How do the top Chinese universities compare with world universities in 2021? ShanghaiRanking Consultancy released the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2021 showing the world’s top 100 universities.
China has 180 universities ranked in ARWU’s Top 1000, including 84 Top 500 universities, and 7 Top 100 universities. This year, one new Chinese university has entered the Top 100 list for the first time: Sun Yat-Sen University located in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Read more about how Chinese universities are ranked.
Let’s see how the top Chinese universities compare in 2021!
Top 100 World Universities 2021
| 2021 Rank | 2020 Rank | Institution | Country/Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Harvard University | United States |
| 2 | 2 | Stanford University | United States |
| 3 | 3 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom |
| 4 | 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | United States |
| 5 | 5 | University of California, Berkeley | United States |
| 6 | 6 | Princeton University | United States |
| 7 | 9 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom |
| 8 | 7 | Columbia University | United States |
| 9 | 8 | California Institute of Technology | United States |
| 10 | 10 | University of Chicago | United States |
| 11 | 11 | Yale University | United States |
| 12 | 12 | Cornell University | United States |
| 13 | 14 | Paris-Saclay University | France |
| 14 | 13 | University of California, Los Angeles | United States |
| 15 | 19 | University of Pennsylvania | United States |
| 16 | 15 | Johns Hopkins University | United States |
| 17 | 16 | University College London | United Kingdom |
| 18 | 18 | University of California, San Diego | United States |
| 19 | 16 | University of Washington | United States |
| 20 | 21 | University of California, San Francisco | United States |
| 21 | 20 | ETH Zurich | Switzerland |
| 22 | 23 | University of Toronto | Canada |
| 23 | 23 | Washington University in St. Louis | United States |
| 24 | 26 | The University of Tokyo | Japan |
| 25 | 25 | Imperial College London | United Kingdom |
| 26 | 22 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | United States |
| 27 | 27 | New York University | United States |
| 28 | 29 | Tsinghua University | China |
| 29 | 30 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | United States |
| 30 | 33 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 31 | 32 | University of Wisconsin – Madison | United States |
| 32 | 27 | Duke University | United States |
| 33 | 35 | The University of Melbourne | Australia |
| 34 | 30 | Northwestern University | United States |
| 35 | 39 | Sorbonne University | France |
| 35 | 36 | The University of Manchester | United Kingdom |
| 37 | 34 | Kyoto University | Japan |
| 38 | 36 | PSL University | France |
| 38 | 42 | The University of Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
| 40 | 40 | University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | United States |
| 41 | 41 | The University of Texas at Austin | United States |
| 42 | 45 | Karolinska Institute | Sweden |
| 42 | 43 | Rockefeller University | United States |
| 42 | 38 | University of British Columbia | Canada |
| 45 | 49 | Peking University | China |
| 46 | 44 | University of Colorado at Boulder | United States |
| 47 | 47 | King’s College London | United Kingdom |
| 48 | 48 | The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas | United States |
| 48 | 51 | University of Munich | Germany |
| 50 | 52 | Utrecht University | Netherlands |
| 51 | 54 | The University of Queensland | Australia |
| 52 | 54 | Technical University of Munich | Germany |
| 52 | 58 | Zhejiang University | China |
| 54 | 56 | University of Zurich | Switzerland |
| 55 | 45 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States |
| 56 | 53 | University of Maryland, College Park | United States |
| 57 | 57 | Heidelberg University | Germany |
| 57 | 49 | University of California, Santa Barbara | United States |
| 59 | 63 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China |
| 60 | 59 | University of Geneva | Switzerland |
| 61 | 60 | University of Oslo | Norway |
| 61 | 61 | University of Southern California | United States |
| 63 | 73 | University of Science and Technology of China | China |
| 64 | 69 | University of Groningen | Netherlands |
| 65 | 74 | The University of New South Wales | Australia |
| 65 | 62 | Vanderbilt University | United States |
| 67 | 78 | McGill University | Canada |
| 67 | 67 | The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center | United States |
| 69 | 74 | University of Sydney | Australia |
| 70 | 69 | University of California, Irvine | United States |
| 71 | 69 | Aarhus University | Denmark |
| 71 | 66 | Ghent University | Belgium |
| 73 | 65 | University of Paris | France |
| 74 | 69 | Stockholm University | Sweden |
| 75 | 80 | National University of Singapore | Singapore |
| 76 | 67 | The Australian National University | Australia |
| 77 | 100 | Fudan University | China |
| 78 | 64 | University of Bristol | United Kingdom |
| 78 | 77 | Uppsala University | Sweden |
| 80 | 85 | Monash University | Australia |
| 81 | 91 | Nanyang Technological University | Singapore |
| 82 | 74 | University of Helsinki | Finland |
| 83 | 80 | Leiden University | Netherlands |
| 84 | 83 | Nagoya University | Japan |
| 84 | 87 | University of Bonn | Germany |
| 86 | 79 | Purdue University – West Lafayette | United States |
| 87 | 97 | KU Leuven | Belgium |
| 87 | 88 | University of Basel | Switzerland |
| 89 | 101-150 | Sun Yat-sen University | China |
| 90 | 101-150 | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | Israel |
| 91 | 83 | Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne | Switzerland |
| 92 | 98 | McMaster University | Canada |
| 92 | 93 | Weizmann Institute of Science | Israel |
| 94 | 101-150 | Technion-Israel Institute of Technology | Israel |
| 95 | 90 | Boston University | United States |
| 96 | 85 | The University of Western Australia | Australia |
| 97 | 95 | Carnegie Mellon University | United States |
| 97 | 93 | Moscow State University | Russia |
| 97 | 88 | University of Florida | United States |
| 100 | 91 | University of California, Davis | United States |
Introducing the Top Chinese Universities 2021
There are seven Chinese universities in ARWU’s top 100 this year. Let’s take a look at the top Chinese universities 2021!
