This study examined the effectiveness of English medium instruction (EMI) within the context of Chinese higher education. The research data were primarily collected through student opinion surveys conducted at Shandong University of Science and Technology (SDUST). The results indicate that EMI has yielded positive outcomes, particularly in enhancing students’ English proficiency. However, it has also generated negative effects on content knowledge acquisition and comprehension. Based on these findings, the study proposes several policy recommendations for optimizing EMI implementation in Chinese higher education.