Shaanxi Normal University
陕西师范大学
Xi'an's Ministry of Education normal university, known in China as the cradle of teachers for the west.
- Students
- 31,000
- 19,000 undergraduates
- Tuition
- CN¥16,500
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1944
- QS World Ranking
- 1001-1200
- 2027 edition
About SNNU
Shaanxi Normal University traces itself to the Shaanxi Provincial Normal College founded in 1944. It became Xi'an Normal College in 1954, merged with Shaanxi Normal College in 1960 to take its present name, and was placed under the Ministry of Education in 1978. It joined Project 211 in 2005 and the first batch of national Double First-Class universities in 2017. Its own summary calls it the cradle of teachers, with more than 510,000 graduates, many of whom went on to teach in schools across western China.
The university has 27 schools and colleges on two campuses in Xi'an, Chang'an and Yanta. As of March 2025 it reported more than 19,000 full-time undergraduates, about 12,200 postgraduates and more than 600 international students, with 69 undergraduate majors and 13 subjects in the ESI top 1%, including chemistry, materials science and agricultural sciences in the top 2 per thousand. Its national Double First-Class discipline is Chinese language and literature.
For international applicants this is a teacher-education and humanities-led university with strong sciences, an International College of Chinese Studies and an established international office that has taught students since 1965. It suits students who want to study in Chinese in a historic Silk Road city on moderate fees, and who are ready to take the CSCA entrance assessment.
厚德 积学 励志 敦行
“Cultivate virtue, accumulate learning, foster ambition, act with diligence (the university explains the four phrases as virtue, learning, aspiration and practice)” — university motto
Why students choose SNNU
Tuition for international degree students is RMB 16,500 to 18,000 a year for humanities and science, with a two-person dormitory room from RMB 3,900 a year.
The university has hosted international students since 1965 and reports more than 10,000 alumni from over 120 countries and regions.
It runs Chinese Government Scholarship programmes and the Xi'an municipal Belt and Road scholarship, which pays RMB 15,000 towards first-year costs for undergraduates from Belt and Road countries.
It holds an HSK test centre on campus, so language testing is available at the university.
Admissions
Autumn 2027 intake (international undergraduate degree students)
Selectivity
SNNU publishes no acceptance rate for international applicants. Admission is by document review and, for scholarship programmes, an interview and overall assessment.
Typical entry requirements
| High school diploma | Completed high school with strong results; undergraduate CSC applicants must be non-Chinese citizens aged 25 or under |
|---|---|
| Chinese-taught programmes | HSK 4 for Chinese language and literature, science, engineering and arts programmes; HSK 5 for other humanities programmes (SNNU scholarship notice, 2026) |
| English-taught programmes | IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 60 (or equivalent proof), unless English is the native or official language |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 60 Figure from the SNNU 2026 Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship notice for English-taught programmes; SNNU's CSC Silk Road postgraduate notice asks for IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80. Native or official English-language applicants are exempt. |
Deadlines
- Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship (previous cycle) Non-binding Passed25 June 2026
Deadline for the 2026 intake, listed as an example of the annual summer window.
- Chinese Government Scholarship, bilateral programmeGenerally early January to early April, set by your home country's dispatching authority
Apply to the dispatching authority (usually the Chinese embassy or a designated national body), not directly to SNNU.
SNNU had not published a 2027 self-funded undergraduate deadline on the pages checked, so these are the previous-cycle and generic CSC windows; check study.snnu.edu.cn for the current notice.
How to apply
Register on the SNNU Online Service Platform for International Students (snnu.17gz.org), fill in the application and upload the documents (passport, notarised highest diploma and transcripts, HSK or English certificate, study plan, non-criminal record certificate, foreigner physical examination form and proof of funds). Scholarship applicants also apply through the relevant scholarship system, and CSC bilateral applicants apply first to the dispatching authority in their own country.
What admissions looks for
- Good academic records and completed high school education, with authentic and notarised documents.
- Sufficient Chinese (HSK 4 or 5) or English proficiency for the chosen programme.
- Non-Chinese citizenship and good health, backed by a physical examination form.
- For scholarships, priority for applicants with research results or awards, and a clear study plan.
Tips for applying to SNNU
- 1 Apply only through the official platform: SNNU states it has not authorised any individual or agency to recruit for its scholarships.
- 2 Check the proof-of-funds rule: the Xi'an scholarship notice asks for a financial guarantee of at least RMB 40,000.
- 3 If you want to study Chinese language and literature, HSK 4 is enough, while other humanities majors ask for HSK 5.
- 4 Pick between the two dormitory rooms early: the 'A' room is RMB 3,900 a year and the 'B' room RMB 9,000.
- 5 Undergraduate CSC and Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship applicants need a CSCA score, so plan the test dates ahead of the application window.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CNY
SNNU accepts Chinese Government Scholarship students (bilateral programme, Silk Road programme and High-Level Postgraduate programme) and administers the Xi'an municipal Belt and Road scholarship, which pays undergraduates RMB 15,000 for the first year, and a Shaanxi provincial Sanqin scholarship. A full CSC award waives registration and tuition fees and gives free on-campus accommodation, a living allowance and comprehensive medical insurance.
