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Study at Sichuan Agricultural University: Three Campuses, Low Fees

Universities
Sep 18, 2026
The First Office Building of Sichuan Agricultural University on its Ya'an campus under a blue sky

To study at Sichuan Agricultural University is to join a school that began as a Qing-dynasty farming academy in 1906 and later rebuilt itself in a rainy mountain town. SICAU is a Project 211 university and a Double First-Class school, and crop science is its Double First-Class discipline. Its main campus sits in Ya’an, about 140 km southwest of Chengdu, with two more campuses in Chengdu’s Wenjiang district and in Dujiangyan (Sichuan Agricultural University, 2026).

That three-campus setup is the first thing that confuses applicants. The second is the price, which looks almost too low for a 211 school. So this guide starts with both. It covers where you will actually live, what the university’s own fee tables say, and how the application works, without agency mark-ups.

Quick Links Before You Study at Sichuan Agricultural University

Why Study at Sichuan Agricultural University: Crops, Pandas and Low Fees

211 and Double First-Class status, plainly stated

SICAU entered Project 211 in 1999. It is not a 985 school. It is, however, on the national Double First-Class list, with crop science as its named discipline, and the university says 14 of its fields sit in the ESI global top 1%. Two of those — plant and animal science, and agricultural sciences — reach the top 1‰ (Sichuan Agricultural University, 2026).

If the tiers still blur together, our explainers on the top universities in China and China’s 985 and 211 universities show where a school like this sits.

Crop science and veterinary medicine lead

Crop science is the flagship, and rice breeding is where the school made its name. Veterinary medicine is the other strong suit. In the 2025 ShanghaiRanking subject tables, the university reports agriculture at 21st in the world and veterinary science at 15th (Sichuan Agricultural University, 2026). Those are subject rankings, not an overall rank, but they are unusually high.

Still, the name hides a wider spread. SICAU runs 29 colleges and 74 undergraduate majors across ten fields, from economics and law to engineering and literature. For comparison, Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin is the cold-region version of the same model.

Three campuses, and which one you get

  • Ya’an: the historic main campus. The school moved here in 1956, when Ya’an had just stopped being the capital of Xikang province, and its first office building is the old provincial government hall.
  • Chengdu (Wenjiang): home to the international student office and several colleges, on the city’s western edge.
  • Dujiangyan: the smallest of the three, near the ancient irrigation works at Dujiangyan.

Your campus depends on your college and major, not on your preference. So ask the office in writing before you accept an offer. Life in Ya’an and life in Wenjiang are quite different.

Admissions: How to Apply to Sichuan Agricultural University

Bachelor’s: HSK 4, the CSCA and a video interview

For 2026 the university planned to take 40 international undergraduates. Bachelor’s degrees are taught in Chinese, and the bar is HSK 4 with at least 180 points. On top of that, every applicant must sit the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA) before applying. There is one exception: applicants to Chinese language and literature with a valid HSK 4 of 180 or more can skip the CSCA Chinese paper. Everyone who passes the file check then has a video interview (SICAU International Office, 2025a).

The age limit is also generous. Applicants can be up to 30, while many universities stop at 25. Our guide to the CSCA exam explains how the test works, and the HSK level you need for a Chinese university puts HSK 4 in context.

Master’s and PhD: find a supervisor first

Graduate study works differently. Before you apply, you must contact a supervisor from the university’s list, pass their assessment and get a signed acceptance letter. You then write the research plan together. Master’s programmes run three years and PhDs four, with 30 and 40 international places respectively in 2026 (SICAU International Office, 2025b, 2025c).

Both Chinese- and English-taught routes exist at this level. Chinese-taught programmes ask for HSK 5. English-taught ones ask for IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 70 or Duolingo 100, and native speakers are exempt. The age caps are 35 for a master’s and 40 for a PhD.

Documents and deadlines

  • Passport valid beyond September of your intake year
  • Notarised diploma and transcripts, in Chinese or English
  • Undergraduates: CSCA score report and a personal statement
  • Graduates: supervisor acceptance letter, CV, co-written research plan and two recommendation letters
  • Foreigner Physical Examination Form, valid for six months
  • Non-criminal record certificate; graduate applicants may sign a pledge instead at the application stage
  • Self-funded graduates: bank proof of at least 30,000 CNY

For the 2026 intake, all three levels accepted applications from 1 December 2025 to 31 May 2026. A 600 CNY application fee (about 90 USD) is paid before review, and it is not refunded.

Scholarships and Tuition at Sichuan Agricultural University

Tuition and fees, from the university’s own tables

  • Bachelor’s: 12,000 CNY a year
  • Master’s: 16,000 CNY a year
  • Campus housing: 1,200 CNY a year in a four-person room with its own bathroom and air conditioning; 3,300 CNY a year in a graduate double with a fridge and microwave
  • Insurance: 800 CNY a year; residence permit: 400 CNY a year
  • Medical check: about 500 CNY; textbooks for undergraduates: about 700 CNY a year

Those figures come from the 2026 admission charters (SICAU International Office, 2025a, 2025b). Some agency sites quote 16,000 CNY for an English-taught bachelor’s. That does not match the university’s current charter, which lists Chinese-taught bachelor’s study at 12,000. Bring your own bedding, by the way. Rooms come with a set monthly quota of water and power, and you pay for anything above it.

