Guizhou University was founded in 1902 as the Guizhou Institute of Higher Learning. It is a provincial public university in Guiyang, in the Huaxi District, co-funded by the Guizhou Provincial Government and the Ministry of Education. It joined Project 211 in 2005 and belongs to the Double First-Class initiative. The president is Song Bao An, and the Party Secretary is Yao Xiaoquan.
The university works on three campuses in the Huaxi District, East, South and West. The West campus houses the administrative centre. The campus area is 362.22 hectares, and the setting is described as both suburban and urban. This is a large space for a provincial university, and it allows laboratories, experimental fields and sports facilities.
In June 2022 the university counted 47,944 students, of whom 34,437 were undergraduates and 13,507 were postgraduates. The academic staff numbered 4,163. Teaching is organised in 39 colleges offering programs in 11 academic divisions, with associate, bachelor, master and doctoral degrees. This breadth makes it the leading comprehensive university of its province.
The university keeps an international link with the Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, as a sister school. Its colour is red. In rankings, the Academic Ranking of World Universities places it in the 401 to 500 band, and 86th in China in 2025. The CWTS Leiden Ranking gave it the 379th place worldwide in 2024, SCImago 803rd among research institutions in 2024, and the Nature Index 252nd in 2025.
For an applicant, the points to check are the campus of the programme, the language of teaching, which is mainly Chinese, and the scholarships offered to international students. Guiyang is known for its mild summers, which makes it a popular destination in the south-west of China. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Guiyang also adds to the appeal for students from other provinces. The city is a regional centre for the south-west, with a growing technology sector, and the university offers a wide choice from agriculture to engineering and the humanities. Applicants should check the official pages for the entry conditions of each college.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, Chemistry, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Provincial university co-funded by the Guizhou government and the Ministry of Education, sister school Presbyterian College in South Carolina.
Research:
Agriculture, engineering, natural sciences, humanities and management, across 39 colleges.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4163
Current students***:
47944
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Project 211 and Double First-Class university, 39 colleges, 362-hectare campus area, ARWU 401 to 500 band.
Cons
Teaching mainly in Chinese, regional focus, three campuses in one district.
Best For
Students seeking the leading comprehensive university of Guizhou province.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
The comparison with Henan University is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, materials and life sciences, and it covers physics and mathematics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 50,000 students.
A good alternative in the same country is Nanchang University, which likewise covers chemistry, materials and life sciences; it has almost the same size, at about 50,193 students, and is also a public institution.
Think of Hainan University when agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences is the priority: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Qingdao University is the closest domestic counterpart for chemistry, materials and life sciences; it has almost the same size, at about 46,000 students, and is also a public institution.
South China Agricultural University works in much the same fields, chiefly agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences, and it has almost the same size, at about 42,982 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Tehran in Iran shares the agriculture, chemistry and engineering orientation of this university, and it covers civil engineering and physics as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 41,000 students against roughly 47,944 here.
Beyond national borders, Laval University stands out as a comparable school for agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences; it also offers mba programmes and covers finance and optics as well.
In Saudi Arabia, King Saud University teaches much the same core subjects, agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, and it is slightly larger, at about 61,412 students against roughly 47,944 here, and is also a public institution.
Abroad, University of Aveiro (Portugal) covers chemistry, ecology and sustainability and materials in a comparable way, and it is far smaller, with about 14,280 students against roughly 47,944 here, and is also a public institution.
In Egypt, Cairo University teaches much the same core subjects, agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Guizhou University?
In the Huaxi District of Guiyang, Guizhou province, China.
When was it founded?
In 1902, as the Guizhou Institute of Higher Learning.
Who co-funds it?
The Guizhou Provincial Government and the Ministry of Education.
How many campuses does it have?
Three: East, South and West.
How large is the campus area?
362.22 hectares.
How many students does it have?
47,944 in June 2022.
How many colleges does it have?
39.
Which sister school does it have in the United States?
Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina.
How is it placed in the ARWU?
In the 401 to 500 band.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Agriculture, Engineering, Environment, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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