Upholding the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, NPU has achieved remarkable success in talent cultivation. NPU vigorously promotes the "Chief Engineer Education Culture", which strives to cultivate leading talents with profound patriotism, the pursuit of excellence, and the ability to shape the future. NPU has supplied over 350,000 talents to the national defense science and technology industry and the national economic development. Among them, it has cultivated the nation's first Ph.D. graduates in seven disciplines: Foundry Engineering, Aeronautical and Astronautical Manufacturing Engineering, Flight Mechanics, Aero-engine, Underwater Weapon, Rocket Engine, and Unmanned System. Nearly 60 alumni have risen to leadership positions at or above the provincial or ministerial level, and over 140 alumni have become generals or academicians of the Chinese Academies of Sciences and Engineering. A large number of outstanding talents have emerged in the fields of aeronautics, astronautics, and marine technology engineering, including numerous chief designers of major models, industry elites, and pioneers of innovation and entrepreneurship. More than half of the chief and deputy chief designers of major aeronautical models are NPU alumni, forming a unique "NPU Phenomenon" in talent cultivation. NPU is hailed by society as the "Cradle of Chief Designers". NPU is home to 4 national-level experimental teaching demonstration centers, 2 national-level virtual simulation experimental teaching centers, and 3 national-level talent cultivation model innovation zones. It was also selected as one of the pioneering leading universities for the National Elite Institute of Engineering. In 2023, NPU won 14 National Teaching Achievement Awards, ranking 7th among universities nationwide. In 2025, NPU secured the first place nationally in the number of gold awards at the China International College Students' Innovation Competition.
