Universities

Beihang University (BUAA), formerly Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was founded in 1952 as China's first university focused on aerospace technology. Since the 1950s it has been one of 16 key state universities. It has grown into a science and technology university with aerospace features, combining science, engineering, liberal arts, law, economics, management, and education. Doctoral programs in 49 fields, master's in 144 fields, bachelor's in 57 subjects. The university has 28 schools and about 130 professional laboratories, of which 35 are listed as state or ministry key laboratories. Campus is in western Beijing near Zhongguancun. International education began in the early 1990s. By the end of 2011, over 1,100 international students were enrolled, including over 700 degree students (doctoral, master, or bachelor).

Beijing Film Academy (BFA), founded in 1950 in Beijing, is China’s leading film school. Students train in directing, cinematography, screenwriting, performance, and related crafts with professional production facilities. International students work alongside peers from many countries in hands-on filmmaking programmes.

Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) is a key university under the Ministry of Education of China. Founded in Yan’an in 1941, it was the first Chinese institution specialized in foreign language studies and has a long history among universities of this type. It offers a full range of degrees and programs and has a large number of foreign language programs. It is known for foreign language and literature teaching and research, and trains people for work in foreign languages, culture, diplomacy, journalism, and international business. BFSU has 13 schools, colleges, and institutes, 7 academic departments, and many research centers. Schools and institutes include the School of English and International Studies, School of English for Special Purposes, School of Russian Language, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, School of International Business, School of Chinese Language and Literature, School of International Relations and Diplomacy, Law School, School of Asian and African Languages, School of European Languages and Cultures, School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Continuing Education College (Training College), and the Institute of Online Education. Departments cover German, French, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Computer Science, and Physical Education. Research centers include the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies, European and American Literature Research Center, Foreign Languages Research Center, International Issues Research Center, and an American Studies Center

Beijing Forestry University (BFU) is a national key university under the Ministry of Education of China, based in Haidian District, Beijing. Founded in 1952, it began as a forestry college and is now multi-disciplinary, with leading strengths in forestry, biology, and forestry engineering, plus courses in sciences, engineering, management, economics, liberal arts, law, and philosophy. Besides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education, it offers further education and international student education. It has 57 undergraduate subjects, 15 undergraduate schools, 116 graduate disciplines, and 39 doctoral disciplines. There are 495 full/associate professors, including 127 PhD supervisors and 5 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Strong fields include landscape architecture, biological science, forestry silviculture, and soil and water conservation. About 13,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students study at BFU. International students are welcome from language learners to postdoctoral researchers. By 2013, about 2,500 international students had enrolled, from countries including Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia, Austria, Italy, Finland, France, Turkey, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Since 2007, BFU has admitted Chinese Government Scholarship students and is listed as a recipient university of the Beijing Municipal Government Scholarship

Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication (BIGC) was founded in 1958. It is known for printing and packaging, publishing, art, and media, and has grown into a university combining engineering, humanities, management, media, and art and design. Degree programs are offered in English and Chinese, along with Chinese language training and major training. Fields include engineering, humanities, management, and art—for example printing and packaging engineering. Scholarships mentioned include government, university, and enterprise scholarships, plus various awards. The school also describes office space, skills training, professional development, career support, and internships. Accommodation includes rooms with washroom and free water and electricity. There are three main campuses near one another. BIGC has established 7 research institutes, many multidisciplinary

Founded in 1940, Beijing Institute of Technology is a science- and engineering-focused university located in China’s capital. It comprises 19 schools and delivers 64 undergraduate, 196 graduate, and 95 doctoral programmes across disciplines including engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, business, law, design art, and foreign languages. The campus hosts over 27,000 full-time students, including more than 1,200 international students from 90 countries. With 3,504 faculty members—including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering—the university maintains nine national key disciplines and five national key laboratories. Its academic structure integrates science, engineering, and liberal arts, with research activity concentrated in nationally designated centres and laboratories. BIT’s location in Beijing supports sustained engagement with national strategic priorities in technology and innovation.

