Address: 1 Wenyuan Road, Qixia District, 210023 Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Geography & GIS, Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Information Technology & Computer Science
Nanjing Normal University dates its origin to 1902 and the founding of Sanjiang Normal School, a teacher-training institution. It is a public university in Nanjing, in Jiangsu province, and its main address is 1 Wenyuan Road.
Over the following decades the school passed through a series of names and affiliations before the present university took shape. It became an independent institution in 1952 as Nanjing Normal College and has been part of Project 211 since 1996. Its schools cover education, psychology, geography, life sciences, chemistry and materials science, mathematics, physics, computer science, law, music and fine art, and Times Higher Education lists the university in education, psychology, chemistry, physics, geography, computer science and the social sciences.
ShanghaiRanking places it in the 401-500 band of the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, after a 501-600 placement in 2021, and Wikipedia’s 2023 figure of 401-500 agrees. Wikipedia also lists a school of marine science and engineering and a school of food and pharmaceutical engineering among its 28 colleges and schools.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Food Science, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Microbiology and Genetics, Optics, Physics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Key normal university in Jiangsu. Collaborations in environmental science and educational technology.
Research:
Geographic Information Systems & Remote Sensing, Biodiversity & Ecological Conservation, AI & Educational Technology, Environmental Chemistry.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1900
Current students***:
30000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Strong in geography and life sciences, important for teacher education, beautiful campus.
Cons
Primarily a normal university, engineering options are limited.
Best For
Normal university with strong programs in geography, life sciences, and information technology.
East China Normal University, a public normal university in Shanghai, lists geography and environmental science, software engineering and data science.
Beijing Normal University lists geography and remote sensing, closely matching the geography strengths of Nanjing Normal University.
Nanjing University is a public research university in the same city whose physics, chemistry, mathematics, earth sciences and life sciences make it a neighbour with overlapping science fields.
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, public and also in Nanjing, specialises in atmospheric science and meteorology, environmental science and engineering.
Zhejiang Normal University in Jinhua is a public university with physics and electronic information engineering, chemistry and life sciences.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Seville in Spain is a public university whose geography and history, literature and philology offerings parallel geography and humanities in Nanjing.
Dresden University of Technology in Germany is a public university combining engineering and natural sciences with humanities and social sciences.
Curtin University in Australia is a public university with science and engineering, business and law, health sciences and humanities.
University of Vienna in Austria is a public university with natural sciences, life sciences, humanities and social sciences.
University of Colorado Denver in the United States is a public university listing architecture and planning, education, engineering and business.
*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 are the origins of Nanjing Normal University?
The university counts 1902 as its beginning, when Sanjiang Normal School was founded in Nanjing. The school was later reorganised several times.
Where is the main campus?
The main address is 1 Wenyuan Road in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Nanjing is the provincial capital in eastern China.
Which subjects does it teach beyond teacher education?
Times Higher Education lists education, psychology, chemistry, physics, geography, computer science, law and the social sciences. Wikipedia counts 28 colleges and schools.
How has it fared in the Academic Ranking of World Universities?
It was placed in the 401-500 band in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, and in 501-600 in 2021. Bands can change from year to year.
What schools does the university have?
They include education, psychology, geography, life sciences, chemistry and materials science, mathematics, physics, computer science, law, music and fine art, plus an International College for Chinese Studies. Total numbers of schools differ by source, so the official list should be consulted.
Is the university national or provincial?
ShanghaiRanking describes it as a provincial key university under Project 211. Admission information is published on the university's own website.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biodiversity, Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Impact, Information Technology (IT), 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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