As one of the oldest cities in the world, Beijing has a rich history stretching back 3,000 years.
The city is home to seven Unesco World Heritage Sites including the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian and parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.
However, with a population of more than 21 million people and as China’s capital, the city's modern buildings such as the China Media Group Headquarters, China World Trade Headquarters, and Capital Museum are also impressive sights.
As well as this, the city is home to 91 universities, meaning that there is plenty of choice for prospective students.
The Chinese government has invested heavily in the higher education sector, in order to make it more appealing to international students, so now is a better time than ever to consider studying in Beijing.
1. Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University is one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and is regularly ranked as one of the best institutions in China.
It performs strongly in engineering and computer science teaching.
The campus is also considered one of the most beautiful in China, having been built on the former site of the Qing Dynasty royal gardens and retains Chinese-style landscaping as well as traditional buildings.
The primary language of instruction is Chinese, however some graduate degree programmes are offered in English, such as Chinese politics, foreign policy and international relations, mechanical engineering and global business journalism.
2. Peking University
Alongside Tsinghua University, Peking University is considered one of the most prestigious universities in China.
It is also considered one of the most beautiful, with its traditional houses, gardens, pagodas and many other historical structures.
The university has 216 research centres, including two national engineering research centres, and 12 national key laboratories.
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3. Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China and was recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education as a Class A Double First Class University.
It was one of the first Chinese institutions to recruit international students, and now has around 1,800 long-term international students from over 100 countries and regions. Known for its Mandarin Chinese study programmes, the university also collaborates with Princeton University for the Princeton in Beijing programme.
The campus has one faculty - the Faculty of Education - 26 schools and colleges, two departments and 43 research institutes. The library has over 4.3 million volumes.
And the rest...
As mentioned in the introduction, there are 91 universities in Beijing, which means that there are far more institutions to choose from than those listed above.
Beijing is home to many specialist science and technology institutions such as the Beijing Institute of Technology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, Capital Medical University and the University of Science and Technology Beijing.
However, if science or technology isn’t for you and you’d rather study the social sciences of the humanities, there are plenty of other institutions to choose from, including as Beijing Jiaotong University.
Top universities in Beijing 2020
Click on each institution to see its full World University Rankings 2021 results
| World University Rank 2021 | Beijing Rank 2021 | University |
| =20 | 1 | Tsinghua University |
| 23 | 2 | Peking University |
| 301–350 | 3 | Beijing Normal University |
| 501–600 | =4 | Beihang University |
| 501–600 | =4 | Beijing University of Chemical Technology |
| 501–600 | =4 | Beijing Institute of Technology |
| 501–600 | =4 | Renmin University of China |
| 601–800 | =8 | China Agricultural University |
| 601–800 | =8 | China University of Petroleum, Beijing |
| 601–800 | =8 | University of International Business and Economics |
| 801–1000 | =11 | Beijing Jiaotong University |
| 801–1000 | =11 | Capital Medical University |
| 801–1000 | =11 | China University of Geosciences, Beijing |
| 801–1000 | =11 | China University of Mining and Technology |
| 801–1000 | =11 | University of Science and Technology Beijing |
| 1001+ | =16 | Beijing Forestry University |
| 1001+ | =16 | Beijing University of Technology |
| 1001+ | =16 | Central University of Finance and Economics |
| 1001+ | =16 | North China Electric Power University |
Read more: Best universities in China
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