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University is China’s best university, frequently ranked number one in the country. Tsinghua is ranked #28 in the world in 2021. With a motto of “Self-Discipline and Social Commitment”, Tsinghua University is committed to academic excellence, social responsibility, and global development. It’s no surprise that Tsinghua University is the top Chinese university in 2021.
Tsinghua University’s notable alumni include current Chinese president Xi Jinping and former president Hu Jintao.
Read more about Tsinghua University!
Peking University
Just behind Tsinghua University, Peking University is one of the most famous schools in China with a unique history and excellent academic reputation. Peking University is ranked #45 in the world in 2021, moving up from #49 in 2020.
Peking University is popular for having one of the most beautiful campuses in China. With the famous Weiming Lake, traditional Chinese architecture, and eyecatching Boya pagoda, it is no surprise to see both students and tourists on the campus grounds.
Read more about Peking University!
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University is located in the provincial capital of Hangzhou, famed through Chinese history as a city of great natural beauty and cultural richness. Zhejiang University is ranked #52 in the world in 2021, up from #58 in 2020. It is famous for research, excellent academic quality, and a high output of publications and patents.
Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of the oldest institutes of higher education in China.
Read more about Zhejiang University!
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Located in the modern metropolis of Shanghai, Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks #59 in the world in 2021. Established by the Guangxu Emperor in 1896, this institution has a long history and today is a major research university in one of the world’s biggest and most advanced cities.
Alumni of Shanghai Jiao Tong have excellent research career opportunities: More than 200 of the academics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering are graduates of this University.
Read more about Shanghai Jiao Tong University!
University of Science and Technology of China
The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is ranked #63 in the world in 2021, jumping up from #73 in 2020. Located in Hefei, Anhui province, the university contributes to modern scientific advancement in the city. Hefei has a long history dating back to the 8th century BCE.
USTC’s core strength is scientific and technological research, and more recently has expanded into humanities and management with a strong scientific and engineering emphasis. USTC is a world leader in fields like quantum manipulation, nanotechnology, high-temperature superconductivity, speech processing, fire science, and life science.
Fudan University
Fudan University is located in Shanghai, the commercial and financial center on China’s eastern coast. Fudan University is ranked #77 in the world in 2021, a huge improvement from a #100 ranking in 2020.
Fudan is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary research university with many highly-ranked majors and programs. The university has 70 bachelor’s degree programs, 229 master’s degree programs, and 187 Ph.D. degree programs. Fudan has an excellent reputation for liberal arts, science, and medicine.
Read more about Fudan University!
Sun Yat-Sen University
Sun Yat-Sen University is ranked in the Top 100 ARWU for the first time this year! Sun Yat-Sen University is ranked #89 in the world in 2021, rising from #101-#150 in 2020. Located in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, the university is close to global cities like Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Sun Yat-sen University is a comprehensive multi-disciplinary university, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, technical sciences, medical sciences, pharmacology, and management sciences.
The university is named after Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a great democratic revolutionary leader of early 20th century China. His ideas profoundly influenced modern China.
Read more about Sun Yat-Sen University!
Do rankings matter?
Is it better to choose a top Chinese university in the 2021 rankings? Short answer: it depends. Watch China Admissions CEO Rich Coward explain more:
- Introducing BNU-HKBU United International College: Liberal Arts Education in China - November 22, 2024
- 3 Reasons the Tsinghua-INSEAD EMBA is Worth It! - November 20, 2024
- Peking University Application Guide 2025 - October 25, 2024