Universities in China that dominated THE’s Asia University Rankings 2019

07 May 2019

Over the past decade, China has not only established itself as an economic and technology powerhouse but also as a rising force in higher education.

Since the early 2000s, the republic’s universities have experienced tremendous growth in both its student numbers and reputation, with more institutions gaining recognition on the global stage. More significantly, although China remains a popular source market, it has also become a major draw for students coming from abroad, given its strength in certain academic fields.

International students are often attracted to study in China due to its position as a global leader in business, technology, and manufacturing as well as its rich history and culture, beautiful landscapes, and thriving, advanced cities.

Investment in universities in China has been strong, leading to the growth of cutting-edge research, facilities, campuses, and more.

According to Oxfordre, “With a strong conviction to enhance the global competitiveness of top universities, master plans for developing world-class universities and disciplines were initiated, and talent programs were adopted to attract global high-skilled talent to Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in China to enhance the teaching and research capability of HEIs.”

It’s not surprising then Chinese institutions have consistently ranked high on the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia Rankings the past few years. Although Japan leads the way with a total of 103 universities in the most recent rankings (China came in second with 72), a total of six universities in China ranked among the top 15 as compared to only two in Japan.

Here are the top three universities in China that dominated THE’s Asia University Rankings 2019.

Tsinghua University

Green ivy covering a building at Tsinghua University in Beijing, giving people a cool and fresh feeling pic.twitter.com/tgXbZqf3cX

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) April 29, 2019

This university was ranked No.1 on the latest THE Asia University Rankings 2019 and 22nd in the World University Rankings 2019. It was established in 1911 and is one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities.

According to Times Higher Education, “Through the pursuit of education and research at the highest level of excellence, Tsinghua is developing innovative solutions that will help solve pressing problems in China and the world.”

With this latest ranking, Tsinghua University is now the number one university in Asia, having outranked the prestigous National University of Singapore which was ranked number 1 last year.

Peking University

Happy 121th birthday, Peking University! ❤️❤️❤️
Photo source: https://t.co/uOigTSVyUy pic.twitter.com/ZTQ9J2WvXp

— Zhiyuan Hu (@zhi_yuan_hu) May 4, 2019

Ranking at No.5 in Asia and No.31 worldwide, this university also has a rich history. It is a major research university in Beijing, China, as well as a member of the elite C9 League of Chinese universities.

Founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking, it was the first modern national university to be established in China.

Today, it is a major research-intensive university and is among the most selective universities for undergraduate admissions in the country. In 2000, they merged with Beijing Medical University to offer a range of new medical courses and disciplines.

Fifty-two faculty members from the university are of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences, and seven of the equivalent academy of engineering.

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)

University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in #Hefei ranked 12th in the Times Higher Education (THE)’s Asia University Rankings 2019 revealed by THE Thursday. pic.twitter.com/5VUXJDuHLA

— Hefei, China (@HefeiChina) May 6, 2019

USTC is ranked 12th in Asia and 93rd worldwide. It was founded in 1958 in Beijing with the objective to further grow and develop the country’s science and technology needs, helping to boost its competitiveness on the global stage as well.

Today, it has grown to have 15,000 students and 3,500 faculty members spanning several science and technology disciplines.

According to Times Higher Education, “With a stated mission to ‘focus on frontier areas of science and technology and educate top leaders in science and technology in China and the world,’ USTC prides itself on offering cutting-edge technology and developing talented individuals. It cites research strengths in fields such as as quantum manipulation, nanotechnology and high-temperature superconductivity.”

Zhejiang University (ZJU)

The international campus of Zhejiang University has great international environment. The joint Institute of Zhejiang University and University of Illinois combines the best engineering education and research from both US and China to educate the next-generation engineers. pic.twitter.com/yj2KpSCFUa

— Huan Hu (@huhuan99) May 6, 2019

Ranking at No.14 on the Asia University Rankings 2019 and No.101 in the World University Rankings 2019, this is one of China’s oldest institutions, with its roots going back as far as 1897.

It’s also one of the country’s leading higher education institutions, known for its innovative strategies and cutting-edge research, as well as credited for supporting business start-ups and becoming synonymous with entrepreneurship.

Located in Hangzhou, the university encompasses seven faculties and 36 schools. It is home to 3,500 full-time academic members of staff and around 45,000 students undergraduates, where 60 percent proceed to further studies, according to Times Higher Education.