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Study at USTB: Metallurgy First, Now the CSCA Exam

Universities
Sep 9, 2026
Golden ginkgo leaves falling against a blue sky on the University of Science and Technology Beijing campus

To study at USTB — the University of Science and Technology Beijing — is to enrol at the school China built when it needed steel. It opened in 1952 as the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Technology, it holds Project 211 and Double First-Class status, and its metallurgical engineering has ranked first in the world for several years running. That is a narrow kind of fame. It is also a real one.

One thing changed recently, though, and most English-language guides have not caught up. Undergraduate applicants are now asked for CSCA exam results. So this guide covers the fees, the language bands, the two application calendars, and that new test — the part that turns a paperwork exercise into an entrance exam.

Quick Links Before You Study at USTB

Why Study at USTB: One Field, Done Properly

211 and Double First-Class status, stated plainly

USTB is a 211 university, not a 985. That distinction still shapes how Chinese employers read a CV, so it is worth knowing before you apply rather than after. What it does hold is Double First-Class designation, awarded in 2017, across four disciplines: materials science and engineering, metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, and the history of science and technology (USTB, n.d.).

Read that list again. It is unusually coherent. Where a 985 spreads across forty departments, this university put its money in one industrial chain and stayed there. Our overviews of the top universities in China and China’s 985 and 211 universities place that tier in context.

Where the research strength actually sits

Metallurgical engineering is the headline. USTB’s metallurgical engineering ranked first in the world in the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for 2025 — its best-placed subject of the twenty it has ranked there (ShanghaiRanking, 2025). Materials science and mining sit close behind, and the university publishes its own indexed journal in minerals, metallurgy and materials.

The practical effect is supervision depth. Ask a question about high-temperature alloys here and someone has spent thirty years on it. Ask about, say, comparative literature, and you are in the wrong building — arguably the wrong university.

A campus in the middle of Beijing’s university belt

The campus sits on Xueyuan Road in Haidian, the strip that also holds Beihang, the China University of Geosciences and Beijing Forestry. Subway Line 15 and Line 8 both reach it. Zhongguancun’s tech employers are a short ride away, which matters more for internships than any brochure admits.

It is compact, walkable, and green in the way older Chinese campuses are — a ginkgo avenue that turns yellow every November and fills half the student photo feeds in Haidian. For the city itself, see our guide to Beijing.

Admissions: How to Apply to Study at USTB

The CSCA exam is the new step

USTB’s undergraduate document list now includes CSCA transcripts in the subjects relevant to your chosen major (USTB, 2026). The China Scholastic Competency Assessment is run by the China Scholarship Council, and it tests subject mastery — mathematics, physics, chemistry — rather than general reasoning.

Engineering programmes therefore expect maths and physics. Plan the sitting months ahead, because scores must exist before the file is complete. Our explainer on the CSCA exam covers registration, sittings and what the paper looks like.

Language requirements

Chinese-taught bachelor’s programmes ask for HSK Level 4 or above. English-taught entry runs on IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 70 at undergraduate level, rising to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 for the scholarship postgraduate track (USTB, 2026).

Be careful here. The English-taught bachelor’s list is short — materials science and engineering, environmental engineering — so most undergraduate applicants are really applying in Chinese. Postgraduate English-taught options are broader.

Documents, money proof and two calendars

Expect high school credentials and transcripts, passport, language certificate, medical check, police clearance, CSCA transcripts and a letter of financial guarantee. USTB suggests the guarantee show no less than 50,000 CNY, roughly one year of tuition plus living costs.

Then the dates, which are two separate things. Self-funded undergraduate applications run 1 November to 15 June. Scholarship deadlines land far earlier — the Chinese Government Scholarship high-level postgraduate route closes 15 March, and the Beijing Government Scholarship window ends 30 April, with results announced in July (USTB, 2026).

Scholarships and Tuition at USTB

Tuition and fees

Undergraduate tuition is 23,300 CNY a year, and it does not change with the language of instruction — English-taught costs the same as Chinese-taught. The application fee is 600 CNY. Insurance runs 800 CNY a year. Dormitory rooms range from about 750 CNY a month in a four-person room to 1,500 CNY in a double.

Postgraduate tuition varies by programme, so read the specific programme page rather than a summary table. Fees do move between intakes.

Scholarship options

Three routes matter. The Chinese Government Scholarship comes in Type A, applied for through your home country’s dispatching authority or a Chinese embassy, and Type B, applied for directly to USTB under the High-Level Postgraduate and Silk Road programmes. Full awards cover tuition, campus accommodation, medical insurance and a stipend — 3,000 CNY a month for master’s students, 3,500 for doctoral students.

The Beijing Government Scholarship is the second route, split into tiers A, B and C, where tier A is a full award and the others are partial. USTB’s own awards form the third. Worth noting: unlike some agricultural and engineering universities, USTB treats a supervisor’s acceptance letter as optional rather than mandatory — the opposite of the gate at Huazhong Agricultural University. Our guide to scholarships in China compares the national schemes.

Living in Beijing While You Study at USTB

Housing and campus

On-campus dormitories are the default and, at Haidian rents, the sensible one. A four-person room at 750 CNY a month is a fraction of anything you would find outside the gate. Rooms fill by application order, so apply early rather than assume a place.

Cost of living

Beijing is not a cheap city, but student Beijing is manageable. Canteen meals sit in single-digit to low-double-digit yuan. Budget roughly 2,500 to 4,000 CNY a month all in, dormitory included, and more if you eat out often or travel at weekends.

Getting around and getting out

The subway does almost everything, and mobile payment does the rest — set that up in your first week, as our guide to how to pay in China explains. Beijing’s two airports and four main rail stations put the rest of the country within a weekend.

Visiting the Campus Before You Apply

Chinese campuses control entry, and USTB is no exception. Visitors generally need to register in advance or be signed in by a student or staff member, with a passport at the gate. Do not assume you can wander in on a Tuesday afternoon.

If you do get in, the November ginkgo avenue and the materials buildings are the two things worth seeing. Email the International Student Center first; they answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the CSCA to study at USTB?

For undergraduate entry, USTB’s own document list asks for CSCA transcripts in subjects matching your major. Confirm the current requirement with the International Student Center before you book a sitting.

What HSK level does USTB want?

HSK 4 or above for Chinese-taught programmes. English-taught entry uses IELTS or TOEFL instead.

How much does a year cost?

Undergraduate tuition is 23,300 CNY, plus roughly 9,000 to 18,000 CNY for a dormitory and 800 CNY for insurance. Add living costs on top.

When do applications open and close?

The general window runs 1 November to 15 June. Scholarship deadlines are much earlier: 15 March for the CSC postgraduate route, 30 April for the Beijing Government Scholarship.

Is it only metallurgy and mining?

No. Computer science, automation, civil engineering, economics and management all run here. The industrial chain is simply where the university’s reputation was earned.

Conclusion: Is USTB Worth It?

If your field touches materials, metals, mining or energy, yes — few universities anywhere can match the depth, and the price is a third of what a comparable Western programme costs. If you want a broad liberal education in Beijing, look elsewhere and be honest with yourself about why.

Either way, start the visa paperwork the day an offer lands. Our guide to the China student visa sets out the X1 and X2 chain, and why study in China covers the wider case.

References