Skip to main content
Northwest Normal University logo

Northwest Normal University CSC Scholarship 2026 — Full Guide

Complete guide to applying for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) at Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, Gansu.

Quick Overview

Scholarship Type B (Chinese University Program)
Degree Levels Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, General Scholar, Senior Scholar
Deadline January – April 2026 (varies by channel)
Monthly Stipend ¥2,500 (Bachelor's) · ¥3,000 (Master's) · ¥3,500 (PhD)
Language English or Chinese (program-dependent)
Agency Number 10736

CSC Scholarship Benefits at Northwest Normal University

The Chinese Government Scholarship at Northwest Normal University is fully funded and covers:

  • Full tuition waiver — all academic fees covered
  • On-campus accommodation — university dormitory provided free of charge
  • Monthly stipend — ¥2,500 (Bachelor's), ¥3,000 (Master's), ¥3,500 (PhD)
  • Comprehensive medical insurance — provided by the Chinese government
  • Settlement allowance — one-time payment upon arrival

International travel costs are not included and must be arranged and paid by the student.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the CSC scholarship at Northwest Normal University, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a citizen of a country other than the People's Republic of China
  • Be in good health and meet the physical examination requirements
  • Bachelor's applicants: high school diploma, under 25 years old
  • Master's applicants: bachelor's degree, under 35 years old
  • PhD applicants: master's degree, under 40 years old
  • Meet the language requirements of the chosen program (English proficiency or HSK for Chinese-taught programs)
  • Not be receiving any other Chinese government scholarship at the time of application

Available Programs & Subjects

Northwest Normal University offers a wide range of programs for international students across multiple faculties. For the most up-to-date list of programs accepting CSC scholarship students, visit the university's international admissions page or search for Northwest Normal University on the CSC Study in China portal.

How to Apply — Step by Step

There are two main channels to apply for the CSC scholarship at Northwest Normal University:

Channel 1: Apply Directly to Northwest Normal University (University Route)

  1. Contact a professor — email potential supervisors at Northwest Normal University with your CV and research interests. Securing an acceptance letter greatly improves your chances.
  2. Create your CSC account — register at campuschina.org and begin the online application. Use agency number 10736.
  3. Complete the CSC application form — fill in your personal details, education history, study plan, and preferred program.
  4. Upload and prepare documents — gather all required documents (see checklist below) and upload them to the CSC portal.
  5. Submit to Northwest Normal University — also apply through Northwest Normal University's own international admission portal if required.
  6. Wait for results — results are typically announced between June and August.

Channel 2: Apply Through Your Country's Embassy (Bilateral Route)

  1. Check your embassy's deadline — contact the Chinese embassy or your country's education ministry for the bilateral program deadline and requirements.
  2. Complete the CSC online application — same process as above at campuschina.org.
  3. Submit to your embassy — deliver printed application materials to the designated authority in your country.
  4. Embassy nominates candidates — your embassy shortlists and forwards applications to CSC.

Required Documents

Prepare the following documents for your CSC application to Northwest Normal University:

  • CSC Application Form (printed from campuschina.org)
  • Highest degree diploma (notarized copy)
  • Academic transcripts (notarized copy)
  • Study plan or research proposal (minimum 800 words)
  • Two recommendation letters from professors or associate professors
  • Valid passport copy
  • Foreigner Physical Examination Form (completed within 6 months)
  • Language proficiency certificate — English: IELTS/TOEFL (or university attestation); Chinese: HSK certificate
  • Acceptance letter or pre-admission letter from Northwest Normal University (if available)
  • Published papers or academic achievements (if applicable, especially for PhD)
  • No Criminal Record certificate

All documents not in Chinese or English must be notarized translations.

Application Deadline

Application Channel Typical Deadline
University Direct (Northwest Normal University) February – April 2026
Embassy / Bilateral Program December 2025 – March 2026 (varies by country)
CSC Online System Closes Usually end of April 2026

Always verify exact deadlines on the Northwest Normal University website and your country's embassy.

