Top Engineering Schools in China in 2020

The recent QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020 covers the best universities for 48 different subjects, including 502 top engineering and technology schools around the world – 34 of which can be found in China.

The ranking covers five different branches of engineering – chemical, civil and structural, electrical, mechanical, and mineral and mining.

The rankings are compiled using four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index (a way of measuring the productivity and impact of published work). You can find out more about the methodology used here.

Of the 34 engineering and technology universities in China, Tsinghua University comes out on top, in ninth place worldwide, after rising one place in the subject rankings this year. The university also performs well in the H-index indicator, where it earns a perfect score.

Notable movement in the engineering and technology index top ten this year in China includes the University of Science and Technology of China (rising six places this year to 67^th); Huazhong University of Science and Technology (falling five places to joint 100^th) and Nanjing University (down eight places to joint 117^th).

Beijing Normal University has the biggest drop in the rankings in China this year, sinking 52 places to joint 327^th  worldwide and Shandong University has the most substantial climb (up 20 places to joint 301^st).

See the full engineering and technology subject ranking here.

Top Universities for Chemical Engineering

There are currently 401 chemical engineering schools in the rankings, with 33 of these located in China. China’s top university for chemical engineering this year is Tsinghua University, in 12^th place worldwide after dropping one spot this year in the rankings. Tsinghua University earns a near perfect score in all of the indicators – particularly the H-index and academic reputation indicators.

Zhejiang University falls 12 places in this year’s rankings, falling out of the worldwide top 50 to rank 51-100. Outside of the top 100, Xi'an Jiaotong University rises from 151-200 to 101-150 and Beijing Institute of Technology jumps from 201-250 to 151-200. China also gains seven brand new entries in the rankings this year.

View the full chemical engineering ranking here.

Top Universities for Civil and Structural Engineering

The 203 civil and structural engineering schools featured in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020 includes 11 top Chinese universities.

The highest ranking of these is Tsinghua University, which, once again, offers the best course in China, placing in 10^th worldwide (after dropping one spot this year) and the university scores remarkably well across each of the four indicators.

Also in the worldwide top 50 is Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in 29^th. Despite falling two places in the rankings, Shanghai Jiao Tong University still earns near perfect scores in both the H-index and the research citations per paper indicator – a reflection of its excellent worldwide reputation for research and teaching.

See the full civil and structural engineering ranking here 

Top Universities for Electrical Engineering

China is home to 35 of the 507 top electrical engineering universities in the world, with Tsinghua University bagging the top spot in China this year. Tsinghua University earns its 11^th place worldwide spot in the rankings, with a perfect score in the H-index indicator.

There are eight Chinese universities currently in the top 100 for electrical engineering. Zhejiang University remains in the top 50, in 47^th place, despite falling eight places in the rankings this year. Outside of the top ten, we have Fudan University; Huazhong University of Science and Technology; and the University of Science and Technology of China – all placing 51-100.

See the full electrical engineering ranking here.

Top Universities for Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering

Of the 501 mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering universities in the world, 33 are located in China. Of these, eight are ranked within the world top 100, with Tsinghua University, once again, claiming the top spot, remaining in 14^th place worldwide.

Notable movements in the ranking this year include Peking University (24^th, after falling three places), Xi'an Jiaotong University (climbing five places to 46^th – a new top 50 entrant this year) and Fudan University (dropping out of the top 50 after plummeting nine places this year to 51-100).

See the full mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering rankings here.

Top Universities for Mineral and Mining Engineering

There are only three mineral and mining engineering universities located in China in 2020, out of the 50 top mineral and mining engineering universities worldwide.

Wuhan University is the best of these, in 26^th place worldwide and earning a particularly high score in the research citations per paper indicator. Nanjing University also performs well, in 29^th place worldwide with a perfect score in the H-index indicator, despite falling four places this year in the rankings. China University of Mining and Technology also boasts a near perfect score in the H-index indicator and places joint 33^rd overall in the rankings, after climbing three places this year.
See the full mineral and mining engineering rankings here.