East China University of Science and Technology, called ECUST, was founded in 1952 as the East China Institute of Chemical Technology, and its main campus lies on Meilong Road in Xuhui District, Shanghai. Further campuses are in Fengxian and Jinshan Districts, which gives the university three sites within the municipality. The official website describes it as a research-intensive university.
Chemistry is the discipline on which it rests. According to its official introduction and to Wikipedia, chemistry is in the top 1 per mille of the Essential Science Indicators, the global citation database, and several further fields are in the top 1 percent. ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2026 puts chemical engineering at 11th place worldwide, biotechnology at 28th and chemistry at 34th, with automation and control in 46th place.
At the overall level, ShanghaiRanking lists ECUST in the 201-300 band of the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026, while the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 place it in the 551-600 band. The university’s official pages report more than 3,000 faculty and staff in April 2023. Details of schools, admission and fees are on the official website.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong ties with chemical, pharmaceutical, and materials industries in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta.
Research:
Advanced Chemical Processes, New Materials & Polymers, Bioprocess Engineering & Pharmaceutical Technology, Environmental Engineering & Green Chemistry.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1800
Current students***:
28000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
120000
Pros
Leading university for chemical engineering and biotechnology in Shanghai, strong research focus, good industry connections.
Cons
Located in Shanghai, competitive environment.
Best For
Leading university for chemical engineering, materials science, and biotechnology.
Beijing University of Chemical Technology is a public university in Beijing with Chemical Engineering & Technology and Materials Science & Engineering as main fields, the closest match to ECUST's chemical roots.
South China University of Technology in Guangzhou is public and pairs Chemical Engineering & Technology with Materials Science & Engineering.
Tianjin University in Tianjin is a public university with Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering as main fields.
Dalian University of Technology is a public university in Dalian that lists Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering among its main fields.
Zhejiang University in Hangzhou is a public university whose main fields include Computer Science & Technology, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Technical University of Denmark is a public university in Denmark with engineering, wind energy and biotechnology among its fields.
State University of Campinas in Brazil is a public university in Campinas with engineering and bioengineering as main fields.
University College Cork in Ireland is a public university in Cork with food science and life sciences among its fields.
Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is a public institute whose listed fields include mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry and biochemistry.
*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
How did ECUST begin?
It was founded in 1952 as the East China Institute of Chemical Technology. The chemical focus of that first name still shows in the subject rankings.
Where are its campuses?
The main campus is on Meilong Road in Xuhui District, Shanghai. Two further campuses are in Fengxian and Jinshan Districts.
In which subjects is the university strongest?
ShanghaiRanking's 2026 subject table has chemical engineering 11th, biotechnology 28th and chemistry 34th in the world. Automation and control is 46th.
What does the Essential Science Indicators result mean?
Chemistry is in the top 1 per mille of that database, which counts highly cited papers. The official introduction also places several other fields in the top 1 percent.
How is ECUST placed in global university rankings?
It is in the 201-300 band of ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 place it in the 551-600 band.
How large is the staff?
The official pages report more than 3,000 faculty and staff, with figures updated in April 2023. Current student numbers are best checked with the university directly.
Additive Manufacturing, Environmental Engineering, Product Development, Sustainable 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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