Tips for a Strong Application

  1. Northwest Normal University can be an excellent strategic choice with lower competition than top-tier universities.
  2. A well-written study plan matters even more at less competitive universities — show clear motivation and research direction.
  3. Contact professors directly through the university website. Smaller universities often have more responsive faculty.
  4. Submit your application as early as possible. Late applications often face stricter review.
  5. Have all documents professionally translated and notarized well before the deadline.

About Northwest Normal University

Introduction

University in Lanzhou, China

Northwest Normal University (Chinese: 西北师范大学; pinyin: Xīběi Shīfàn Dàxué) is a public university in Lanzhou, Gansu Province of the People's Republic of China. The university is authorized by the State Council of the Central Government of the People's Republic of China to grant associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees in more than 80 subject areas.

History

Northwest Normal University (NWNU) is a key university under the joint construction of the People's Government of Gansu Province and the Ministry of Education of China. It is also one of the 14 state-supported universities in western China. The predecessor of NWNU is the National Beiping Normal University, which originates from the Normal School of the Metropolitan University founded in 1902. After the "July 7 Incident" of 1937, Beiping Normal University was incorporated into the National Beiping University and the Beiyang Engineering Institute. The new incorporation was named as the Northwest Union University, and the National Beiping Normal University reconstructed itself as an affiliated normal school and became independent in 1939 after being renamed as the National Northwest Normal Institute and moved to Lanzhou City In 1941. Before 1958, the National Northwest Normal Institute was one of the six key normal institutes directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education.

In 1958, the administration of the Institute shifted to Gansu Province. The Institute was renamed the Gansu Normal University, but resumed its name as Northwest Normal Institute in 1981. In 1988 the university was finally renamed Northwest Normal University.

Research institutes and centers

In 1985, the Northwest Normal University set up the Northwest Ethnic Minority Teachers Training Center directly under the Ministry of Education, with the administrative system featuring "Two Plaques, One Leading Board". In 1987, Tibetan Teachers' Training Center under the State Council was established in the University. Under the commitment of the Ministry of Education, the University has established a good number of institutes and organizations such as the Elementary Education Curriculum Reform Research Center, the Northwest Ethnic Minority Education Development Research Center, the National Key Constructing Base of Training Teachers for Vocational Education, the National Base of Training Teachers for Physical Education, the Mentors' Training Base for the Ministry of Education, the Key Lab of Eco-Environmental Macromolecule Materials, and the NWNU Chinese Language and Culture Education Base.

Under the commitment of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, and under the commitment of Gansu Province, 25 research institutes such as Gansu Cultural Development Institute and Gansu Educational Development Institute, as well as 4 provincial-level key labs were established. Up to now, NWNU has set up 26 colleges, 1 Independent Institute, 70 departments, 2 teaching departments, 160 teaching and research centers (institutes), and 41 labs (experimental centers).

Facilities

The NWNU campus occupies a total area of 960 hectares. Its new campus covers 729 hectares.

The campus also includes 3600 hectares of green lands and construction compensation lands. All of the campus buildings cover a floor space of 820 thousand square meters, 395.8 thousand square meters of which are teaching buildings and auxiliary buildings.

The total value of the teaching facilities may be as high as 20,534 million yuan. The university library has a collection of more than 3.49 million volumes.

The University also established a modern network system for public education services, including a distance education network, a comprehensive teaching affairs management network, a campus computer network, a communication network and a cable TV network.

Teaching

About 180,000 students have graduated from NWNU since its independence. The enrollment of the University has covered 31 provinces (cities and autonomous regions) and the number of the graduates is up to 35,200 now, among which 5600 are postgraduates and doctors, 16,900 undergraduates, and 12,700 adult students. NWNU has launched 5 undergraduate teaching reform programs consecutively.

