Guangzhou University is a public university in Guangzhou, in Guangdong province. The infobox lists its establishment in 1927. It was re-established in July 2000 by the Ministry of Education, which merged five institutions. The legal address is 230 Outer Ring West Road, in the University Town of the Panyu District, on Xiaoguwei Island, where the Higher Education Mega Center is being built.
The university has three campuses: University Town, Guihuagang and Huangpu. The campus area is 1.32 square kilometres. The public record gives 30,024 undergraduates in the infobox and 30,043 in June 2022, plus 6,951 master and doctoral students. It speaks of more than 34,000 full-time undergraduate and graduate students. A total of 17,000 appears in an older section and is probably outdated.
The teaching and research staff counts 2,094, including 290 full professors and 604 associate professors. Another section lists 2,588 staff, so the figures differ by source, and the infobox gives 2,401. Two academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and one of the Chinese Academy of Engineering work at the university.
The university has 27 colleges and schools. It offers 76 undergraduate programs across ten disciplinary fields, three PhD programs covering 25 second-level subjects, 26 master programs covering 95 second-level subjects and nine professional master programs in 36 fields. Student life is lively, with 80 student associations and more than 12,000 members.
Research is active. In June 2022 the university counted five national-level and 73 provincial or ministerial research platforms. It published 2,794 papers in SCIE, SSCI and CSSCI journals in 2021, and its research funding reached 1.123 billion yuan. The Nature Index 2023 places it 371st in the world and 101st in China, and QS World University Rankings 2025 puts it 300th in Asia. The university took part in the joint establishment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), opened in 2022. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Engineering, Mathematics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Three campuses at University Town, Guihuagang and Huangpu, joint establishment of HKUST Guangzhou.
Research:
Civil engineering, mathematics, education, humanities, management and environmental research.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2401
Current students***:
34000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
27 colleges, 76 undergraduate programs, 73 provincial or ministerial research platforms, Nature Index 371st in the world in 2023.
Cons
Teaching mainly in Chinese, multiple campuses, large student body.
Best For
Students looking for a large comprehensive public university in the Guangzhou University Town.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Zhengzhou University is the closest domestic counterpart for civil engineering, chemistry and mathematics; it is larger, enrolling about 72,600 students against roughly 34,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Where this institution leans on civil engineering, software engineering and engineering, Guangdong University of Technology does the same, and it covers chemical engineering and automation as well, and is slightly larger, at about 46,022 students against roughly 34,000 here.
The comparison with Henan University is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, mathematics and software engineering, and it is slightly larger, at about 50,000 students against roughly 34,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts chemistry, software engineering and engineering at the centre is Qingdao University, and it covers marine science and mechanical engineering as well, and is slightly larger, at about 46,000 students against roughly 34,000 here.
Among national alternatives, Nanjing University stands out for its focus on chemistry, mathematics and data analytics, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and physics as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
TU Wien, based in Austria, is built around civil engineering, chemistry and mathematics much like this institution, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers physics and mechanical engineering as well.
University of Colorado Denver, based in the United States, is built around civil engineering, mathematics and data analytics much like this university, and it is smaller, enrolling about 13,853 students against roughly 34,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Beyond national borders, University of Granada stands out as a comparable school for chemistry, mathematics and data analytics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers astroscience and physics as well.
For a study option in Saudi Arabia with a comparable spread of civil engineering, chemistry and mathematics, King Saud University is the reference point: it covers agriculture and physics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 61,412 students against roughly 34,000 here.
University of Cape Town in South Africa shares the civil engineering, chemistry and mathematics orientation of this university, and it is also a public institution and also offers mba 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 Guangzhou University?
In the University Town of Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong.
When was it re-established?
In July 2000, by the Ministry of Education, through a merger of five institutions.
How many campuses does it have?
Three: University Town, Guihuagang and Huangpu.
How many colleges does it have?
27.
How many undergraduate programs does it offer?
76, across ten disciplinary fields.
How many students does it have?
More than 34,000 full-time undergraduate and graduate students.
How many student associations does it have?
80, with more than 12,000 members.
How is it placed in the Nature Index 2023?
371st in the world and 101st in China.
What joint project did it take part in?
HKUST (Guangzhou), opened in 2022.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Architecture, 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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