- China surpasses the US for the first time with 346 universities in the Global 2000 rankings.
- 83% of US institutions dropped in rank due to funding cuts and restrictive visa policies.
- Visa hurdles in the US are driving more Chinese students to opt for domestic or alternative global universities.
The global higher education landscape is being dramatically reshaped, as China dethrones the United States for the first time in the number of universities included in the latest Global 2000 University Rankings. Chinese universities now constitute 17% of the list, up from 324 a year ago to 346, as per the 2025 list published by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). The ranked US universities fell from 329 to 319.
This transition reflects China's consistent increase in scholarly production and research power, fueled by continuous government investment and strategic investment in the educational system. Notably, 98% of China's universities moved up their positions this year, a feat attributed by experts to improved research indicators and increased global visibility.
Among the top performers, Tsinghua University rose six places to 37th, supported by robust scores across employability and research. Peking University advanced three places to 44th, while the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences jumped to 46th, surpassing both Shanghai Jiao Tong University (61st) and Zhejiang University (68th).
Nadim Mahassen, CWUR president, said China's increasing presence in the ranking is a sign of its long-term strategic investment in world-class institutions. "With sustained funding, Chinese universities are becoming more and more competitive globally," he said.
Even as the United States still holds eight of the world's best 10 positions headed by Harvard, MIT, and Stanford the general trend is troubling: 83% of US institutions represented on the list dropped in rank. The UK's Cambridge and Oxford universities stood firm, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Mahassen cited domestic issues within the US, such as decreased federal funding for schools and campus controversies surrounding academic freedom and free speech, as among the factors contributing to the overall decline. The US is also still reeling from backlash against controversial policies, including the attempt by the Trump administration to revoke international student visas a policy blocked in court.
American universities for years drew huge numbers of foreign students, especially from China," Mahassen explained. "But with the dramatic improvement of China's rankings and tighter US visa policies, that equation is starting to reverse.
Liu Wei, New Channel International Education Group's senior vice president, seconded this, saying Chinese universities are picking up speed in several world-ranking systems QS, Times Higher Education, and Academic Ranking of World Universities. He added that the US's latest restrictions on visas for students in "sensitive areas" have made many Chinese students explore other destinations.
"Uncertainty in visa processing has led many students to seek possibilities in the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and Europe," Liu stated. Institutions in the Hong Kong SAR also rose to the occasion to support students affected by US admissions restrictions.
Chen Zhiwen, of the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, pointed out that Chinese students are playing an increasingly important role in research and academic cooperation on US campuses especially in STEM disciplines and postgraduate studies. He cautioned that further decline in Chinese student enrollment caused by visa issues may compromise research efficiency of American institutions.
Alternatively, China might gain at home. "Students who had dreamed of studying abroad may now opt for top universities at home, enriching the learning environment here even more," Chen pointed out. He also said that the percentage of graduates from Tsinghua University who go to study abroad has gradually reduced since 2018 a trend likely to speed up a shift toward a more multipolar international education system and decrease the US's traditional dominance in the industry.
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