Changsha, Hunan · Founded 2000 · Project 985 · Project 211 · Double First Class
Central South University 中南大学
Central South University in Changsha is a large comprehensive university built around the Xiangya medical tradition, which is one of the oldest Western medical schools in China, and around materials, metallurgy and mining engineering.
Overview
Central South University in Changsha is a large comprehensive university built around the Xiangya medical tradition, which is one of the oldest Western medical schools in China, and around materials, metallurgy and mining engineering.
It has around 57,000 students and is well known for an international student community that is unusually strong in clinical medicine and materials research.
History
CSU was created in 2000 by merging Central South University of Technology, Hunan Medical University and Changsha Railway University. Its three roots go back respectively to the 1952 engineering reorganisation, to Yale-in-China's Xiangya Medical College founded in 1914, and to railway engineering in the 1950s.
Xiangya is the reason for CSU's unusual medical strength: Xiangya Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in China and the school was China's first to teach medicine in English and Chinese together.
CSU joined Project 985 in 2001 and Double First Class in 2017, with materials science, mining engineering and clinical medicine as the designated disciplines.
World rankings, 2017–2026
| Edition | QS | ARWU | THE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 451 | 201–300 | 801–1000 |
| 2018 | 461 | 201–300 | 801–1000 |
| 2019 | 501 | 151–200 | 601–800 |
| 2020 | 494 | 151–200 | 601–800 |
| 2021 | 481 | 101–150 | 501–600 |
| 2022 | 462 | 101–150 | 451–500 |
| 2023 | 431 | 95 | 401–500 |
| 2024 | 445 | 99 | 351–400 |
| 2025 | 431 | 96 | 301–350 |
| 2026 | 415 | 96 | 301–350 |
Compilations such as this one can lag a publisher's revisions; verify the current figure at source.
Campuses
| Campus | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Xin Campus (Main) | 932 South Lushan Road, Yuelu District, Changsha | Modern main campus; engineering, science and international student residences. |
| Yuelu Campus | Changsha | Historic campus for metallurgy, materials and mining. |
| Xiangya Campus (Medical) | Xiangya Road, Changsha | Xiangya School of Medicine with three major affiliated hospitals. |
| Railway Campus | Changsha | Transportation and traffic engineering, inherited from Changsha Railway University. |
Faculty and research
Central South University employs around 5,800 academic staff, including about 19 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. 19 national academy members. Xiangya School of Medicine supervises international MBBS and postgraduate clinical students in English.
Discipline strength
| Discipline | National grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metallurgical Engineering | A+ | Ranked first in China; ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. |
| Mining Engineering | A+ | Deep mining and mineral processing. |
| Materials Science & Engineering | A+ | Powder metallurgy and hard materials. |
| Clinical Medicine | A | Xiangya School of Medicine, one of China's oldest Western medical schools. |
| Nursing | A+ | A pioneer of Chinese nursing education. |
| Traffic & Transportation Engineering | A+ | Railway engineering and high-speed rail track technology. |
| Mechanical Engineering | A | Heavy machinery and equipment. |
| Control Science & Engineering | A | Industrial process control. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Medicine (MBBS) | Bachelor | English | 6 years |
| Materials Science and Engineering | Master / PhD | English | 3 / 4 years |
| Metallurgical Engineering | Master / PhD | English | 3 / 4 years |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor | English | 4 years |
| Chinese Language Programme | Language | Chinese | 0.5–1 year |
Admissions, tuition and deadlines
Requirements
Bachelor: high school diploma with strong biology and chemistry for MBBS, entrance examination, IELTS 6.0. Graduate: degree, transcripts, two references, study plan.
Deadlines and fees
Deadlines: Bachelor: December – April. Graduate: December – April.. Application fee: CNY 500. Tuition: CNY 20,000–26,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 26,000–40,000 for master's; MBBS around CNY 60,000 per year.
Scholarships
Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Hunan Provincial Government Scholarship, CSU President Scholarship.
Notable alumni
| Alumnus | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dai Anbang | Materials scientist | Academician; founder of Chinese powder metallurgy. |
| Huang Boyun | Metallurgist | Academician and industrial metallurgy leader. |
| Chen Xiangbao | Physician | Pioneer of Chinese neurosurgery at Xiangya. |
| Liang Wannian | Public health expert | Head of China's COVID-19 expert group; Xiangya-trained. |
Why students choose this university
- One of the best-value MBBS programmes with a genuinely old medical school
- World-class materials and metallurgy research with industry funding
- Changsha is affordable with a lively student culture