National Cheng Kung University
國立成功大學
Southern Taiwan's big comprehensive university, founded as a technical college in 1931, across from Tainan station.
- Students
- 21,726
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 19.9:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- NT$90,142
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1931
About NCKU
National Cheng Kung University opened in 1931 as Tainan Technical College on what is now its Cheng-Kung Campus. After 1946 it became Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering, with departments of mechanical, electrical, chemical, civil and architectural engineering, and in 1956 it became Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University, adding colleges of liberal arts and science and of business. It later grew into a comprehensive national university that now includes a College of Medicine and a university hospital.
Today NCKU's colleges cover engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, planning and design, sciences, bioscience and biotechnology, liberal arts, social sciences, management and medicine, plus the Min Wu School of Computing and an Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing. Engineering remains its core, and it is a strong industry partner: it reports US$233 million in industry-academia collaboration funding in 2025 and more than US$3.3 million a year in licensing royalties since 2009.
The main campuses sit together in central Tainan, directly across from Tainan Railway Station, and the university's land totals 185.6 hectares across several campuses. Most undergraduate teaching is in Chinese, but a few bachelor's programs are fully in English. NCKU suits students who want a big, engineering-led university in the centre of a southern Taiwanese city.
窮理致知
“Knowledge through reason” — university motto
Why students choose NCKU
Two bachelor's programs are taught fully in English: the International Bachelor Degree Program on Energy and the Department of Public Health.
Undergraduate tuition and fees for international students run from about NT$45,000 to NT$72,000 per semester (2026-27, unchanged from 2025-26), depending on the college.
New international students are automatically reviewed for the NCKU Distinguished International Student Scholarship, which for undergraduates covers tuition plus a monthly stipend set by the college.
Winners of NCKU-designated international maths, science or business competitions can get a tuition exemption plus NT$5,000 to NT$12,000 a month for the whole degree.
Admissions
Fall 2027 entry (Fall 2027 dates had not been published as of September 29, 2026; the dates below are from the past Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 rounds)
Selectivity
NCKU does not publish an admission rate for international degree students. Each department sets an admission quota and any additional requirements (documents, interviews or tests) in the annual programs list.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma and transcripts | Plus at least two recommendation letters and any department-specific documents; up to three departments per application |
|---|---|
| Chinese-taught programs | Chinese proficiency at TOCFL A2 or above (general minimum; check the department's requirement) |
| Chinese- and English-taught programs | TOCFL A2 or above and English at CEFR B1 or above |
| English language | English-taught programs require proof of English at CEFR B1 or above as a general minimum; departments may set higher specific scores in the admission prospectus. |
Deadlines
- Fall semester, September 2026 entry - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding PassedMarch 15, 2026 (closed)
Previous cycle: application period December 20, 2025 to March 15, 2026; admission and scholarship results June 2, 2026; admission letters late June 2026. Fall 2027 dates were not yet published as of September 29, 2026; a similar December-to-March window would be expected.
- Spring semester, February 2027 entry - CLOSED Non-binding PassedSeptember 15, 2026 (closed)
Application period ran July 1 to September 15, 2026 and has closed. Results November 30, 2026; admission letters mid-December 2026.
Both published rounds have closed: Fall 2026 (deadline March 15, 2026) and Spring 2027 (deadline September 15, 2026). The Fall 2027 schedule had not been posted as of September 29, 2026; check the OIA Degree Application Schedule page. Programs offered differ by round, so check the Current Programs list. Late, ineligible or incomplete applications are not processed, and the fee is non-refundable.
How to apply
Register one account on the NCKU International Students Admission System, choose up to three departments, upload all documents as PDFs, pay the NT$2,000 application fee by bank transfer or credit card, and submit. Recommendation letters (at least two) can be uploaded by you, submitted by recommenders through an emailed link, or emailed to the international office. Once submitted, choices cannot be changed.
What admissions looks for
- Academic results that meet the chosen department's requirements, shown in transcripts and supporting documents.
- At least two recommendation letters.
- The language level of the program: CEFR B1 English for English-taught programs, TOCFL A2 Chinese for Chinese-taught ones.
- For scholarship candidates, a strong departmental evaluation, which can include a video interview.
Tips for applying to NCKU
- 1 Register only one account on the admission system: applicants with more than one account are treated as invalid.
- 2 Check each department's additional documents, interviews or tests in the Current Programs list before you apply.
- 3 Double-check your department choices before submitting, because they cannot be changed afterwards.
- 4 If you have placed in an NCKU-designated international maths, science or business competition in the last three years, flag it: it can bring a full-degree scholarship.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in TWD
New international students are reviewed automatically for the NCKU Distinguished International Student Scholarship; for undergraduates admitted from 2026-27 it waives tuition and pays a monthly stipend set by each college, and awards are sent with the admission letter. The International Merit Students in Mathematics and Science, and Business Achievement Scholarship gives competition winners a tuition exemption plus NT$5,000 to NT$12,000 a month. Taiwan Scholarships from the government are applied for through Taiwan's embassies and representative offices, and cannot be combined with NCKU scholarships.
