Objective   To examine current situation of awareness, knowledge and skills about public health and safety among freshmen in a university and to provide evidence for carrying out relevant education programs in the students.

  Methods   During September – November 2020, we conducted an online anonymous survey among 3 303 undergraduate, master and doctoral students entering a university in Beijing using a self-designed questionnaire on public health and safety-related awareness, knowledge and skill. SPSS 19.0 was used for statistical analysis.

  Results   For the 3 204 participants (97% of all responders) with valid information, the correct answer rate was the lowest (20.29%) for the discrimination on an information about infectious disease epidemic, followed by that (52.68%) for psychological adjustment skill. The participants′ mean scores were 0.25 ± 0.32 for the awareness on public health and safety (0.89 for the highest awareness), 0.75 ± 0.21 for relevant knowledge (0.94), and 0.74 ± 0.26 for relevant skill (1.02), respectively, with an overall score of 1.74 ± 0.52 in a scale with the full mark of 2.85; totally 48.85% of the participants had the overall score of ≥ 1.71 (60% of the full mark), indicating having public health and safety-related awareness, knowledge and skill. Compared to those of the male participants, the female participants had a significantly higher score for public health and safety skill (0.76 ± 0.25 vs. 0.73 ± 0.26; t = – 2.588, P = 0.010) but a lower score for relevant knowledge (0.74 ± 0.21 vs. 0.76 ± 0.20; t = 2.710, P = 0.007). The undergraduate participants had a higher overall score (1.76 ± 0.50; t = 3.596, P = 0.028). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the participants from urban regions were more likely to have public health and safety-related awareness, knowledge and skill (odds ratio = 1.405, 95% confidence interval: 1.213 – 1.628) in comparison to those from rural regions.

  Conclusion   The public health and safety-related awareness, knowledge and skill are at a moderate level but specific education programs, need to be promoted among university freshmen, especially on relevant information discrimination and psychological adjustment skill and in the freshmen from rural regions.