Address: 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, 100049 Beijing, Beijing, China
Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science
The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, known as UCAS, traces its origin to 1978, when the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was founded as the first graduate school in China. The Academy had enrolled the first group of graduate students in China in 1951. The school was renamed Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2000 and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2012, and in 2014 it began to recruit its first undergraduates.
UCAS describes itself as a research-intensive university with large-scale graduate education and a small, elite undergraduate programme, integrated with CAS research institutes, observatories and centres in faculty, education and research. Its address is No.1 Yanqihu East Road, Huairou District, Beijing, and it has four campuses in Beijing, five education centres outside the capital and more than 110 training units across China. In December 2025 it listed 68,096 graduate students, made up of 33,628 doctoral and 34,468 master’s candidates, together with 1,858 undergraduates and 1,837 international students.
UCAS offers graduate programmes in 12 major disciplines, 15 undergraduate programmes and 225 postdoctoral research stations, and its training units include 100 key laboratories. Its English website states that it ranks 5th among global universities in the 2026 Nature Index and 10th worldwide in the latest Essential Science Indicators university rankings. It is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and co-founded the Sino-Danish College with the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science and eight Danish public universities.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Relies heavily on the research institutes of CAS for faculty and research facilities. Produces a large number of PhDs.
Research:
All major fields of natural sciences and engineering, driven by CAS research priorities (e.g., AI, quantum, space, materials, life sciences).
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
Current students***:
Foreign students***:
Cumulative former students***:
Pros
Direct access to top research facilities and researchers at CAS, strong research output, produces many future scientists.
Cons
Primarily a graduate institution, undergraduate program is newer and smaller, highly research-focused.
Best For
Leading graduate university leveraging the research power of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
USTC in Hefei lists quantum physics, computer science and materials science as main fields, a fundamental-science profile that overlaps with UCAS.
Peking University in Beijing offers physics, chemistry and life sciences, a research-led profile that overlaps with the core sciences at UCAS.
Nanjing University is strong in physics, chemistry, mathematics, earth sciences and life sciences, a fundamental-science mix similar to UCAS.
ShanghaiTech University has information science and technology, physical science and technology, and life science as schools, close to UCAS in research orientation.
Westlake University in Hangzhou focuses on life sciences, science, engineering and medicine, as a research-first institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is built on mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry and biochemistry research, a research institute of the same fundamental-science type.
Université Paris-Saclay in France groups physics, mathematics and engineering and ICT, a broad base in the fundamental sciences.
*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
What is the relationship between UCAS and the Chinese Academy of Sciences?
UCAS originated from the Graduate School of the Academy and works under the administration and management of CAS. It is integrated with CAS research institutes, observatories and centres, which it calls training units, in faculty, education and research.
How did UCAS get its present name?
It was founded in 1978 as the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, became the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2000 and took its present name in 2012. In 2014 it began to recruit undergraduates.
Where are the UCAS campuses?
The address is No.1 Yanqihu East Road, Huairou District, Beijing. There are four campuses in Beijing, named Yuquanlu, Olympic village, Zhongguancun and Yanqihu, plus five education centres outside the capital.
How many students did UCAS report for 2025?
Its statistics page lists 68,096 graduate students, of whom 33,628 are doctoral candidates and 34,468 master's candidates, and 1,858 undergraduates. It also lists 1,837 international students, so the university remains overwhelmingly a graduate institution.
What academic structure does UCAS have?
It offers graduate programmes in 12 major disciplines, 15 undergraduate programmes and 225 postdoctoral research stations. Its statistics page lists 56 schools and colleges and 114 CAS institutes among its training units.
How is UCAS placed in rankings?
Its English website states that UCAS ranks 5th among global universities in the 2026 Nature Index, first in mainland China and 10th worldwide in the latest ESI university rankings.
What international links does it have, and where are fees listed?
UCAS is a member of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and co-founded the Sino-Danish College with eight Danish public universities. Fees and entry rules differ by programme, so applicants should check the international pages of the official English site.
*: 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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