Address: 2 North Cuihu Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
Law, Medicine, Economics, Life Science, Information, Software Engineering, Foreign Languages, International Relations
Yunnan University was founded in December 1922 as the private Dong Lu University, and enrolment began on 20 April 1923. It has carried its present name since 1934. It is a public provincial university in Kunming, in Yunnan province, co-funded by the Yunnan provincial government and the Ministry of Education. It belongs to Project 211 and to the Double First-Class initiative.
Two campuses serve the university. The Donglu campus stands in the city centre near Green Lake, with many older buildings, and it is focused on graduate study. The Chenggong campus lies in Kunming’s University Town, about 45 minutes by bus or subway from Donglu. It is larger and hosts the main library, which holds more than 1.2 million books, among them rare historical texts.
The university counts 31,141 students: 16,330 undergraduates, 14,811 postgraduates and 94 doctoral students. The body text cites an older figure of 19,872. The staff totals 2,372 people, of whom 1,981 are specialised professionals, including 222 full professors, 409 associate professors and 987 full-time instructors.
The university lists 21 schools and institutes, such as Law, Medicine, Economics, Life Science, Information, Software Engineering, Foreign Languages and International Relations. Yunnan is one of the richest regions of China in biodiversity, and the herbarium of the university, reportedly the second oldest in the province and specialised in pteridophytes, belongs to this tradition. The science corporation of the university was listed on the Chinese stock markets in 1998.
History left a mark. The mathematician Xiong Qinglai was president from 1937 to 1947, and the wartime relocation of scholars to Yunnan strengthened the university during the Second World War. The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2025 places it in the 301 to 400 band, and the Nature Index 2024 puts it in the top 250 in the world for natural science research. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
The setting adds to the profile. Kunming is known for its mild climate, and the Donglu campus near Green Lake keeps the historic atmosphere of the first buildings, while the Chenggong campus offers modern facilities. Applicants should check which campus hosts their programme and read the official pages on admission and language requirements.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Donglu campus near Green Lake and Chenggong campus in Kunming’s University Town.
Research:
Life sciences, ecology and biodiversity, information, law, economics and international relations.
Famous Alumnis:
Xiong Qinglai
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2372
Current students***:
31141
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Public provincial university co-funded by the Ministry of Education, Double First-Class initiative, ARWU 301 to 400 in 2025, library of 1.2 million books.
Cons
Two campuses about 45 minutes apart, teaching mainly in Chinese, regional focus.
Best For
Students interested in biodiversity, life sciences and international relations in southwestern China.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
On content, Soochow University and this university are close, as both teach chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is slightly larger, at about 39,000 students against roughly 31,141 here, and is also a public institution.
A good alternative in the same country is Zhengzhou University, which likewise covers chemistry, mathematics and life sciences; it is larger, enrolling about 72,600 students against roughly 31,141 here, and is also a public institution.
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine sits close to this university on chemistry and life sciences; it is smaller, enrolling about 20,000 students against roughly 31,141 here, and is also a public institution.
Think of Nanjing University when chemistry, physics and mathematics is the priority: it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers astroscience and materials as well.
Nanchang University works in much the same fields, chiefly chemistry, physics and life sciences, and it covers food science and mechanical engineering as well, and is larger, enrolling about 50,193 students against roughly 31,141 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Beyond national borders, University of Turku stands out as a comparable school for chemistry, ecology and sustainability and physics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science as well.
University of Regensburg in Germany is the nearest foreign match on chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on chemistry, physics and mathematics is Masaryk University in the Czech Republic, and it is slightly larger, at about 35,115 students against roughly 31,141 here, and is also a public institution.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany pursues a similar profile in chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it has almost the same size, at about 32,000 students, and is also a public institution.
In the Czech Republic, Charles University teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it covers microbiology and genetics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 51,438 students against roughly 31,141 here.
*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
Where is Yunnan University?
In Kunming, Yunnan province, China.
When was it founded?
In December 1922, as the private Dong Lu University.
Since when has it carried its present name?
Since 1934.
How many campuses does it have?
Two: Donglu and Chenggong.
How many students does it have?
31,141.
How many staff does it have?
2,372.
Who was president from 1937 to 1947?
The mathematician Xiong Qinglai.
How many books does the library hold?
More than 1.2 million.
How is it placed in the ARWU 2025?
In the 301 to 400 band.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Biology, Chemistry, Environment, Innovation, 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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