#600 in the world · QS 2027

China University of Petroleum, Beijing

中国石油大学（北京）

China's first petroleum university, training oil, gas and energy engineers in Beijing's Changping district since 1953.

Beijing, Changping District, China Public research university (Ministry of Education, Double First-Class) Founded 1953 Official website

See my chances at CUPB Admissions office

Photo: Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tuition: CN¥25,000; 2026-27
Founded: 1953
QS World Ranking: #600; 2027 edition
Campus: Suburban; More than 700 mu (about 47 ha) at the Beijing campus; more than 7,000 mu at the Karamay campus

About CUPB

China University of Petroleum, Beijing (CUPB) began in 1953 as the Beijing Petroleum Institute, built from the petroleum-related departments of Tsinghua University, Tianjin University, Peking University and others. It was China's first petroleum university. The institute moved to Dongying in Shandong in 1969; the Beijing branch restarted as a graduate school in 1981, took undergraduates again from 1989, and has been a separate university from its East China sister institution since 2005. It is a Project 211 and Double First-Class university under the Ministry of Education.

Its strength is the full oil and gas chain: geology and exploration, petroleum engineering, storage and transportation, chemical engineering and refining, plus newer fields such as unconventional and offshore oil and gas, new energy, hydrogen, energy storage and carbon capture. It runs three national key laboratories and has co-development agreements with China's major energy companies, including CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC. Teaching is organised into 13 colleges, from Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering to Economics and Management and a College of Artificial Intelligence.

The main Beijing campus has about 9,300 undergraduates, 10,000 postgraduates and more than 700 international degree students; a second campus in Karamay, Xinjiang, opened in 2015. International undergraduates can study petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, international trade and English in English, or around a dozen other majors in Chinese. The university suits students who want a career in the energy industry and value close links with China's national oil companies.

厚积薄发、开物成务

“Build deep foundations, then put knowledge to work” — university motto

Why students choose CUPB

Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technics, and Computer Science and Technology are each offered in both English and Chinese, so you can start a degree without Chinese.

Tuition for every international bachelor's programme is a flat CNY 25,000 a year, one of the lower rates for a Double First-Class university in Beijing.

The university's own CUPB - Beijing Government scholarship covers full tuition, housing and insurance, and the First Class award adds CNY 2,500 a month for 10 months a year.

The university is co-developed by the Ministry of Education and China's big oil and gas companies, and it hosts three national key laboratories, including Oil and Gas Resources and Engineering and Heavy Oil.

Admissions

September 2027 intake (the latest published undergraduate guide is for the past 2026 intake)

Selectivity

CUPB does not publish an admission rate for international undergraduates. Applications pass a first review by the College of International Education, then a short online interview with the teaching college, then scholarship review.

Testing Required: the CSCA (China Scholastic Competency Assessment). English-taught programmes need CSCA Mathematics (English) plus Physics or Chemistry (English); Chemical Engineering needs Mathematics and Chemistry, and English Language needs Mathematics only. Chinese-taught programmes need the Chinese-language CSCA papers plus Professional Chinese (Science). For the 2026 intake, CSCA scores were due by June 15, 2026.

Grades High school average above 70% and GPA of at least 3.0/5.0.

Typical entry requirements

High school diploma	Non-Chinese citizen under 25 with a high school diploma (or proof of expected graduation), average above 70% and GPA of at least 3.0/5.0
CSCA	Mathematics plus Physics or Chemistry for most programmes; Professional Chinese (Science) as well for Chinese-taught programmes
HSK (Chinese-taught programmes)	HSK 4 with 180 or above; 222 or above for scholarship applicants
English language	IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 75 English-taught programmes: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 75 or TOEFL Essentials 8 (DI code C806). Native speakers and applicants from countries where English is an official language are exempt.

Deadlines

CUPB - Beijing Government Foreign Students Scholarship (undergraduate) - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding Passed

May 15, 2026 (closed)

The scholarship page lists May 15 as the undergraduate deadline, a month before the general deadline.
2026 intake, self-funded and CUPB scholarship applications - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding Passed

June 15, 2026 (closed)

Previous cycle: applications ran from October 25, 2025 to June 15, 2026. Undergraduate interviews ran in four groups from May 21 to June 25, 2026.
Chinese Government Scholarship Type B (university route, agency number 11414) - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding Passed

June 15, 2026 (closed)

Apply on both the CUPB portal and the CSC portal (studyinchina.csc.edu.cn).
Chinese Government Scholarship Type A (embassy route) Non-binding

Set by the Chinese embassy; for 2026 the period generally ran from December 2025 to March 2026

Apply through the Chinese embassy in your country and also request a pre-admission letter on the CUPB portal, choosing CSC Type A.

