Best Universities in China for International Students  | Ranking

China has spiked from a third-world nation into a major producer and supplier of goods and services. In the same vein, their education system has received a significant boost. So, let’s look at the Best Universities in China for International Students in 2024.

Currently, the emergence of a deadly virus has ravaged the country. That is to say; many people don’t feel safe anymore. Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the country from progressing.

It can be safe to suggest that China’s progress doesn’t stem from its machines alone but from its academic structure. Indeed, this is why many international students want to study in China.

Therefore, this article will look at the Best Universities in China for International Students in 2024, their academic structure, and much more.

What are the Best Universities in China?

China is home to most of the best universities in Asia. In essence, their universities are unique and outstanding.

However, the best universities in China are Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and Sichuan University.

What are the Best Research Universities in China?

Regarding research, China is exceptional as they continuously push beyond the borders of creativity.

Today, many innovations come from China, a testimony to their rapid growth.

So, the best research universities in China are Zhejiang University, Nanjing University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Which are the Best Foreign Language Universities in China?

The primary language spoken in China is Chinese, although Americans in the country speak English.

For this reason, some of the universities in China admit students who can speak specific foreign languages like English.

Above all, the best foreign language universities in China are Tsinghua University, Sichuan University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and the University of Hong Kong.

Also Read: Affordable Universities for International Students in China

Best Universities in China for International Students in 2024

As one of the top countries in the world, students constantly seek to study in China under different programs.

Some of them have been able to scale through, while the others have not smelt victory.

We have ranked our list of Best Universities in China for International Students 2024 based on their academic structure, quality of education, student number, and research strength. We, however, combined them all into a rating in which we placed 50% as the benchmark.

So, the universities include;

• Tsinghua University
• Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Peking University
• Zhejiang University
• Fudan University
• Sichuan University
• Guangxi Normal University
• University of Hong Kong
• University of Science & Technology China
• Nanjing University
• Huazhong University of Science & Technology
• Sun Yat-Sen University
• Harbin Institute of Technology
• Wuhan University
• South East University
• Xiamen University

1. Tsinghua University

Overall Rating: 49.2%

In the northwestern part of Beijing, Tsinghua University is surrounded by many historical sites.

Founded in 1911, the university section of the school started functioning fully and became adopted in 1928.

This school has a high level of interaction between Western culture and ancient traditions.

Since China evolved as a nation, Tsinghua University has developed at a very rapid pace.

There are over 20 schools with 59 departments ranging from law and education to philosophy and arts.

Tsinghua’s motto of “Self-Discipline and Social Commitment” and the spirit of “Actions Speak Louder than Words” drive innovation in this school.

Indeed, they have replicated this model in every part of the institution and seen growth.

As one of China’s most prestigious and influential universities, Tsinghua exists to cultivate the proper habits in global citizens who will thrive in today’s world and become tomorrow’s leaders.

Through pursuing 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.

They top our list of best universities in China for international students for this many reasons.

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2. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Overall Rating: 48.8%

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is a higher education institution with a renowned reputation in China.

Currently, they are one of the top research-oriented and internationalized universities in the whole of China.

SJTU has over 30 departments, 31 research institutions, 13 affiliated hospitals, and 6 directly affiliated enterprises.

In these departments and schools, there are over 16,000 undergraduate students and 30,000 postgraduate students.

The faculty team consists of many prestigious award winners in different subject areas.

Due to their hard work and enormous work rate, SJTU enjoys a high scientific and technology innovation level.

In 2017, the number of SCI-included papers in terms of Articles and Reviews hit a historical high with a total number of 6,912, of which 3,255 are outstanding international papers, and 4,659 are outstanding domestic papers, respectively, ranking first in China’s universities.

Due to the great level of results this school has experienced, they have become an education destination for both local and international students.

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3. Peking University

Overall Rating: 46.1%

Peking University is a key global and national university. And the campus, known as “Yan Yuan” and Yan Garden, is situated in the Haidian District in the western suburbs of Beijing.

This University prides itself on its exceptional tutors and trainers, including 48 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 9 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and 21 members of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

Peking has effectively combined research on important scientific topics with exceptional management training.

To this extent, they teach and practice a high level of specialized knowledge and professional skills.

The whole objective is to improve teaching and research work and promote interaction and mutual promotion between various disciplines.

Therefore, Peking University has become a teaching and research centre and a new type of university, covering several branches of learning.

Students in Peking are trained to lead innovations concerning better education practices in the country.

