Address: 932 South Lushan Road, Yuelu District, 410083 Changsha, Hunan, China
Materials Science & Engineering, Mining Engineering, Civil & Transport Engineering
Central South University came into being on 29 April 2000 through the merger of Hunan Medical University, Changsha Railway University and Central South University of Technology. The predecessor of the technology university was the Central South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, founded in 1952, and that of the railway university was the Central South College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, formed in 1953. The medical university descended from Xiangya Medical University, founded in 1914 as one of China’s earliest colleges offering Western medicine.
The university is in Changsha, Hunan, and spans 3.17 million square metres, graced by Yuelu Mountain and overlooking the Xiang River. It has 33 secondary schools and three large Class A tertiary comprehensive hospitals, Xiangya Hospital, the Second Xiangya Hospital and the Third Xiangya Hospital, as well as Xiangya Stomatological Hospital. It also collaborates with six non-directly affiliated hospitals linked to the Xiangya School of Medicine.
CSU was one of the earliest universities admitted to Project 211, is a Project 985 university jointly built by the Ministry of Education and the province, has been an A-level world-class university since September 2017 and joined the second list of the Double First-Class Initiative in February 2022. Mathematics, materials science and engineering, metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, and traffic and transportation engineering are national first-class disciplines, and 20 disciplines rank in the top 1% worldwide in ESI. The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 ranks it 83rd.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong collaborations with industries in materials, mining, and railway transport.
Hunan University, also in Changsha, lists civil, mechanical and chemical engineering as main fields.
Wuhan University of Technology offers materials science and engineering, naval architecture and ocean engineering, and automotive engineering, a close match to CSU's materials strength.
China University of Mining and Technology in Xuzhou concentrates on mining engineering, safety science and surveying, a mining focus that echoes the origin of Central South University of Technology.
Kunming University of Science and Technology teaches metallurgical engineering, materials science and mining engineering, another school with a mineral-industry background.
Taiyuan University of Technology covers mining engineering, materials science and chemical engineering, giving a comparable technical mix.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Luleå University of Technology in Sweden specialises in mining and metallurgical engineering and space science, which fits CSU's mining and metallurgy roots.
Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany combines materials science and engineering with IT security and computer science, a similar engineering-and-sciences mix.
Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea works in materials, mechanical engineering and physics, matching CSU's materials focus.
*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
When was Central South University formed and from what?
It was established on 29 April 2000 by merging Hunan Medical University, Changsha Railway University and Central South University of Technology. The three predecessors came from the medical, railway and non-ferrous metals sectors.
Where did the medical side of CSU come from?
The predecessor of Hunan Medical University was Xiangya Medical University, founded in 1914. It was one of China's earliest colleges offering Western medicine courses.
Where is CSU and how large is the campus?
It is in Changsha, Hunan, and spans 3.17 million square metres. Its English website describes it as graced by Yuelu Mountain and overlooking the Xiang River.
How many schools does the university have?
The English website lists 33 secondary schools. They include the Xiangya School of Medicine and schools such as materials science and engineering, and metallurgy and environment.
Does CSU run teaching hospitals?
Four hospitals are attached to the university: Xiangya Hospital, the Second Xiangya Hospital, the Third Xiangya Hospital and Xiangya Stomatological Hospital. Six further hospitals collaborate with the Xiangya School of Medicine.
Which disciplines are strongest?
Mathematics, materials science and engineering, metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, and traffic and transportation engineering are national first-class disciplines. Twenty disciplines are in the top 1% worldwide in ESI.
How does CSU rank, and where is tuition explained?
The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 places it 83rd. Tuition is explained on the international admissions pages of the official website.
*: 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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