- RMB 15,000
- Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship, undergraduates (first year)
- RMB 20,000 and RMB 25,000
- Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship, master's and doctoral students (first year)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fees are published per semester and per year)
Chinese Language and Literature
The university's national Double First-Class discipline, and the major with the lowest HSK requirement (HSK 4) among humanities programmes for international students.
Teacher education
The university's founding mission; it has enrolled more than 38,700 state-funded normal students, about a quarter of the national total.
Chemistry and Materials Science
Both are among the university's ESI top-2-per-thousand subjects.
Agricultural sciences
The third ESI top-2-per-thousand subject reported by the university.
International Chinese language study
The International College of Chinese Studies runs Chinese language programmes, and the campus has an HSK test centre.
Research
- 13 subjects are in the ESI top 1%, with chemistry, materials science and agricultural sciences in the top 2 per thousand.
- The university runs 1 national engineering laboratory, 3 Ministry of Education key laboratories and 2 Ministry of Education engineering research centres.
- Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period it has led over 160 major national natural science, social science and key R&D projects.
- Its library is a national key ancient-books protection unit and holds more than 4.16 million print books.
Schools & faculties
- School of Marxism
- School of Philosophy
- School of Literature
- Faculty of History
- School of Psychology
- School of Foreign Languages
- School of Mathematics and Statistics
- School of Physics and Information Technology
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- School of Life Sciences
- School of Geography and Tourism
The university reports more than 510,000 graduates to date; it does not publish an English graduate employment rate on the pages checked.
Student life
Shaanxi Normal is spread over two Xi'an campuses. Chang'an is the newer, spacious campus and Yanta is the older, classical one; both are recognised by the Ministry of Education as civilised campuses. International students are housed in the International Student Apartments in two-person rooms with a private bathroom, air conditioning, wardrobe, internet and shared washing machines. The university has its own attached school, a school history museum called the Red Candle Hall and the first comprehensive education museum in China, and a library that is a protected ancient-books unit.
- Two campuses: Chang'an and Yanta.
- Red Candle history museum and a comprehensive education museum on campus.
- International student apartments with private bathrooms and air conditioning.
- HSK test centre and an International Chinese Language school for Chinese-language learners.
Housing. Two-person International Student Apartment rooms with bathroom and air conditioning cost RMB 3,900 a year (A standard) or RMB 9,000 a year (B standard).
Location
Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province and one of China's oldest cities, the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Yanta campus is in the city's Yanta district and the Chang'an campus in the southern Chang'an district. The university describes itself as located in the ancient capital Xi'an and publishes a commuter bus timetable for travel between its campuses.
Nearest airport: Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
Notable alumni
- FB Fu BojieLandscape ecologist and Chinese Academy of Sciences academician (elected 2011); bachelor's in geography (1982) and master's (1984) at SNNU; professor at Beijing Normal University since 2016
- DQ Dai QionghaiChinese Academy of Engineering academician (elected 2017) and professor at Tsinghua University; bachelor's degree from SNNU in 1987
- ZP Zhang PingxiangChinese Academy of Engineering academician; bachelor's (1985) and master's (1988) in physics at SNNU; president of Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research
- ZW Zhao WeiComputer scientist and former rector of the University of Macau (2008 to 2018); admitted to SNNU's physics department in 1974
- BY Bai YeLiterary critic and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; graduated from SNNU's Chinese department (1975 per the university's Chinese Wikipedia page)
- HT Huang TianshuPalaeographer of oracle-bone inscriptions, professor at Tsinghua University (formerly Capital Normal University); bachelor's in Chinese (1982) and master's (1985) at SNNU
Frequently asked questions
How much are tuition fees for international undergraduates at Shaanxi Normal University?
Per academic year, RMB 16,500 for humanities, RMB 18,000 for science and engineering and RMB 32,000 for arts. There is also a RMB 400 application fee.
What Chinese level do I need to study at SNNU?
For Chinese-taught programmes, HSK 4 is asked for Chinese language and literature, science, engineering and arts, and HSK 5 for other humanities (per the 2026 scholarship notice). English-taught programmes need IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 60 or equivalent.
Does SNNU take Chinese Government Scholarship students?
Yes. It receives students on the CSC bilateral, Silk Road and High-Level Postgraduate programmes; undergraduate bilateral applicants apply through their home country's dispatching authority and must take the CSCA. SNNU's CSC institution code is 10718.
When is the application deadline for 2027 entry?
SNNU had not published a 2027 self-funded deadline on the pages checked. For reference, the 2026 Xi'an Belt and Road scholarship deadline was 25 June 2026, and CSC bilateral windows usually run from early January to early April.
How much is on-campus accommodation for international students?
A two-person room in International Student Apartment 1 costs RMB 3,900 a year (A standard, RMB 2,100 per semester) or RMB 9,000 a year (B standard, RMB 5,000 per semester).
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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