Southeast University in Nanjing counts 1902 as its starting year, when Sanjiang Normal College was founded. The institution later passed through the names Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeast University and National Central University. The present name returned in May 1988, after decades under other titles.
The 1952 restructuring of Chinese higher education produced Nanjing Institute of Technology at the Sipailou campus, formed mainly from the engineering college of National Central University . By 2000 the university had become comprehensive and research-oriented, and in April of that year it merged with Nanjing Railway Medical College, Nanjing College of Communications and Nanjing Geological School. In 2017 it was placed on China’s Double First-Class list.
According to the English profile on its website, updated in March 2025, SEU has 38 schools, 41,756 full-time students (17,049 undergraduates and 24,707 graduate students), 20 academicians of the two national academies and a library of 4.8 million volumes. Its three campuses, Sipailou, Jiulonghu and Dingjiaqiao, cover 3.93 square kilometres. ShanghaiRanking puts it 89th in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities, first in telecommunication engineering and second in civil engineering in its 2026 subject ranking. The physicist Chien-Shiung Wu graduated in 1934 from its predecessor, National Central University.
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, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics, Transportations
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Historical roots as one of the oldest engineering schools. Strong regional and international collaborations.
Research:
Bioelectronics & Biomedical Engineering, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Information & Communication Engineering, Sustainable Architecture.
Famous Alumnis:
Mao Yisheng, Chien-Shiung Wu (attended predecessor)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3000
Current students***:
36000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
150000
Pros
Top programs in architecture and civil engineering, strong in electronics and IT, historical campus.
Cons
Located in Nanjing, some facilities may be older.
Best For
Leading university for architecture, civil engineering, and electronic engineering.
For applicants weighing civil engineering and architecture, Tongji University in Shanghai is a public university whose main fields include both, together with urban planning and environmental science.
Hohai University, a public university in Nanjing itself, specialises in hydraulic engineering, water resources engineering and civil engineering, which keeps the civil engineering focus in the same city.
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications covers information and communication engineering and electronic science, matching Southeast's electronics side, and it is also based in Nanjing.
Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, public and located in Xi'an, is built around architecture, civil engineering and urban planning.
Chongqing University, a public university in Chongqing, offers architecture and civil engineering next to mechanical and electrical engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Politecnico di Milano in Italy is a public technical university in Milan whose main fields are engineering, architecture and design.
TU Wien in Austria, a public technical university, lists architecture and planning, chemistry and civil engineering among its main fields.
Tokyo Tech in Japan is a public institute in Tokyo with mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering among its main fields.
Rice University is a private university in Houston, in the United States, with engineering, applied science and architecture as main fields.
École des Ponts ParisTech in France is a public school concentrating on civil, mechanical and environmental engineering.
*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 schools preceded Southeast University?
Sanjiang Normal College, founded in 1902, was followed by Nanjing Higher Normal School, National Southeast University and National Central University. The name Southeast University returned in May 1988.
What changed for the university in 1952?
Nanjing Institute of Technology was established at the Sipailou campus, formed mainly from the engineering college of National Central University. The university resumed the name Southeast University in May 1988.
Which campuses does it have in and around Nanjing?
The three campuses, Sipailou, Jiulonghu and Dingjiaqiao, cover 3.93 square kilometres, and Jiulonghu is the largest at 2.50 square kilometres. The university also has a Wuxi branch and a Suzhou campus.
Is it strong in civil engineering?
ShanghaiRanking's 2026 subject ranking places its civil engineering second in the world and telecommunication engineering first.
How large is it and does it welcome international students?
The English profile updated in March 2025 counts 41,756 full-time students and 2,165 international graduate students, of whom 1,767 are degree-seeking. It has 2,669 faculty with senior or associate senior titles and 1,967 doctoral supervisors.
What academic honours do its fields hold?
Seventeen of its disciplines rank in the top 1 percent globally in the Essential Science Indicators database. In 2017 the university was named a Class A university for building world-class universities,.
Which hospital is connected with the university?
Zhongda Hospital, set up in 1935, is affiliated with Southeast University.
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, Electronics, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Smart Grid Demand Response
*: 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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