Wuhan, Hubei · Founded 1893 · Project 985 · Project 211 · Double First Class
Wuhan University 武汉大学
Wuhan University occupies arguably the most beautiful campus in China — 250 hectares on Luojia Hill beside East Lake, famous for its cherry blossom avenue every March. It is a broad comprehensive university with particular strength in geodesy, remote sensing, surveying, hydrology, law, journalism and the humanities.
Overview
Wuhan University occupies arguably the most beautiful campus in China — 250 hectares on Luojia Hill beside East Lake, famous for its cherry blossom avenue every March. It is a broad comprehensive university with particular strength in geodesy, remote sensing, surveying, hydrology, law, journalism and the humanities.
Its School of Geodesy and Geomatics is the best in the world in its field, and Wuhan University's surveying and mapping science consistently ranks first nationally.
History
Founded in 1893 as the Ziqiang Institute during the late Qing self-strengthening movement, WHU is one of the oldest universities in China. It became National Wuhan University in 1928 and its Luojia Hill campus was laid out in the 1930s by the American architect Francis Henry Kales.
In 2000 it merged with Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering, Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping and Hubei Medical University, adding engineering, geomatics and medicine to an already strong humanities base.
WHU joined Project 985 in 2001 and the Double First Class plan in 2017. Its alumni network is one of the most cohesive in China, particularly in the property, legal and media industries.
World rankings, 2017–2026
| Edition | QS | ARWU | THE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 275 | 201–300 | 501–600 |
| 2018 | 282 | 201–300 | 401–500 |
| 2019 | 257 | 151–200 | 401–500 |
| 2020 | 257 | 151–200 | 351–400 |
| 2021 | 246 | 101–150 | 301–350 |
| 2022 | 225 | 101–150 | 201–250 |
| 2023 | 194 | 89 | 201–250 |
| 2024 | 194 | 89 | 151–200 |
| 2025 | 194 | 81 | 151–200 |
| 2026 | 186 | 81 | 131–150 |
Compilations such as this one can lag a publisher's revisions; verify the current figure at source.
Campuses
| Campus | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Luojia Hill Campus (Main) | 299 Bayi Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan | Cherry blossom avenue, the old library building and the highest concentration of humanities and social science schools. |
| Information Science Campus | 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan | Geodesy, geomatics, computer science and the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing. |
| Medical Campus | Wuhan | Medicine, public health and the affiliated Renmin Hospital and Zhongnan Hospital. |
Faculty and research
Wuhan University employs around 5,200 academic staff, including about 18 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. 18 national academy members. The School of Geodesy and Geomatics and the School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering supervise international graduate students in English.
Discipline strength
| Discipline | National grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Geodesy & Surveying | A+ | Ranked first in the world for the subject by ARWU's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. |
| Remote Sensing & Geomatics | A+ | State key laboratory with global navigation satellite system research. |
| Law | A | One of China's strongest environmental and international law faculties. |
| Journalism & Communication | A | Long-established school with strong media industry links. |
| Hydraulic Engineering | A | Linked to the Yangtze River and Three Gorges engineering cluster. |
| Library & Information Management | A | Publishing and information science. |
| Biology & Life Sciences | A | Virology and plant science, tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. |
| Clinical Medicine | A | Two major teaching hospitals. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geodesy and Geomatics | Master / PhD | English | 3 / 4 years |
| Clinical Medicine (MBBS) | Bachelor | English | 6 years |
| International Economics and Trade | Bachelor | English / Chinese | 4 years |
| Environmental Engineering | Master | English | 2–3 years |
| Chinese Language Programme | Language | Chinese | 0.5–2 years |
Admissions, tuition and deadlines
Requirements
Bachelor: high school diploma, WHU entrance examination, HSK 5 or IELTS 6.0. Graduate: recognised degree, transcripts, two recommendation letters, study plan; geomatics PhD requires supervisor agreement.
Deadlines and fees
Deadlines: Bachelor: December – April. Graduate: December – April.. Application fee: CNY 400. Tuition: CNY 22,000–28,000 per year for bachelor's; CNY 28,000–45,000 for master's; MBBS around CNY 65,000 per year.
Scholarships
Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Hubei Provincial Government Scholarship, WHU President Scholarship.
Notable alumni
| Alumnus | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wang Xiaodong | Biologist | National Academy of Sciences member; apoptosis researcher; WHU alumnus. |
| Chen Dongsheng | Businessman | Founder of Taikang Insurance, WHU economics graduate. |
| Li Yining | Economist | Studied at WHU; a key voice in China's economic reform debates. |
| Shu Hongbing | Financier | Influential economist and financial reform commentator. |
Why students choose this university
- Unbeatable for geomatics, remote sensing and GIS
- One of the most attractive campuses in Asia
- Low living costs with a strong central-China job market