Peking Dux: Beijing city and University Top China’s University Rankings

The contemporary push to raise an elite few Chinese universities to international standard began in 1998 at Peking University (PKU). At the 100^thcentenary celebrations of PKU, then President Jiang Zemin announced “China must have a number of top-class universities at the international level”. Project 985, named after the date of Jiang’s speech, has allocated additional funding to those select universities since.[1]

The initial nine Project 985 universities – Fudan University (Shanghai), Harbin Institute of Technology, Nanjing University, Peking University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Tsinghua University, Xian Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University (2011’s number one) – comprise China’s ‘Ivy League’, known as the C9. Chosen as much for their standing as their geographic and specialisation spread these universities are less overall aligned with the overall rankings of China’s universities, for 2012 at least.

National university rankings for China paint a more geographically centred concentration of elite universities. In these rankings, in 2012 Beijing was home to both of the top 2 schools (Peking and Tsinghua); to 3 of the top 10 universities; and 19 of the top 100 universities nationwide. A majority of these furthermore are categorised as ‘Science and Technology’ universities – including Tsinghua (2), Beihang (22), Beijing Institute of Technology (30), and the China University of Petroleum (41). The top university, Peking University – Peking Dux – is a comprehensive school, and within the sciences branch is perhaps best known for life sciences and medicine. Hospitals attached to PKU are some of Beijing’s best public hospitals. The district in which most of those universities are located, Haidian, in Beijing’s north-west, is known not only from the presence of universities, but also its hi-tech zones, including the Zhongguancun Haidian Science Park.

Other noticeable trends within the rankings include the density of elite science/technology schools in Heilongjiang and Hubei; and the diversity and density of prospectively rising star universities in Shaanxi, Shanghai and Jiangsu.

The complete list of the top 100 Chinese universities as ranked in 2012 by the China Alumni Network is outlined in Table 1. To highlight how and where China’s research-oriented brains are clustered, by university at least, below we list out the provinces with at least three top 100 universities:

Anhui: University of Science and Technology of China (18); Hefei University of Technology (66), and Anhui University (94);

Beijing: Peking University (1); Tsinghua University (2); Renmin University (8); Beijing Normal University (13); Beihang University (22); Beijing Institute of Technology (30); University of Science and Technology of Beijing (33); China University of Petroleum (41); Beijing Jiaotong University (45); Beijing University of Chemical Technology (57); Beijing University of Post and Telecommunications (65); Beijing University of Technology (70); China University of Political Science and Law (73); Central University of Nationalities (77); Capital Medical University (82); Central University of Finance and Economics (89); Capital Normal University (91); Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (98);

Guangdong: Zhongshan University (10); South China University of Technology (28); Jinan University (63); South China Normal University (71); South China Agricultural University (74);

Heilongjiang: Harbin Institute of Technology (17); Harbin Engineering University (59); Northeast Forestry University (86);

Hubei: Wuhan University (7); Huazhong University of Science and Technology (9); Huazhong Normal University (38); China University of Geosciences (39); Huazhong Agricultural University (44); Wuhan University of Technology (53); Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (80);

Hunan: Central South University (15); Hunan University (34); Hunan Normal University (62);

Jiangsu: Nanjing University (5); South East University (26); China University of Mining and Technology (37); Nanjing University of Science and Technology (49); Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (51); Agricultural University of Nanjing (52); Hehai University (54); Suzhou University (55); Nanjing Normal University (61); Jiangnan University (75); Nanjing University of Technology (92);

Liaoning: Dalian University of Technology (27); North East University (31); Liaoning University (94);

Shaanxi: Xian Jiaotong University (19); Northwestern Polytechnical University (29); North West University (40); Chang’An University (50); Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University (59); Xidian University (68); Shaanxi Normal University (76);

Shanghai: Fudan University (4); Shanghai Jiaotong University (6); East China Normal University (23); Tongji University (24); China Agricultural University (25); East China University of Science and Technology (36); Shanghai (64); Donghua University (69); Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (77);

Sichuan: Electronic Science and Technology University (47); South West Jiaotong University (48); South Western University of Finance and Economics (99); Sichuan Agricultural University (100).

With China seeking to upgrade its growth model to a more indigenous innovation-based model, and Chinese government leaders promoted in part for their success in meeting economic goalposts, watch this space for an innovative race between universities and provinces in China in the decade forth. Will Peking stay China’s university Dux?

