Education in China: The Best Chinese Universities
While a university education in China isn't generally considered to be cutting edge, the quality of education offered by China's main universities is growing quickly.
And while you might never have considered studying at a Chinese university before, there are a number of situations where this might be advantageous. They might include:
- If you are able to obtain a scholarship at a Chinese University.
- If you are able to utilize the lower cost of living in China to your advantage (geo-arbitrage) and can earn a degree at a lower cost.
- If you are presented with a unique job or internship opportunity that allow you to study in China while also gaining work experience.
- Of course, there are few better places than a Chinese University to study Chinese at.
For the following post, we decided to look at the Top 5 Chinese Universities as ranked by US News. No university-ranking methodology is perfect, but US News has a history of publishing consistently great rankings, and that's why we chose to use theirs.
For more information, view our Chinese Universities comparison.
#1: Peking University (World Rank: #39)
Founded just before the fall of China's final dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, Peking University was China's first "modern" national university. It was originally called the Imperial University of Peking and the campus itself is situated on a former imperial garden that is now known for containing one of the most scenic university campuses in all of China.
Peking University is located in Beijing and is colloquially referred to as Beida.
Peking University is well known for having one of China's strongest arts and humanities departments, a reputation which has been reinforced by the many influential figures in poetry and the arts who once walked its halls as students.
About 2,000 international students attend Peking University every year. In additional to its academic reputation, another reason for Beida's popularity among foreign students is its location in Beijing, where residents speak "standard Mandarin". Speaking Mandarin with a northern Beijing accent is generally considered to by highly desirable by both Chinese and non-Chinese alike.
Where is Peking University located?
Peking University is located in Northwest Beijing's Haidian District.
What is the Nearest Metro Exit to Peking University ?
The nearest metro station to Peking University is the East Gate Peking University Metro Station (北京大学东门), Line 4.
What is the Main Dorm for Foreign Students?
The main dorms for foreign students are Zhongguanyuan Global Village and the Shaoyuan Student Dormitories.
How do I Apply?
You can apply to Peking University using the form here.
Who are some Notable Alumni?
Dashan (大山)
Known in the Middle Kingdom as "China's most famous foreigner", Dashan (birth name Mark Rowswell) is a Canadian who became famous for his performances of Xiansheng, or crosstalk, a traditional Chinese form of comedic performance.
Timothy Geithner
An economist and 75th United States Secretary of the Treasury, Geithner studied at Peking University and Beijing Normal University.
Robin Li
Li cofounded the Chinese search engine Baidu, which owns 70% of China's search market. Since co-founding Baidu with partner Eric Xu in 2000, Li has gone on to become China's second richest man, with a net worth of approximately US $12 billion.
#2: Tsinghua University (World Rank: #67)
Tsinghua University was established in 1911 and is one of China's most well-known universities. Like the other schools on this list, it is a member of the C9 League, an alliance of 9 of China's most elite universities.
After the Boxer Rebellion, an uprising of Chinese nationals against foreign imperialist powers in China from 1899 to 1901, China was order to pay a $30 million USD indemnity to the United States. Feeling that it was excessive, President Theodore Roosevelt lobbied to reduce the payment by $10 million, which was then paid into a fund that established Tsinghua College.
Tsinghua is a research university and is known for its highly competitive entrance standards. Only about 16% of its MBA applicants are accepted each year.
The university is located where Qing Dynasty gardens once stood in Beijing.
Where is Tsinghua University located?
Tsinghua University is located in Northwest Beijing's Haidian District.
What is the Nearest Metro Exit to Tsinghua?
The nearest metro exit to Tsinghua University is Yuanmingyuan Station (圆明园站), Line 4.
What is the Main Dorm for Foreign Students?
The main dorm for foreign students is the Zijing International Students Apartment complex, which accomodates over 2,000 foreign students.
How do I Apply?
You can apply to Tsinghua University using the form here.
Who are some Notable Alumni?
Hu Jintao
Hu was the leader of China from 2002 to 2012. He studied hub hydropower stations while at Tsinghua and graduated in 1965.
Xi Jinping
Xi has been the president of The People's Republic of China since 2013. He is a Tsinghua graduate who studied chemical engineering while a student.
Wen Yiduo
Wen was a famous Chinese poet and scholar info who was assaniated by members of the Kuomintang, or Chinese Nationalist Party, in 1946.
#3: Fudan University (World Rank: #108)
Fudan University is Shanghai's best known and most prestigious university. It was founded in 1905 and was known as Fudan Public School until it became a private university in 1917.
Fudan enrolls over 45,000 full-time students and approximately 1,760 international students, a number that is second only to Peking University's international student body of 2,000.
Where is Fudan University located?
Fudan University is located in Shanghai's Yangpu District.
What is the Nearest Metro Exit to Fudan University?
The nearest metro station to Fudan University is Jiangwan Stadium (江湾体育场站) Line 10.
What is the Main Dorm for Foreign Students?
The main dorm for foreign students is the Fudan Foreign Student Dormitory at 57 Wudong Road.
How do I Apply?
You can apply to Fudan University using the form here.
Who are some Notable Alumni?
Tong Dizhou
A famous Chinese embryologist and former Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Science, Tong graduated from Fudan University with a degree in psychology in 1924.
#4: Zhejiang University (World Rank: #128)
Zhejiang University was founded in 1897 and is located in Hangzhou.
Its library contains about 7 million volumes, making it one of China's largest academic libraries.
Where is Zhejiang University located?
Zhejiang University is located in 38 Zheda Road, in Hangzhou's Xihu District.
What is the Nearest Metro Station to Zhejiang University?
There is no metro station near Zhejiang University. You can view a list of bus schedules here.
What is the Main Dorm for Foreign Students?
The main dorm for foreign students is the Zhukezhen Hall of International Education. The cost per day for long-term international students to stay here is 50 RMB for a single room and 60 RMB for a double room. The cost per day for short-term students to stay here is 70 RMB a day for both single and double rooms.
Some international students also stay in the Number 31 Dormitory Building, which costs 40 or 80 RMB a day per person.
More info on Zhejiang University housing here.
How do I Apply?
You can apply to Zhejiang University using the form here.
Who are some Notable Alumni?
Chien-Shiung Wu
Chien-Shiung was a Chinese American physicist who worked on the Manhattan project. She won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978.
Tsung Dao Lee
Columbia University Professor Emeritus who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957, at the age of 30, for his work on something called the "parity law".
#5: University of Science and Technology of China (World Rank: #143)
The USTC is a national research university that was founded in Beijing in 1958. It was moved to Hefei, Anhui province at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1970.
The historic mission of the USTC was to focus on education in science, technology, defense, and national economy, though in recent decades it has expanded into humanities and management.
Where is the University of Science and Technology of China located?
The University of Science and Technology of China is located in Hefei City in Anhui Province.
What is the Nearest Metro Station to USTC?
There is no subway system in Hefei City. You can find a list of buses that will take you directly to the university here.
What is the Main Dorm for Foreign Students?
To inquire about housing for international students, please write the International Affairs Office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How do I Apply?
You can apply to this school using the form here.
Who are some Notable Alumni?
Huimin Zhao
From Wikipedia: "Centennial Endowed Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as well as the leader of the Biosystems Design research theme in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology."
