Beihang University

About Beihang University

Beihang began on October 25, 1952, when aeronautics units from several Chinese institutions were consolidated into the Beijing Institute of Aeronautics. It became Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1988 and adopted Beihang University as its English name in 2002. This history reflects its development from a specialist aeronautical institute into a comprehensive research university, not a closure or institutional replacement. The university remains closely identified with aviation and space technology. Its official overview links faculty and student work to projects including the C919 passenger aircraft, Long March rockets, the Tiangong space station, BeiDou navigation, and the Chang’e lunar program. Prospective students should nevertheless understand that Beihang is broader than aerospace: its official academic scope covers ten disciplinary groupings, including engineering, science, management, economics, law, humanities, philosophy, education, medicine, and interdisciplinary studies. Beihang operates across three principal sites. Xueyuan Road and Shahe are in Beijing, while the Hangzhou International Campus is in Zhejiang Province. Program location matters because particular offerings and accommodation charges can be campus-specific. The university’s official overview reports more than 43,000 students, including over 2,000 international students from more than 140 countries, but applicants should consult their particular school and admission notice for the teaching campus, program language, and registration arrangements.

The following details apply to international applicants for 2026 entry and should not be generalized to China’s domestic admissions process. International undergraduate applicants were required to be non-Chinese citizens with valid passports, ordinarily aged 18 to 22, in good physical and mental health, and holders of a senior-high-school qualification. They also had to take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment and submit the required score. Chinese-taught applicants needed HSK Level 5 with at least 180, while non-native speakers applying to English-taught programs could present IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 90, or acceptable evidence of prior English-medium schooling. For the 2026 undergraduate cycle, online applications opened November 1, 2025 and closed June 30, 2026, with registration scheduled for August or September. Because that deadline has passed as of August 20, 2026, future applicants should wait for the next official cycle rather than reuse these dates. The 2026 international master’s route required a bachelor’s degree and generally an age below 35; doctoral applicants needed a master’s degree and generally had to be below 40. Both cycles closed June 30, 2026. Graduate files included transcripts, degree evidence, language documentation, a substantial study plan, two academic recommendations, and an acceptance letter from a Beihang supervisor. English-taught graduate applicants could use IELTS Academic 6.0, TOEFL 90, or Duolingo 105; Chinese-taught applicants generally needed HSK 5 with at least 180. Exact document and language requirements must be checked against the next published intake.

Beihang awards bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Its disciplinary center of gravity is engineering and applied science, especially aerospace science and technology, mechanics, materials, electronic information, control, power and propulsion, computer science, software engineering, instrumentation, transportation, and integrated circuits. Current doctoral offerings for international students also include mathematics, physics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, management, economics, languages, law, and design. Availability and teaching language vary by degree, school, and campus. The international undergraduate curriculum is structured as full-time study, normally lasting four years. Beihang describes a foundation-first model in which international undergraduates initially build competence in mathematics, physics, and language before moving into their major school. Chinese-taught and English-taught routes are available, but not every subject is offered in both languages. Students must meet their program’s credit requirements and complete and defend a graduation project or thesis to receive the bachelor’s degree. For 2026 international admission, master’s programs normally last two to three years and doctoral programs four years. Graduate applicants select from school-specific subject lists and research directions. Both master’s and doctoral applications generally require evidence of academic preparation, a study plan, recommendations, and an acceptance letter from a Beihang supervisor. This makes early investigation of faculty research and language availability important. Beihang also advertises international summer schools, research internships, exchanges, and dual-degree opportunities through its Yuanhang Project, although participation conditions depend on the individual arrangement.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1952 as China’s first higher-education institution devoted to aeronautics and astronautics after 1949
• Adopted Beihang University as its English name in 2002
• Operates Xueyuan Road and Shahe campuses in Beijing and an international campus in Hangzhou
• Officially reports more than 43,000 students and over 2,000 international students

Student Life & Environment

Student experience differs between the established Beijing campuses and the newer international setting in Hangzhou. Xueyuan Road hosts major university events and services, while Shahe accommodates undergraduate teaching and residence for specified schools and programs. The Hangzhou International Campus supports international and cooperative education. Applicants should confirm their assigned site rather than assuming that all facilities and activities are located at Xueyuan Road. University-managed double-room accommodation is offered to international students, subject to advance reservation and actual availability. The 2026 admissions material states that utilities are not included and that reservation instructions are issued after formal admission. This makes housing confirmation an important pre-arrival task, particularly for students applying late or studying at a campus away from Beijing’s main international-student office. Official 2026 university reporting documents graduation celebrations, arts performances, student organizations, and participation by students from schools across the institution. The International School also reports intercultural programming and peer activities for international students. Beihang advertises summer schools, research internships, exchanges, and dual-degree opportunities as additional ways to engage internationally. These opportunities should be checked individually for eligibility, cost, credit recognition, and language expectations. Students seeking extensive nontechnical offerings should also examine the relevant school’s course catalogue because the university’s most visible institutional culture remains strongly oriented toward engineering, aerospace, research, and national technology projects.

Location & Surroundings

Beihang’s two Beijing campuses are located in different parts of the city. The Xueyuan Road Campus is at 37 Xueyuan Road in Haidian District, an area containing a substantial concentration of universities and technology organizations. The Shahe Campus is farther north in Beijing and houses teaching or residence for designated schools and cohorts. Travel time and daily surroundings therefore depend on the campus named in the admission materials. The Hangzhou International Campus is in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and should not be treated as a Beijing location. Its programs, housing prices, and administrative arrangements can differ from those at the Beijing campuses. International applicants should check the campus marker attached to their intended major before budgeting or arranging accommodation. Beijing offers direct exposure to China’s research, aerospace, digital-technology, and public-sector institutions, while Hangzhou is a major technology and business center. Those settings can support academic visits and employer engagement, but individual access is not guaranteed. Students should base practical decisions on the assigned campus, commute requirements, program language, and the location of their supervising school.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026 international undergraduates, annual tuition was CNY 25,000 for Chinese-taught science, engineering, management, humanities, and law programs, and CNY 30,000 for specified biomedical engineering and art programs or programs taught in English. Four-year comprehensive medical insurance cost CNY 3,200. The published international master’s tuition was CNY 35,000 per year, while doctoral tuition was CNY 42,000 per year; both also required CNY 800 annual insurance. These figures apply to the 2026 international intake, not domestic students or future admission years. Published double-room accommodation for 2026 cost CNY 30 per bed per day at the Beijing campuses. Hangzhou charges differed by level: undergraduate material listed CNY 2,000–2,500 per academic year per bed, while the graduate pages listed CNY 2,000. Utilities were excluded, rooms required advance application, and actual allocation governed the final charge. Scholarship routes included Chinese Government, Beijing Government, and Beihang awards, with eligibility, coverage, deadlines, and annual review requirements varying by scheme. Career support reflects Beihang’s technical profile but is not confined to aerospace. Its March 2026 graduate job fair organized recruitment areas for aerospace and high-end equipment, information technology, integrated circuits, biomedicine, humanities and social sciences, western-region opportunities, and alumni enterprises. The university also reported résumé support, mock interviews, career consultation, employer presentations, and recruitment events. These services demonstrate employer access, but the sources do not establish individual placement, salary, or visa outcomes, particularly for international graduates.