Shandong Agricultural University was founded in 1906 in Jinan as the Shandong Higher Agricultural School. It was renamed Shandong Agricultural College in 1952, moved to Tai’an in 1958 and took its present name in 1983. Its campuses are at the foot of Mount Tai in Tai’an, Shandong province. In July 1999 it merged with the Shandong Water Conservancy College and the Shandong Forestry School.
The university’s English-language profile lists colleges including agronomy, plant protection, horticulture, forestry, life sciences, food science and engineering, resources and environment, mechanical and electronic engineering, and animal science and technology (veterinary medicine), together with water conservancy and civil engineering and economics and management.
In the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026, ShanghaiRanking places the university in the 801-900 band of the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026. The official website is sdau.edu.cn.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, 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, Process Control, Robotics, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Collaborations with agricultural research institutions and enterprises in Shandong province. International exchange programs.
Research:
Crop genetics and breeding, Plant pest and disease control, Water-saving agriculture and irrigation technology, Food science and processing.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1500
Current students***:
35000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Leading agricultural university in Shandong, strong in traditional agricultural disciplines, contributes to regional agricultural development.
Cons
Regional focus, specialized in agriculture.
Best For
Agricultural sciences, plant protection, and agricultural engineering in Shandong.
China Agricultural University in Beijing is a public agricultural university in the capital, listing agricultural engineering and food science and nutritional engineering.
Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan is a public university with crop science, horticulture, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.
Nanjing Agricultural University offers crop science and plant protection, agricultural resources and environment, and food science.
Yangzhou University in Jiangsu combines agriculture and veterinary medicine with medicine, law and mechanical engineering.
Sichuan Agricultural University in Chengdu is a public university listing agronomy and crop science and animal science and technology.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Institut Agro Rennes-Angers in France is a public institution for agronomy and crop science, food science and engineering, and horticulture.
Kansas State University in the United States is a public university with agriculture, veterinary medicine and engineering.
University of Guelph in Canada is a public university specialising in agriculture and food science, veterinary medicine and environmental sciences.
Iowa State University in the United States is a public university with agriculture, engineering and veterinary medicine among its specialties.
*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
When did Shandong Agricultural University start?
It began in 1906 in Jinan as the Shandong Higher Agricultural School. The institution moved to Tai'an in 1958 and has used its current name since 1983.
Where are its campuses?
They are in Tai'an, in Shandong province, below Mount Tai.
Which colleges does it include?
The English-language profile lists agronomy, plant protection, horticulture, forestry, life sciences, food science and engineering, resources and environment, mechanical and electronic engineering, animal science and technology, economics and management, and others.
Has the university merged with other institutions?
Yes. In July 1999 it merged with the Shandong Water Conservancy College and the Shandong Forestry School to form the current university.
Where does it stand in world university rankings?
ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 places it in the 801-900 band.
Where can prospective students find official information?
The English site english.sdau.edu.cn has an About SDAU section with a brief introduction and history, as well as colleges and internationalization sections. Admission rules and fees should be taken from there.
Agriculture, Food, Food Safety, 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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