Scholarship options, from full CSC to a first-year discount

  • Chinese Government Scholarship, High-Level Postgraduate track: master’s and PhD only. It covers tuition, housing, a living allowance and medical insurance. Apply through Campus China and SICAU’s portal under agency number 10626. The 2026 window ran from 1 December 2025 to 15 March 2026 (SICAU International Office, 2025d).
  • Sichuan Government Scholarship: 20,000 CNY a year for bachelor’s students, 25,000 for master’s and 30,000 for PhDs. It is renewed each year after a review between 15 and 30 June (SICAU International Office, 2026).
  • Chengdu city scholarships: a sister-city award and a Belt and Road award, both listed on the office’s scholarship page.
  • University awards for new undergraduates: the top award waives tuition. Ten students also get 6,000 CNY a year, and the rest of the intake gets 2,000 CNY a year, subject to review.

That last point matters. If you enrol as a bachelor’s student and keep your grades up, your real tuition is probably closer to 10,000 CNY. Our walkthrough of the CSC scholarship application explains agency numbers, and China scholarships for 2027 sets out next year’s dates.

Living in Sichuan While You Study at Sichuan Agricultural University

Ya’an: rain, tea and pandas

Ya’an is called the Rain City, and the name is fair — expect grey, damp weeks and bring a real umbrella. In return you get green hills, low rents and a quiet small-city pace. The area around Ya’an is also panda country. The first giant panda specimen known to Western science came from the Ya’an area, and the Bifengxia panda base is within reach. Our guide to giant pandas in China covers the bases worth visiting.

Chengdu: big-city life on the doorstep

Wenjiang is a suburb of Chengdu, with the metro and the rest of the city close by. The Chengdu–Ya’an railway, opened in 2018, also stops in Wenjiang, so moving between campuses is easy. Living costs in Chengdu sit well below Beijing and Shanghai, and food costs even less. Our Chengdu city guide and the wider Sichuan travel guide cover weekends out.

Neighbours and budget

Chengdu has other 211 schools too, including Sichuan University and Southwest Jiaotong University. The student scene is therefore large even if SICAU’s international intake is small. As a rough guide, plan on 1,500–2,500 CNY a month for food, phone and transport, a little less in Ya’an. Set up mobile payment before you arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

What HSK level do I need?

HSK 4 with 180 or more for a bachelor’s. HSK 5 for Chinese-taught graduate programmes.

How much is tuition?

12,000 CNY a year for a bachelor’s and 16,000 CNY for a master’s, per the 2026 charters.

Can I study in English?

At graduate level, yes — with IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 70 or Duolingo 100. Bachelor’s study is in Chinese.

Which campus will I live on?

It depends on your college. Ya’an, Chengdu (Wenjiang) and Dujiangyan all host students, so confirm it before you accept.

What is the strongest reason to study at Sichuan Agricultural University?

Crop science and veterinary medicine, at some of the lowest fees of any 211 school.

Conclusion: Is Sichuan Agricultural University Worth It?

The decision to study at Sichuan Agricultural University works best for one kind of student. If you want crop science, veterinary work or food and farming research, at 211 level, and at a price that is hard to beat, it deserves a serious look. If you want an English-taught bachelor’s, or a large international campus, it is probably the wrong fit.

Before applying, pin down three things: your campus, your HSK or CSCA position, and, for graduate study, a willing supervisor. After that comes the visa — our guide to the China student visa covers the X1 route, and scholarships in China compares the funding schemes.

References

  • Sichuan Agricultural University. (2026). 学校简介 [About the university]. Retrieved from https://www.sicau.edu.cn/xxgk/xxjj.htm
  • Sichuan Agricultural University International Office. (2025a). 四川农业大学2026年国际学生本科生招生章程 [2026 admission charter for international undergraduates]. Retrieved from https://ghc.sicau.edu.cn/info/1218/7991.htm
  • Sichuan Agricultural University International Office. (2025b). 2026年国际学生硕士研究生招生章程 [2026 admission charter for international master’s students]. Retrieved from https://ghc.sicau.edu.cn/info/1217/8021.htm
  • Sichuan Agricultural University International Office. (2025c). 2026年国际学生博士研究生招生章程 [2026 admission charter for international doctoral students]. Retrieved from https://ghc.sicau.edu.cn/info/1217/8011.htm
  • Sichuan Agricultural University International Office. (2025d). 中国政府奖学金——高水平研究生项目 [Chinese Government Scholarship: High-Level Postgraduate Program]. Retrieved from https://ghc.sicau.edu.cn/info/1102/7669.htm
  • Sichuan Agricultural University International Office. (2026). 四川省外国留学生政府奖学金（SGS）申请指南 [Sichuan Government Scholarship application guide]. Retrieved from https://ghc.sicau.edu.cn/info/1102/3933.htm