Table 1: 2012 China University Rankings

Rank	University	Province	University Type	Overall Score	Science Research	Talent	Comprehensiveness
1	Peking University	Beijing	Comprehensive	100	95.61	100	98.32
2	Tsinghua University	Beijing	Science & Engineering	96.18	100	86.55	100
3	Zhejiang University	Zhejiang	Comprehensive	56.1	53.46	52.4	74.86
4	Fudan University	Shanghai	Comprehensive	55.57	53.6	55.69	51.54
5	Nanjing University	Jiangsu	Comprehensive	42.9	40.67	42.63	45.36
6	Shanghai Jiaotong University	Shanghai	Comprehensive	42.52	48.01	35.59	37.39
7	Wuhan University	Hubei	Comprehensive	39.37	41.14	35.53	39.41
8	Renmin University	Beijing	Comprehensive	36.61	28.11	36.52	73.38
9	Huazhong University of Science & Technology	Hubei	Science & Engineering	34.56	37.57	29.47	35.49
10	Zhongshan University	Guangdong	Comprehensive	33.77	34.47	29.6	42.61
11	Jilin University	Jilin	Comprehensive	33.68	32.57	33.82	30.43
12	Sichuan University	Sichuan	Comprehensive	32.23	33.82	28.57	34.11
13	Beijing Normal University	Beijing	Normal	27.95	28.32	23.87	39.58
14	Nankai University	Tianjin	Comprehensive	27.84	28.17	24.6	35.45
15	Central South University	Hunan	Comprehensive	27.62	27.9	24.66	34.14
16	Shandong University	Shandong	Comprehensive	27.49	26.07	26.77	31.81
17	Harbin Institute of Technology	Heilongjiang	Science & Engineering	27.27	26.27	26.43	29.94
18	University of Science & Technology of China	Anhui	Science & Engineering	27.2	27.87	24.53	30.26
19	Xian Jiaotong University	Shaanxi	Comprehensive	26.43	25.65	25.06	30.83
20	Xiamen University	Fujian	Comprehensive	25.42	24.34	22.69	38.54
21	Tianjin University	Tianjin	Science & Engineering	22.17	21.91	19.1	33.47
22	Beihang University	Beijing	Science & Engineering	21.85	24.62	16.35	29.3
23	East China Normal University	Shanghai	Normal	21.25	20.79	18.7	31.17
24	Tongji University	Shanghai	Science & Engineering	21.1	19.51	18.92	35.26
25	China Agricultural	Shanghai	Agriculture & Forestry	19.6	21.33	14.46	31.39
26	South East	Jiangsu	Comprehensive	19.22	16.9	18.4	30.94
27	Dalian University of Technology	Liaoning	Science & Engineering	17.34	17.15	14.74	27.08
28	South China University of Technology	Guangdong	Science & Engineering	16.73	15.36	14.1	33.21
29	Northwestern Polytechnical University	Shaanxi	Science & Engineering	15.62	15.36	12.85	27.08
30	Beijing Institute of Technology	Beijing	Science & Engineering	15.14	13.35	13.24	30.47
31	North East University	Liaoning	Science & Engineering	14.97	12.6	14.26	27.51
32	Chongqing University	Chongqing	Comprehensive	14.47	12.3	12.98	29.93
33	University of Science & Technology of Beijing	Beijing	Science & Engineering	13.97	12.36	11.99	29.07
34	Hunan University	Hunan	Comprehensive	13.92	11.37	12.86	29.44
35	Lanzhou University	Gansu	Comprehensive	13.82	11.06	13.06	28.91
36	East China University of Science & Technology	Shanghai	Science & Engineering	12.54	12.51	9.07	27.09
37	China University of Mining and Technology	Jiangsu	Science & Engineering	12.25	11.44	9.41	27.89
38	Huazhong Normal University	Hubei	Normal	11.86	11.6	9.81	20.61
39	China University of Geosciences	Hubei	Science & Engineering	11.85	10.24	9.79	27.93
40	North West University	Shaanxi	Comprehensive	11.59	10.8	10.25	19.69
41	China University of Petroleum	Beijing	Science & Engineering	11.26	10.62	7.95	28.55
42	Ocean University of China	Shandong	Comprehensive	11.11	11.58	7.68	23.12
43	North East Normal	Jilin	Normal	11.08	9.78	9.6	22.76
44	Huazhong Agricultural University	Hubei	Agriculture & Forestry	10.73	10.72	7.75	23.12
45	Beijing Jiaotong University	Beijing	Science & Engineering	10.66	9.64	7.58	28.94
46	South West University	Chongqing	Comprehensive	10.52	9.01	8.89	24.19
47	Electronic Science & Technology University	Sichuan	Science & Engineering	10.42	8.91	7.78	29.19
48	South West Jiaotong University	Sichuan	Science & Engineering	10.33	8.07	8.86	27.22
49	Nanjing University of Science & Technology	Jiangsu	Science & Engineering	9.85	8.58	7.3	27.1
50	Chang’An University	Shaanxi	Science & Engineering	9.48	9.36	8.06	14.89
51	Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics	Jiangsu	Science & Engineering	9.3	8.33	7.26	22.51
52	Agricultural University of Nanjing	Jiangsu	Agriculture & Forestry	9.25	7.09	7.63	26.7
53	Wuhan University of Technology	Hubei	Science & Engineering	9.11	6.99	8.1	23.25
54	Hehai University	Jiangsu	Science & Engineering	8.95	7.9	6.08	26.75
55	Suzhou University	Jiangsu	Comprehensive	8.61	7.46	8.63	12.51
56	Zhengzhou University	Henan	Comprehensive	8.58	5.02	10.78	14.45
