Many Chinese universities have seen an improvement in their ranking in the recently released 2025 QS World University Rankings. Of the 71 universities from mainland China included in the rankings, more than two thirds (68%) improved their positions compared to last year, while only 16% saw a drop in their ranking.

The number of mainland Chinese universities in the top 100 stayed steady at 5, but all of these institutions improved their ranking by between 3 and 11 places. Tsinghua University joined Peking University in the global top 20, while China’s three other top-100 institutions – Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University and Zhejiang University – are all now in the top 50. Other notable changes include Tongji University, which jumped from 216th to 192nd place, entering the top 200 for the first time and bringing the number of Chinese universities in the top 200 to 9.

What it means for the UK sector

Local universities’ improved rankings may represent a challenge for UK universities looking to recruit Chinese students, as students from mainland China are often strongly influenced by international rankings. Better local performance may make overseas institutions look less attractive by comparison and make Chinese students less likely to study abroad. However, UK institutions continue to outnumber their Chinese counterparts at the top of the global rankings, with the UK having 15 top-100 institutions and 27 of the top 200 institutions.

Source: https://www.qschina.cn/en/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2025