Xinjiang Agricultural University (XAU) is a key multi-disciplinary agricultural institute of higher learning under the administration of the government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China. Its discipline includes science, engineering, agriculture, economics, management, liberal arts, and law. Located on Nanchang Road, Urumqi city, the university covers a total area of 100 hectares.  

XAU is an academic institution with a long history and a strong academic atmosphere. It was formerly known as Xinjiang August 1st Agricultural College, established on August 1st, 1952. On April 21, 1995, the institution was renamed as Xinjiang Agricultural University, pursuant to legislative amendments and notices from the National Ministry of Education.

The university is currently organized around 17 colleges and one department.  They are College of Agronomy; College of Forestry and Horticulture; College of Water Conservancy & Civil Engineering; College of Economics & Management; College of Mechanical Engineering; College of Animal Medicine; College of Animal Science; College of Humanities and Social Science; College of Grassland & Environmental Science; College of Food Science; College of Foreign Languages; College of Continuing Education; College of Computer & Information Engineering; College of Mathematics and Physics; College of Chemical Engineering; College of Chinese Languages; College of Pharmacy; and Department of Physical Education.

The academic programs takes 51 bachelor's degrees programs as basis and operates other programs that include 37 master’s degrees programs, and six Ph. D programs. In addition, there are study programs for foreign students, adult education, higher vocational education, and continuing education.The University has four Post doctorate Scientific Research Mobility Stations in the area of animal husbandry, agricultural and forestry economics management, crop science and water conservancy and Hydroelectric Engineering. The agricultural and forestry economics management discipline is the only First-Level Discipline in Xinjiang that is approved to confer Ph.D. degree. Grassland science is a national key discipline.   

The current enrollment is about 20,000 students from various programs and ethnic groups. The current number of full-time faculty is 882.   

   XAU possesses abundant resources for teaching and scientific research: there are 20 institutes and 56 laboratories. Among them, Laboratory of Grassland Resource and Ecology is a regional key laboratory. The university also owns a 4600-hectare practical forest farm, a 260-hectare experimental farm and a few off-campus production bases where students practice their skills. The university library has a collection of 1.4 million books.    

Over the last five years, the university has undertaken 249 research projects funded either by the National Natural Science Foundation, national ministries, regional government or prefectural government and bureaus, 37 of which were awarded prizes by provincial or ministerial government. The university faculty has published over 4,000 research papers in domestic and foreign academic journals.

XAU places great importance on international exchange and cooperation. The university has established cooperative agreements with thirty universities and academic institutes in countries such as USA, Japan, Italy, Australia, and in Central Asian countries, and invited more than 300 foreign experts to come for lectures and cooperative research. In the meantime, the university has also sent more than 300 faculty members abroad for short-term study, research cooperation or attending international symposiums. About 200 foreign students have studied programs such as Chinese language and culture, Uygur language and culture at XAU.  

Since the establishment of the university in 1952, about 80,000 XAU graduates have entered every sector of the society.  All aspects of the university have developed greatly.