731-740 in the world · QS 2027

Northwest A&F University

西北农林科技大学

China's most complete agriculture, forestry and water university, in rural Yangling, home to Asia's first wine college.

Yangling, Shaanxi, China Public research university (Ministry of Education, Double First-Class) Founded 1934 Official website

See my chances at NWAFU Admissions office

Photo: 山海风 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Students: 40,637; 23,409 undergraduates
International: 1%; of students
Tuition: CN¥18,000; 2026-27
Founded: 1934

About NWAFU

Northwest A&F University traces its origins to the National Northwest Junior College of Agriculture and Forestry, founded in 1934 as the first higher agriculture and forestry school in northwest China. Today's university was created in September 1999, when seven teaching and research bodies in Yangling merged, including Northwest Agricultural University, Northwest Forestry College, the Institute of Soil and Water Conservation and the Shaanxi academies of agricultural and forestry sciences. It reports to the Ministry of Education, was part of Projects 985 and 211, and is a Double First-Class university.

NWAFU describes itself as the Chinese agricultural university with the most complete range of agriculture, forestry and water disciplines. It has a graduate school and 29 colleges, about 2,650 full-time teachers and around 40,600 full-time students, of whom about 23,400 are undergraduates. Its research is rooted in dryland farming on the Loess Plateau: its breeders produced the Bima No. 1 and Xiaoyan 6 wheat varieties and the Qinguan apple, and its College of Enology, founded in 1994, was Asia's first college dedicated to grapes and wine.

International students are a small group (492 in the university's September 2025 figures). For 2026 entry, bachelor's study was Chinese-taught only, with three programmes open to international applicants and no English-taught bachelor's degrees. NWAFU suits students with good Chinese who want an agriculture-focused research university in a quiet town, and those aiming for later master's or PhD research in crop science, plant protection or water-saving agriculture.

诚朴勇毅

“Sincerity, Simplicity, Bravery and Perseverance” — university motto

Why students choose NWAFU

NWAFU reports that Agricultural Sciences and Plant and Animal Science are in the ESI global top 0.1‰, among 14 fields in the top 1%.

The College of Enology, founded in 1994, was Asia's first wine college, and the university says its graduates make up about two-thirds of China's wine industry technical staff.

Bachelor's tuition for international students is CNY 18,000 a year, with a double room in the international student residence at CNY 6,000 a year.

The NWAFU International Student Scholarship (new for 2026) can cover tuition, accommodation and insurance plus a CNY 2,500 monthly stipend for undergraduates.

Admissions

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

Selectivity

NWAFU does not publish an admission rate for international students. Applicants who pass the document review have an online interview, and admission is based on academic performance, language proficiency and the interview.

Testing CSCA scores required for 2026 entry: Mathematics for every programme; Physics or Chemistry for science, engineering, agriculture and medicine programmes; and Professional Chinese (Humanities or STEM Chinese) for Chinese-taught programmes. HSK 4 is also required for Chinese-taught study.

Typical entry requirements

High school diploma	Non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, under 25, with a high school diploma (or expected graduation certificate) and transcripts
CSCA	For 2026: Data Science and Big Data Technology needs Mathematics and Physics; Business Administration and Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages need Chinese (Humanities) and Mathematics
HSK (Chinese-taught programmes)	HSK 4, or proof of Chinese-medium schooling for exemption; applicants without HSK can take a Language + Major route
English language	IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 79 Only relevant to English-taught programmes, and NWAFU offered no English-taught bachelor's programmes for 2026. Its FAQ gives IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 79 (or proof of English-medium schooling) for English-taught study.

Deadlines

September 2026 intake - PAST CYCLE, for reference only Non-binding Passed

May 31, 2026 (closed)

Applications opened with the guide published on October 9, 2025. Admission letters and JW202 forms are usually sent in June or July, and new students registered in late August or early September 2026.
NWAFU International Student Scholarship - PAST CYCLE Non-binding Passed

May 31, 2026 (closed)

Applied for through the NWAFU application system; undergraduate applicants had to include a CSCA certificate.
Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A) Non-binding

Usually January to early April (set by your home country's dispatching authority)

Apply through the dispatching authority or Chinese embassy in your home country and choose NWAFU; the university does not accept Type A applications directly. Type B at NWAFU is for postgraduates only.