CUPB's latest undergraduate guide is for the 2026 intake (applications October 25, 2025 to June 15, 2026). A 2027 guide had not been published as of September 29, 2026; the FAQ gives June 15 as the usual bachelor's deadline, so expect a similar autumn opening and apply by mid-May if you want a CUPB scholarship.

How to apply

Apply online at cie-registration.cup.edu.cn (one account per email address) and upload your passport, notarised high school diploma and transcripts, CSCA transcript, language certificate, physical examination report, non-criminal record and a bank reference letter showing at least CNY 49,000 held for one month. Pay the CNY 400 (or USD 70) application fee, then take a roughly 5-minute online interview by Tencent Meeting (1-minute self-introduction, 4 minutes of questions) in the language of your programme.

What admissions looks for

A completed high school education with an average above 70% (GPA 3.0/5.0 or higher).
CSCA results in the subjects your major requires; the university calls the CSCA an important quantitative basis for judging academic ability.
Language proficiency: HSK 4 (180+) for Chinese-taught majors, or IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 75 for English-taught majors.
A convincing online interview: the FAQ advises knowing the technical basics of your major, your study plan and your motivation for that specific programme.

Tips for applying to CUPB

1 Register for the CSCA early and pick the right language version: English-taught applicants must take the English papers, Chinese-taught applicants the Chinese papers.
2 If you apply to a Chinese-taught major and want a scholarship, aim for HSK 4 with 222 or more, not just the 180 minimum.
3 You may apply for several scholarships at once (CSC Type A or B and the CUPB scholarship), but you will only be awarded one.
4 Watch the Admission Notices page and your email: interview slots are announced only a few days ahead, and missing your turn by three minutes moves the panel on to the next applicant.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in CNY

International undergraduates per year (2026 intake guide): CNY 25,000 for all bachelor's programmes, English- or Chinese-taught Tuition CN¥25,000

+ annual housing cost only (this is an annual figure, low because it excludes food): on-campus room at cny 800 a month x 12 = cny 9,600 a year (cny 1,200 a month, or cny 14,400 a year, for the other room type); food and other living costs are extra and not published CN¥9,600 ≈ CN¥34,600 per year

Tuition Annual housing cost only (this is an annual figure, low because it excludes food): on-campus room at CNY 800 a month x 12 = CNY 9,600 a year (CNY 1,200 a month, or CNY 14,400 a year, for the other room type); food and other living costs are extra and not published

Financial aid

The CUPB - Beijing Government Foreign Students Scholarship is open to all majors: First Class covers tuition, accommodation, comprehensive insurance and CNY 2,500 a month for 10 months; Second Class covers tuition, accommodation and insurance without a stipend. Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarships are available through the embassy (Type A) or directly through CUPB (Type B), and cover tuition, a free double room and insurance. Scholarships are reviewed every year.

Full tuition, accommodation, insurance and CNY 2,500 a month for 10 months
CUPB - Beijing Government Scholarship, First Class: CNY 400 or USD 70
Application fee: CNY 49,000
Minimum funds for the bank reference letter

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters (intake in September)

Petroleum Engineering

One of the first majors set up in Beijing in 1990, built on the national key disciplines of oil and gas well engineering and field development; taught in English or Chinese.

Chemical Engineering and Technics

Taught in English or Chinese, backed by the national key laboratory for heavy oil; the CSCA requires Mathematics and Chemistry.

Computer Science and Technology

Available in English or Chinese, and linked to the university's push into oil and gas artificial intelligence.

International Economy and Trade

An English-taught business degree at an energy university, useful for careers in oil and gas trading and the Belt and Road energy sector.

Oil and Gas Storage and Transportation Engineering

A Chinese-taught major rooted in one of the university's national key disciplines, covering pipelines and energy logistics.

