Is Peking University the Harvard of China?
Sarah Martinez
Updated on April 04, 2026
Every Chinese person knows China’s best and most prestigious 北京大学 (Beijing daxüe), Peking university.
Is Peking University the same as Beijing University?
Peking University, also called Beijing University, Chinese (Pinyin) Beijing Daxue or (Wade-Giles) Pei-ching Ta-hsüeh, byname Beida, university in Beijing, one of the oldest and most important institutions of higher learning in China. Its total enrollment is about 35,000.
What is special about Peking University?
Founded in 1898 and originally known as the Imperial University of Peking, Peking University (PKU) was the first national university in Chinese history and has been a leading institution of higher education and research in China since its establishment.
Is Peking University the best in China?
Peking University is a member of the C9 league, which is similar to the Ivy League group in the US, and is generally one of the highest ranked institutions in China. It was the first modern national university in China, and since its founding in 1898, it has had a reputation as a leading educational institution.
Which is Harvard of China?
Tsinghua University (Chinese: 清华大学) is a major public research university in Beijing, and a member of the C9 League. It is also a member of Project 985 and Project 211. Since its establishment in 1911, it has produced many notable leaders in science, engineering, politics, business, academia, and culture.
What rank is Peking University?
Peking University Rankings Peking University is ranked #45 in Best Global Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Read more about how we rank schools.
What is the rank of Peking University in the world?
As of 2021, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked Peking University 16th in the world and 1st in China & the Asia-Pacific, with its teaching and research performance indicators placed at 4th and 9th in the world respectively, which are historical strengths for the university.