the logo

Best universities in Asia 2023

Find the top universities in Asia, using Times Higher Education’s rankings data

  • Best universities in
  • Rankings
  • Rankings for Students
  • Study abroad
June 22 2023
Best universities in Asia

Share

The best universities in Asia 2023: the top 10

Asia Rank 2023 Asia Rank 2022 University Country/region World University Rank 2023
1 1 Tsinghua University China 16
2 2 Peking University China 17
3 3 National University of Singapore Singapore 19
4 4 University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 31
5 5 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Singapore 36
6 7 Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 45
7 9 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Hong Kong 58
8 6 The University of Tokyo Japan 39
=9 10 Fudan University China 51
=9 13 Shanghai Jiao Tong University China 52

The 2023 Asia University Rankings reveal the best colleges and universities in Asia, featuring institutions from 31 territories.

Japan leads the way with 117 universities in the ranking, while China comes second with 95 ranked institutions. India is the third most represented country, with 75 universities.

China is the most represented region in the top 10, with four universities present. 

The Asia University Rankings are based on the same 13 performance indicators as the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, but these have been recalibrated to reflect the attributes of Asia’s universities. Here’s the methodology in full.

Top five universities in Asia

Scroll down for the top 100

1. Tsinghua University, China

Tsinghua University has been committed to a multidisciplinary system for more than 30 years, having undergone many changes since its establishment in 1911.

It is known as one of the most elite universities in China, admitting only those students who score extremely highly in the national exams.

The university offers 51 undergraduate programmes and more than 200 postgraduate degrees.

Tsinghua, which features in the top 20 in the overall THE World University Rankings, also achieves a top 40 position in all 11 of Times Higher Education’s subject rankings. 

The campus is in northwest Beijing in a district specifically designated as a university hub. Its buildings feature examples of both traditional Chinese architecture and Western styles. Built on the former site of the Qing dynasty royal gardens, the campus has been named one of the most beautiful in the world.

Many graduates become influential at home and abroad, most notably in Chinese politics. Particle physicist Chen-Ning Yang is a Nobel prizewinner associated with the university.

2. Peking University, China

Peking University was the first modern national university in China, founded at the end of the 19th century.

Now it is known as a centre for progressive thought and research excellence. It has 216 research centres, two of which are national engineering institutions.

Although the university teaches and researches across science, the social sciences and humanities, it particularly stands out internationally for physical sciences and engineering.

The university library is the largest of its kind in Asia, holding 11 million books and other resources.

After relocating in 1952, the main campus is now on the former site of the Qing dynasty imperial gardens and still has some of the original features and landscaping, including gardens, pagodas and historic buildings.

The entrance gates to the campus have murals on the ceiling that are attractions in their own right.

On campus, there are specific dormitories for the 2,000 international students.

Many prominent thinkers in China are alumni of Peking University. Three Nobel prizewinners are also associated with the institution.

Best universities in Singapore
Best universities in China
Best universities in India
Best universities in Hong Kong
Best universities in Taiwan
Best universities in Pakistan
Best universities in South Korea
Best universities in Japan
Best universities in Malaysia

3. National University of Singapore, Singapore

The oldest institution in Singapore and the largest by student numbers, the National University of Singapore combines research excellence and innovation.

It ranks in the top 20 in the world overall, with particularly high scores for research and international outlook, and a standout performance in engineering and technology, law and computer science. 

The entrepreneurial focus at the university dates back three decades to the formation of a dedicated centre for innovation and technopreneurship.

NUS uses Oxbridge-style teaching through small-group tutorials, and US-style course credits to make up the degree requirements. Degree programmes are more flexible than those in the UK; as in the US system, students may transfer between courses early in their degree and take modules across different faculties, and are required to have a broad, cross-disciplinary selection of courses.

Many students live on campus in one of the 6,000 residential places across various halls, all served by an internal shuttle bus to take them around campus.

Notable alumni include four Singaporean prime ministers and presidents, two Malaysian prime ministers and many other politicians, businesspeople and local luminaries.

4. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

English is the main language of instruction at the University of Hong Kong, located in Pokfulam.

It was founded by the British governor in 1911 but began to integrate Chinese culture and education into its courses by 1927, when the first degree in Chinese was offered.

The buildings on the main campus in the Mid-Levels neighbourhood of Hong Kong Island are some of the only remaining examples of British colonial architecture. The Main Building, completed in 1912, is the oldest structure and has been declared a national monument.

Admissions are extremely selective: there are about 12 applications for every place for an international undergraduate. For students from mainland China, only one student gets a place for every 31 applications.

Undergraduate courses take four years to complete, with a further year or two for medical programmes. All local students are now required to take English- and Chinese-language courses.

HKU graduates have been fundamentally involved in building modern China’s political, economic and cultural landscape. Many are also in senior positions in the private sector.

5. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore is a research-intensive university with three campuses in Singapore.

As well as featuring in the top five in the 2023 Asia University Rankings, the institution also ranks highly for engineering and technology, and computer science courses.

