Address: 10 Xitoutiao, You’anmenwai, Fengtai District, Beijing 100069, China
Clinical Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Public Health, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Technology
Capital Medical University, in Beijing, is a public university of the city, co-funded by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education. It was established in 1960 and was formerly called the Beijing Second Medical College. Its motto can be translated as health, society, virtue and ability. The president is Rao Yi, and the chairman is Hu Wenliang.
The university has 12 colleges, two research centers and 23 clinical medical schools, of which 21 are affiliated hospitals. It lists 41 clinical specialty colleges and departments and 40 clinical diagnosis and research centers. This hospital network gives students access to a very large range of patients and specialities within the capital.
In March 2023 the university counted 15,187 full-time students, with 6,699 postgraduates, 6,945 undergraduates and 884 vocational students. It reported 659 international students and 2,500 adult students listed separately. A more recent description gives 16,094 full-time students. The faculty counts 8,394 members across the university and its affiliated hospitals. Another figure, from March 2023, gives 6,651 teachers, five academicians, 1,020 professors, 1,627 associate professors, 1,115 doctoral supervisors and 1,511 master supervisors.
The university is strong in research. Clinical medicine, neuroscience and behavior, and pharmacology and toxicology rank in the top one per mille of the global ESI list. It has carried out more than 3,200 research projects, and it has several national and municipal key laboratories, research centers and postdoctoral workstations. A new campus of about 1,100 mu, roughly 182 acres, is planned in the northern expansion zone of the Daxing Biomedical Industry Base. It will combine the main campus, a research hospital and the Capital Institute for Medical Research.
Rankings are consistent. The Academic Ranking of World Universities placed it second among Chinese medical universities in 2023 and 2024, alongside Peking Union Medical College at the top. Eight subjects were in the global top 200 in 2025, including pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, public health and clinical medicine. U.S. News and World Report 2025 ranked it 203rd, with clinical medicine 135th. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Domains taught:
Bioengineering, Life Sciences, Microbiology and Genetics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Jointly overseen by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education, 21 affiliated hospitals.
Research:
Clinical medicine, neuroscience and behavior, pharmacology and toxicology, with more than 3,200 research projects.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8394
Current students***:
16094
Foreign students***:
4%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Second among Chinese medical universities in the ARWU in 2023 and 2024, 21 affiliated hospitals, ESI top 1 per mille in clinical medicine and neuroscience.
Cons
Teaching mainly in Chinese, medicine-oriented only, new campus under development.
Best For
Students of medicine and health sciences who want a leading municipal medical university in Beijing.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Another national school that puts microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences at the centre is Fujian Medical University, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is slightly larger, at about 19,600 students against roughly 16,094 here.
Guangzhou Medical University works in much the same fields, chiefly microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Wenzhou Medical University overlaps with this university on microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences, so the two are easy to compare, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers optics as well.
Among national alternatives, Anhui Medical University stands out for its focus on microbiology and genetics and life sciences, and it covers bioinformatics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 18,700 students against roughly 16,094 here.
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine offers a comparable education in microbiology and genetics and life sciences: it is slightly larger, at about 20,000 students against roughly 16,094 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Students considering a move abroad can look at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, where microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences also form the core, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
The closest overseas parallel on microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences is China Medical University Taichung, located in Taiwan; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is smaller, enrolling about 8,000 students against roughly 16,094 here.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Hannover Medical School in Germany, where microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences also form the core, and it is far smaller, with about 3,997 students against roughly 16,094 here, and is also a public institution.
Tehran University of Medical Sciences offers an international parallel to this university, with microbiology and genetics and life sciences as common ground; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on microbiology and genetics, bioengineering and life sciences is Medical University of Vienna in Austria, and it covers bioinformatics and statistics as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 8,000 students against roughly 16,094 here.
*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 Capital Medical University?
In Beijing, China.
When was it established?
In 1960, as the Beijing Second Medical College.
Who co-funds it?
The Beijing Municipal People's Government, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education.
How many colleges does it have?
12, plus two research centers.
How many affiliated hospitals does it have?
21.
How many full-time students does it have?
16,094 according to a recent description, 15,187 in March 2023.
How many international students did it have in 2023?
659.
Who is the president?
Rao Yi.
How is it ranked among Chinese medical universities?
Second in the ARWU in 2023 and 2024.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Biomedical Sensors, 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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