Xi'an University of Science and Technology — guide for international students

Xi’an University of Science and Technology (西安科技大学) traces its history to the Mining and Metallurgy Division of the Peiyang University School of Engineering, founded in 1895. It became an independent institution in 1958 as Xi’an Mining Institute (西安矿业学院), was renamed Xi’an Science and Technology College (西安科技学院) in 1999, and took its present name in 2003. It should not be confused with Xi’an University of Technology or Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology — different institutions with similar English names.

The university is a Shaanxi provincial university co-built by the Ministry of Emergency Management and the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, and the 2026 admission guide describes it as a Shaanxi Province cultivation university for the national “Double First-Class” initiative — it is not itself on the national Double First-Class list. Its profile is engineering-led with a specialism in geology and mining, safety and related disciplines, alongside science, liberal arts, management, law, economics and art. There are two campuses: Yanta Campus at No. 58 Yanta Road in central Xi’an, and Lintong Campus (Lishan) in Lintong District, the district of the Terracotta Warriors.

Official figures depend on which page you read. The university’s own overview (学校概况, updated March 2026) lists 21 colleges (departments) plus a graduate school, 8 first-level doctoral programs, 27 first-level master’s programs, 59 undergraduate majors, 7 postdoctoral research stations, more than 2,300 staff including over 1,600 full-time teachers, one academician, and 27,000 full-time students. The Chinese 2026 admission guide gives smaller, older numbers — 17 colleges, 60 undergraduate majors, 7 doctoral and 26 master’s first-level programs, over 1,400 full-time teachers and 25,000 students — and the English guide says 23,000 students and about 2,200 staff. The March 2026 overview is used as the headline figure here.

XUST admits international students to master’s and doctoral degrees only. The 2026 International Student Admission Guide (published 1 March 2026 in Chinese and 30 March 2026 in English) lists just two categories — the Master’s Program and the Doctoral Program — so if you want a bachelor’s degree, Chinese language study or a foundation year, XUST does not advertise one for 2026; ask the office before assuming otherwise. Applications are made online through the international student service platform at xust.at0086.cn/student, in a single short window from 1 March to 1 April 2026, followed by document review, a video interview and an admission decision by 10 May 2026. Two eligibility points need care. First, the age limits are tight: master’s applicants must be 18–25 and doctoral applicants 18–30 according to the Chinese guide, while the English guide states 22–30 for the doctorate — confirm with the office if you are under 22. Second, the two language versions of the guide differ on language requirements: the Chinese guide accepts IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 for English-taught study or HSK 3 or above for Chinese-taught study, while the English guide lists IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 80 or an “English Proficiency Certificate” and does not mention HSK. Neither guide marks which individual research directions are taught in English and which in Chinese, so ask before applying.

Degree programs

Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.

Non-degree programs

Documents to prepare

Application timeline

These are the dates Xi'an University of Science and Technology published for the 2026 intake. That cycle has closed. Use them as a guide to when each step falls in the year, and check the official pages for the 2027 dates before you plan around them.

The 2026 admission guide describes one award: the XUST university scholarship, which waives tuition and pays a monthly living allowance for ten months a year — RMB 1,500 a month for master’s students and RMB 2,000 a month for doctoral students. Scholarship decisions are made with admission, by 10 May 2026. The international office’s scholarship page separately posts the Xi’an Municipal “Belt and Road” Foreign Student Scholarship, but that notice dates from November 2023 and gives no deadline, so ask the office whether it is open for your intake. The admission guide and the office’s scholarship page do not mention the Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship or a Shaanxi provincial scholarship, so if you are hoping for either, confirm with the office whether XUST accepts it before applying.

Research at XUST is built around coal and mineral resources, mine safety and the geological environment of western China. The university overview (March 2026) counts 38 research platforms at provincial or ministerial level and above, including the National Coal Industry Key Laboratory of Mining Engineering, the (provincial/ministerial) Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Intelligent Safety Technology and Equipment, and the Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center for Western Coal Mine Safety. Doctoral applicants will find that the international doctoral list mirrors these strengths almost exactly: mining engineering, safety science and engineering, mine survey, mining environmental engineering and communication engineering.

XUST’s international footprint is modest but established. The International Exchange and Cooperation Office reports cooperation with nearly 60 universities and research institutes in more than 20 countries, including the USA, UK, Russia, Japan, the Netherlands and Australia, two Sino-foreign joint education programs, and participation in the China–US 121 dual-degree talent program. International student numbers are small, which can mean more individual attention: the office says it has recruited more than 340 international students from over 30 countries, and the university overview puts the total of degree and short-term international students trained at more than 400. Since 2017 the office has worked jointly with the International Education College, which handles international student management and teaching.

XUST does not publish employment or placement data for international graduates on its international pages, and its admission guide makes no career claims. The practical career value of a degree here lies in the university’s close links to China’s coal, mining, safety and geological-engineering sectors, which shape nearly every doctoral research direction. If employment outcomes matter to your decision, ask the office and your prospective supervisor directly.

International students live in on-campus housing on either campus. The 2026 admission guide quotes accommodation at RMB 3,000 a year in a four-person room for both master’s and doctoral students; it does not say which campus you will be assigned to. The office’s registration page names two check-in points — the front desk of the international student apartment on Yanta Campus and the front desk of Dormitory Building 10 on Lintong Campus. After you receive a new residence permit you must complete temporary accommodation registration within 48 hours; students living off campus must file an off-campus housing application, sign a safety agreement with the university and register with the local police station. On arrival you pay tuition and accommodation, buy health insurance (RMB 800 a year, required of all international students), register your residence within 24 hours, have a medical check and apply for the residence permit (RMB 400 a year).

Accommodation

Dining

XUST does not publish canteen locations or meal prices for international students on its international pages; budget for food separately and ask the office on arrival.

Facilities

Reach the International Education College / International Exchange and Cooperation Office, Xi’an University of Science and Technology for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Xi'an.