Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

About Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

XJTLU was officially established in May 2006 after Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool agreed to create the institution and secured approval from China’s Ministry of Education. The university describes itself as an independent Sino-foreign cooperative institution and an independent legal entity in China. Its continuing operation is evident from active 2026 graduation, admissions and twentieth-anniversary activity, while the Ministry’s institutional record documents a licence extending to 2056. The university combines elements of Chinese and British higher education. Depending on the programme, undergraduate students who complete their studies normally receive an XJTLU bachelor’s degree and a University of Liverpool degree. Postgraduate taught students receive a University of Liverpool award recognised by China’s Ministry of Education. Doctoral opportunities are also offered, but applicants should consult the precise award and supervision arrangement for their chosen project. Most provision is based in Suzhou Industrial Park. XJTLU Entrepreneur College in Taicang, within the wider Suzhou jurisdiction, houses industry-oriented schools in areas such as artificial intelligence, chips, robotics, intelligent manufacturing, finance and the Internet of Things. Students entering a Taicang undergraduate programme may study their first year at the Suzhou Industrial Park base before moving to Taicang. This makes programme-level campus checking important when comparing housing, commuting and extracurricular options. Official university material says academic programmes are taught in English except for general and basic courses. This directly conflicts with the database’s Chinese-only language designation, so applicants should rely on the language information published for their individual programme.

Admissions routes differ by level, citizenship or residency category, intended entry year and programme. Mainland Chinese undergraduate applicants follow the national and provincial admissions framework described on XJTLU’s domestic admissions pages. Applicants from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan may need to apply through the relevant Chinese government system when using JEE, GSAT, HKDSE or the examination for recommended Macao students. International applicants apply through XJTLU’s online system and are responsible for satisfying China’s eligibility rules for international-student status. For international undergraduate entry, XJTLU normally expects strong secondary-school performance, including at least a B average overall and suitable preparation in relevant subjects. Direct Year Two consideration uses qualification-specific criteria; the published examples include A-level, International Baccalaureate and US-style routes. Engineering and several technical programmes require mathematics and physics, while other subjects have mathematics requirements. Architecture and selected creative programmes require a portfolio and interview for certain advanced-entry routes. Applicants who have not previously studied in English must also meet the university’s stated English-language requirements. The published deadline for most September 2026 international undergraduate applications was 15 June 2026 and has passed. The 2026 September master’s intake is also closed as of 20 August 2026. The master’s application page states that the 2027 portal is open, with a 15 November 2026 deadline for the limited programmes offering February entry and a 15 June 2027 deadline for September 2027 entry. Master’s and doctoral candidates must check programme-specific academic and English requirements. Doctoral admission usually expects relevant bachelor’s and master’s degrees, although exceptional bachelor’s-only candidates may receive individual consideration.

XJTLU offers study at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Its current undergraduate catalogue spans accounting, economics, finance, business, architecture, urban planning, artificial intelligence, computer science, electrical and civil engineering, robotics, mathematics, biological sciences, environmental science, pharmaceuticals, languages, international relations, media and creative subjects. Schools and academies include the School of Science, School of Advanced Technology, Design School, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, International Business School Suzhou and several technology-focused schools at XJTLU Entrepreneur College in Taicang. Undergraduate study normally follows a four-stage structure. Depending on the course, students may complete all stages at XJTLU through the 4+0 route or transfer to the University of Liverpool after two stages through 2+2. Certain Entrepreneur College programmes offer a 2+1+1 pattern, with one stage in Liverpool before the student returns to XJTLU. These mobility options are not available identically across all subjects. The university’s degree table should therefore be checked for the exact XJTLU award, Liverpool award and permitted route attached to a programme. Master’s provision includes taught MSc, MA, MDes and MBA courses as well as research-oriented MRes programmes. The official 2026 master’s material states that successful completion leads to a University of Liverpool master’s degree recognised by China’s Ministry of Education. Doctoral study is available across multiple disciplinary areas, including architecture, sciences, engineering, computing, business, education, humanities, public health and urban planning. Doctoral entry requirements and available projects are programme-specific, and the university evaluates eligible candidates competitively rather than guaranteeing admission when minimum thresholds are met.

