Shanghai is the largest city in China by population and is the second most populous city in the world.
It is a major administrative, shipping and trading city and located on the estuary of the Yangtze River.
There are many sights and sounds to take in while exploring Shanghai, such as the soaring skyscrapers, traditional gardens and shopping districts.
For students who are night owls, there are plenty of things to keep you busy until the early hours of the morning, including The Bund, night markets, and night time cruises on the Huangpu River.
The food of Shanghai is a particular highlight, melding the traditions of Beijing, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangzhou and local Benbang dishes. As well as traditional Chinese food, students will be able to find restaurants serving international cuisine of all kinds.
Nestled among all of this are a number of high-quality universities, some of which we’ve listed below.
1. Fudan University
Fudan University is a C9 League University, meaning it is one of the most prestigious and selective in China. It is one of the hardest universities to gain admission to.
It is also part of Universitas 21, an international consortium of research-driven universities.
Fudan has four campuses in Shanghai: Handan, Fenglin, Zhangjiang and Jiangwan. It comprises 17 full-time schools and 69 departments. It provides bachelor’s and master’s programmes.
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2. Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is a major public research university in Shanghai and is also part of the C9 League.
The university was a specialist engineering university for many decades. But since it acquired a medical school in 2005, it has developed rapidly to cover a variety of science, technology, arts and humanities subjects across five campuses.
There are now more than 60 undergraduate programmes covering nine major disciplines – economics, law, literature, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management and arts.
East China Normal University
East China Normal University is located across two beautiful campuses n Minhang and Putuo districts of Shanghai. It has long been known as the Garden University.
The university has established exchange and cooperative partnerships with more than 200 universities across the world to facilitate staff and student exchanges.
And the rest...
You can also choose from a number of other universities in Shanghai.
If you are looking for a specialist university, East China University of Science and Technology or Shanghai Maritime University might be good options to consider.
Or if you are looking for a university that offers degrees in a number of disciplines, East China Normal University or Shanghai University might be better suited to you.
Top universities in Shanghai 2021
Click on each institution to see its full World University Rankings 2021 results
| World University Rank 2021 | Shanghai Rank 2021 | University |
| =70 | 1 | Fudan University |
| 100 | 2 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
| 351–400 | 3 | East China Normal University |
| 401–500 | 4 | Tongji University |
| 801–1000 | =5 | East China University of Science and Technology |
| 801–1000 | =5 | Shanghai University |
| 801–1000 | =5 | Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) |
| 801–1000 | =5 | Shanghai Maritime University |
Read more: Best universities in China
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