In 1896 Emperor Guangxu approved the Imperial Chinese Railway College at Shanhaiguan, the institution from which Southwest Jiaotong University traces its origin. The college reopened in Tangshan in 1905, passed through many changes of name over the following decades and has carried its present name, Southwest Jiaotong University, since 1972.
Wartime and national planning moved the school repeatedly. After Japanese forces occupied the Tangshan campus in 1937, classes resumed in Xiangtan, Hunan, and in January 1942 a Guizhou campus of National Jiaotong University was established. In 1964 the university relocated to Emei in Sichuan Province, and in the late 1980s the main part of it moved to Chengdu, where the university is based today.
Teaching is organised in schools that include Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Science and Technology, Transportation and Logistics, Materials Science and Engineering, Architecture and Foreign Languages, together with the SWJTU-Leeds Joint School. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 place the university in the 701-800 band, and its English-language website gathers information on schools, locations and international programmes for prospective students.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Industrial Design, Logistics, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, 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:
Leading institution for railway engineering in China. Strong ties with China Railway, CRRC, and international railway organizations.
Research:
High-Speed Rail Technology, Maglev & New Transportation Systems, Bridge & Tunnel Engineering, Rolling Stock Design & Manufacturing.
Famous Alumnis:
Mao Yisheng
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2600
Current students***:
45000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
World-renowned for railway engineering, significant contributions to China’s high-speed rail development, historical institution.
Cons
Highly specialized in railway and transportation.
Best For
Leading university for railway engineering, transportation, and civil engineering.
Beijing Jiaotong University is another public university with transportation engineering and civil engineering among its main specialties, located in Beijing.
East China Jiaotong University, a public university in Nanchang, lists railway transportation engineering and civil engineering and construction among its specialties.
Chang'an University in Xi'an combines road and railway engineering with automotive and geological engineering, which makes its transport focus close to this record.
Central South University in Changsha is a larger comprehensive public university whose specialties include civil and transport engineering.
Chongqing University, in south-west China, is a public university with mechanical, electrical, architectural and civil engineering.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Université Gustave Eiffel (France) in Marne-la-Vallée lists transport and mobility together with civil engineering and urbanism among its specialties.
Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands) is a technical university in Delft with civil engineering, aerospace engineering and computer science as main specialties.
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (India) is a public technical institute in Roorkee whose specialties include civil engineering and earth sciences.
Poznań University of Technology (Poland) in Poznań counts logistics and transport among its specialties, alongside mechanical engineering and computer science.
Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine) in Lviv offers information technology, civil engineering and mechanical 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
How did Southwest Jiaotong University begin?
It grew out of the Imperial Chinese Railway College, approved in 1896 at Shanhaiguan. The college later moved to Tangshan, where it reopened in 1905, and developed through several names into the present university.
Why has the university changed location so often?
Its campus in Tangshan was occupied by Japanese forces in 1937, after which classes resumed in Xiangtan, Hunan, and later in Guizhou. It moved to Emei in Sichuan in 1964 and the main part of the university moved to Chengdu in the late 1980s.
When did it receive the name Southwest Jiaotong University?
The name has been used since 1972, after the move to Sichuan. Earlier names included Tangshan Railway Institute and National Jiaotong University.
Which schools can a prospective student look at?
The university lists schools such as Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Science and Technology, Transportation and Logistics, Materials Science and Engineering, Architecture and Foreign Languages. Details of each school are given on the English-language website.
Does the university run a joint programme with a foreign partner?
Yes, the SWJTU-Leeds Joint School is one of its listed schools. Entry requirements and fees are published by the university itself.
Where is Southwest Jiaotong University located?
Its base is Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and the English-language website has a locations page for the campuses. Visitors and applicants should check it for current details.
How does the university appear in international rankings?
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 list it in the 701-800 band. Ranking positions change each year, so the current edition should be consulted.
*: 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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