Shanghai, Shanghai · Founded 1905 · C9 League · Project 985 · Project 211 · Double First Class
Fudan University 复旦大学
Fudan is Shanghai's most prestigious comprehensive university and China's strongest institution for medicine, journalism, economics and the humanities after Peking University. It has four campuses spanning the city.
Overview
Fudan is Shanghai's most prestigious comprehensive university and China's strongest institution for medicine, journalism, economics and the humanities after Peking University. It has four campuses spanning the city.
For international students Fudan is one of the most welcoming destinations in China: it hosts the largest English-taught undergraduate programme in Chinese language for foreigners, the Fudan International Summer Session, and English MBA tracks through its School of Management, which is triple-accredited.
History
Fudan was founded in 1905 as Fudan Public School, the first privately run institution of higher education founded by Chinese educators, taking its name from a line in the Classic of History meaning "the light of heaven shines anew".
It became a national university in 1941, absorbed more than ten institutions in the 1952 nationwide reorganisation — which made it a comprehensive university with an especially strong reputation in basic sciences — and merged with Shanghai Medical University in 2000, adding one of the country's leading medical systems.
Fudan joined Project 211 (1994), Project 985 (1999) and Double First Class (2017). Its Zhangjiang campus focuses on microelectronics and biomedical engineering, while its new Jiangwan campus hosts law, international relations and the Fudan Development Institute.
World rankings, 2017–2026
| Edition | QS | ARWU | THE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 43 | 101–150 | 155 |
| 2018 | 40 | 101–150 | 116 |
| 2019 | 44 | 101–150 | 105 |
| 2020 | 40 | 101–150 | 109 |
| 2021 | 34 | 77 | 70 |
| 2022 | 31 | 68 | 60 |
| 2023 | 34 | 56 | 51 |
| 2024 | 50 | 50 | 44 |
| 2025 | 39 | 41 | 36 |
| 2026 | 30 | 41 | 36 |
Compilations such as this one can lag a publisher's revisions; verify the current figure at source.
Campuses
| Campus | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Handan Campus (Main) | 220 Handan Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai | The historic main campus with the Guanghua Towers, the old Liberal Arts building and most international student housing. |
| Jiangwan Campus | 2005 Songhu Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai | Law School, School of International Relations and Public Affairs, and new residential colleges. |
| Fenglin Campus (Shanghai Medical College) | 138 Yixueyuan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai | Medicine, public health, nursing and the affiliated Zhongshan and Huashan hospitals. |
| Zhangjiang Campus | 825 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai | Microelectronics, computer science and biomedical engineering, next to Shanghai's semiconductor and biotech clusters. |
Faculty and research
Fudan University employs around 5,800 academic staff, including about 51 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. Around 51 members of the national academies. The School of Management, School of Economics and the Institute of Biomedical Sciences recruit internationally and deliver degree programmes in English.
Discipline strength
| Discipline | National grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Medicine | A+ | Merged with Shanghai Medical University; affiliated hospitals are national referral centres. |
| Basic Medicine | A+ | Strong in molecular biology and neuroscience. |
| Chinese Language & Literature | A+ | The leading centre for international Chinese-language teaching. |
| Journalism & Communication | A+ | China's oldest journalism department. |
| Economics | A | School of Economics and the China Centre for Economic Studies. |
| Mathematics | A | Applied mathematics and applied statistics especially strong. |
| Business Administration | A | Triple-accredited School of Management (AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA). |
| Public Health & Preventive Medicine | A+ | Advises national COVID and disease-surveillance policy. |
| Chemistry | A | High citation impact and strong industry collaboration. |
| International Politics | A | Institute of International Studies is a major policy think tank. |
Grades follow China's national discipline evaluation scheme (A+ is the highest). Consult the university for the most recent evaluation results.
Programmes open to international students
| Programme | Level | Language | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Language for Foreigners (Business Chinese) | Bachelor | Chinese | 4 years |
| International Economics and Trade | Bachelor | English | 4 years |
| Clinical Medicine (MBBS) | Bachelor | English | 6 years |
| Fudan IMBA | MBA | English | 2 years |
| International Master of Public Administration | Master | English | 2 years |
| Chinese Studies (Fudan International Summer Session) | Non-degree | English | 4–6 weeks |
Admissions, tuition and deadlines
Requirements
Bachelor: high school diploma, HSK 5 (Chinese-taught) or IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 90 (English-taught), and an interview. Medical and management programmes run their own tests. Graduate: degree certificates, two recommendation letters, study plan; PhD applicants must secure a supervisor.
Deadlines and fees
Deadlines: Bachelor: 1 December – 31 March. Graduate: December – April, programme-specific.. Application fee: CNY 600 (CNY 800 for MBA). Tuition: CNY 26,000–35,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 35,000–55,000 for English-taught master's; MBBS around CNY 75,000 per year.
Scholarships
Chinese Government Scholarship, Shanghai Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Fudan University Scholarship for Outstanding International Students.
Notable alumni
| Alumnus | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chen Yinke | Historian | One of the most influential historians of twentieth-century China. |
| Xu Beihong | Painter | Pioneer of modern Chinese painting and art education. |
| Wu Jinglian | Economist | Key architect of China's market-oriented reform debate. |
| Wang Huning | Political theorist | Fudan professor of international politics before entering public service. |
| Li Yinuo | Philanthropist | Founder of the ETU Education foundation, Fudan graduate. |
Why students choose this university
- Study medicine or business in China's most international city
- Strong visa, internship and internship-remark support from the international office
- Dense alumni network across Asia's financial sector