Objective To compare the differences of student engagement between non-mainland students and mainland medical students, so as to inform future improvement of non-mainland students' academic development. Methods The China national survey of student engagement was used to evaluate the non-mainland and mainland medical students at Jinan University from November 2022 to December 2022. Results The level of academic challenge of non-mainland medical students (477.88±134.64) was significantly lower than that of mainland students (547.79±121.96). The total scores of the supportive campus environment of non-mainland students (489.02±119.82) were also significantly lower than those of mainland students (538.12±131.60)(all P<0.001). In terms of active cooperative learning level [(293.90±101.83) vs.(287.65±107.76)], student teacher interaction [(264.26±166.51) vs. (258.80±176.20)], and educational experience richness [(718.29±200.13) vs. (707.59±194.23)], there was no statistically significant difference in total scores between the two types of students (all P>0.05). Conclusions The levels of academic challenge and supportive campus environment for non-mainland students were lower than those of mailand students. It is necessary to strength the academic requirements of nan-mailand students, and improve their satisfaction, so as to promote their academic development and achieve better growth.