Top 10 universities in China
Scroll down for the full list of best universities in China
| World University Rank 2022 | China Rank 2022 | University | Province/city |
| =16 | =1 | Peking University | Beijing |
| =16 | =1 | Tsinghua University | Beijing |
| 60 | 3 | Fudan University | Shanghai |
| =75 | 4 | Zhejiang University | Zhejiang |
| 84 | 5 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Shanghai |
| =88 | 6 | University of Science and Technology of China | Anhui |
| =105 | 7 | Nanjing University | Jiangsu |
| 157 | 8 | Wuhan University | Hubei |
| =162 | 9 | Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) | Guangdong |
| 181 | 10 | Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Hubei |
Peking University and Tsinghua University are the top two universities in China this year, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022. Both institutions are based in China's capital city of Beijing.
Directives including Project 211, Project 985 and the Double First Class University Plan – which aim to improve the standards of the top 100 and top 40 Chinese universities – combined with huge national investment have seen China’s educational reputation rocket in recent years.
And who wouldn’t want to study in China? Home to almost 20 per cent of the people on Earth, China has one of the fastest developing economies. From cuisine to culture, China offers a unique experience.
The huge country boasts some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes on the planet, from the Rainbow Mountains in the Zhangye Danxia National Park to coastal fishing villages and vast cities that continue to expand.
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With an ever increasing number of universities, China may seem overwhelming in its choice of places to study.
However, initiatives from the Chinese government have helpfully categorised the top universities into a system similar to the UK’s Russell Group and the Ivy League in the United States.
Established in 1995, Project 211 was designed to raise the research standards of China’s top universities. Institutions that reach a certain standard are rewarded with significantly increased funds. There have been 112 higher education institutions associated with Project 211.
Project 985 was established three years later and uses a similar strategy, although just 39 universities have received sponsorship as a result of this project, and in 2011 it was announced that no new universities would be granted membership to this exclusive group.
The most selective group is the C9 League, a group of the country’s top nine elite universities, which between them receive 10 per cent of China’s national research budget.
The most recent initiative is the Double First Class University Plan, which aims to develop a group of elite Chinese universities and individual university departments into world-class institutions and disciplines by the end of 2050. The list includes 42 institutions across the country.
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5. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a major research university located in Shanghai, China.
- The university has 31 schools/departments, 31 research institutions, 13 affiliated hospitals, two affiliated medical research institutes, 20 directly affiliated units and five directly affiliated enterprises.
Subjects taught at the university include mechanical engineering, physics, astronomy, humanities, media and design, international and public affairs and medicine among others.
The university's International Student Union hosts a range of events, volunteering projects and activities to help international students connect with each other and the community.
4. Zhejiang University
- Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China’s oldest and most selective universities.
- Research at the university covers 12 academic disciplines: agriculture, art, economics, education, engineering, history, law, literature, management, medicine, natural sciences and philosophy.
A number of research centres are located on campus, including six national engineering research centres, three national key research centres of humanities and social sciences and 13 academies of independent studies.
The university has strategic partnerships with more than 140 universities in 30 countries worldwide, including Imperial College London, Princeton University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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3. Fudan University
- Fudan University comprises four campuses in downtown Shanghai: Handan, Fenglin, Zhangjiang and Jiangwan.
- The university takes a liberal arts approach to teaching, with a number of its courses taught in English.
Internationalisation is also a high priority at the institution with global connections and exchange programmes at almost 200 overseas universities including Columbia University, the University of Toronto, the University of Sydney, KU Leuven, the University of Manchester and Sciences Po.
Students are also encouraged to go on international exchanges, with about 40 per cent electing to do this.
The university is extremely selective, with fewer than 0.2 per cent of National College Entrance Examination (gao kao) takers being accepted.
=1. Peking University
- Peking University is a member of the C9 league, which is similar to the Ivy League group in the US, and is generally one of the highest ranked institutions in China.
- It was the first modern national university in China, and since its founding in 1898, it has had a reputation as a leading educational institution.
The institution is renowned for its campuses in the Haidian district of northwest Beijing. It is home to some of the capital’s most prominent gardens and traditional architecture. Several gates lead in to campus, with the West Gate being the most well-known for the painted murals on its ceiling.
The university has established joint degree programmes with Cornell University, Yale University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Paris School of International Affairs, Waseda University, Seoul National University and The University of Tokyo to encourage international student exchanges.
=1. Tsinghua University
- Tsinghua University is located in the Haidian district of northwest Beijing. It was established in 1911.
- Its 20 schools and 54 departments cover disciplines in art, economics, education, engineering, history, management, medicine, law, literature, philosophy and sciences.
It retains much of its traditional architecture, juxtaposed with many buildings built in a Western style, reflecting the historical American influence on the campus.
In terms of life outside of studying, the university has more than 110 student associations covering science and technology, sport, arts and public welfare.
Many successful people in politics, academia and industry have graduated from Tsinghua University, including two Nobel prizewinners, physicists Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang.
Top universities in China 2022
Click on each institution to see its full World University Rankings 2022 results
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