It consists of six colleges and schools as well as several research institutes, including Singapore’s National Institute of Education and the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

Spread over 200 acres, the Yunnan Garden Campus is the largest university campus in Singapore and is often considered one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

A day in the life of a student in India
A day in the life of a student in Japan
A day in the life of a student in Singapore
International perspective: an American student in China
International perspective: a British student in South Korea
Ten things to know about studying in India

The best universities in Asia 2023: the top 100

Asia Rank 2023 Asia Rank 2022 University Country/region World University Rank 2023
1 1 Tsinghua University China 16
2 2 Peking University China 17
3 3 National University of Singapore Singapore 19
4 4 University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 31
5 5 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Singapore 36
6 7 Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 45
7 9 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Hong Kong 58
8 6 The University of Tokyo Japan 39
=9 10 Fudan University China 51
=9 13 Shanghai Jiao Tong University China 52
11 8 Seoul National University South Korea 56
12 11 Zhejiang University China 67
13 =21 Yonsei University (Seoul campus) South Korea 78
14 15 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong 79
15 16 University of Science and Technology of China China 74
16 24 City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong =99
17 14 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) South Korea =91
18 12 Kyoto University Japan 68
19 17 Nanjing University China =95
20 28 King Abdulaziz University Saudi Arabia =101
21 20 Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) South Korea 174
22 23 Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) South Korea =163
23 19 Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) China =166
24 18 Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) South Korea =170
25 26 Huazhong University of Science and Technology China =176
26 25 Wuhan University China 173
27 27 Korea University South Korea 201–250
28 46 Qatar University Qatar 201–250
=29 48 King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals Saudi Arabia 201–250
=29 =21 National Taiwan University (NTU) Taiwan =187
=29 66 Sichuan University China =196
32 30 Tel Aviv University Israel 201–250
33 35 China Medical University, Taiwan Taiwan 251–300
34 =31 Tohoku University Japan 201–250
=35 =31 Kyung Hee University South Korea 251–300
=35 36 Macau University of Science and Technology Macao 201–250
37 33 University of Macau Macao 201–250
38 =44 King Saud University Saudi Arabia 251–300
39 41 Sejong University South Korea 251–300
40 60 United Arab Emirates University United Arab Emirates 251–300
41 43 Tongji University China 251–300
42 40 Beijing Normal University China 251–300
43 29 Taipei Medical University Taiwan 301–350
44 38 Sun Yat-sen University China 251–300
=45 37 Khalifa University United Arab Emirates 351–400
=45 72 University of Sharjah United Arab Emirates 251–300
47 53 Osaka University Japan 251–300
48 42 Indian Institute of Science India 251–300
=49 =78 Asia University, Taiwan Taiwan 351–400
=49 =57 Hebrew University of Jerusalem Israel 251–300
=49 50 Nagoya University Japan 301–350
52 =76 Koç University Turkey 401–500
53 34 Alfaisal University Saudi Arabia 301–350
54 39 Central South University China 351–400
55 107 Harbin Institute of Technology China 351–400
56 49 Tokyo Institute of Technology Japan 301–350
=57 47 Hanyang University South Korea 401–500
=57 61 South China University of Technology China 401–500
59 NR Abu Dhabi University United Arab Emirates 301–350
60 =62 Universiti Brunei Darussalam Brunei Darussalam 301–350
=61 =55 Nankai University China 301–350
=61 =62 Tianjin University China 401–500
63 95 Universiti Teknologi Petronas Malaysia 401–500
64 70 Sharif University of Technology Iran 401–500
65 =68 Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Iran 351–400
66 =55 University of Malaya Malaysia 351–400
67 74 Hunan University China 401–500
68 65 JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research India 351–400
=69 =51 East China Normal University China 351–400
=69 NR Golestan University of Medical Sciences Iran 351–400
=71 =51 American University of Beirut Lebanon 351–400
=71 64 Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences Iran 351–400
=71 54 Shenzhen University China 401–500
74 =96 Iran University of Science and Technology Iran 501–600
75 NR Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University Saudi Arabia 351–400
76 =78 Sabancı University Turkey 401–500
77 NR Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences India 351–400
=78 =57 Babol Noshirvani University of Technology Iran 401–500
=78 86 Southeast University China 401–500
=78 71 Southern Medical University China 401–500
81 =84 Xiamen University China 401–500
82 67 University of Hail Saudi Arabia 351–400
83 NR Qazvin University of Medical Sciences Iran 401–500
84 NR Ateneo de Manila University Philippines 351–400
85 =44 National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Taiwan 501–600
=86 NR Babol University of Medical Sciences Iran 401–500
=86 =84 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China China 401–500
=86 73 Ton Duc Thang University Vietnam 401–500
89 123 Middle East Technical University Turkey 501–600
90 =87 Northwestern Polytechnical University China 501–600
91 82 Beihang University China 501–600
=92 =105 Beijing Institute of Technology China 501–600
=92 NR Qom University of Medical Sciences Iran 401–500
94 81 Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology South Korea 501–600
=95 =139 Mahatma Gandhi University India 401–500
=95 59 National Tsing Hua University Taiwan 501–600
=95 =76 Xi’an Jiaotong University China 501–600
98 116 Quaid-i-Azam University Pakistan 401–500
=99 75 Cankaya University Turkey 401–500
=99 117 University of International Business and Economics China 401–500
=99 NR Jazan University Saudi Arabia 401–500
=99 148 Universiti Utara Malaysia Malaysia 401–500

The Asia University Rankings 2023: full results

You may also like

Forbidden City, Beijing

Best universities in China 2024

Find out all about China’s top universities, and explore their world university ranking performance in 2024

September 29 2023
sticky sign up

Register free and enjoy extra benefits