57	Beijing University of Chemical Technology	Beijing	Science & Engineering	8.53	9.19	4.66	22.43
58	Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications	Beijing	Science & Engineering	8.49	8.63	4.96	23.45
59	Harbin Engineering University	Heilongjiang	Science & Engineering	8.48	7.47	5.59	26.31
59	Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University	Shaanxi	Agriculture & Forestry	8.48	6.87	7.01	22.37
61	Nanjing Normal University	Jiangsu	Normal	8.47	6.05	9.75	12.89
62	Hunan Normal University	Hunan	Normal	8.22	6.96	8.26	12.65
63	Jinan University	Guangdong	Comprehensive	8.2	6.94	7.03	18.79
64	Shanghai University	Shanghai	Comprehensive	8.16	6.92	7.77	14.72
65	Beijing Forestry University	Beijing	Agriculture & Forestry	8.11	6.62	5.56	27.01
66	Hefei University of Technology	Anhui	Science & Engineering	8.02	5.69	7.22	22.49
67	Yunnan University	Yunnan	Comprehensive	7.96	6.09	7.39	18.82
68	Xidian University	Shaanxi	Science & Engineering	7.81	7.35	6.35	15.71
69	Donghua University	Shanghai	Science & Engineering	7.73	7.54	5.78	16.7
70	Beijing University of Technology	Beijing	Science & Engineering	7.47	7.35	6.19	12.7
71	South China Normal University	Guangdong	Normal	6.64	4.03	7.74	13.34
72	Nanchang University	Jiangxi	Comprehensive	6.61	6.01	5.4	14.25
73	China University of Political Science and Law	Beijing	Law	6.45	3.04	5.06	30.12
74	South China Agricultural University	Guangdong	Agriculture & Forestry	6.15	6.17	5.85	6.03
75	Jiangnan University	Jiangsu	Comprehensive	6.11	6.24	3.27	18.26
76	Shaanxi Normal	Shaanxi	Normal	5.97	4.51	6.92	7.54
77	Central University of Nationalities	Beijing	Nationality	5.92	3.57	4.66	23.41
77	Shanghai University of Finance and Economics	Shanghai	Finance & Economics	5.92	3.71	5.04	20.67
79	Fuzhou University	Fujian	Science & Engineering	5.91	4.49	5.43	14.48
80	Zhongnan University of Economics and Law	Hubei	Finance & Economics	5.87	3.4	6.66	13.59
81	Inner Mongolia University	Inner Mongolia	Comprehensive	5.82	4.85	4.6	15.74
82	Capital Medical University	Beijing	Medicine	5.75	7.69	4.19	1.85
83	Taiyuan University of Technology	Shanxi	Science & Engineering	5.63	4.94	4.92	11.43
84	Xinjiang University	Xinjiang	Comprehensive	5.48	4.2	4.14	17.76
84	Shanxi University	Shanxi	Comprehensive	5.48	4.99	6.53	1.4
86	Northeast Forestry University	Heilongjiang	Agriculture & Forestry	5.02	3.84	4.77	11.26
87	Guangxi University	Guangxi	Comprehensive	4.94	3.79	4.05	14.35
88	Fuzhou University	Guizhou	Comprehensive	4.92	4.31	3.59	13.67
89	Central University of Finance and Economics	Beijing	Finance & Economics	4.9	1.32	2.9	33.01
90	Yanshan University	Hebei	Science & Engineering	4.84	5.3	4.15	4.72
91	Capital Normal University	Beijing	Normal	4.8	4.97	4.96	1.9
92	Nanjing University of Technology	Jiangsu	Science & Engineering	4.77	5.59	4.35	1.24
93	Hainan University	Hainan	Comprehensive	4.76	5.22	2.41	12.98
94	Liaoning University	Liaoning	Comprehensive	4.75	2.1	5.9	11.97
94	Anhui University	Anhui	Comprehensive	4.75	3.27	4.63	12.1
96	Zhejiang University of Technology	Zhejiang	Science & Engineering	4.67	5.49	4.06	2.23
97	North China Electric Power University	Hebei	Science & Engineering	4.6	3.74	3.06	15.81
98	Beijing University of Chinese Medicine	Beijing	Medicine	4.57	4.21	2.35	16.59
99	South Western University of Finance & Economics	Sichuan	Finance & Economics	4.45	2.19	4.99	12.7
100	Sichuan Agricultural University	Sichuan	Agriculture & Forestry	4.41	4.11	3.16	11.28

Source: China Alumni Network.

“Peking Dux” is the title of a forthcoming book. All rights are reserved by Sinograduate.

[1] An additional thirty universities were added thereafter as follows: Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, Central South University, Central University for Nationalities, China Agricultural University, Chongqing University, Dalian University of Technology, East China Normal University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hunan University, Jilin University, Lanzhou University, Nankai University, National University of Defense Technology, Northeastern University, Northwest A&F University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Ocean University of China, Renmin University of China, Shandong University, Sichuan University, South China University of Technology, Southeast University, Sun Yat-sen University, Tianjin University, Tongji University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Wuhan University, and Xiamen University.