Which Chinese universities are best known for aerospace?

In our database: Beihang University in Beijing, Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Harbin Institute of Technology. Each university page lists its tuition and admission details.

Can I study aerospace in China in English?

Some programs, mostly at graduate level. Zhejiang University teaches its PhD in Aeronautical and Astronautical Science and Technology in English. Most aerospace bachelor's programs are taught in Chinese.

Is there a drone engineering degree in China?

Yes. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Engineering (无人驾驶航空器系统工程, code 082009T) is a bachelor's major; nine new programs were registered in 2018 alone.

Studying Aerospace Engineering in China: Universities, Programs and Requirements

Where international students can study aeronautics, astronautics and drones in China: the specialist universities, real programs, HSK and CSCA, and tuition.

China has a group of universities that grew up around aircraft and spacecraft, and it is still adding programs: in 2018 alone, the Ministry of Education registered nine new bachelor's programs in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Engineering (无人驾驶航空器系统工程, code 082009T). This guide shows where to look and what you need.

The specialist universities

University	City	What it is known for	Tuition per year (from our database)
Beihang University	Beijing	Aerospace and aeronautical engineering, computer science and automation	Bachelor's 25,000–30,000 CNY
Northwestern Polytechnical University	Xi'an	Aeronautics, astronautics and marine engineering	Bachelor's 22,000–25,000, master's 30,000–33,000, PhD 38,000–42,000 CNY
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics	Nanjing	Aeronautics, astronautics and civil aviation	Not yet in our database
Harbin Institute of Technology	Harbin	Aerospace, robotics and materials science	Bachelor's 20,000–26,000, master's 28,000–34,000 CNY

All four teach some programs in English as well as in Chinese. Check each program, because the teaching language varies.

Programs in our database

From each university's own 2026 admission catalog. Tuition is per year.

University	Program	Level and language	Tuition	Entry requirements
Sun Yat-sen University	Aeronautics (航空航天类, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics), 4 years	Bachelor's, Chinese	33,800 CNY	HSK 5 (180+); CSCA mathematics, physics, professional Chinese (science)
Zhejiang University	Aeronautical and Astronautical Science and Technology (School of Aeronautics and Astronautics), 4 years	PhD, English	42,800 CNY	Supervisor's acceptance required

Sun Yat-sen admits students to Aeronautics as a broad category (航空航天类) rather than a single major. We are adding the specialist universities' catalogs to our program search.

What the programs are called

Level	Program names
Bachelor's	Aircraft Design and Engineering (飞行器设计与工程), Aircraft Power Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Engineering (无人驾驶航空器系统工程)
Master's and PhD	Aeronautical and Astronautical Science and Technology (航空宇航科学与技术)

How to get in

Bachelor's (mostly taught in Chinese): expect HSK 5 and the CSCA in mathematics, physics and professional Chinese (science). See Learn Chinese first, then start your degree and our CSCA guide.

Master's and PhD: find a supervisor first. Zhejiang University requires a supervisor's acceptance for its English-taught aerospace PhD. The Chinese Government Scholarship covers master's and PhD students.

Tips

Ask before you apply. Not every aerospace program or lab admits international students. Check the university's catalog for international students, and ask the international office if a program you want is missing.
Look at related fields. Robotics, control engineering and materials science sit close to aerospace; see our guide to AI and robotics.
Weigh the city. Harbin costs less to live in than the big coastal cities, but its winters are very cold.