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Top Three Graduate Programs in China by Discipline (CDGDC)

The China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC) was established in the early part of the decade as a quasi-governmental body affiliated with the Ministry of Education. Working with the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council (ADCSC), the body responsible for the oversight of quality standards at the graduate level, the CDGDC evaluates and ranks the graduate programs of research institutions across the country under the National Disciplines Ranking of Mainland China program.

Beginning as a research center affiliated with Beijing’s Tsinghua University, the CDGDC produced an initial ranking of 33 graduate schools across six broad categories. That work has since expanded to include more than 2,300 programs at approximately 330 institutions of higher education across 81 majors, with the latest ranking exercises being published in two rounds (2007 & 2009).

While the CDGDC rankings do not necessarily reflect a particular state position on the relative quality of Chinese graduate programs, the government backing of the exercise lends it particular respect among Chinese institutions of higher education, and the Chinese public more broadly. However, it is unclear if state funding through the 211 and 985 excellence projects are tied to the CDGDC findings.

The ranking is based on four different criteria: faculty profile (15%), research performance (35%), education quality (25%), and reputation (25%). Each major is graded on a scale of 0-100. Indicators under each ranking criteria include measures of infrastructural quality, awards, patents, publications and grants.

As might be expected, Peking University and Renmin University dominate the rankings in social science fields, while Tsinghua University is the top ranked institution in many technical fields.

The CDGDC is also responsible for evaluating foreign academic credentials and programs, in addition to working on foreign academic exchange and degree verification agreements with countries across the world, much like the ENIC-NARIC bodies in Europe.

The following is an abbreviated version of the ranking results, limited to the top three in each discipline. More on Chinese university rankings from WES is available here. Full rankings for each discipline are available upon request.

Philosophy (2009)
1	Peking University
2	People’s University of China (Renmin)
3	Sun Yat-sen University
Theoretical Economics (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	Peking University
3	Nankai University
3	Fudan University
Applied Economics (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	Peking University
3	Central University of Finance and Economics
3	Shanghai University of Finances and Economics
3	Xiamen University
Law (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	China University of Political Science and Law
3	Peking University
3	Wuhan University
Politics (2009)
1	Peking University
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
3	Fudan University
3	Huazhong Normal University
Sociology (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	Peking University
3	Nankai University
3	Nanjing University
3	Sun Yat-Sen University
Ethnology (2009)
1	Yunnan University
2	Lanzhou University
3	Inner Mongolia Normal University
Marxism Theory (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	Wuhan University
3	Sun Yat-Sen University
Education (2009)
1	Beijing Normal University
2	East China Normal University
3	Nanjing University
Psychology (2009)
1	Beijing Normal University
2	Peking University
3	Zhejiang University
3	South China Normal University
Sport Science (2009)
1	Beijing Sport University
2	Shanghai University of Sport
3	South China Normal University
Chinese Language & Literature (2009)
1	Beijing Normal University
2	Peking University
3	Fudan University
Foreign Language & Literature (2009)
1	Peking University
2	Beijing Foreign Studies University
3	Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Journalism (2009)
1	People’s University of China (Renmin)
2	Communication University of China
2	Fudan University
Art (2009)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Communication University of China
3	Southeast University
History (2009)
1	Peking University
2	Nankai University
3	Beijing Normal University
3	Fudan University
Mathematics (2007)
1	Peking University
2	Fudan University
3	Nankai University
Physics (2007)
1	Nanjing University
2	University of Science and Technology of China
3	Peking University
Chemistry (2007)
1	Peking University
1	Nankai University
3	Nanjing University
Astronomy (2009)
1	Nanjing University
2	Peking University
3	University of Science & Technology of China
Geography (2009)
1	Peking University
2	Beijing Normal University
2	East China Normal University
Atmospheric Sciences (2009)
1	Nanjing University
2	Peking University
3	Nanjing University of Information of Science& Technology
Marine Science (2009)
1	Ocean University of China
2	Xiamen University
3	Tongji University
Geophysics (2009)
1	University of Science & Technology of China
2	Peking University
3	Wuhan University
Geological Sciences (2009)
1	China University of Geosciences
2	Peking University
2	Nanjing University
2	Northwest University
Biology (2009)
1	Peking University
2	Tsinghua University
2	Fudan University
2	Sun Yat-Sen University
System Science (2009)
1	Beijing Jiaotong University
2	Beijing Normal University
3	East China Normal University
History of Science and Technology (2009)
1	University of Science & Technology Beijing
2	University of Science & Technology of China
3	Nanjing Agricultural University
Mechanics (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Beihang University
3	Harbin University of Science & Technology
Mechanical Engineering (2007)
1	Shanghai Jiaotong University
2	Huazhong University of Science and Technology
3	Xi’an Jiaotong University
Optics Engineering (2007)
1	Zhejian University
2	Tsnghua University
2	Tianjin University
Instrumentation Science & Technology (2007)
1	Tianjin University
2	Tsinghua University
3	Beihang University
3	Harbin Institute of Technology
Material Science & Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	University of Science & Technology Beijing
2	Central-South University
Metallurgical Engineering (2007)
1	University of Science & Technology Beijing
2	Central-South University
3	Northeastern University
Power Engineering & Engineering Thermophysics (2007)
1	Xian Jiaoting University
2	Tsinghua University
3	Zhejiang University

