Lanzhou University
Lanzhou · Comprehensive
Top tier — Priority coverage — programs, tuition and English-taught options actively maintained; a full international admission profile is shown where available.
Lanzhou
Regional hub Metro Est. budget CNY 1,800–3,500 (USD 250–490) / month incl. dorm or shared flatThe Silk Road capital where the Yellow River runs straight through the city, Lanzhou is China's beef-noodle hometown and the academic heart of the Northwest: Lanzhou University — a top-tier school famous for chemistry and atmospheric science — plus normal, medical and technology universities, with Central-Asia-facing trade growing along the Belt and Road.
City guide: climate, halal food, healthcare & rent →
International admission
Bachelor: High school certificate; HSK 4 (Chinese-taught) or IELTS 6.0 / TOEFL 80 (English-taught)
Master’s: Bachelor degree + HSK 5 (Chinese-taught) or IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 80–90 (English-taught)
PhD: Master degree + research proposal and supervisor acceptance; HSK or English proof depending on program language
English-taught: IELTS 6.0–6.5 / TOEFL 80–90 typical
Chinese-taught: HSK 4 for bachelor (relatively accessible), HSK 5 for postgrad
Tuition (typical range — pending verification): Bachelor ¥ 20,000–32,000 / Master ¥ 22,000–35,000 / PhD ¥ 22,000–32,000 per year (typical published ranges; verify)
Accommodation: On-campus international dormitory; typical CNY 800–1,500/month for shared rooms (verify)
Intakes: Sep (main); some programs Mar
Application window: Dec 1 – Mar 15 (Sep intake)
Major Central-China hub for international students; CSC Type B quotas relatively ample
Source: https://www.lzu.edu.cn · compiled 2026-09-21, source verification pending
Scholarships you can apply for
Academic strengths
China’s official discipline evaluation (MOE Degree Centre, 4th round, 2017): A+ ≈ top 2%, A ≈ top 2–5%. Methodology
| Double First-Class discipline | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Grassland | A+ |
| Ecology | A |
| Chemistry | B+ |
| Atmospheric Science | B- |
All evaluated disciplines (35)
- Grassland A+
- Ecology A
- Ethnology B+
- Marxist Theory B+
- Mathematics B+
- Physics B+
- Chemistry B+
- Geography B+
- Biology B+
- Public Administration B+
- Chinese History B
- Mechanics B
- Computer Science B
- Business Administration B
- Applied Economics B-
- Law B-
- Chinese Language & Literature B-
- Journalism B-
- Atmospheric Science B-
- Basic Medicine B-
- Philosophy C+
- Foreign Languages & Literatures C+
- Materials Science & Engineering C+
- Electronic Science & Technology C+
- Nuclear Science C+
- Environmental Engineering C+
- Clinical Medicine C+
- Pharmacy C+
- Sociology C
- Chemical Engineering C
- Theoretical Economics C-
- Geology C-
- Information & Communications Engineering C-
- Animal Husbandry C-
- Stomatology C-
What its badges mean
China’s elite university initiative (147 universities designated in the 2022 MOE list)
The original 39 top universities selected in 1998 for world-class development
112 universities chosen in the 1990s for key national investment
Data sources: university international-admission pages (linked above), MOE Double First-Class list (2022), MOE Degree Centre discipline evaluation (2017). Figures marked as typical ranges are editorial estimates, dated — per-source verification in progress — full data notes.