It’s well-known that China hosts the world’s biggest pool of outbound international students, with the Chinese Ministry of Education recording 608,400 learners leaving to study overseas on 2017 – a record number for the country.

With its ascent of international league tables, its friendly people and its fascinating cultural heritage, China’s growing rep as a high-calibre education hotspot is unlikely to falter anytime soon. If you’re keen to make the most of China’s rise to the top, here are five of the nation’s leading universities based on the most recent world rankings by QS.

1.Tsinghua University

Ranked 17th in the world and 1st in the brand new BRICS rankings by QS, Tsinghua University boasts an elite reputation that resonates worldwide.

Described as the Chinese university for global leadership, with Forbes also championing its campus as one of the most beautiful in the world, this institution provides the ultimate study setting and enables its students to thrive.

2.Peking University

Peking University (PKU) landed an impressive 30th position in the QS global league table, also placing 2nd in the whole of Mainland China and the BRICS rankings.

This comprehensive institution is a known pioneer of contemporary education. A highly experienced faculty stand among its greatest assets, driven by 53 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), seven members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and 14 members of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), to name just a few.

3. Fudan University

Ranked 44th in the world and 3rd in the BRICS rankings, Fudan University has been educating and empowering students since 1905.

For more than a century, this world-renowned school has made an outstanding contribution to the global economy by refining top talent, innovating the fields of science and technology, and serving the needs of society. Widely-respected for its campus culture of freedom, variety and progression, Fudan student life embodies many exciting dimensions.

4.Shanghai Jiao Tong University

After 121 years of grit, determination and the provision of a prestigious education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) now ranks 59th in the world, 6th in Mainland China and 7th in the newly-launched BRICS rankings.

Today, SJTU offers a diverse portfolio of 64 undergraduate programmes covering nine major disciplines: economics, law, literature, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, management and arts. Since the year 2000, there have been no less than 47 national higher education teaching achievement prizes presented to SJTU’s influential faculty.

5.Zhejiang University

Zhejiang University (ZJU) is recognised on the global education stage, ranking 68th in the world, 5th in Mainland China and the BRICS league table.

The institution is proud of its proactive, entrepreneurial spirit. Here, researchers make an impact across many priority areas that address pressing global issues, including artificial intelligence, assembly technology for large aircraft, clean energy, ocean technology, industrial control technology, and global public health initiatives related to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.