National Chung Hsing University

About National Chung Hsing University

NCHU developed from the Advanced Academy of Agronomy and Forestry established in Taipei in 1919. After a period affiliated with Taihoku Imperial University, the school became independent again and moved to Taichung in 1943. It evolved into Taiwan Provincial College of Agriculture after World War II, joined with additional colleges to form Taiwan Provincial Chung Hsing University in 1961, and became National Chung Hsing University in 1971. This history explains the continuing prominence of agriculture, forestry, and applied biological fields within a now comprehensive institution. The university’s main campus is in Taichung’s South District. Official campus information identifies a broad collection of colleges there, while current university property information also lists a Nantou campus that houses circular-economy activity. Beyond conventional classrooms, NCHU maintains four experimental forest stations, agricultural and livestock facilities, farms, and a horticultural experiment station. These assets may be particularly relevant to students seeking field-based work in natural resources, agriculture, sustainability, or related sciences, although access depends on the student’s program. NCHU is an operating national university and is admitting international degree students for the 2026/2027 academic year. Prospective students should understand it as a multi-site Taiwanese public institution rather than a single compact residential campus. The academic experience, teaching language, laboratory access, and likely study location vary substantially by department and degree level.

International degree applicants must use the requirements for their intended program and entry term. For the 2026/2027 academic year, NCHU’s official guide opened Fall 2026 applications from January 15 to March 20, 2026; that intake was already closed by the profile date. Spring 2027 applications run from August 15 through September 30, 2026. Bachelor’s programs are available only for fall entry under this guide, so the spring round applies to participating graduate programs. Departmental availability and requirements may differ. The baseline academic progression is conventional: applicants need a high-school qualification for a bachelor’s program, a bachelor’s degree for a master’s program, and a master’s degree for doctoral entry. International-student eligibility is additionally governed by Taiwan Ministry of Education rules, so nationality and prior-study status must be checked before applying. Required materials include academic credentials, program-appropriate language evidence, two recommendation letters, and a one-page study plan in Chinese or English. Doctoral applicants normally provide a master’s thesis or documentation that their previous degree did not require one. Chinese-taught programs require evidence equivalent to TOCFL A2 unless an applicable native-language provision is documented. For English-taught programs, the university baseline is CEFR B1, with examples including TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS 5.0, or TOEIC 670. Departments may impose higher standards, and qualifying applicants from English-speaking or English-medium backgrounds must follow the stated evidence rules.

NCHU reports as many as 126 degree programs across bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Its academic organization spans liberal arts, agriculture and natural resources, science, engineering, life sciences, veterinary medicine, management, law and politics, electrical engineering and computer science, medicine, and circular-economy studies, alongside interdisciplinary provision. Its origins and physical resources give agriculture, forestry, veterinary, biological, environmental, and related applied fields a distinctive institutional presence, but students can also pursue humanities, business, law, computing, engineering, and scientific disciplines. Program availability is not identical across entry terms or degree levels. The official 2026/2027 international-admissions guide states that bachelor’s admission is available for the fall semester only, while listed master’s and doctoral programs may admit in fall, spring, or both depending on the department. The guide gives standard study-duration ranges of four to six years for bachelor’s programs, one to four years for master’s programs, and two to seven years for doctoral programs. Language must be checked at program level. The 2026/2027 guide distinguishes programs taught in Chinese, programs taught in English, and programs offering enough English-taught coursework to meet graduation requirements. This is more precise than treating NCHU as wholly Chinese-medium or English-medium. Applicants should consult the current departmental table for the exact intake, teaching-language category, prerequisites, and any higher language threshold. Field stations, farms, forests, and specialized campuses expand the setting for practical and research work, but participation is determined by the relevant department and curriculum.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1919 and known by its present name since 1971
• Operating national university with active 2026/2027 degree admissions
• Main campus in Taichung plus a Nantou campus and specialized field facilities
• Four experimental forest stations support teaching and research beyond the main campus

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centered primarily on the Taichung campus, where the Office of Student Affairs provides student-club, activity, health, counseling, housing, financial-aid, and career-related services. Official university information describes clubs covering learning, volunteering, friendship, sport, entertainment, and student self-government. International students can also use Office of International Affairs guidance on daily life, local food, transportation, immigration services, and resources for Muslim students. On-campus accommodation exists but should not be treated as automatically guaranteed. The Fall 2026 international-student handbook says new international students can request university housing through the admissions system; later applications and continued residence follow Student Housing Service schedules and regulations. It describes one international dormitory serving female and exchange students, seven male-residence buildings, and four female-residence buildings. Rooms generally accommodate four students, with shared toilets, showers, laundry and recreation areas, and limited kitchen facilities. Students may instead use campus cafeterias or nearby food stalls. Housing conditions involve practical constraints. Summer residence requires a separate application, dormitory prices may change, and continuing students may face allocation procedures. The accommodation page also indicates that annual housing rights can involve a random-allotment lottery. Students who value a private room or year-round certainty should compare off-campus options and confirm current availability before relying on a dormitory place.

Location & Surroundings

The main campus is at 145 Xingda Road in Taichung’s South District. Official university information places it approximately 2.7 kilometres from Taichung Railway Station, making the campus accessible to the city centre without placing it directly beside the station. The university lists local bus connections near the campus and public-bicycle stations around NCHU. It estimates a taxi journey of roughly 10–15 minutes from Taichung Railway Station and 20–30 minutes from the high-speed-rail station, subject to traffic. The Taichung campus occupies about 53 hectares and combines academic buildings with the principal student-service environment. NCHU also operates a Nantou campus in Nantou City. Official transportation information describes bus and shuttle connections between designated Taichung and Nantou stops, including services available without charge to university students and staff on specified routes. Applicants to circular-economy programs or activities located in Nantou should verify where classes occur and account for cross-campus travel. The broader institutional footprint includes forest stations in New Taipei, Nantou, Taichung, and Tainan, as well as farms and a horticultural station. These are specialized academic assets rather than interchangeable residential campuses.

Costs & Career Outcomes

International tuition varies by college and degree level. The latest complete semester totals displayed on the official fee page are labeled for academic year 2025/2026, so they should be used as planning figures rather than represented as confirmed 2026/2027 prices. Listed undergraduate totals range from TWD 45,691 per semester in liberal arts to TWD 53,914 in veterinary medicine. Master’s totals range from TWD 46,206 to TWD 53,203, while doctoral totals range from TWD 46,206 to TWD 53,946. The page separately explains a revised 2026/2027 charging method for undergraduates taking fewer than ten credits, but it does not clearly publish a replacement full-time fee table. Additional costs can include a mandatory TWD 300 computer and internet fee per semester, first-year language-laboratory charges where applicable, insurance, books, housing, deposits, and daily living expenses. The Fall 2026 handbook estimates nearby off-campus rent at TWD 5,000–12,000 monthly, depending on conditions. Dormitory charges vary by building and may change; applicants should obtain a current quotation rather than rely on an older estimate. Scholarships and financial-aid links are available through university offices, but award terms require separate verification. Career support is provided through the Office of Student Affairs and its Career Development Center, which advertises career-related activities and employment information. International students who undertake paid work or receive laboratory stipends in Taiwan must obtain the required work permit. No verified graduate salary, placement-rate, or employer-outcome data were found in the selected official sources, so applicants should ask their intended department for recent discipline-specific outcomes.