Best universities in China 2026

By seeta.bhardwa@…, 20 October, 2025

Top universities in China 2026

China Rank 2026	WUR Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	12	Tsinghua University	93	95.9	98.5	93.9	100	53.4
2	13	Peking University	92.3	95.4	97.9	89	100	67.3
3	36	Fudan University	79.3	79.5	77.1	84.8	99.8	53.8
4	39	Zhejiang University	78.3	75	78.4	84.3	100	55.5
5	40	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	77.6	75.4	79.1	80.2	100	57.7
6	51	University of Science and Technology of China	75.7	72.9	69.8	89	98.9	43.2
7	=62	Nanjing University	73.7	69.6	66.2	85.1	99.6	59.6
8	=122	Wuhan University	64.1	54	48.4	90.1	99.7	41.6
9	=131	Harbin Institute of Technology	63.2	57.2	57.7	77.2	100	32.5
10	=134	Beijing Normal University	62.9	59.6	49.3	80.9	89.1	42.4
11	=141	Tongji University	62.3	53.2	53.6	74.3	99.9	63.5
12	=160	Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)	61	39.6	44.2	93.9	88.5	63.3
13	=176	Huazhong University of Science and Technology	60.2	46.6	48.4	87.1	99.9	30.9
=14	201–250	Beijing Institute of Technology	56.4–58.6	46.5	44.3	76.6	99.6	45.2
=14	201–250	Sichuan University	56.4–58.6	46.5	48.1	74.7	99.6	42.5
=14	201–250	Sun Yat-sen University	56.4–58.6	47.2	40.6	84	97.6	34.1
=14	201–250	Tianjin University	56.4–58.6	49.2	47	73.2	99.8	52.8
=14	201–250	Xi’an Jiaotong University	56.4–58.6	45.1	49.4	75.9	100	38.2
=19	251–300	Beihang University	54.3–56.3	47.8	46.5	73.8	100	34.7
=19	251–300	Central South University	54.3–56.3	39.1	42.6	80.3	99.7	31.4
=19	251–300	East China Normal University	54.3–56.3	43.1	36.5	79.5	90.6	55.3
=19	251–300	Hunan University	54.3–56.3	36.6	34.6	90.9	96.5	31.7
=19	251–300	Nankai University	54.3–56.3	45.4	33.9	87.6	80.6	47.9
=19	251–300	Northwestern Polytechnical University	54.3–56.3	41	42.4	78.6	99.7	47.6
=19	251–300	Shandong University	54.3–56.3	46.4	44	72.7	99.3	43.5
=19	251–300	South China University of Technology	54.3–56.3	39	39.1	84	99.7	43
=19	251–300	Southeast University	54.3–56.3	39.3	46.3	73.7	99.8	47.6
=19	251–300	Southern Medical University	54.3–56.3	45.9	38.9	84.2	76.4	31.3
=19	251–300	Xiamen University	54.3–56.3	43.3	37.6	84.2	95.1	36.6
30	301–350	University of Electronic Science and Technology of China	51.6–54.2	37.6	37.5	80.2	99.1	33.6
=31	351–400	Chongqing University	49.9–51.5	30.2	36	78.1	98.1	46.6
=31	351–400	Shenzhen University	49.9–51.5	26.5	35.9	86.4	82.8	38.2
=33	401–500	Beijing University of Chemical Technology	46.2–49.8	26.4	31.8	84.2	96.6	25
=33	401–500	Dalian University of Technology	46.2–49.8	34.6	39.3	71.6	99	35.6
=33	401–500	Donghua University	46.2–49.8	32.9	25.2	77.8	93.2	37.9
=36	501–600	China University of Petroleum, Beijing	43.6–46.1	34.2	38	56.8	96.7	26.1
=36	501–600	Jiangsu University	43.6–46.1	28	18	83.6	75.1	54.9
=36	501–600	Jinan University (China)	43.6–46.1	26.7	25.9	77.8	65.9	57.1
=36	501–600	Northeastern University, China	43.6–46.1	31.7	31.4	63.9	96.2	35.4
=36	501–600	Shanghai University	43.6–46.1	31.5	37.6	64.3	93.6	37.3
=36	501–600	Soochow University, China	43.6–46.1	29.3	26.4	77.6	92.8	27.1
=36	501–600	University of International Business and Economics	43.6–46.1	29.2	19	87.3	31.5	54
