To study characteristics of cerebral white matter damage in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and its correlation with clinical symptoms and cognitive impairment. Methods: Total 30 SCZ patients (SCZ group) and 30 healthy controls (HC group) were enrolled. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scanning and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) were performed in both groups, and optimized Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) was used for analysis. The difference in DTI scans between the two groups was compared, and the correlation between DTI scan results and BACS score was analyzed. Results: The whole brain FA value of the SCZ group was lower than that of the HC group (P<0.05); the FA value of the left superior cerebellar peduncle was positively correlated with the Digit Symbol Coding Task score (r=0.384, P=0.039). Conclusion: SCZ patients suffer extensive white matter fiber damage throughout the whole brain, and damage to certain important white matter fibers is associated with cognitive impairment.