On December 27, the Ministry of Education released statistics for the 2024 academic year, revealing that Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) once again achieved a 100% freshman enrollment rate for its bachelor’s programs. This marks the fifth consecutive year of maintaining a perfect rate. Including additional ICT program quotas, the actual enrollment rate reached 101.23%. Notably, CYCU has never relied on reserved quotas, ensuring that this is a genuine, uninflated rate. It continues to outperform all private universities and has held the top spot among national public and private comprehensive universities for seven consecutive years.
Amid Taiwan’s declining birthrate, which has posed enrollment challenges for many universities, CYCU has not only maintained but increased its enrollment rate. Remarkably, 30% of students chose CYCU over public universities, reflecting a shift in student preferences toward “choosing majors over schools.” This trend, driven by changes in tuition policies, highlights students prioritizing personal interests and career prospects over institutional prestige. CYCU’s strengthened branding and its diverse, welcoming campus environment have made it a top choice for many.
To meet the growing demand for emerging technologies, CYCU has actively invested in smart technology and innovative teaching. It has established the College of Intelligent Computing and Quantum Information and Taiwan’s first College of Semiconductor Industry. These institutions focus on forward-thinking curriculum design and industry collaboration to cultivate tech talent. Furthermore, CYCU’s partnership with global AI leader NVIDIA has led to groundbreaking advancements in energy forecasting using quantum computing, solidifying the university’s competitive edge in AI education and research.
Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) has gained international recognition for its academic impact, with 21 professors listed in the “Lifetime Scientific Influence Rankings” (1960-2023), placing them among the top 2% of scientists worldwide. At the 76th Nuremberg International Invention Exhibition in Germany, CYCU showcased its outstanding R&D capabilities, earning one gold and two silver awards for its innovative achievements and highly applicable patented technologies.
Additionally, at the 2024 Taiwan Innotech Expo, CYCU excelled in the invention competition by winning the prestigious Platinum Award for its groundbreaking innovations in the biomedical field. CYCU remains the only private university to achieve this highest honor for two consecutive years, underscoring its leadership in research and innovation.
Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) students continue to excel in national competitions, achieving remarkable results. In the 2024 University Information Application Service Innovation Competition, students from the Department of Information Management claimed first place in the “Industry-Academia Collaboration Category” for the seventh consecutive year, setting a record-breaking streak.
Electrical Engineering students earned the gold medal in the Net-Zero Emissions Category at the Taiwan Energy Sustainable Energy Innovation Competition. They also won first place in the University Charity Category at the Compassionate Technology Innovation Competition with their innovative new-energy shock absorber project.
Meanwhile, Industrial Engineering students, forming a cross-university team, secured the gold medal at the Ministry of Education’s 2024 Climate Change Creative Innovation Competition, showcasing CYCU students’ commitment to environmental innovation and sustainable technology.
To meet the learning needs of a new generation, Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) has invested millions to modernize its learning spaces, including renovating the study rooms and reading lounges in the Chang Ching-Yu Memorial Library and implementing AI smart classrooms campus-wide.
With holistic education at its core, CYCU integrates this philosophy into curriculum design, learning space planning, and comprehensive student support services. The university has been recognized four times with the Ministry of Education’s Friendly Campus Award, the most among universities nationwide. Additionally, CYCU received the Exemplary School Award in the Ministry’s Health Promotion Program for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024), reflecting its strong commitment to students’ physical and mental well-being, earning widespread acclaim.
According to an analysis by CYCU’s Office of Academic Affairs, in the 2024 academic year, over 30% of students who passed both CYCU and a “National Placeholder University” in the first-round application ultimately chose CYCU, with the highest preference for programs in the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, including the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering (CSIE) and the EECS Bachelor’s Program. Other favored choices included Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, Information Management and the Temple Dual Degree Program in the College of Business. The Department of Financial and Economic Law, known for its strengths in trade and technology law, also stood out, surpassing its peers at the “National Placeholder University.”
Furthermore, according to the University Question platform, CYCU’s CSIE program ranked eighth nationwide in 2024 within the field of computer science. This achievement is closely tied to the rapid growth of industries like semiconductors and AI, highlighting CYCU’s enduring appeal as a top private university.
President Ying-Ming Lee emphasized that CYCU’s holistic education philosophy balances STEM and the humanities, integrating diverse curricula such as AI and digital humanities to enhance students’ comprehensive competitiveness. Looking ahead, CYCU will continue innovating its educational model to offer students a well-rounded learning experience, aiming to cultivate interdisciplinary talents with strong humanistic and technological capabilities.
