Top Ranked Universities In China

For international students, increasing investment in higher education is a compelling reason to study in mainland China.

Universities in China

The QS World Top 5 Ranked Chinese Universities include 40 mainland Chinese universities, including six in the global top 100, and the new QS Mainland China Rankings include a further 60 top universities in China.

According to the latest figures, around 490,000 international students were admitted to Chinese universities in 2017 (10% more than in 2016). China aims to reach its goal of admitting 500,000 foreign students by 2020. Sending countries include South Korea, Thailand, Pakistan, the US, India, Russia, Japan, and Indonesia.

These improved results are probably partly due to an increase in the Chinese government's scholarship program: Around 59,000 international students received scholarships in 2017 (see this article for a selection of these scholarships). Another attraction for international students is the growing number of English-language programs, which have increased by 63% in the last five years.

Find out more about the top universities in mainland China:

Tsinghua University Tsinghua University

Tsinghua University in Beijing, the capital of China, is ranked in the elite C9 league, ranking 15th in the world and first in mainland China in 2019. Founded in 1911, Tsinghua University currently has more than 46,000 students, including about 2,700 from abroad.

In the latest QS World University Rankings by subject, Tsinghua University performs best in architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science. It ranks among the world's top 15 universities in all three subjects.

Peking University Peking University

Peking University is a prestigious research university belonging to the C9 Chinese league and is regularly ranked among the best universities in China. Founded in 1898 and headquartered in Beijing, the university welcomes a large number of international students each year and has partnered with the Free University of Berlin since 1981. In addition to leading academic programs, Peking University's campus is also known for its traditional Chinese architecture.

Peking University is ranked 23rd in the world and 2nd in China. The university ranks among the world's best in most of the 48 subjects ranked, with top 20 rankings in chemistry, dentistry, modern languages, linguistics and materials science.

Fudan University Fudan University

Ranked third among China's top universities in both the World University Rankings (34th) and the Mainland China Rankings, Fudan University is located on four campuses in Shanghai, one of the country's largest financial and commercial centers. Also ranked in the C9 league and currently ranked sixth in Asia, Fudan University currently has around 32,000 students and is known as one of the most selective educational institutions in China.

In 2018, Fudan University ranked among the world's top universities in 30 disciplines, with the best performance in modern languages, chemistry, economics and management, materials science, and politics, ranking among the top 50 in the world.