NWAFU had not published its 2027 admissions guide as of September 29, 2026. For September 2026, the guide appeared in October 2025 and applications closed on May 31, 2026, so expect a similar window for September 2027. Book CSCA sessions early, because bachelor's applications and scholarships need the scores.

How to apply

Apply online through the NWAFU International Student Application System (nwsuaf.17gz.org) and pay the non-refundable CNY 400 application fee. Upload your passport, high school diploma or expected graduation certificate, transcripts, language certificate, personal statement, two recommendation letters from high school teachers, academic test (CSCA) scores, any competition certificates, and a guardian guarantee letter if you are under 18. Shortlisted applicants have an online interview; pre-admitted students must pay first-year tuition before the admission notice and JW202 visa form are issued.

What admissions looks for

Academic performance in high school, supported by CSCA scores in the subjects your programme requires.
Language proficiency: HSK 4 for Chinese-taught programmes, plus the CSCA Professional Chinese test.
A convincing online interview, which follows the document review.
Complete, verifiable documents, including two teacher recommendation letters and a personal statement; subject competition certificates are welcomed.

Tips for applying to NWAFU

1 Check the programme list before you plan: for 2026 only Data Science and Big Data Technology, Business Administration and Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages were open to international bachelor's applicants, all in Chinese.
2 Upload everything at once: NWAFU says it generally does not accept extra documents after you submit, and paper or email submissions are not accepted.
3 If your Chinese is not yet at HSK 4, ask about the Language + Major route, which starts with Chinese study before the degree.
4 Budget for paying first-year tuition soon after pre-admission; it is non-refundable if you then decline the place.

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in CNY

International bachelor's students, all Chinese-taught majors, per year (2026-27 fee page and admissions guide); the 2026 FAQ gives a wider range of CNY 16,000 to 20,000 depending on major Tuition CN¥18,000

Financial aid

Undergraduates can apply for the Chinese Government Scholarship (Type A) through their home country's dispatching authority, and citizens of the five Central Asian countries can apply for a Central Asia scholarship for Chinese-taught agriculture-related majors (HSK 4 required). From 2026 the NWAFU International Student Scholarship offers full awards (tuition, accommodation, insurance and a CNY 2,500 monthly stipend for undergraduates) or partial awards (full or half tuition), reviewed each year; after one year, strong students can also apply for the Shaanxi Sanqin Scholarship.

Tuition, accommodation, medical insurance and CNY 2,500 a month, for 4 years (5 for Veterinary Medicine)
NWAFU International Student Scholarship, full (undergraduate): First class: tuition and accommodation waived plus insurance; second class: 50% of tuition
NWAFU International Student Scholarship, partial: CNY 6,000 a year (CNY 500 a month) for a place in a double room
Campus accommodation: CNY 800 a year (compulsory)
Medical insurance: CNY 400 (non-refundable)
Application fee

Academics

Academic calendar: Two semesters (September intake)

Viticulture and Enology

Taught by the College of Enology, Asia's first wine college (1994); its degree model was copied by 22 Chinese universities, though it was not in the 2026 international bachelor's catalogue.

Agronomy and crop breeding

The home of the Bima No. 1 and Xiaoyan 6 wheat varieties; Agricultural Sciences is in the ESI global top 0.1‰.

Plant Protection

Plant pathology is a national key discipline, known for wheat stripe rust research.

Data Science and Big Data Technology

A Chinese-taught bachelor's open to international students in 2026, in the College of Information Engineering (CSCA Mathematics and Physics).

Business Administration (Digital and Smart Operations Management)

A Chinese-taught bachelor's open to international students in 2026, in the College of Economics and Management.

