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Study at Southwest Petroleum University: An Oil School in English

Universities
Oct 20, 2026
Southwest Petroleum University entrance sign wall with gold Chinese characters on a dark red stone wall

To study at Southwest Petroleum University is to bet on one discipline, and to apply in an unusual way. SWPU was founded in 1958 as 四川石油学院 (Sichuan Petroleum College) in Nanchong, China’s second petroleum university. It is neither a 985 nor a 211 school. Instead, the Ministry of Education’s second-round Double First-Class list names one discipline for it: Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (Ministry of Education, 2022). The 2026 admission brochure, published on 10 December 2025, then sets out a fully English-taught degree list at every level, plus a separate entrance assessment for undergraduates (SWPU, 2026a).

Here is the honest catch. Most applicants assume an oil school teaches only oil, and that a Chinese degree means studying in Chinese. Both fail here, though not entirely in your favour. The flagship discipline and the English-taught programme list are different things, and the bachelor’s route runs through a mandatory China Scholastic Competency Assessment.

Quick Links Before You Study at Southwest Petroleum University

Why Study at Southwest Petroleum University: Follow the Discipline

Double First-Class at discipline level, not 985 or 211

The second-round list, 教研函〔2022〕1号 of 9 February 2022, names SWPU once: 石油与天然气工程, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (Ministry of Education, 2022). That is a discipline-level entry, not a whole-university one. Our guide to China’s 985, 211 and Double First-Class universities explains the three labels, and the top universities in China guide gives a wider comparison. Neither label tells you whether a degree is taught in English.

What one flagship discipline buys you

Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering has been a national first-class discipline in two consecutive rounds, and it took an A+ in the national discipline assessment. SWPU claims the broadest discipline coverage in China for oil and gas, co-developing oil and gas, with gas the featured side (SWPU, 2026a). Meanwhile, Engineering sits in the ESI world top 1‰, and Chemistry, Materials Science, Geo-science and Environmental and Ecology are in the ESI world top 1%.

Two campuses, one strong city

The main campus sits at No. 8 Xindu Avenue, Xindu District, Chengdu 610500, and a second campus stands at No. 30 Youyuan Road in Nanchong. The main campus moved to Chengdu’s Xindu district in 2002, and the university took its present name in December 2005.

Apply to Study at Southwest Petroleum University: The 2026 Route

The China Scholastic Competency Assessment

International undergraduates must submit a transcript from the 来华留学本科入学学业水平测试, the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, before 30 May 2026. The brochure treats it as mandatory for the English-taught bachelor’s route. Mathematics plus Physics is required for Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Automation, and Civil Engineering. Mathematics plus Chemistry is required for Chemical Engineering and Technics, and International Economy and Trade.

One warning. The brochure counts 74 undergraduate majors in total, yet it lists only seven in English. If your major is missing, ask admissions first.

The 2026 English-taught degree list

The brochure lists seven English-taught bachelor’s degrees, each four years: Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technics, Computer Science and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Automation, Civil Engineering, and International Economy and Trade (SWPU, 2026a).

Eleven English-taught master’s degrees run for three years: Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Geology, Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technology, Environmental Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Control Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering, and an MBA. Six English-taught PhD programmes, also three years, cover Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Geology, Geological Resources and Geological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technology, and Materials Science and Engineering.

Notice the gap honestly. The flagship subject appears at every level, yet the English lists cover only part of the university’s wider offering. Compare modules, assessment language and supervisor expertise.

From application to enrolment

The 2026 procedure runs in four steps. You apply online through the SWPU Online Service System for International Students, registering an account and submitting the forms. The university reviews your documents and confirms admission, issuing an Admission Notice and a JW201 Confirmation Form for Study in China. You then use that notice, the JW201 form and your physical examination record to apply for the student visa, and enrol in the period stated in the notice. The 2026 deadline was 30 May 2026, so treat these steps as a model for the next intake.

Costs to Study at Southwest Petroleum University: Read the 2026 Brochure

Tuition, registration, insurance and rooms

The Chinese 2026 brochure gives these annual figures (SWPU, 2026a):

  • Tuition per year: RMB 16,000 for a bachelor’s degree, RMB 20,000 for a master’s degree, RMB 25,000 for a PhD.
  • Registration fee: RMB 600, one-off. Insurance: RMB 1,000 per year.
  • Accommodation per year: RMB 2,200 for a male bachelor’s four-person room, RMB 3,300 for a female bachelor’s three-person room, RMB 4,400 for a master’s double room, and RMB 4,400 for a PhD double room.