=36	501–600	Yangzhou University	43.6–46.1	34.3	27.1	70.1	81.2	45.5
=36	501–600	Zhejiang University of Technology	43.6–46.1	32	27.3	69.7	92.5	37.9
=45	601–800	Capital Medical University	39.0–43.5	36.9	21.2	64	57.2	23.2
=45	601–800	East China University of Science and Technology	39.0–43.5	31.1	29.1	63.3	96.6	22.9
=45	601–800	Guangdong University of Technology	39.0–43.5	18.8	20	78.6	86.7	24.3
=45	601–800	Harbin Engineering University	39.0–43.5	29.7	33.8	50.6	94.1	26
=45	601–800	Jiangnan University	39.0–43.5	29.5	25.8	68	92.8	22.2
=45	601–800	Nanjing Forestry University	39.0–43.5	21.2	23.8	83.4	61.1	27.1
=45	601–800	Nanjing Tech University	39.0–43.5	24.4	18.4	68.8	87.3	34.6
=45	601–800	Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics	39.0–43.5	30.2	35.4	54.9	98.4	25.3
=45	601–800	Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST)	39.0–43.5	33.4	31.2	66.8	63.4	22.1
=45	601–800	Ocean University of China	39.0–43.5	31.3	29.5	63.6	69.7	28.4
=45	601–800	Qingdao University	39.0–43.5	18.4	20.2	83.3	56.8	23.3
=45	601–800	South China Normal University	39.0–43.5	24.5	24.9	67.1	75.4	35.8
=45	601–800	Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University	39.0–43.5	21.2	17.6	71.3	40.5	75.7
=45	601–800	Xidian University	39.0–43.5	28.6	25.2	66.5	95.1	25.8
=45	601–800	Zhejiang Normal University	39.0–43.5	19.2	22	80.1	63.7	39.1
=60	801–1000	Chengdu University	35.5–38.9	17.4	15.7	77.9	47.9	28.7
=60	801–1000	Fuzhou University	35.5–38.9	19.2	20.9	71.1	81.5	34.5
=60	801–1000	Guangzhou Medical University	35.5–38.9	25.6	11.4	74.5	42	24.4
=60	801–1000	Nanjing Medical University	35.5–38.9	37.1	16.4	62.2	51.5	23.2
=60	801–1000	Nanjing Normal University	35.5–38.9	25.3	17.1	69.8	66.5	28.6
=60	801–1000	Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology	35.5–38.9	19.8	20.5	65.8	59.8	37.7
=60	801–1000	Northeast Agricultural University	35.5–38.9	19.3	15.9	84.5	45.1	18.9
=60	801–1000	Northeast Normal University	35.5–38.9	30.9	17.4	65.1	50.5	32.9
=60	801–1000	Southwest Jiaotong University	35.5–38.9	26.2	25.4	60.2	83	22.9
=60	801–1000	Wenzhou University	35.5–38.9	15.3	16.6	79.3	54.7	31.9
=60	801–1000	Zhejiang Gongshang University	35.5–38.9	20.9	15.4	74.3	45.1	34.4
=71	1001–1200	Anhui University	32.1–35.4	18.6	16.6	63	55.5	22.2
=71	1001–1200	Chang’an University	32.1–35.4	30.1	17	45.8	77.9	27.3
=71	1001–1200	Changsha University of Science and Technology	32.1–35.4	16.3	15.3	63.4	77.2	23.8
=71	1001–1200	China Pharmaceutical University	32.1–35.4	25.6	20.7	55.8	85.5	21.1
=71	1001–1200	Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University	32.1–35.4	20.1	13.3	64.2	45.1	26.5
=71	1001–1200	Hangzhou Normal University	32.1–35.4	16.8	14.9	70.3	42.3	26.6
=71	1001–1200	Jiangsu University of Science and Technology	32.1–35.4	16.1	16.7	60.3	68.5	22.7
=71	1001–1200	Northwest University (China)	32.1–35.4	27.9	14.7	54	51.4	25.5
=71	1001–1200	Shanghai Normal University	32.1–35.4	32	16.6	53.9	40.1	27.6
=71	1001–1200	Shantou University	32.1–35.4	18.3	18.2	63.8	43.9	36.1
=81	1201–1500	Changzhou University	27.3–32.0	15.5	14.4	54.3	66.9	21.1
=81	1201–1500	Hangzhou Dianzi University (HDU)	27.3–32.0	17.7	17.9	50.1	71.7	33.8
=81	1201–1500	Huaqiao University	27.3–32.0	15.8	15	51.4	46.4	68.2