Faculty

NWNU has a teaching staff of 2,547, among which 1,303 are full-time teachers, 292 professors and 716 associate professors. Among the full-time teachers, 410 are doctors, 624 postgraduates, 3 academicians, 101 doctoral supervisors, 696 master students' supervisors, 1 "National Distinguished Teacher", 1 "Yangtze River Scholar", 2 national teaching teams and 1 innovation team under the Ministry of Education. The University has employed more than 380 experts and scholars as specially employed professors or part-time professors, among whom 10 are academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Engineering. Prominent professors such as Lizheng, Li Jinxi, Yuan Dunli, Dong Shouyi, Li Jianxun, Hu Guoyu, Lv Sibai, Kong Xianwu, Chang Shuhong, Chenyong, Huangzhou, Pengduo, Guo Jinxi, Cheng Guodong, Xue Qunji, Li Bingde, Jin Baoxiang, Jin Shaoying, Nan Guonong have taught successively in the University.

Areas of study and degrees granted

NWNU is among the first to be entitled the degree granting authority ratified by the State Council to confer bachelor's degree, Master's Degree and Doctorate since 1982. At present, the University has 6 postdoctoral research centers for Pedagogy, Chinese Language and Literature, Histology, Mathematics and Chemistry; 7 first-grade disciplines (Pedagogy, Chemistry, Chinese Language and Literature, Histology, Mathematics, Physics, Geography), 50 second-grade disciplines and 1 specialty with Doctorate granting authority; 32 first-grade disciplines, 157 second-grade disciplines and 11 specialties with master's degree granting authority; 2 national key disciplines, 1 innovation team under the Ministry of Education, 16 provincial-level key disciplines, 33 university-level key disciplines and 66 Bachelor's specialties such as English, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Art, Chinese Language and Literature, Geography, Physics, Histology, Chemistry and Bio-Science.

International cooperation

The University has conducted international exchange and cooperation extensively, established cooperative relationships with more than 120 universities, set up research institutes and international organizations in more than 40 countries and China Taiwan province as well as Hong Kong Administrative Region, held more than 50 large-scale international academic conferences and educated more than 1,100 overseas students. Up to now, NWNU has established 2 Confucius Institutes with the University of Khartoum of Sudan and the Free International University of Moldova.

Affiliates

NWNU affiliates include the Affiliated Educational Group, the Affiliated No. 1 Middle School, the Affiliated No.2 Middle School, the Affiliated Primary School and the Affiliated Kindergarten.

Notable alumni

  • Lydia H. Liu, comparative literature scholar at Columbia University, 1997 recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship
  • Du Yaxiong, ethnomusicologist known for his work on ancient Chinese music theory and Chinese minority folk music
  • Li Xi, member of the 20th Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

Disclaimer: The university information above is sourced from Wikipedia and may not reflect the most current data. We recommend verifying details on the official Northwest Normal University website.

External Links

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CSC scholarship deadline for Northwest Normal University?
For the university channel (direct application to Northwest Normal University), the deadline is typically between January and April 2026 — check the university's international admissions page for the exact date. For the embassy/bilateral channel, contact your country's Chinese embassy or education ministry, as deadlines vary by country (usually December–April).
Does Northwest Normal University require an acceptance letter for CSC?
An acceptance letter is not always required for Northwest Normal University, but it can strengthen your application considerably. Reach out to potential supervisors via email or the university's admission portal.
What is the monthly stipend at Northwest Normal University?
CSC stipends are standard across all universities: Bachelor's students receive ¥2,500/month, Master's students ¥3,000/month, and PhD students ¥3,500/month. The stipend covers living expenses in Lanzhou.
Can I study in English at Northwest Normal University?
Yes, Northwest Normal University offers English-taught programs at the Master's and PhD levels. Some Bachelor's programs may also be available in English. Check the university's international student portal for the full list of English-medium programs.
What is the agency number for Northwest Normal University?
The CSC agency number for Northwest Normal University is 10736. You will need this number when filling out the CSC online application form.

Stay Updated

Get CSC Scholarship Alerts

Deadline reminders, strategy tips, and university-specific updates — straight to your inbox.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Community

Join 2,000+ CSC Applicants

Get real-time deadline alerts, ask questions about Northwest Normal University, and connect with applicants who have been through the process.

Join the CGS World Community on Telegram

Rankings sourced from Shanghai Ranking — BCUR 2025. University descriptions sourced from Wikipedia where available.