Xi'an Jiaotong University MBBS: Fees, Admission, Chinese Requirement and FMGE Review for Indian Students

Xi'an Jiaotong University at a glance

Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) is a major public university in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in north-west China. Its School of International Education says XJTU was the first university in China to develop an English-medium MBBS for international students, starting in 1995, and has since trained more than 2,000 international medical students from 63 countries. In 2005, authorised by the Ministry of Education, it drafted the interim quality-control standards for English-taught undergraduate medical education for international students.

For Indian students, XJTU is one of the few Chinese universities whose graduates pass FMGE at roughly twice the China average.

Course structure and the Chinese requirement

XJTU's 2026 guide divides the six-year MBBS into four stages:

1. Stage I (2 terms): Chinese language and medical terminology.
2. Stage II (5 terms): basic medical courses such as anatomy, histology and embryology, pathology, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology and cell and molecular biology.
3. Stage III (3 terms): clinical courses including diagnostics, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, neurology, psychiatry, emergency medicine and dermatology.
4. Stage IV (2 terms): a one-year hospital internship with a rotation logbook, supervised by attending physicians.

Graduation requires passing all compulsory courses, the internship and a graduation exam (theory 60%, practical 40%). The Indian mission's advisory adds that students in China must reach HSK-4 in Chinese to be awarded the degree, and that Chinese is mandatory for clinical sessions. Treat Chinese as a core subject from day one.

Fees and total cost

From XJTU's 2026 guide, converted at CNY 6.67 = US$1 (13 November 2026) and US$1 ≈ ₹94:

Accommodation is spread over three campuses (Xingqing, Yanta and iHarbour), allocated by the university, and booked online. Over six years, tuition plus housing comes to roughly $43,000–$53,000 (≈ ₹40–50 lakh), before food, insurance, books, visas and flights. Compare with other options on the MBBS abroad fees page.

Admission requirements and timeline

For 2026 entry, XJTU's guide set these requirements:

• Age under 25 and in good health (under-18s need a guardian authorisation letter).
• Senior secondary diploma and transcripts, plus results of your national standardised exam.
• English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo), unless English is your mother tongue and the school approves.
• CSCA score (China Scholastic Competency Assessment, organised by the China Scholarship Council for the MoE).
• Recommendation letter, a study plan of at least 600 characters or words, a medical examination form and a non-criminal record.

Process: take the CSCA, apply online through XJTU's system, pay the application fee after initial review, attend an interview, receive admission, and register in early September. The 2026 window ran from 1 November 2025 to 30 June 2026, first come, first served. For 2027, expect a similar window; check the XJTU site. Indian citizens also need a qualifying NEET-UG score; see NEET for MBBS abroad.

Hospitals

XJTU's guide describes two main affiliated hospitals. The First Affiliated Hospital (founded 1956) has 48 departments, 10 laboratories and 3,600 beds, and was one of the first Class A tertiary hospitals in China. The Second Affiliated Hospital (founded 1937) has 63 clinical departments and laboratories, 2,583 beds, about 140,000 inpatients a year and over 2.7 million outpatient and emergency visits.

FMGE performance of XJTU graduates

Source: our tally of the NBEMS institute-wise reports; China totals from NBEMS. XJTU is consistently among the top Chinese universities for Indian graduates, but two-thirds of its candidates still failed in each year. Plan FMGE preparation early; see the FMGE guide.

FMGL 2021 fit

XJTU's six-year programme with a final-year internship in its own affiliated hospitals can fit the length and same-institution internship requirements of FMGL 2021, provided the internship is a distinct 12-month phase; NMC's FMGL FAQ treats it as separate from the clinical postings inside the 54-month course. The open questions, as for all of China, are the use of Chinese in clinical training and whether you can become eligible for a licence in China, which the Indian mission says requires passing China's doctor qualification exam. Ask XJTU how its Indian graduates handle both.

Life in Xi'an

Xi'an is a large historic city with cold, dry winters and hot summers. Daily life runs in Chinese and on WeChat, and many foreign apps do not work normally. Indian food is limited, so many students cook. The large international medical community at XJTU helps with settling in. More in life as an Indian medical student abroad.

Who should consider XJTU?

XJTU suits a student who wants a top-tier, MoE-listed Chinese medical school with big hospitals and a better-than-average FMGE record, and who is willing to learn Chinese seriously. If budget is tighter, compare Nanjing Medical University (CNY 34,000) and Wenzhou Medical University (CNY 33,000), and read the China country hub.

Pros and cons of XJTU

Advantages

• Among the best FMGE records of any Chinese university: about 31–32% in 2024 and 2025
• Long experience: English-medium MBBS since 1995, more than 2,000 international medical graduates
• Very large affiliated hospitals: 3,600 beds (First Affiliated) and 2,583 beds (Second Affiliated)
• On the MoE English-MBBS list with 100 places in 2019–20

Drawbacks

• Highest tuition of the major listed universities we checked (CNY 40,000 a year)
• Chinese is required for clinical training; HSK-4 is needed for the degree per the Indian mission's advisory
• New CSCA test plus an interview add steps to admission
• Xi'an has cold, dry winters and limited Indian food