Fine Arts, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Engineering, Education
Henan University is a provincial public university in Henan, China, with campuses in Kaifeng and Zhengzhou. It was founded in 1912 as the Henan Preparatory School for Studying in Europe and America. The university is co-funded with China’s Ministry of Education and belongs to the Double First-Class Construction.
The name has changed several times. In 1952 the institution became Henan Normal University. It later went through Kaifeng Normal College and Henan Normal University before taking the name Henan University in 1984. In June 2000 it merged with Kaifeng Medical College and Kaifeng Normal College. In 2022 its registered address changed from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou.
The campuses reflect this history. The Minglun campus is the original site in Kaifeng, and the Jinming campus, also in Kaifeng, opened in 2002. The Longzi Lake campus in Zhengzhou is described as under construction in the infobox, while the body text describes it as operating. Together the campuses cover more than 5,500 acres. The student body exceeds 50,000 full-time students, and the faculty and staff number more than 4,700 people.
As of December 2023 the university offered 92 undergraduate majors, 45 master first-level disciplines, 35 master degree categories, 21 doctoral first-level disciplines and 20 postdoctoral research mobile stations. This is a wide range for a provincial university, and it reflects the 2000 merger with the medical and teacher training colleges. The College of Fine Arts is one of the named units.
The rankings place it in the 301 to 400 band of the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2025. The CWTS Leiden ranking puts it 391st, and U.S. News 763rd in 2025. QS 2027 places it in the 1201 to 1400 band. Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
The move of the registered address to Zhengzhou in 2022 shows the direction of the institution, which now links the historic city of Kaifeng and the provincial capital. Students should check which campus hosts their programme, since teaching is split between the two cities, and read the official pages on admission and on the language of instruction.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Provincial university co-funded with China’s Ministry of Education, campuses at Kaifeng and Zhengzhou.
Research:
Natural sciences, medicine, humanities, engineering and education.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4700
Current students***:
50000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Over 50,000 full-time students, Double First-Class Construction, ARWU 301 to 400 in 2025, campuses in Kaifeng and Zhengzhou.
Cons
Campuses in two cities, teaching mainly in Chinese, competition for places.
Best For
Students looking for a large comprehensive public university in Henan province.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Nanchang University follows much the same lines as this university, with chemistry, physics and materials as common ground, and it covers food science and mechanical engineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 50,193 students.
The comparison with Soochow University is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is slightly smaller, at about 39,000 students against roughly 50,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Zhengzhou University takes a similar route through chemistry, mathematics and materials, and it is slightly larger, at about 72,600 students against roughly 50,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Guizhou University is the closest domestic counterpart for chemistry, materials and life sciences; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers agriculture and ecology and sustainability as well.
Where this university leans on chemistry, materials and life sciences, Qingdao University does the same, and it covers marine science and mechanical engineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 46,000 students.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Seen from abroad, University of the Basque Country (Spain) is a close relative on subject matter, since chemistry, physics and mathematics are central to both, and it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
For chemistry, physics and mathematics outside the home country, Charles University in the Czech Republic is a natural reference; it covers microbiology and genetics and data analytics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 51,438 students.
In Singapore, Nanyang Technological University teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers data analytics and AI and machine learning as well.
Complutense University of Madrid, in Spain, takes a similar route through chemistry, physics and mathematics; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers finance and microbiology and genetics as well.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on chemistry, physics and mathematics is University of Belgrade in Serbia, and it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers civil engineering and mechanical engineering as well.
*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 Henan University?
In Kaifeng and Zhengzhou, Henan province, China.
When was it founded?
In 1912, as the Henan Preparatory School for Studying in Europe and America.
When did it take its present name?
In 1984.
What merger took place in 2000?
With Kaifeng Medical College and Kaifeng Normal College.
How many campuses does it have?
Three: Minglun and Jinming in Kaifeng, and Longzi Lake in Zhengzhou.
How many students does it have?
More than 50,000 full-time.
How many undergraduate majors does it offer?
92 as of December 2023.
How is it placed in the ARWU?
In the 301 to 400 band in 2025.
Who co-funds it?
China's Ministry of Education and the provincial government.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the programme and the status of the student. Check the current tariff.
Chemistry, Engineering, Innovation, Physics, 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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