Electrical Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Xian Jiaoting University
3	Huazhing University of Science & Technology
Electronic Science & Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	University of Electronic Science & Technology of China
3	Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Information and Communication Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Xidian University
3	Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
3	National University of Defense Technology
Control Science and Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Northeastern University
3	Shanghai Jiaotong University
Computer Science and Engineering (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
2	National University of Defense Technology
3	Beihang University
3	Zhejiang University
Architecture (2009)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Tongji University
3	Tianjin University
3	Southeast University
Civil Engineering (2009)
1	Tongji University
2	Tsinghua University
3	Harbin Institute of Technology
Water Conservancy Project (2009)
1	Hohai University
2	Tsinghua University
3	Tianjin University
3	Wuhan University
Surveying and Mapping Engineering (2009)
1	Wuhan University
2	China University of Mining and Technology
3	Tongji University
Chemical Engineering (2007)
1	Tianjin University
2	East China University of Science and Technology
3	Tsinghua University
3	Dalian University of Technology
Geological Engineering (2007)
1	China University of Geosciences
2	China University of Petroleum
3	Northwest University
Mineral Engineering (2007)
1	China University of Mining and Technology
2	Central South University
3	University of Science and Technology Beijing
Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering (2007)
1	China University of Petroleum
2	Southwest Petroleum University
3	Daqing Petroleum Institute
Textile Science and Engineering (2009)
1	Donghua University
2	Suzhou University
2	Jiangnan University
Transportation Engineering (2009)
1	Southwest Jiaotong University
2	Southeast University
3	Beijing Jiaoting University
Shipbuilding and Ocean Technology (2009)
1	Shanghai Jiaotong University
2	Harbin Engineering University
3	Tianjin University
Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering (2009)
1	Beihnag University
2	Northwestern Polytechnic University
3	Nanjing University of Astronautics and Aeronautics
Weaponry Science and Technology (2009)
1	Beijing Institute of Technology
1	Nanjing University of Science and Technology
2	Northwestern Polytechnic University
Nuclear Science and Technology (2009)
1	Tsinghua University
2	University of Science and Technology
3	Peking University
Agricultural Engineering (2007)
1	China Agricultural University
2	Jilin University
3	Northwest A&F University
Forestry Engineering (2007)
1	Northeast Forestry University
2	Nanjing Forestry University
3	Beijing Forestry University
Environmental Science and Engineering (2009)
1	Tsinghua University
2	Zhejiang University
3	Harbin Institute of Technology
Biomedical Engineering (2007)
1	Southeast University
2	Shanghai Jiaoting University
3	Sichuan University
Food Science and Engineering (2009)
1	Jiangnan University
2	China Agricultural University
3	South China university of Science and Technology
Crop Science (2007)
1	China Agricultural University
2	Nanjing Agricultural University
3	Huazhong Agricultural University
Horticulture (2009)
1	Zhejiang University
2	Huazhong Agricultural University
3	China Agricultural University
Veterinary Medicine (2009)
1	China Agricultural University
2	Nanjing Agricultural University
3	Huazhong Agricultural University
Clinical Medicine (2009)
1	Shanghai Jiaotong Universit
2	Peking University
3	Fudan University
Public Health and Preventative Medicine (2009)
1	Peking University
2	Huazhong University of Science & Technology
3	Fudan University
Chinese Medicine (2009)
1	Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
2	Shanghai University of T.C.M
3	Chengdu University of TCM
Pharmacology (2009)
1	China Pharmaceutical University
2	Peking University
2	Shenyang Pharmaceutical University
Management Science and Engineering (2007)
1	Xian Jiaotong University
2	Tsinghua University
3	Dalian University of Technology
Business Administration (2007)
1	Tsinghua University
1	Xian Jiaotong University
2	Nankai University
2	People's University of China (Renmin)
Public Administration (2007)
1	Fudan University
1	Wuhan University
2	Peking University
Library Science (2007)
1	Wuhan University
2	People's University of Chin
3	Peking University