Top Universities in China 2019

Ranked seventh in mainland China and joint 122^nd in the world, Nanjing University was founded in 1902 as the Sanjiang Normal School and gained its current name in 1950. It now has around 33,000 students and enjoys a high level of prestige, earning its best scores in the academic reputation and staff with PhD indicators. It’s known for its stringent admission criteria, leading national media to call it the most selective university in mainland China.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is ranked sixth in the Mainland China University Rankings and joint 59^th in the World University Rankings, and is another member of the C9 League to make this list. Established in 1896, SJTU has around 48,900 students enrolled, including 2,400 international students, and is particularly well-regarded for its engineering programs. As well as earning perfect scores for its employer and academic reputations, it achieves the strongest score in China for the papers per faculty indicator.

Located in the picturesque city of Hangzhou in the eastern Zhejiang province, Zhejiang University is ranked fifth among the top universities in China and was also placed 68^th in the most recent World University Rankings. Zhejiang is made up of seven campuses, with most first and second-year undergraduates living at the Zijin'gang Campus, which is the largest single university campus in mainland China. Zhejiang’s university library boasts a collection of more than seven million volumes, making it one of the largest academic libraries in the region.  

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), a national research university located in the city of Hefei in eastern China, is ranked fourth in the mainland China ranking and 98^th in the world in 2019. Established in 1958 (meaning it celebrated its 60^th anniversary this year), USTC receives its best scores in the two indicators measuring research productivity and research impact (citations per faculty and citations per faculty member), and is regarded as China’s ‘Cradle of Scientific Elites’.

Heading to Shanghai for the next in our look at the top universities in China, Fudan University is ranked third in mainland China and has consistently been ranked within the global top 50 of the world university rankings for the last three years. Fudan was established in 1905 as Fudan Public School, and merged with Shanghai Medical University in 2000. As well as being a C9 League university, Fudan is a member of Universitas 21, a consortium of research-intensive universities.

Peking University, located in Chinese capital Beijing, is mainland China’s second highest-ranked institution and is also ranked 30^th in the world in 2019. It earns the best scores for the employer and academic reputation indicators, as well as one of the highest scores in this list for the international student category. Founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, Peking University is the oldest university in China and is renowned for having one of the most beautiful university campuses on the mainland, with traditional Chinese architecture and gardens dating back to the Qing Dynasty.

Staying in Beijing, this year’s number one among the top universities in China is Tsinghua University, which was also ranked 17^th (and first in China) in the QS World University Rankings® 2019. Since its founding in 1911, Tsinghua has educated some of the most prominent Chinese leaders in politics, business, academia, and culture, including two Nobel Prize winners. Following the motto of ‘Self-Discipline and Social Commitment’, the university is committed to the advancement and well-being of both the nation and the world. Like its rival, Peking University, Tsinghua is known for having one of the mainland’s most picturesque campuses, with a mix of both traditional and Western styles, with the latter reflecting the American influence on its history.

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