Overview
Situated in the historic and culturally rich city of Tainan—often celebrated as Taiwan's ancient
capital—National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) stands as one of the island's most prestigious
and comprehensive research institutions. Established in 1931 during the Japanese era as the
Tainan Technical College, its sprawling 186-hectare (460-acre) main campus is celebrated for its
lush greenery, iconic banyan trees, and highly spacious layout. Operating as a critical academic
anchor for southern Taiwan, NCKU is a dominant force in engineering, medicine, and smart
manufacturing. Today, the university hosts a vibrant academic population of over 23,000+ students. It draws a rapidly growing international cohort seeking world-class STEM facilities and
deep integration with the massive tech conglomerates operating in the nearby Tainan Science
Park.
#191
QS 2027 Rank
#225
TUC 2027 Rank
#50
Asia Rank (TUC)
Stats
●Career and Post-Grad Placement: NCKU provides a direct, highly lucrative pipeline into Taiwan's world-leading technology and semiconductor industries. The university has been ranked #1 in the Global Views Monthly survey for "employers' most preferred university graduates" in Taiwan for 12 consecutive years. Graduates are heavily recruited by TSMC (which houses its massive advanced manufacturing fabs in the Tainan Science Park), Delta Electronics, and Foxconn.
● Professor Quality: Students are instructed by elite researchers and industry pioneers. NCKU's engineering, materials science, and medical faculties are globally renowned, frequently leading national efforts in artificial intelligence, green energy, and smart healthcare.
● Study Environment: NCKU cultivates a highly pragmatic, deeply research-oriented, but notably relaxed atmosphere compared to the dense urban rush of Taipei. Tainan is famous across Asia for its incredible culinary scene, historic temples, and lower cost of living. The campus is deeply integrated into the city center (located directly behind the Tainan Railway Station), offering an exceptional quality of life and easy transit access.
Courses
40+
Primary UG
60+
Doctoral (PHD)
110+
Masters (PG)
All
Masters (English)
The most popular and highly competitive undergraduate programs include Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, and Medicine. While traditional degrees are taught in Mandarin, NCKU is heavily expanding its English-taught programs and cross-disciplinary tracks to attract a diverse global cohort.
Navigating Admissions: The International Student Pathway
The gateway for international students to enter NCKU is highly competitive, emphasizing students who demonstrate strong academic foundations and clear technical or scientific aptitude.
The step-by-step admission process requires:
1. Eligibility & Preparation: Applicants must hold foreign nationality (without holding household registration in Taiwan) and apply directly through the NCKU Office of International Affairs (OIA) online portal.
2. Academic Excellence: Undergraduates need strong academic credentials across global high school systems. Admitted students typically present highly competitive scores in mathematics and sciences (e.g., strong IB Diploma results, excellent A-Level grades, or high standard GPAs).
3. Language Competence:
○ For Chinese-taught programs, a minimum TOCFL (Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language) Level 3 or HSK Level 5 is usually required.
○ For English-taught programs, international students must demonstrate proficiency with a minimum IELTS Academic score of 6.0, or a TOEFL iBT score of 79+ (higher scores are preferred for highly competitive engineering tracks).
4. Documentation & Interviews: Applications require official high school transcripts, passport copies, financial guarantee statements, a study plan, and letters of recommendation. Specific departments frequently request virtual interviews to assess academic readiness.
For more Information and personalised answers please join our Discord server https://discord.gg/MtdNBUwF2b (all documents needed and other important things required for your application is posted on the server)
Financial Architecture:
Budget Split (In TWD)
(This is an average data, the actual budget may vary from person to person)
Fees and Annual Budget:
Fees and Annual Budget: NCKU offers an exceptional financial ROI. Heavily subsidized by the
Taiwanese government, students access an elite, globally-ranked university at a fraction of the
cost of Western institutions.
For upcoming academic cohorts, the standard undergraduate tuition for international students
generally ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 TWD per
year, depending on the specific college. Professional degrees like Medicine carry a premium.
Beyond tuition, an international student living in Tainan (which is significantly more affordable
than Taipei or Hsinchu) should prepare for an estimated annual living budget of roughly 140,000
to 220,000 TWD.
*For more information visit https://web.ncku.edu.tw/
This covers:
● On-Campus Accommodation: ~15,000 to 30,000 TWD/year (NCKU provides highly subsidized dormitory options for international students).
● Food / Board: ~70,000 to 100,000 TWD/year (Dining on campus and in Tainan—Taiwan's culinary capital—is world-class and highly affordable).
● Student Fees, Books, & National Health Insurance (NHI): ~20,000 TWD/year.
Funding the Future:
Scholarship Opportunities: The financial aid landscape at NCKU is incredibly generous, designed explicitly to integrate top global talent into southern Taiwan's booming tech sectors.
● NCKU Distinguished International Student Scholarship: The university automatically considers outstanding international applicants for internal scholarships upon admission. Top-tier awards offer a full tuition waiver plus a monthly living stipend (often up to 15,000 TWD/month for undergraduates), renewable based on academic performance.
● Taiwan Scholarship (MOE): Funded by the Ministry of Education, this is a highly coveted national award providing a massive tuition waiver (up to 40,000 TWD per semester) plus a monthly living stipend of 15,000 TWD for undergraduates.
● Corporate & Departmental Scholarships: Given NCKU’s deep ties to the Tainan
Science Park, specific faculties often receive targeted funding from tech giants to support
elite international applicants.
For more scholarship updates and options please find it on our discord server https://discord.gg/MtdNBUwF2b
Why Choose NCKU?
The Ultimate Talent Engine for Taiwanese Industry: If you are looking past standard
brochure data, the ultimate reason to attend NCKU is its absolute dominance in Taiwanese
industry employability combined with the exceptional lifestyle of Tainan. By stepping onto this
186-hectare campus, you bypass the higher living costs of Taipei while gaining a degree from
an institution that Taiwan's own tech CEOs and hiring managers consistently rank as their
absolute favorite. With TSMC's most advanced semiconductor manufacturing fabs just a short
drive away in the Tainan Science Park, NCKU operates as the direct talent engine for the future
of global computing, offering international students an unparalleled, highly affordable launchpad
into the Asian tech sector.