ShanghaiRanking, a higher education evaluation consultancy, released the 2026 Best Chinese Universities Ranking on April 15. 

A total of 30 universities in Shanghai made the ranking, with 12 of them in the national top 100, ranking the city third nationwide by number of top 100 universities.

Notably, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) and Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) topped the rankings for finance and economics universities and sports universities, respectively.

The rankings evaluate over 1,000 institutions that offer undergraduate courses across China, using a differentiated indicator system that classifies them into comprehensive universities, eight categories of specialized universities, and four categories of non-public universities.

In the comprehensive university rankings, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Zhejiang University secured the top three spots. Shanghai institutions performed strongly, with Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking fourth and Fudan University fifth. 

Other top 100 Shanghai universities in the top 100 include Tongji University (18th), East China Normal University (29th), East China University of Science and Technology (42nd), Shanghai University (60th), and Donghua University (72nd), the latter four all showing improvements from the previous year. ShanghaiTech University, a new research-oriented institution, ranked 47th.

In the specialized university rankings, SUFE and SUS were joined by Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai International Studies University, and East China University of Political Science and Law, which secured second places in their respective fields.

Among non-"Double First-Class" universities, four institutions made the national top 200: University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (106th), Shanghai Normal University (123rd), Shanghai Maritime University (171st), and Shanghai University of Electric Power (188th), reflecting strong upward momentum.

New York University Shanghai also entered the top 100, ranking 78th nationwide and third among Sino-foreign cooperative universities.

In the private university category, Shanghai Sanda University ranked fourth among private finance and economics institutions, while Shanghai Jianqiao University ranked 27th overall, and Shanghai Lida University also made the list.

Shanghai has long served as a benchmark for higher education development in China. In 2023, the Ministry of Education and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government signed a strategic cooperation agreement on two pilot higher education reform initiatives in Shanghai. 

These initiatives focus on dynamically adjusting academic disciplines, building industry-education integration platforms, advancing cooperative education with leading overseas universities, and promoting the integrated development of education, science, technology, and talent.

Source: Shanghai Observer