Beijing International Studies University (BISU) was founded in 1964. It is a comprehensive university with strengths in foreign languages and tourism, and also covers liberal arts, management, economics, and law. More than 8,000 long-term and 2,000 short-term international students from over 70 countries have studied at BISU. In 2002 and 2004, Beijing Municipal Educational Commission named it an Advanced Unit of International Students Education

Beijing Jiaotong University, founded in 1896 during the Qing Dynasty, is a centrally located university in Beijing with over 22,000 full-time students and a teaching staff of 2,842, including 286 full professors. It comprises 12 schools and maintains 120 graduate programmes, 60 doctoral programmes, and 13 post-doctoral research stations. The university hosts 22 research institutes and centres, alongside 39 laboratories spanning diverse academic fields. Twelve of its disciplines are designated as key ministerial priorities. BJTU has welcomed international students since it became one of the first Chinese universities authorised by the central government to do so, and has hosted learners from more than 100 countries. Its School of Software Engineering is among China’s 37 national pilot software engineering schools and follows CDIO-based pedagogy.

Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) focuses on teaching Chinese language and culture to international students. It also offers degree programs for Chinese and international students in foreign languages, liberal arts, computer science, finance and accounting; trains teachers of Chinese as a foreign language; and provides intensive foreign-language training for teachers preparing to go abroad. BLCU was established in 1962. Over more than 50 years it has educated more than 130,000 international students from more than 170 countries and regions. About 10,000 international students study on campus each year alongside about 6,000 Chinese students. BLCU has 13 education departments. It has 1 national key discipline and 9 Beijing municipal key disciplines. The Center for Studies of Chinese as a Second Language (CSCSL) is a Ministry of Education key research base for humanities and social sciences. BLCU sponsors three national Chinese core periodicals: Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu (语言教学与研究), Shijie Hanyu Jiaoxue (世界汉语教学), and Zhongguo Wenhua Yanjiu (中国文化研究).

Beijing Normal University (BNU) was founded in 1902. It is a major university in Beijing that has received strong national support, including through the "211" and "985" projects. Structure: 1 Faculty, 23 colleges and schools, 2 departments, and 37 institutes. BNU signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education and Beijing Municipal Government and became the 10th university on a special support list aiming for world prestige. It has 108 doctoral programs, 153 master's programs, 60 bachelor's programs, and 25 post-doctoral programs. It has 16 national key disciplines (5 general and 11 specialized). BNU has cooperative agreements with 300 institutions in over 30 countries, and over 50 student exchange partners in Asia, Europe, and North America. Joint Confucius Institutes are named with: University of Manchester (UK); San Francisco State University (US); University of Oklahoma (US); Université de Sherbrooke and Dawson College (Canada); Aalborg University (Denmark); University of Macerata (Italy); and the College of William and Mary (US).

Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU) was established in 1950. It is a key university of the Beijing Municipal Government, with particular strength in food science and business management. It offers bachelor's and master's programs across Economics, Management, Engineering, Sciences, Arts, Law, History, and Philosophy. A doctoral program in Accounting and Finance is provided jointly with Central University of Finance and Economics. After school reorganizations, BTBU has 10 schools and 1 department, providing 1 doctoral program, 35 master's programs, and 47 undergraduate programs. Schools named: Science; Food Science and Chemical Engineering; Material Science and Mechanical Engineering; Computer and Information Engineering; Economics; Business; Law/Marxism; Foreign Languages; Art and Communication; Continuing Education. The department is Physical Education and Art Education. In 2012: 1,338 staff and faculty; 822 full-time faculty, including 128 professors and 339 associate professors and lecturers; about 50% of full-time faculty hold doctorates.

Beijing Union University (BUU) was established in 1985 with Ministry of Education approval. It is a comprehensive municipal university of Beijing and one of the largest in the capital. It originated from over 30 branch campuses attached to universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University. Disciplines include economics, law, pedagogy, arts, history, science, engineering, medicine, and management. The talent system focuses on undergraduate education while also developing graduate, higher vocational, continuing, and international education. Colleges are spread across 13 campuses in six urban districts of Beijing. The main Xiaoying campus hosts the College of International Education, east of the National Olympic Sports Center, with convenient transport. BUU offers 61 undergraduate specialties across 10 disciplines: economics, law, education, literature, history, science, engineering, management, arts, and medicine. Internationalization is a stated strategy, with study-abroad and cross-border programs.

