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THE 2026: China places five universities in the global top 40 for the first time
Tsinghua is Asia's top university for a third consecutive edition. Harbin Institute of Technology is the biggest climber, up 21 places.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, released on 9 October 2025, covered 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories — a record. Mainland China placed 97 universities on the list, three more than the previous edition, with 35 inside the global top 500, more than Australia.
- Tsinghua University: 12th — Asia's highest-ranked university for the third consecutive edition
- Peking University: 13th, second consecutive year at that position
- Fudan University: 36th
- Zhejiang University: 39th, up from 47th
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University: 40th, up from 52nd
- University of Science and Technology of China: 51st
- Nanjing University: 62nd
- Harbin Institute of Technology: 131st, up 21 places — the largest rise among Chinese universities
Wuhan University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University and Tongji University all entered the global top 150 for the first time. Thirteen mainland universities reached the global top 200, and 18 recorded their best-ever position — more than any other country.
Sources
- Times Higher Education / People's Daily Jiangsu https://js.people.com.cn/BIG5/n2/2025/1010/c360307-41375119.html
Tuition, deadlines and stipend figures are revised each cycle. Always confirm the current position with the university's international student office and on the official portal at campuschina.org before you apply.