Nanjing University

Nanjing University is a national public research university located in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Nanjing University (NJU) has a long and distinguished history, dating back to its founding in 1902 as the Sanjiang Normal School. The school was renamed Nanjing Higher Normal School in 1912, and in 1921, it was merged with several other institutions to form the National Central University. During the Republic of China era, National Central University was one of the four leading universities in China, along with Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Zhejiang University. The university was known for its strong academic programs in a wide range of fields, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.

After the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, National Central University was renamed Nanjing University. The university continued to be a leading institution of higher education in China, and it played an important role in the development of the new People's Republic of China. In the 1950s and 1960s, NJU was one of the universities that was targeted during the Cultural Revolution. Many of the university's professors and students were persecuted, and the university's academic programs were disrupted.

However, NJU recovered from the Cultural Revolution and resumed its position as a leading university in China. In the 1980s and 1990s, the university underwent a period of rapid development, and it established itself as one of the top universities in Asia. 

Today, NJU is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in China. It is a member of the Double First Class University Plan, Project 985, and Project 211. NJU is known for its strong academic programs in a wide range of fields, and it is consistently ranked among the top universities in Asia and the world.

Based on the QS World University Rankings of 2025, Nanjing University is positioned as the #145 top university in the world, which makes it the #7 top university in China. The university's global rank decreased by 4 points from last year.