Research

Three national key laboratories: Oil and Gas Resources and Engineering, Heavy Oil, and Deep Geothermal Enrichment and Efficient Development.
Nine ESI subject fields are in the global top 1%, with Engineering, Chemistry, Geosciences and Materials Science in the top 0.1% (university figures, September 2025 ESI data).
CUPB founded the Worldwide Energy University Network in 2018, which has grown to 32 energy universities from 17 countries.
It publishes the English-language journal Petroleum Science, listed among China's leading journals.

Schools & faculties

College of Geosciences
College of Petroleum Engineering
College of Chemical Engineering and Environment
College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering
College of Safety and Ocean Engineering
College of New Energy and Materials
College of Information Science and Engineering
College of Science
School of Economics and Management
School of Foreign Languages
College of Sports, Humanities and Arts
College of Artificial Intelligence

The university reports that it has trained more than 300,000 specialists since 1953 and is known as the cradle of China's petroleum talent; it does not publish an employment rate for international graduates on its English pages.

Student life

International students live and study on the main campus at 18 Fuxue Road in Changping, in north-west Beijing, below the Jundu Mountains. On-campus rooms in the international student dormitory cost CNY 800 or 1,200 a month depending on room type, and CSC scholarship holders get a free double room. The College of International Education, set up in 2017, runs events such as an annual International Cultural Festival (the 9th was held in 2026) and cultural exchanges with Chinese students around traditional festivals. The university has admitted international students since 1994 and now has more than 700 international degree students.

Annual International Cultural Festival, organised by the College of International Education.
The university's culture draws on the Daqing oilfield 'Iron Man' spirit, and its school song is 'I Contribute Oil to the Motherland'.
Links to 170+ universities and companies abroad, including 13 international joint institutes.
A second campus in Karamay, Xinjiang, an oil city, opened in 2015.

Housing. International students can live in the on-campus international student dormitory at CNY 800 or 1,200 a month depending on room type; CSC scholarship holders get a free double room.

Location

The campus is in Changping District on the northern edge of Beijing, a quieter suburban area with the Jundu Mountains close by and the Future Science City energy research cluster nearby. Central Beijing, with its universities, museums and business districts, is reached by metro and bus. The capital's size means big-city prices, but on-campus living keeps day-to-day costs manageable.

Nearest airport: Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK)

Notable alumni

WY
Wu Yi

Former Vice Premier of China; graduated in petroleum refining from the Beijing Petroleum Institute in 1962
LY
Li Yizhong

Former Minister of Industry and Information Technology; graduated from the Beijing Petroleum Institute in 1966
WL
Wei Liucheng

Former general manager of CNOOC and Party Secretary of Hainan; Beijing Petroleum Institute graduate
MF
Ma Fucai

Former general manager of China National Petroleum Corporation; graduated from the Beijing Petroleum Institute's development department in 1970
ZY
Zhou Yongkang

Former member of the Politburo Standing Committee and former head of CNPC; convicted in 2015 of bribery, abuse of power and intentionally disclosing state secrets and sentenced to life imprisonment. Studied geophysical exploration at the Beijing Petroleum Institute, graduating in 1966

Frequently asked questions

Does China University of Petroleum, Beijing teach in English?

Yes. Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Technics, Computer Science and Technology, International Economy and Trade and English are open in English; most other majors are taught in Chinese and need HSK 4 (180+).

How much is tuition at CUP Beijing for international students?

CNY 25,000 a year for all bachelor's programmes (2026 intake). Dormitory rooms cost CNY 800 or 1,200 a month, and the application fee is CNY 400 or USD 70.

Do I need the CSCA to apply to CUP Beijing?

Yes. All bachelor's applicants must take the CSCA, usually Mathematics plus Physics or Chemistry, in the language of their programme; Chinese-taught applicants also take Professional Chinese (Science).

When is the CUP Beijing application deadline?

For the 2026 intake, applications ran from October 25, 2025 to June 15, 2026, with the CUPB scholarship closing on May 15. The 2027 guide had not been published as of September 29, 2026.

What scholarships can international students get at CUP Beijing?

The Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A via your embassy or Type B via CUPB) and the CUPB - Beijing Government scholarship, whose First Class covers tuition, housing, insurance and CNY 2,500 a month. You can apply for more than one but will only receive one.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.