=81	1201–1500	Jiangxi Normal University (JXNU)	27.3–32.0	13.7	13	60.2	38.7	20.7
=81	1201–1500	Tianjin Normal University	27.3–32.0	21	21	34.5	53.8	46.1
=81	1201–1500	Wuhan Textile University	27.3–32.0	16.3	12.4	57.9	55.7	23.9
=81	1201–1500	Xiangtan University	27.3–32.0	18.6	17.4	53.6	56.3	23.1
=81	1201–1500	Yanshan University	27.3–32.0	21.6	12.2	45.4	57	20.8
=81	1201–1500	Zhejiang Chinese Medical University	27.3–32.0	20.2	17.5	46.1	36.4	22.7
=81	1201–1500	Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics	27.3–32.0	14.3	13.3	66.8	30.8	28.8
=91	1501+	Communication University of China	10.3–27.2	25.7	16.4	29.4	56.8	24.3
=91	1501+	East China University of Technology	10.3–27.2	15.6	10	26.1	37.1	19.3
=91	1501+	Guangxi Normal University	10.3–27.2	16.1	11.1	47.9	40	22.1
=91	1501+	Jianghan University	10.3–27.2	17.1	9.8	28.3	27.9	20
=91	1501+	Jiangsu Normal University	10.3–27.2	16.2	12.9	42.7	34.8	23.9
=91	1501+	Shanxi Medical University	10.3–27.2	24.2	11.6	29.8	23.9	19.6
=91	1501+	Southwest Petroleum University	10.3–27.2	17.7	15.3	37.5	77.1	20.4

Key Insights into the China University Rankings 2026

Tsinghua University and Peking University are the top two universities in China this year. Both institutions are based in China’s capital city of Beijing.
There are 97 universities from China ranked in total
Zhejiang University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University achieve perfect scores for their links to industry.
Some 13 universities in China are featured in the top 200 universities in the world.

Choosing a university in China

China offers a unique study experience for students. Universities in China have an increasing presence in global university rankings and some Chinese universities are among the best in the world. From cuisine to culture, there is a lot on offer for international students.

The table for the best universities in China was derived from data collected from the THE World University Rankings. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry and international outlook. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the China university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.

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Best universities

Standfirst

Discover the top universities in China with the Times Higher Education Rankings 2026 and compare 97 institutions that rank the highest across the country.

Times Higher Education's list ranks the best universities in China based on a comprehensive evaluation that covers areas such as teaching quality, research output, international collaboration, knowledge transfer, and industry connections.

The trusted methodology behind the rankings is developed by Times Higher Education's expert data team and is relied upon by students, academics, university leaders, policymakers, and industry partners worldwide to make informed decisions about higher education excellence.

Best universities in China 2026

Top universities in China 2026

Key Insights into the China University Rankings 2026

Choosing a university in China

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