Address: No. 1 University Road, East District, Tainan City 701401, Taiwan
Liberal Arts, Science, Management, Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Social Science, Planning and Design, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Medicine, Computing
National Cheng Kung University was established in January 1931 as the Tainan Technical College, under the Government-General of Taiwan during Japanese rule. It became the Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering in 1946, the Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University in 1956 and National Cheng Kung University in 1971. Its motto is knowledge through reason.
The university stands in the East District of Tainan, immediately east of the Tainan railway station. The infobox gives a campus area of 461.9 acres, and the main campus alone covers about 83 hectares. It also operates the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in the North District of Tainan and a satellite campus in Douliu.
In 2025 it enrolled 11,853 undergraduates, 8,701 postgraduates and 1,850 doctoral students, and the faculty counted 2,604 members. The academic structure had 45 departments and 39 institutes in March 2025, with 47 bachelor, 120 master and 67 doctoral programs. Eleven academic units cover Liberal Arts, Science, Management, Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Social Science, Planning and Design, Bioscience and Biotechnology and Medicine, as well as the Miin Wu School of Computing and the Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing.
The university is best known for its engineering and industrial departments and is mainly focused on STEM. It is the only Taiwanese member of the Worldwide Universities Network, since 2016, and a founding member of the Taiwan Comprehensive University System, since 2011. Dual-degree programs exist with KU Leuven and IMEC, and an agreement was signed with Purdue University in 2018. TU Darmstadt opened its Asia liaison office at NCKU in 2019.
The rankings are strong. QS 2027 gives a joint 191st place, Times Higher Education 2026 the 501 to 600 range, and the Global Views Monthly ranking of 2026 places it second in Taiwan, behind National Taiwan University. In the 2025 Nature Index it is first among Taiwanese institutions in applied sciences. Alumni include Lai Ching-te, President of the Republic of China, the Nobel laureate in physics Samuel Ting, who attended NCKU, and business leaders such as Miin Wu, Pierre Chen, Bruce Cheng and Jason Chen. Chu-yuan Lee designed Taipei 101. Fees depend on the programme. Check the current tariff.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Worldwide Universities Network, dual-degree programs with KU Leuven and IMEC, Purdue University.
Research:
Engineering, science, electrical engineering and computer science, semiconductor and sustainable manufacturing.
Famous Alumnis:
Lai Ching-te, Mao Chi-kuo, Samuel Ting, Chu-yuan Lee, Miin Wu, Pierre Chen, Bruce Cheng, Jason Chen
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2604
Current students***:
22404
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
First in Taiwan in applied sciences in the 2025 Nature Index, engineering strength, central campus in Tainan, only Taiwanese member of the Worldwide Universities Network.
Cons
Heat in the south of Taiwan, competitive admission, teaching mainly in Chinese.
Best For
Students interested in engineering and applied sciences in southern Taiwan.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Another national school that puts electrical and electronics, materials and life sciences at the centre is National Tsing Hua University, and it is slightly smaller, at about 18,125 students against roughly 22,404 here, and is also a public institution.
Where this institution leans on electrical and electronics, life sciences and data analytics, National Taiwan University does the same, and it is larger, enrolling about 34,483 students against roughly 22,404 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of electrical and electronics, life sciences and data analytics can consider National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers optics and bioengineering as well.
Where this university leans on life sciences, China Medical University Taichung does the same, and it covers microbiology and genetics and bioengineering as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 8,000 students against roughly 22,404 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
In Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University teaches much the same core subjects, industrial design, civil engineering and materials, and it is larger, enrolling about 33,900 students against roughly 22,404 here, and is also a public institution.
The closest overseas parallel on electrical and electronics, materials and life sciences is University of Macau, located in Macau; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers finance and telecommunications as well.
In Australia, University of Wollongong teaches much the same core subjects, civil engineering, materials and life sciences, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers ecology and sustainability as well.
Guangdong University of Technology, based in China, is built around civil engineering, electrical and electronics and materials much like this institution, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
RMIT University in Australia is the nearest foreign match on industrial design, civil engineering and electrical and electronics; it is far larger, with about 95,000 students against roughly 22,404 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is National Cheng Kung University?
In the East District of Tainan, Taiwan, east of the Tainan railway station.
When was it established?
In January 1931, as the Tainan Technical College.
When did it take its present name?
In 1971.
What is its motto?
Knowledge through reason.
How many students does it have?
22,404 in 2025, counting undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students.
How many faculty members does it have?
2,604.
Which network does it belong to?
The Worldwide Universities Network, as the only Taiwanese member.
How is it placed in the QS 2027 ranking?
Joint 191st.
Which president studied there?
Lai Ching-te.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme. Check the current tariff.
Design Thinking, Electronics, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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