- NT$2,000
- Application fee
- Tuition exemption plus NT$5,000-12,000 a month
- Merit scholarship for competition winners (bachelor's)
- US$233 million
- Industry-academia collaboration funding (2025)
Academics
Academic calendar: Two semesters; fall (September) and spring (February) intakes
International Bachelor Degree Program on Energy
One of NCKU's two fully English-taught bachelor's programs.
Public Health (Bachelor's)
One of NCKU's two fully English-taught bachelor's programs.
Engineering (College of Engineering)
The university's founding field since 1931, with departments from mechanical and civil to aeronautics and astronautics and systems and naval mechatronic engineering.
Architecture and Planning
Part of NCKU since the 1946 college of engineering; alumnus Han Pao-teh became one of Taiwan's best-known architects.
Foreign Languages and Literature
Offers enough English-taught courses for international undergraduates to meet graduation requirements.
Medicine
NCKU's medical college runs a university hospital in Tainan; President Lai Ching-te trained there.
Research
- NCKU reports US$233 million in industry-academia collaboration funding in 2025 and 1,610 active patents since 2001.
- Licensing royalties have exceeded US$3.3 million a year since 2009, with an 18% patent commercialization rate.
- Core facilities include the Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory and an Instrument Development Center.
Schools & faculties
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Sciences
- College of Engineering
- College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- College of Planning and Design
- College of Management
- College of Medicine
- College of Social Sciences
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology
- Min Wu School of Computing
- Academy of Innovative Semiconductor and Sustainable Manufacturing
Student life
NCKU's campuses sit side by side in central Tainan. The Sheng-Li Campus, across Ta-Hsueh Road from the original Cheng-Kung Campus, is mainly for student housing, dining and recreation, with several dormitories and the Yun-Ching-Hsuen student activity centre in a renovated former dorm. The Kuang-Fu Campus holds the main sports field, a student activity centre, courts and a gymnasium, and the Tzu-Chiang Campus has more fields for football, baseball and basketball. Tainan Railway Station is right across the road, which makes weekend trips easy.
- Campuses clustered in central Tainan, across from Tainan Railway Station.
- Sheng-Li Campus dedicated to dorms, dining and student recreation.
- Sports fields, courts and a gymnasium on the Kuang-Fu and Tzu-Chiang campuses.
- A historic campus: the Cheng-Kung Campus is the site of the original 1931 technical college.
Housing. Undergraduate dormitories are concentrated on the Sheng-Li Campus next to the main campus, with further student and postgraduate dorms on the Ching-Yeh Campus.
Location
Tainan is a major city in southwestern Taiwan. NCKU's main campuses are clustered in the city centre, directly across from Tainan Railway Station, with dormitories on the neighbouring Sheng-Li and Ching-Yeh campuses, so daily life happens within a small area. Other campuses, such as Kuei-Jen and An-Nan, host research and industry facilities further out.
Nearest airport: Tainan Airport (TNN)
Notable alumni
- LC Lai Ching-tePresident of Taiwan (Republic of China); studied medicine at NCKU
- SC Samuel C. C. Ting1976 Nobel Prize in Physics; entered NCKU in 1955 to study mechanical engineering
- MC Mao Chi-kuoFormer Premier of Taiwan; BS in civil engineering (1971)
- WP Wu Po-hsiungFormer mayor of Taipei and chairman of the Kuomintang; studied industrial and business management
- HP Han Pao-tehArchitect, educator and writer; BS in architecture (1958)
- PH Pai Hsien-yungNovelist; began as a hydraulic engineering student at NCKU in 1956
- CC Chang Chun-yenSemiconductor pioneer and former president of National Chiao Tung University; electrical engineering degree from NCKU (1960)
Frequently asked questions
Does NCKU offer undergraduate degrees in English?
Yes, two bachelor's programs are fully English-taught: the International Bachelor Degree Program on Energy and the Department of Public Health. Most other bachelor's programs are taught in Chinese.
When is the NCKU application deadline for international students?
The Fall 2027 dates had not been published as of late September 2026. In the previous cycle, the window for September 2026 entry ran December 20, 2025 to March 15, 2026, and the February 2027 round closed on September 15, 2026. Expect a similar December-to-March window for Fall 2027.
How much is tuition at NCKU for international students?
In 2026-27 undergraduate tuition and fees for foreign students are NT$45,071 to NT$71,891 per semester depending on the college (the same rates as 2025-26), with Medicine at the top end.
What language level do I need for NCKU?
As a general minimum, CEFR B1 English for English-taught programs and TOCFL A2 Chinese for Chinese-taught programs; some departments ask for more.
How do I get a scholarship at NCKU?
New international students are reviewed automatically for the NCKU Distinguished International Student Scholarship when they apply; results come with the admission letter. Taiwan government scholarships are applied for separately through Taiwan's overseas offices.
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.
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