There is a trap for anyone who reads the English website first. Its fee table still lists older figures: tuition of 18,000, 22,000 and 30,000, registration of 400, insurance of 600, and a double room at 5,000. Those are not the 2026 numbers. Fees are set annually, so read the current brochure.

Scholarships and what they actually cover

The brochure lists four schemes: the Chinese Government Scholarship, including its fully-funded “High-Level Postgraduate” track; the Sichuan Provincial Government Scholarship; the Chengdu “Belt and Road” Government Scholarship; and the Chengdu Sister City Government Scholarship (SWPU, 2026a). Our scholarships in China guide explains how such categories differ.

Look first at the “High-Level Postgraduate” track. It covers tuition, accommodation, living expenses and comprehensive medical insurance, but not international travel (SWPU, 2026b). The English requirement is IELTS 6.0 or above, TOEFL 80 or above, or Duolingo 120 or above. You also need a 1,500-word research plan, two recommendation letters from professors, a no-criminal-record certificate issued within three months, a bank-issued financial guarantee, and the foreigner physical examination form. Age limits apply: under 40 for PhD applicants, under 35 for master’s, and 18 to 25 for undergraduates. Meanwhile, remember that a scholarship name is not a funding guarantee. Admission alone does not secure an award.

Living in Chengdu as an International Student at Southwest Petroleum University

Campus scale and daily life

The 2026 brochure reports 41,449 full-time students: 31,413 undergraduates, 8,486 master’s students, 1,033 PhD students and 510 international students. It lists 7 first-level doctoral disciplines and 24 first-level master’s disciplines, and counts one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the German Academy of Engineering (SWPU, 2026a).

Smaller options widen the picture. A 1+2+1 joint-degree arrangement with US universities lets first-year students apply to the American partner, spend years two and three there, and return for the final year to receive degrees from both institutions. Our Chengdu city guide covers the city.

Getting to the Xindu campus

The nearest metro stop is 石油大学站, literally Petroleum University Station, on Line 3. It opened on 26 December 2018 (Wikipedia, n.d.). From Chengdu East Railway Station, the university’s own guidance gives two routes. Take a bus to the Xindu Bus Terminal, about 26 km and roughly half an hour, then a connecting bus (X44a, X44b, X43, X45 or X650a) or a taxi for the last four kilometres. Alternatively, take Line 2 to Chunxi Road, change to Line 3, get off at Panda Avenue, exit D, and take the SWPU shuttle bus, which runs roughly every half hour (SWPU, n.d.).

Visiting the Southwest Petroleum University Campus

The Xindu entrance is easy to recognise. A long polished dark-red stone wall carries six gold Chinese characters reading 西南石油大学. If you plan to visit, contact the university first about visitor access, and arrange departmental meetings in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is Southwest Petroleum University a 985 or 211 university? No. It holds Double First-Class status with one discipline, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, named in February 2022.
  2. Can international students study entirely in English? Yes, the 2026 brochure lists English-taught bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes. However, only seven of the university’s 74 undergraduate majors are listed in English, so check your major first.
  3. How much does it cost? For 2026 the brochure lists annual tuition of RMB 16,000 for a bachelor’s degree, RMB 20,000 for a master’s degree and RMB 25,000 for a PhD, plus RMB 600 registration and RMB 1,000 annual insurance. Accommodation runs from RMB 2,200 to RMB 4,400 a year.
  4. Are scholarships automatic? No. Four schemes are listed, including the fully-funded “High-Level Postgraduate” track, yet admission alone does not secure an award, and each sets its own language, document and age conditions.
  5. Can I still apply for 2026? No. The deadline was 30 May 2026. Therefore, ask admissions about the next intake, its updated dates and its fee schedule.

Conclusion: Should You Study at Southwest Petroleum University?

SWPU earns its reputation in a single field, and it is a good one. Its petroleum and natural gas engineering discipline is a genuine national first-class subject, and the research base reaches the ESI top 1‰ in engineering. The catch is equally clear. It is not a 985 or a 211 school, only seven undergraduate majors are taught in English, and the undergraduate route depends on a mandatory assessment test you must plan for early. If you want deep work in oil and gas, this is a serious institution with a specific strength; if you want a broad brand name, look elsewhere. Once you have an offer, work through the China student visa guide.

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