Best Universities for Natural Sciences in China 2026

Natural Sciences programs

• Physics (Quantum Information Science) — USTC's crown jewel and a genuine global leader. Pan Jianwei's group delivered the Micius/Mozi quantum-communication satellite (2016) and the Jiuzhang and Zuchongzhi quantum computers; the school anchors China's national quantum network and the Hefei National Laboratory for quantum science.
• Chemistry & Materials Science — Consistently top-tier in ARWU and Nature Index, with major output in nanoscience, energy materials and catalysis. Closely tied to CAS institutes and national materials-science priorities, feeding both academic and advanced-manufacturing pathways.
• Plasma Physics & Nuclear Fusion — Linked to the adjacent Hefei Institutes of Physical Science and the EAST 'artificial sun' tokamak, one of the world's leading fusion experiments. Offers rare undergraduate-to-research access to a major national fusion facility.
• Mathematics — A rigorous, theory-heavy programme that underpins USTC's physical-science strength and supplies the analytical foundation for its quantum and computational research. A traditional feeder into CAS mathematics institutes and overseas PhD programmes.

Natural Sciences programs

• BSc Physics and Astronomy — School of Physics and Department of Astronomy and Space Science routinely ranked among the global top 10. Direct affiliation with Purple Mountain Observatory provides observational and theoretical research access matched by no other Chinese university. NJU PhDs are disproportionately represented across senior Chinese theoretical physics and observational astronomy.
• BSc Mathematics — Long-standing national leader in pure and applied mathematics, with deep faculty strength in analysis, algebra and mathematical physics. Heavy onward placement into top global PhD programmes, particularly within Asia and selected European institutions.
• MSc Astrophysics (Purple Mountain Observatory affiliated) — Joint programme with the Purple Mountain Observatory, run with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Graduates feed directly into Chinese Academy of Sciences institutes, the Chinese space-science workforce, and selected international observatories. Among the strongest astrophysics graduate trainings in Asia.

Natural Sciences programs

• Qiuzhen College (Mathematics) — Founded by Fields Medal laureate Shing-Tung Yau to cultivate world-class mathematical talent. Operates as an elite track within Tsinghua, selecting students for intensive pure and applied mathematics training with direct mentorship from leading researchers.

Natural Sciences programs

• Statistics & Mathematics — Strong quantitative faculties underpinning the university's education-measurement, psychometrics and data-science research.

Natural Sciences programs

• BSc Agricultural Sciences (College of Agriculture and Biotechnology) — Uniquely strong legacy from the 1998 merger of Zhejiang Agricultural University — no other C9 institution can match the depth in crop genomics, agricultural engineering, and food science. National leadership across multiple agricultural specializations.

Natural Sciences programs

• Chemistry & Materials Science — ESI top-1% disciplines with substantial research funding; core to the university's Double First-Class science portfolio.