But at £15,000 to £35,000 for a UK Masters, postgraduate education has quietly become a privilege rather than a right.
China's elite universities — ranked among the world's best — are actively recruiting British graduates and funding them to come. The Chinese Government Scholarship covers 100% of tuition, provides free on-campus accommodation, and pays a monthly living stipend of ¥3,000. The total value to a student over two years exceeds £37,000. Not a loan. Not a debt. A full scholarship.
A Masters degree from PKU, Fudan, or SCUT does more than save you money. It gives you something no UK Masters can — genuine fluency in the world's second largest economy, a network built inside China's most elite institutions, and a CV that stands out in every room it enters. Employers increasingly prize China experience precisely because so few Western graduates have it.
ChinaGrad was built because no equivalent service existed for UK students. Our founder navigated this process alone — from application to scholarship to PKU Guanghua admission — and built ChinaGrad so the next generation of UK graduates doesn't have to. We are the only UK-based consultancy dedicated exclusively to placing British graduates into funded Masters degrees at China's top universities.
Our Mission
To open the door to world-class, debt-free postgraduate education in China for every ambitious UK graduate who doesn't know it exists.
We believe that ambition should never be limited by debt. A Masters degree has become essential for careers in finance, law, business, and technology — yet the cost of postgraduate education in the UK has made it inaccessible for thousands of graduates who deserve it.
China's top universities offer a different path. Fully funded. Internationally recognised. And almost entirely unknown to UK graduates.
ChinaGrad exists to change that. We navigate the scholarships, the applications, the university relationships, and the process — so our students arrive in China ready to build something remarkable, without owing a penny.
The 3 ChinaGrad Principles
Transparency — Honest guidance, realistic expectations, and pricing you can see before you commit.
Access — World-class education should not be reserved for those who can afford a £30,000 debt.
Outcomes — Every student we work with has a genuine pathway to a funded place. That is our standard.
Leon Evans
Peking University Guanghua School of Management
Founder, ChinaGrad — Admitted to PKU Guanghua School of Management on a ¥64,000 merit scholarship — the only UK consultancy founder to have navigated this process firsthand.
ChinaGrad was founded by a Lancaster University graduate who secured admission to Peking University's Guanghua School of Management — China's most prestigious business school — on a ¥64,000 merit scholarship. As the only UK-based Masters placement consultancy operating in this space, ChinaGrad was built on a simple premise: the process of accessing world-class, fully funded postgraduate education in China should not be a barrier for UK graduates.
"The biggest barrier to studying in China isn't the language, the distance, or the culture. It's not knowing where to start. I built ChinaGrad to remove that barrier — because once you understand what's available, the decision becomes obvious."
The ChinaGrad Team
Mr Leon Evans
Lancaster University graduate and incoming Masters student at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management — China's most prestigious business school — on a ¥64,000 merit scholarship. Leon founded ChinaGrad after navigating the entire Chinese university admissions process alone, with no guide and no consultancy to turn to. He leads all student consultations, university matching, scholarship strategy, and partnership development. As the only UK consultancy founder to have personally secured admission and a merit scholarship to a top Chinese university, his guidance is built entirely on firsthand experience.
Mrs Janet Billingsley
With over 20 years of experience as a headteacher in the UK education system at an elite private secondary school, Janet brings unparalleled expertise in academic writing, institutional communication, and student development to ChinaGrad. Janet reviews every CV and personal statement submitted through Tier 2 and above, applying the same rigorous editorial standards she has used throughout a distinguished career in UK education. She also conducts mock interviews for Tier 3 students, drawing on decades of experience assessing candidates under pressure. Her involvement means every ChinaGrad student benefits from senior UK educational expertise behind their application.
Miss Francis Guo
A bilingual English and Mandarin specialist based in China, Francis provides ChinaGrad's essential China-side expertise. With established connections to university admissions offices across China and a deep understanding of Chinese academic culture, Francis bridges the gap between UK students and Chinese institutions. She supports students with China-specific application guidance, communicates directly with university contacts on ChinaGrad's behalf, and provides real-time insight into student life, campus culture, and academic expectations at our partner universities. Her bilingual capability and on-the-ground presence in China are central to ChinaGrad's ability to deliver genuinely informed guidance.