Key Highlights

• Independent Sino-foreign cooperative university founded in 2006
• Established jointly by Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool
• Operates bases in Suzhou Industrial Park and Taicang
• Most academic teaching is in English, with exceptions for general and basic courses

Student Life & Environment

Student life is divided principally between the Suzhou Industrial Park base and XJTLU Entrepreneur College in Taicang. The university reports approximately 200 student organisations and clubs covering sport, arts, academic interests, social service, recreation, student committees and student unions. Its sports provision includes courts, fitness areas and activity spaces at the Suzhou campuses, while the Taicang sports centre includes a swimming pool, gymnasium and indoor activity facilities. Students can also use designated facilities in the surrounding Dushu Lake education district. Accommodation is available near both principal bases but is built and managed by independent providers rather than directly operated as university-owned housing. Rooms vary by building and campus. The university says dormitory rooms generally include bathrooms, furniture, air conditioning and water heaters, with shared laundry facilities. International and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan students at the Suzhou Industrial Park base choose among several privately managed apartment options and should check the relevant contract length, deposit, utility payment and booking rules. Campus assignment materially affects the residential experience. Students admitted to a Taicang undergraduate programme normally spend year one at the Suzhou Industrial Park base and then move to Taicang for the remaining three years. The university operates a shuttle between the two bases, but applicants should not assume that academic activities, housing choices or club facilities are interchangeable. Counselling is available in English and Mandarin, and nearby hospitals provide emergency and general medical services.

Location & Surroundings

XJTLU’s main base is in Suzhou Industrial Park at 111 Ren’ai Road, within the Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District. The district contains other universities and colleges as well as student housing, restaurants, shops, healthcare, banks, libraries and sports facilities. Public buses, the Suzhou metro and taxis connect the campus area with other parts of Suzhou. Suzhou is in Jiangsu province in the Yangtze River Delta, west of Shanghai. The setting combines access to Suzhou’s historic districts and gardens with a modern industrial and technology economy. This may be useful for students seeking projects or career exposure in engineering, technology, manufacturing, finance and internationally oriented business, but no internship or employment outcome should be assumed from location alone. The second base, XJTLU Entrepreneur College, is at 111 Taicang Avenue in Taicang, a county-level city administered by Suzhou. It is a distinct campus environment and hosts several industry-themed schools. Accommodation there is adjacent to the campus, and the university reports shuttle service to the Suzhou Industrial Park base. Applicants should verify the teaching location on the individual programme page before choosing housing or estimating travel costs.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs vary substantially by applicant category and level. For the 2026 intake, the official international undergraduate fee is RMB 93,000 per academic year. The university’s Chinese-language domestic page lists RMB 99,000 per academic year for 2026 Mainland Chinese undergraduate entrants. These figures should not be interchanged. Students taking a mobility route to Liverpool pay the University of Liverpool’s applicable international tuition during their period in the United Kingdom, so the later-stage cost can differ sharply from study in Suzhou. Published master’s tuition depends on the course and generally appears as a total programme fee rather than a universal annual amount. Current examples on the official fee table range from RMB 150,000 to RMB 200,000 for many programmes, while the International MBA is listed at RMB 320,000. Full-time PhD tuition is listed at RMB 99,000 per year and part-time PhD tuition at RMB 75,000 per year; the EdD is RMB 80,000 per year. Applicants should verify the current fee on the individual course page before accepting an offer. Scholarships are competitive rather than automatic. For 2026 international undergraduate entrants, the university advertised merit awards worth up to half of annual tuition. Master’s entry scholarships for full-time students were advertised at 20, 30 or 50 percent of total tuition, with a small number of full awards considered for eligible research master’s applicants. The cited deadlines concern 2026 entry and should not be treated as 2027 policy. Housing, utilities, food, insurance, visa expenses and travel are additional. Accommodation prices depend on campus, provider and room type. Career support is provided through the Student Admissions and Career Development Office, which offers job-search preparation and career-planning support. The university has not supplied a sufficiently comparable current salary or placement statistic in the selected sources, so prospective students should evaluate programme-level outcomes and work-authorization rules independently.