Address: 229 Taibai North Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710069, China
Sciences, Humanities, Geology, Chemistry, Physics, Life Sciences, Law
Northwest University is a public university in Xi’an, in Shaanxi province, China. The infobox gives 1912 as the year of establishment, and its earliest predecessor dates to 1902. It is co-funded by the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government and the Ministry of Education. The university belongs to Project 211 and to the Double First-Class Construction, which supports selected disciplines.
The campus is urban, in the historic city of Xi’an, which was the capital of several Chinese dynasties. The record does not state how many campuses the university has. It gives 18,000 students and 2,300 administrative staff, and it does not list the schools or faculties. Applicants should read the official pages for the full range of colleges and programmes.
The motto, which can be translated as fairness, integrity, diligence and simplicity, summarises the moral approach of the university. The record notes that the Chinese University Ranking by CUAA placed it seventh in science in 1988, which gives a historical view of its standing in the sciences.
The more recent ranking is more modest. QS World University Rankings 2025 placed Northwest University 296th in Asia. This shows that the university remains within the broader group of established Chinese institutions, with a long history that exceeds one century.
For an applicant, Xi’an is an attractive city. It offers a famous historic setting, a large student population and good connections to other parts of China. Teaching is mainly in Chinese. International students should check the programmes taught in English, the entry conditions and the scholarships on the official pages. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
The university has a long history that reaches back to the first years of modern higher education in China. Its location in Xi’an gives students access to museums, archaeological sites and libraries that are unique in the country. Humanities and natural sciences both have long traditions in this city. Applicants should check the official pages for the colleges, the admission rules and the programmes taught in English, since the public record used here does not list the schools. International students should also compare scholarships and housing conditions with those of the other universities of Xi’an before applying.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Co-funded by the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government and the Ministry of Education, Project 211 and Double First-Class Construction.
Research:
Sciences, humanities, geology, chemistry and physics.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2300
Current students***:
18000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Project 211 and Double First-Class university, located in the historic city of Xi’an, long academic tradition from 1902.
Cons
Teaching mainly in Chinese, limited public information on schools, urban campus.
Best For
Students looking for a long-established public university in the historic city of Xi’an.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Think of Nanjing University when chemistry, physics and mathematics is the priority: it is larger, enrolling about 35,700 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Think of Henan University when chemistry, physics and mathematics is the priority: it also offers mba programmes and covers software engineering and engineering as well.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of chemistry, physics and mathematics can consider Soochow University, and it also offers mba programmes and covers nanotechnologies and data analytics as well.
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine offers a comparable education in chemistry and life sciences: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers microbiology and genetics as well.
The comparison with Yunnan University is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is larger, enrolling about 31,141 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Kazan Federal University, in Russia, takes a similar route through geotechnics, chemistry and physics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers software engineering as well.
Lomonosov Moscow State University, based in Russia, is built around geotechnics, chemistry and physics much like this university, and it is larger, enrolling about 45,000 students against roughly 18,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Odesa National University in Ukraine pursues a similar profile in geotechnics, chemistry and physics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Abroad, Charles University (the Czech Republic) covers chemistry, physics and mathematics in a comparable way, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
University of Innsbruck in Austria pursues a similar profile in chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is larger, enrolling about 28,106 students against roughly 18,000 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 Northwest University?
In Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.
When was it established?
In 1912 according to the infobox, with a predecessor from 1902.
Who co-funds it?
The Shaanxi Provincial People's Government and the Ministry of Education.
Is it part of the Double First-Class Construction?
Yes, and of Project 211.
How many students does it have?
18,000.
What is its motto?
Fairness, integrity, diligence and simplicity.
How is it placed in the QS ranking of 2025?
296th in Asia.
How was it ranked in science in 1988?
Seventh, in the CUAA Chinese University Ranking.
How many administrative staff does it have?
2,300.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Chemistry, Innovation, Physics, 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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