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Study at Shihezi University: The 211 Built From Desert

Universities
Aug 11, 2026
The main gate building of Shihezi University in Xinjiang under a blue sky

To study at Shihezi University is to study in a city that did not exist a lifetime ago. Both were built by the same people. The university traces its start to a People’s Liberation Army health school founded in September 1949, and the city around it was reclaimed from desert land by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in the years that followed. Four colleges merged into the present university in April 1996. Today it is a Project 211 school on the national Double First-Class construction list, with chemical engineering and technology as its flagship discipline (Shihezi University, n.d.). This guide covers what it is strong at, how to apply, what it costs, and who it genuinely suits.

Quick Links Before You Study at Shihezi University

Why Study at Shihezi University: Built With the City

211 and Double First-Class status

Shihezi University belongs to Project 211, the national tier of key universities, and it is co-built by the Ministry of Education together with the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. In 2017 it entered the national Double First-Class construction list, and it was selected again in the second round in 2022 (Shihezi University, n.d.). The discipline carrying that status is chemical engineering and technology.

It is not a 985 school, and it does not pretend to be. What the label really tells an applicant is narrower and more useful: one department here is funded and assessed at national level. So the case to study at Shihezi University rests on that discipline and its neighbours, not on an overall league position. Our overview of the top universities in China explains how these tiers relate.

Academic strengths

The university runs 15 doctoral degree authorisation points and 28 national first-class undergraduate specialty construction points (Shihezi University, n.d.). Three areas stand out, and each grew from the region rather than being imported into it.

  • Chemical engineering and technology — the Double First-Class discipline, tied closely to Xinjiang’s energy and materials industries
  • Agriculture — arid-zone farming, irrigation and cotton science, in one of China’s biggest cotton regions
  • Medicine — the oldest thread in the institution, descended directly from that 1949 army health school

Scale and the international cohort

The campus holds roughly 23,900 undergraduates and 9,700 postgraduates, taught by about 2,090 full-time teachers. International students number around 537 (Shihezi University, n.d.). That is a small foreign cohort on a large campus, so be honest with yourself about what it implies. There is no ready-made expat bubble here. Immersion is not a marketing promise at Shihezi; it is simply the default.

Location and opportunity

Shihezi sits on the northern slope of the Tianshan mountains, about 150 kilometres west of Urumqi and reachable by expressway and rail. The city is planned, green and unusually orderly for its size — a consequence of being designed rather than grown. For students in agriculture, water engineering or chemicals, the surrounding industry is the laboratory. For everyone else, the trade-off is distance from China’s coastal job market.

Admissions: How to Apply to Shihezi University

Application routes

Two routes exist to study at Shihezi University, as at most Chinese universities. You either apply for a scholarship place, usually through the Chinese Government Scholarship system, or you apply as a self-funded student directly to the university.

One warning deserves prominence, because it costs applicants real money. Several commercial recruitment sites present themselves as Shihezi University’s official pages, complete with fee tables and “apply now” forms. They are agents, not the university. Always cross-check any offer, fee or deadline against www.shzu.edu.cn or a written reply from the university itself before paying anyone.

Language requirements

Most degree teaching runs in Mandarin, so undergraduate applicants are typically expected to reach HSK 4, with HSK 5 or above asked for in humanities and medicine. Some postgraduate and clinical programmes are taught in English and set IELTS or TOEFL requirements instead. Requirements move by programme and year, so confirm per course. Our guide to what HSK level you need explains how the bands map onto real study.

Documents and deadlines

Expect the standard set: passport, previous transcripts and diploma, a study plan, two academic references, a physical examination form, a police clearance certificate and language certificates. The Chinese Government Scholarship cycle usually opens in December and closes between March and April, and it is run through the CSC portal (China Scholarship Council, n.d.). Self-funded admission generally stays open later, often into early summer, though popular programmes fill first.

Scholarships and Tuition at Shihezi University

Tuition and fees

Tuition at Chinese public universities is set programme by programme, and Shihezi publishes its figures with each admission notice rather than as one headline number. Medical and English-taught programmes usually cost more than Chinese-taught arts or science degrees. Ask for the current written fee schedule before you commit, and treat numbers quoted on third-party sites as unverified until the university confirms them.

Scholarship options

The Chinese Government Scholarship remains the main route to a funded place. A full award covers tuition, campus accommodation and comprehensive medical insurance, and it pays a monthly stipend of 2,500 yuan for undergraduates, 3,000 for master’s students and 3,500 for doctoral candidates (China Scholarship Council, n.d.). Provincial and university awards exist alongside it. Western-region schools like this one are often less crowded at the scholarship stage than the coastal names, which is a quiet advantage worth weighing. See our roundup of scholarships in China for the wider landscape.

Living in Shihezi as an International Student

Housing and campus

Students who study at Shihezi University are normally housed in university dormitories, with shared and single rooms available and rates published per academic year. Campus facilities cover the usual ground: libraries, canteens, sports halls and clinics. Given the winters here, having everything within walking distance stops being a convenience and becomes the point.

Cost of living

Shihezi is meaningfully cheaper than Beijing or Shanghai. Canteen meals, local transport and everyday shopping all sit well below coastal prices, and there are simply fewer expensive temptations. Budget more for travel, though — getting home from Xinjiang costs more and takes longer than from an eastern campus, so factor flights into the year rather than the month.

Getting around and city life

The city is compact and flat, which makes buses, bikes and scooters more than sufficient. Payments run through phone apps, as everywhere in China. Winters are cold and long, summers hot and dry, and the Tianshan foothills are close enough for weekends. Students who want a bigger city within reach usually look toward Urumqi, where Xinjiang University sits.

Visiting the Shihezi University Campus

Chinese campuses control entry, so visitors generally register at the gate with a passport, and access can tighten during exams or holidays. Email ahead if you want a proper look at a department. The campus itself is leafy and open, laid out on the same grid logic as the city, and the university museum tells the reclamation story better than any brochure.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is Shihezi University a 985 school? No. It is a Project 211 university and a Double First-Class discipline university, with chemical engineering and technology as the listed discipline.
  2. What HSK level do I need? Usually HSK 4 for Chinese-taught undergraduate study, HSK 5 or higher for humanities and medicine. English-taught programmes set IELTS or TOEFL instead.
  3. Can I get a full scholarship? Yes. A full Chinese Government Scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, insurance and a monthly stipend of 2,500 to 3,500 yuan by degree level.
  4. How many international students are there? Around 537, against roughly 33,600 Chinese students. Expect a Mandarin-first environment.
  5. Is it hard to reach? Shihezi lies about 150 kilometres from Urumqi, which has the region’s main airport and rail connections. Plan longer, costlier journeys home than from a coastal city.

Conclusion: Is Shihezi University Worth It?

It depends entirely on the fit. If you want chemical engineering, arid-zone agriculture or medicine, backed by national funding and taught where those industries actually operate, this is a serious and affordable option — and less contested than the coastal names. If you want an English-speaking campus, a big international community and easy weekend flights, it will frustrate you. Decide on that basis, not on the label. Once you have an offer, our guide to the China student visa covers the next step.

References

China Scholarship Council. (n.d.). Study in China — Chinese Government Scholarship. Retrieved from https://www.campuschina.org/

Shihezi University. (n.d.). Official website — university profile and statistics. Retrieved from https://www.shzu.edu.cn/

Shihezi University, International Exchange and Cooperation Office. (n.d.). International exchange and cooperation. Retrieved from https://wsbm.shzu.edu.cn/

Shihezi University, Office of Admissions. (n.d.). Admissions information. Retrieved from https://zsb.shzu.edu.cn/

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