Xi'an, Shaanxi · Founded 1896 · C9 League · Project 985 · Project 211 · Double First Class
Xi'an Jiaotong University 西安交通大学
Xi'an Jiaotong University is a C9 League member and the flagship engineering university of western China. It is particularly strong in energy and power engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, management and medicine.
Overview
Xi'an Jiaotong University is a C9 League member and the flagship engineering university of western China. It is particularly strong in energy and power engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, management and medicine.
It is one of only two universities in the country with a fully English-taught bachelor's engineering track delivered at scale, and its new Innovation Harbour campus is one of the largest single university construction projects in Asia.
History
XJTU traces its origin to Nanyang Public School, founded in Shanghai in 1896 — the same institution that gave rise to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In 1956, as part of a national effort to industrialise the interior, the university relocated en masse from Shanghai to Xi'an, an event known as the "westward migration".
It was listed as one of the first national key universities and joined Project 211, Project 985 and the C9 League. In 2000 it merged with Xi'an Medical University and Shaanxi Institute of Finance and Economics, adding medicine and finance.
Since 2019 XJTU has built the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbour (iHarbour), a 1,600-hectare campus and research park in Xixian New Area dedicated to interdisciplinary research and technology transfer.
World rankings, 2017–2026
| Edition | QS | ARWU | THE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 351 | 201–300 | 501–600 |
| 2018 | 344 | 201–300 | 501–600 |
| 2019 | 313 | 151–200 | 401–500 |
| 2020 | 307 | 151–200 | 401–500 |
| 2021 | 303 | 101–150 | 351–400 |
| 2022 | 290 | 101–150 | 301–350 |
| 2023 | 302 | 92 | 251–300 |
| 2024 | 291 | 95 | 251–300 |
| 2025 | 295 | 92 | 251–300 |
| 2026 | 281 | 92 | 201–250 |
Compilations such as this one can lag a publisher's revisions; verify the current figure at source.
Campuses
| Campus | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Xingqing Campus (Main) | 28 Xianning West Road, Beilin District, Xi'an | Historic campus; most teaching and international student services. |
| iHarbour (Innovation Harbour) Campus | Xixian New Area, Xi'an | New mega-campus for engineering, basic sciences and interdisciplinary research institutes. |
| Yanta Campus | 76 Yanta West Road, Xi'an | School of Medicine and affiliated teaching hospitals. |
| Qujiang Campus | Xi'an | Finance, economics and continuing education. |
Faculty and research
Xi'an Jiaotong University employs around 4,900 academic staff, including about 40 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Around 40 national academy members. XJTU has China's largest power engineering and high-voltage research group, and its School of Management is triple-accredited.
Discipline strength
| Discipline | National grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Power Engineering & Engineering Thermophysics | A+ | China's leading energy and combustion research school. |
| Electrical Engineering | A+ | High-voltage and power systems; core partner to the State Grid. |
| Mechanical Engineering | A+ | Rotating machinery and digital manufacturing. |
| Management Science & Engineering | A+ | School of Management, triple-accredited (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA). |
| Materials Science & Engineering | A+ | Metallic materials and micro/nano manufacturing. |
| Nuclear Science & Technology | A | Reactor physics and nuclear thermal hydraulics. |
| Clinical Medicine | A | First Affiliated Hospital is one of northwest China's largest. |
| Business Administration | A | Strong in operations research and supply chain. |
Grades follow China's national discipline evaluation scheme (A+ is the highest). Consult the university for the most recent evaluation results.
Programmes open to international students
| Programme | Level | Language | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering and Automation | Bachelor | English | 4 years |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor / Master | English | 4 / 3 years |
| Clinical Medicine (MBBS) | Bachelor | English | 6 years |
| Master of Business Administration (MBA) | MBA | English | 2 years |
| Energy and Power Engineering | Master / PhD | English | 3 / 4 years |
Admissions, tuition and deadlines
Requirements
Bachelor: high school diploma, XJTU entrance examination for English-taught engineering, IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 80 or HSK 5 depending on track. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two references, study plan.
Deadlines and fees
Deadlines: Bachelor: January – April. Graduate: December – April.. Application fee: CNY 500. Tuition: CNY 22,000–28,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 30,000–45,000 for master's; MBBS around CNY 60,000 per year.
Scholarships
Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Shaanxi Provincial Government Scholarship, XJTU President Scholarship.
Notable alumni
| Alumnus | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jiang Zemin | Engineer and statesman | Alumnus of the Jiaotong University electrical engineering programme in Shanghai. |
| Qian Xuesen | Rocket scientist | Trained at the Jiaotong lineage in Shanghai. |
| Xu Zongheng | Engineer | Alumnus and leader in Chinese power engineering. |
| Zhang Limin | Technology executive | Former Cisco global vice-president; XJTU graduate. |
Why students choose this university
- Study power, energy and high-voltage engineering with State Grid access
- One of the best-value C9 universities for international students
- Xi'an is the historic start of the Silk Road and a major student city