Currently, the Peking University acceptance rate for international students is 29%. It’s expected to drop due to the competition for fewer spaces.

Hence, Peking will remain one of the best universities in China for International students in 2024.

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4. Zhejiang University

Overall Rating: 44.2%

Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is located in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province.

There are over 37 colleges and schools in this university, in addition to over 600,000 alumni members.

Currently, the enrolment rates are 54,641, with undergraduate students numbering 25,454 and international students 7,074.

One good thing about this school is 57.6% of males in the school against 42.4% females. Indeed, this shows that more women are getting educated.

Additionally, students from over 140 countries are pursuing programs in the school, with over 14% from low-income homes.

In Zhejiang, there are seven campuses sitting on over 1,450 acres of land. Moreso, there are five libraries from which students can draw knowledge on necessary matters.

A great way to build communities is to ensure student associations stand. Hence, there are over 150 student associations in this school.

In 2018, Zhejiang University funded research tuning to 4 billion yen. The result is prominent in over 140 companies they have created.

Conclusively, Zhejiang University’s acceptance rate is 27% as they remain one of the best universities in China for international students.

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5. Fudan University

Overall Rating: 39.9%

Fudan University started as a high school before it eventually became a college. Indeed, they have grown all around.

This school upholds the spirit of patriotism, solidarity, sacrifice and service. For this cause, they have been distinguished among their peers.

There are currently 13,623 undergraduate students in Fudan, in addition to 22,617 graduate students and 3,672 international students.

Moreso, there are 17 affiliated hospitals in their campus areas, numbering close to 2,439,100 square metres.

Fudan totally believes in research and teaching, which is the foundation of the centre for faculty development, the centre for general education, humanities and social sciences and science, engineering and medicine.

Above all, Fudan has an exquisite campus setting; thus, it’s one of the best universities in China for students.

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6. Sichuan University

Overall Rating: 38.6%

Sichuan University is one of China’s top universities under the Ministry of Education.

This university is located in the famous cultural city of Sichuan Province. And it has three campuses covering 470 hectares of land.

The campus setting makes learning very easy and enjoyable while encouraging sports activities.

Sichuan has over 12 disciplines which include; engineering, humanities, science, economy and law.

Furthermore, it has 34 colleges and postgraduate and overseas educational colleges.

Throughout its history of education, Sichuan has a rich cultural heritage which stands on a solid foundation.

Their new management mechanism makes it possible for teachers to conduct education activities while the students function as the centre of education.

To date, Sichuan University is committed to providing quality education through an integrated multi-disciplinary approach.

The student body in this institution has over 3,400 students, which is an expression of an accommodating encompassing culture.

In research, Sichuan has exhibited high levels of courage, which has increased the number of its laboratories and engineering centres.

The university libraries have a collection of over 6.65 million books, and the Humanities Museum houses over 85,000 objects.

Currently, Sichuan University’s acceptance rate is 25% for international students, and the number is likely to drop.

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7. Guangxi Normal University

Overall Rating: 37.7%

Guangxi Normal University is a provincial university located in the historic tourist city of Guilin.

The advanced philosophy models, beautiful campuses and modern teaching methods all play a role in the university’s success.

In addition, the spirit of respecting teachers and their pursuit towards justice, fairness and cooperation has made them grow into a comprehensive university.

Guangxi NormalUniversity has a large and diverse student population, including 26,831 undergraduate students, 6,386 graduate students, 171 PhD candidates, over 1,600 international students under various programs, and more than 16,000 correspondence and visiting students.

Furthermore, they offer programs at Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral levels. These programs generally cover areas like sciences, humanities, art, and engineering.

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8. University of Hong Kong

Overall Rating: 37.6%

Today, HKU possesses international recognition for its accomplishments as a research-led comprehensive university.

In 2003, during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, HKU medical researchers became the first in the world to identify the coronavirus that caused the SARS.

HKU continues to draw the best local students and many Mainland China and international students.

Indeed, the University’s academics have outstanding achievements in teaching and research, and about half of HKU’s faculty are from overseas.

All ten faculties and their departments provide teaching and supervision for postgraduate-level research (MPhil and PhD) students, with administration undertaken by the Graduate School.

The University of Hong Kong’s acceptance rate is currently 8%, and it will decrease with time.

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9. University of Science & Technology China

Overall Rating: 34.5%

The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is a prominent university in China and enjoys an excellent reputation all over the world.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) instituted this university in 1958 as a strategic action by the Chinese government. This was done in order to meet China’s science and technology needs and increase the country’s international competitiveness.

