Address: 381 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, 510641 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Chemical Engineering & Technology, Materials Science & Engineering, Light Industry Technology & Engineering
Created in 1952 as the South China Institute of Technology, South China University of Technology (SCUT) was assembled from engineering schools and departments of universities and polytechnic institutes in five provinces: Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi. The state named it a National Key University in 1960, and in 1981 the State Council authorised it among the first institutions to confer doctoral and master’s degrees. It took its present name in 1988.
The university works on three campuses in Guangzhou: Wushan, University Town and the Guangzhou International Campus, together covering 391 hectares. It joined Project 211 in 1995 and Project 985 in 2001, and in 2017 it was selected as a Category A university in the Double World Class project. The university states that it has more than 380,000 graduates at all levels and students from over 100 countries.
SCUT’s results in the 2026 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects include fourth place in food science and technology, eighth in energy science and engineering, eighth in textile science and engineering and 14th in chemical engineering, while the whole university is in the 101-150 band of the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities. The university reports partnerships with over 200 overseas universities and research institutions.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong ties with industries in the Pearl River Delta region (electronics, chemical, food).
Research:
Advanced Materials & Polymers, Green Chemical Processes, Food Science & Engineering, AI & Big Data, Sustainable Energy.
Famous Alumnis:
He Jingtang
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2800
Current students***:
40000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
160000
Pros
Top engineering university in Southern China, strong industry links in a dynamic economic region, focus on applied research.
Cons
Located in Guangzhou, can be very competitive.
Best For
Leading university for chemical engineering, materials science, and light industry technology in Southern China.
East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai is a public university with chemical engineering and technology and materials science and engineering among its main fields.
Jiangnan University in Wuxi lists food science and engineering, biotechnology and textile science, which parallels SCUT's food and textile subject results.
Tianjin University, a public university in Tianjin, pairs chemical engineering with civil and mechanical engineering.
Guangdong University of Technology stands in Guangzhou as well, a public university whose main fields include engineering and architecture and urban planning.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Łódź University of Technology in Poland is a public university in Łódź with textile engineering and materials science, chemical technology and mechanical engineering among its main fields.
Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, a public university in Moscow, covers chemical technology, materials science and biotechnology.
Chimie ParisTech - PSL in France is a public school in Paris focused on chemical engineering and materials chemistry.
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany is a public university in Erlangen with materials science and engineering and chemical and bioengineering among its main fields.
*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
Which institutions fed into the South China Institute of Technology?
In 1952 engineering schools and departments from universities and polytechnic institutes in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi were merged.
When did the university receive its current name?
It was renamed South China University of Technology in 1988, having been the South China Institute of Technology since 1952. The state had designated it a National Key University in 1960.
Where do students study in Guangzhou?
The university works on three campuses: Wushan, University Town and the Guangzhou International Campus. Together the campuses cover 391 hectares.
Which fields are ranked highest globally?
The 2026 ShanghaiRanking subject results place food science and technology fourth, energy science and engineering eighth, textile science and engineering eighth, chemical engineering 14th and civil engineering 16th.
How many graduates has the university produced?
The university says it has produced more than 380,000 graduates at all levels since its founding, and it reports students from more than 100 countries.
Which national programmes include SCUT?
It was listed in Project 211 in 1995, in Project 985 in 2001 and was selected as a Category A university in the Double World Class project in 2017.
Does it recruit students from abroad?
The university reports international students from more than 100 countries and partnerships with over 200 overseas universities and research institutions. Admission requirements, fees and scholarships for international applicants are set out on the university's English website.
Additive Manufacturing, Engineering, Innovation, Materials Science, 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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