Research

NWAFU breeders produced Bima No. 1, historically China's most widely planted wheat variety, Xiaoyan 6, a distant-hybrid wheat, and the Qinguan apple; the university puts the direct economic benefit of these results at over CNY 300 billion.
Its soil erosion control work on the Loess Plateau helped push Shaanxi's green cover 400 km north, and its apple technology helped make the plateau China's largest high-quality apple base.
The university has built 38 agricultural science and technology experiment and demonstration stations and 52 demonstration bases in the main farming regions it serves, linking its research directly to farms.
It leads the Silk Road Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance and runs the SCO agricultural technology training base with the Yangling zone, plus a branch campus with Tashkent State Agrarian University in Uzbekistan.

Schools & faculties

College of Agronomy
College of Plant Protection
College of Horticulture
College of Animal Science and Technology
College of Veterinary Medicine
College of Forestry
College of Natural Resources and Environment
College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering
College of Food Science and Engineering
College of Enology
College of Economics and Management
College of Information Engineering

NWAFU reports that it has trained more than 320,000 graduates, 28 of whom became academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Engineering. Its College of Enology says its graduates are technical directors or chief engineers at 11 of China's 13 listed wine companies.

Student life

International students live in double rooms in the international student residence, with air-conditioning, private bathrooms and internet, at CNY 500 a month each. Campus life is split mainly between the North and South campuses in Yangling. The North campus has the 1934 No. 3 Teaching Building, a protected heritage building whose clock again chimes the hour, and the university has insect and agricultural history museums. With fewer than 500 international students, you will mostly study alongside Chinese classmates. NWAFU also has exchange programmes with overseas universities that qualified international students can apply for.

The 1934 No. 3 Teaching Building, a protected heritage building and clock tower on the North campus.
Insect and agricultural history museums on campus.
The College of Enology hosts international grape and wine academic events every April.
Outstanding undergraduates may get priority when applying to NWAFU master's programmes.

Housing. International students are housed in double rooms in the university's international student residence, at CNY 6,000 a year per person.

Location

Yangling, in Shaanxi province, is a small district in the Wei River valley that China has made a national agricultural high-tech demonstration zone, and it is known as the birthplace of Chinese farming civilisation. The university's experiment fields and research stations are part of daily life. It is a quiet, low-cost place to study; for a big city, students go to Xi'an, the provincial capital.

Nearest airport: Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)

Notable alumni

ZH
Zhao Hongzhang

Wheat breeder who bred the Bima No. 1 variety and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; graduated from Northwest College of Agriculture in 1940
LZ
Li Zhenqi

Plant pathologist and wheat rust expert, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; graduated 1949
WJ
Wei Jiangchun

Lichenologist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; graduated from Northwest College of Agriculture in 1955
YS
Yu Shuxun

Cotton breeder, director of the CAAS Cotton Research Institute and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; PhD from NWAFU, 2003
HJ
Han Jun

Agricultural economist and politician, former Governor of Jilin and party secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs from 2024; doctorate (1989) from Northwest Agricultural University
CC
Chen Cungen

Former vice-minister of personnel of China; forestry graduate of Northwest College of Agriculture (now part of NWAFU), where he also took a master's in forest ecology, and later head of Northwest Forestry College

Frequently asked questions

Does Northwest A&F University offer bachelor's degrees in English?

Not for 2026 entry: NWAFU's 2026 list of English-taught undergraduate programmes said none were offered. The three bachelor's programmes open to international students were taught in Chinese.

Does NWAFU require the CSCA for international undergraduates?

Yes. For 2026 entry, Mathematics was compulsory, science and engineering programmes also needed Physics or Chemistry, and Chinese-taught programmes needed the Professional Chinese test.

How much is NWAFU tuition for international students?

CNY 18,000 a year for Chinese-taught bachelor's programmes in 2026-27, plus CNY 6,000 a year for a double room and CNY 800 for compulsory insurance.

When is the NWAFU application deadline for September 2027?

NWAFU had not published its 2027 guide by late September 2026. For September 2026 the deadline was May 31, 2026, so expect a similar spring deadline.

What HSK level does NWAFU need?

HSK 4 for Chinese-taught programmes, or proof of Chinese-medium schooling. Applicants without HSK can apply for a Language + Major route that starts with Chinese study.

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.