For this reason, they integrated their programs with USTC so as to create a bigger effect, thereby making more impact.

Since its inception, USTC’s mission has been to “focus on frontier areas of science and technology and educate top leaders in science and technology for China and the world”.

A very important part of its strategy has been combining education and research and emphasising quality rather than quantity.

Hence, USTC started a range of programs creatively encompassing frontier research and the development of new technology.

As a result, the university has taken the lead in higher education in China. USTC has accomplished several “firsts” in China.

USTC hosts one of the important innovation centres in China. It is the only university in China operating two national labs: the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory and the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale.

USTC is a global frontier in fields like quantum manipulation, high-temperature superconductivity, speech processing, fire science and life science.

Admission to USTC is extremely selective. Only the top 0.3-0.5% of high school graduates are admitted.

Over 70% of undergraduate students are involved in the Research Program for Undergraduate Students in CAS research institutes or national labs on campus.

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10. Nanjing University

Overall Rating: 31.6%

NJU has witnessed and shared hardship and glory. Consequently, they are striving with great effort to make their contributions to national revitalization and scientific progress.

Faced with new and historical opportunities brought forth by the Reform and Opening-up, NJU has a key comprehensive university under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education.

This school has upgraded itself with good development momentum in teaching, research and social service, ranking among China’s top universities in its teaching indexes and overall strength.

Today, NJU has three campuses: Xianlin, Gulou, and Pukou. Moreso, the university has 28 schools under the university’s direct supervision.

Today, the number of students in 2016 is 32,999 in total. These include; 13,583 undergraduates, 10,865 master students, 5,335 doctoral students, and 3,216 full-time international students.

NJU adopts the principle of strengthening applied subjects, focusing on foundation subjects, developing frontier subjects, and enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation.

Furthermore, NJU is one of the most active universities in executing international communication and cooperation, which has built a close relationship with many first-class universities and research institutes around the world.

So, this is why Nanjing will be one of the best universities in China for International students in 2024.

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11. Huazhong University of Science & Technology

Overall Rating: 29.9%

HUST is located in Wubei Province on the central bank of the Yangtze River.

This institution has a major campus close to the East Lake scenic spot with the satellite medical campus on the other side.

The campus environment covers an area of over 460 hectares, and the campus has 72% greenery coverage, which has earned it the honorary title “University in the Forest”.

A total of more than 55,000 full-time students are pursuing different programs in this school.

Additionally, approximately 32,000 undergraduates, 16,000 master candidates and 6,000 doctoral candidates are also in this school.

This school is proud of its laboratory, which is one of the six labs in the National Research Centre.

HUST students have won prizes in various national and international competitions, and this is because they have been paying sustainable attention to the research-industry transformation going on all over.

This school has instituted partnerships with more than 100 renowned universities and research institutions worldwide.

Hence, over 1,500 scholars and experts visit and lecture here annually.

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12. Sun Yat-Sen University

Overall Rating: 29.4%

Sun Yat-sen University possesses an educational tradition spanning more than 100 years. In essence, they are important research, academic and cultural centre and the main location for talent development.

This university has eventually become a modern and comprehensive university with a reputation as a leading national and internationally renowned university.

Today, they have five campuses in the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, and ten affiliated hospitals; the University strives to become a world-class university and a global learning centre.

Laid on the foundations of a solid and multidisciplinary foundation in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences and engineering, Sun Yat-sen University is driven by the continuous search for academic innovation.

The University has an open perspective to the world and has been committed to being a “global, innovative and open” institution.

More so, the university adheres to the socialist orientation of higher education, focusing on the fundamental task of fostering virtue and talent.

The goal of cultivating talent is to nurture students who have the capacity and moral integrity, are able to cultivate the charism and are willing to serve their country.

Hence, the basic philosophy of orientation is to build an understanding towards academic limits, the main national strategic needs and national and regional economic and social development.

The coordinated development of five campuses in the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen jointly support the development of the entire University.

Today, at a new starting point, Sun Yat-sen University seeks to enter both the first national level of universities and the ranks of world-class elite universities by building a first-class socialist university with Chinese qualities.

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13. Harbin Institute of Technology

Overall Rating: 29.3%

The Harbin Institute of Technology is an open, multidisciplinary and research-oriented national university with science and engineering at its core.

HIT formed the model of “One university, three campuses — Harbin campus, Weihai campus and Shenzhen Graduate School”. HIT is now on its way to achieving its goal of being a world-class university.

Today, HIT is famous for its original style of education: “Be strict on the qualifications of graduates; do everything possible to educate students.

More than 200,000 graduates of this school now occupy high-level positions at multinational corporations. They usually work as specialists in the fields of science and technology, education and economics.

Furthermore, several graduates have become CPC leaders and held government positions at different levels in different fields in the country and abroad.

HIT alumni are among academics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and APL generals.

Graduates of this school make great achievements and create wonders in all areas of society, improving the prosperity of China and the world.

Hence, that’s why HIT is one of the best universities in China for international students.

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14. Wuhan University

Overall Rating: 29%

Wuhan University has erected an elegant palatial architectural complex of primitive simplicity, which blends the eastern architectural style perfectly with that of the west.

In fact, it is honoured as the “Most Beautiful University in China.” Moreso, Wuhan University’s centennial humanistic accumulation is proportional to its succinct motto, that is, “Self-improvement, Perseverance, Truth-seeking & Innovation.”

Since its starting, Wuhan University has cultivated more than 300 thousand professional talents in various occupations, among whom there are over 100 members of the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Additionally, they have made a great contribution to national construction and social advancement.

The remarkable achievements of Wuhan University have given them an extensive international reputation.

In 1999, the world-renowned journal Science listed Wuhan University as one of China’s most prominent institutions of higher education.

This school has established a cooperative relationship with more than 415 universities and research institutes in over 45 countries and regions.

Now, Wuhan University is endeavouring to shape itself into a world-class comprehensive research university domestically and internationally.

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15. Southeast University

Overall Rating: 28.9%

SEU is a comprehensive research-oriented university wholly focused on engineering while covering many other disciplines such as philosophy, economics, law, education, literature, science, engineering, medicine, management and art, etc.

The school highlights 3 national key laboratories, 4 national engineering research centres, 2 national engineering technology research centres, 1 national professional laboratory, 11 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education, 6 engineering research centres of the Ministry of Education, 30 postdoctoral research centres and 2 key high-end think tanks of Jiangsu Province.

Currently, SEU possesses a high-level faculty which consists of 2,899 full-time teachers.
In addition, there’re also 11 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 academician from the Academy of Europe and 13 members of the 7th discipline review troupe of the State Council Academic Committee.

This school is now increasing its plan of building a powerful school with talents and endeavouring to promote the “high-end staff multiplication plan” so as to accelerate its progress of constructing a top-ranking staff team.

SEU possesses a high reputation for its education. Considering talent cultivation as its fundamental assignment, the school has cultivated 330,000 talents of all sorts for the country and society. In the meantime, a batch of meritorious elites surges out.

Over 200 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering once worked or studied at SEU.

Today, the school is one of the first batches of national demonstration institutions of higher learning to implement innovative and entrepreneurial education reform.

Furthermore, five majors have been enrolled as national comprehensive reform pilot projects.

In the new era, the school persists in cultivating talents with lofty morality, inheriting fine traditions, keeping pace with the time, and making constant breakthroughs.

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#16. Xiamen University

Overall Rating: 42.2%

Xiamen University is also one of the best universities in China for international students. The university is a public, non-profit institution of higher learning that is situated in the Xiamen, Fujian, metropolitan. Established in 1921.

Furthermore, XMU is a sizable coeducational Chinese university that grants degrees in several fields of study, including bachelor’s degrees, through its courses and programs.

The admissions process at this Chinese higher education institution is selective and relies on entrance exams. The application process is open to International applicants.

Students at XMU can also take advantage of a number of academic and extracurricular facilities and services, such as a library, accommodation, sports facilities, financial aid or scholarships, and administrative support services.

A high level of specialized knowledge and professional abilities are taught and put into practice at the university, which lives up to its motto of “Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection,” enabling its students to excel and be the best in the outside world.

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FAQs On Best Colleges in China for International Students 2024 | Ranking

Conclusion

China is a top nation in the world due to its amazing development and rate of growth. Hence, people love to invest in China.

Although they have a large population, they have actually remained strong in providing for their citizens.

Their educational strides will be clearly seen in the coming years as they continuously develop themselves.

Therefore, as an international student, China should be one of your top priorities when it comes to a study destination.

References

• Timeshighereducation.com – Best Universities in China
• Usnews.com – Best Global Universities in China
• Cranking.com – China University Ranking
• Topuniversities.com

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