Beijing University of Agriculture (BUA) places importance on international exchange. Since the International Exchange and Cooperation Office was founded in 2012, BUA has established cooperative agreements with 20 universities and research institutes in 12 countries and regions. About 100 BUA students study abroad each year through joint education and research programs. Since 2012, about 20 foreign students have studied at BUA for short-term training. Ongoing cooperation models include: Dual degree / "3+1" programs with partners such as Harper Adams University (UK) and Edith Cowan University (Australia) Short-term exchange programs, mainly Chinese Language and Culture for about 2–3 weeks (including summer programs with Harper Adams University) Special short-term training at BUA, such as Chinese Veterinary Medicine with Azabu University (Japan) and Animal Science with Turin University (Italy) Chinese Language Teaching Program (one year) aimed at beginning HSK level, noted as planned to begin in a future year

Founded in 1958, Beijing University of Chemical Technology is a national key university located across three campuses in Beijing: the east campus on Beisanhuan East Road, the west campus near Zizhuyuan Park, and the north campus adjacent to the Ming Tombs Scenic Area. It maintains science and engineering as its academic foundation while expanding into management, economics, law, humanities, education, philosophy, and life sciences. The university comprises twelve colleges, including Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and International Education, and hosts doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate programmes across more than forty disciplines. Its academic staff includes over seven hundred full and associate professors, alongside eight academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. With nearly thirty-one thousand students, the university supports a diverse cohort of domestic and international learners. English-taught master’s programmes are offered in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering (Macromolecules).

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM), established in 1956 in Beijing, specialises in traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese Materia Medica. It has been included in Project 211 and Project 985. Teaching combines classroom study, clinical practice, and research for domestic and international degree students.

Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA) was founded in 1936 and is the only architectural university in Beijing. It has 11 secondary schools and 3 basic teaching units, including Architecture and Urban Planning; Civil and Transportation Engineering; Environment and Energy Engineering; Electrical Engineering and Information Technique; Economics and Management Engineering; Geometrics and Urban Information; Mechanical-electronics and Automobile Engineering; Humanity and Law; Sciences; Continuing Education; and International Education. Two campuses: Xicheng and Daxing. Staff: 1,020 total; 710 full-time teachers; 588 (83%) with master's degrees; 281 (40%) with doctor's degrees; 410 with senior professional titles, including 108 full professors. It is one of two universities identified as first equity incentive pilot reform units of Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone. Library: 1,348,000 printed books, 1,210,000 electronic books, 40 large electronic literature databases. With China Architectural Library co-built with MOHURD, BUCEA's architectural book collection is described as among the most complete in China.

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) was established in 1955. It is directly administered by the Ministry of Education and co-built by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It was among the first "Project 211" universities and is included in the "Project 985 Innovation Platform for Superior Discipline". BUPT is a multidisciplinary research-oriented university focused on engineering and sciences, with coordinated development of management, humanities, and sciences, and particular strength in information technology. It is described as an important talent base for China's IT industry. It has 19 academic units (including the School of Information and Communication Engineering, School of Electronic Engineering, School of Computer Science, and others) and 3 research institutes. "Information and Communication Engineering" and "Computer Science and Technology" were included in China's "double first-class" discipline list. In the Fourth Round National Evaluation of Disciplinary Development, Information and Communication Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, and Electronic Science and Technology were evaluated as A Class or above, with ICE as A+. In 2016, BUPT professors participated as core members in "Key Technologies in 4G Mobile Communication System and Applications" and won a Special National Award for Science and Technology Progress. In the 2012 national discipline evaluation, Information and Communication Engineering ranked 1st nationwide.

Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) was founded in 1960. It is a key university under the Beijing Municipal Government. It offers programs and research across science, engineering, economics, management, literature, law, philosophy, education, and art. In 1981 it was among the first universities authorized by the Ministry of Education to award master's degrees. In 1985 it gained the right to award doctoral degrees. In December 1996 it was approved under the national "211 Project" as one of about 100 key universities for the 21st century. In the 2013 QS Asian University Rankings it was ranked #126 in Asia and #29 among Chinese universities. BJUT has 3 national key disciplines: Optical Engineering, Materials Science, and Structural Engineering; 39 Beijing municipal key disciplines; 18 first-category doctoral programs; 71 second-category doctoral programs; 31 first-category master's programs; 139 second-category master's programs; and 17 post-doctoral programs. The College of International Education (CIE) supports international students.

Capital Medical University (CCMU), founded in 1960 in Beijing, focuses on medical education and clinical research. Strengths include neuroscience, cardiology, and related biomedical fields, with affiliated hospitals supporting training. International students pursue medicine and health-science pathways where intake is open.

Founded in 1956 and restructured in 1995 through the merger of Beijing College of Economics and Beijing Institute of Finance and Trade, Capital University of Economics and Business is a Beijing-based institution with two campuses: Fengtai Park in Zhongguancun’s high-tech zone, hosting most undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, and Hongmiao Campus in Chaoyang’s Central Business District, dedicated to international and continuing education. The university offers programmes across six disciplines—Economics, Management, Law, Literature, Science, and Engineering—with a strong emphasis on economics and management. Its two campuses cover 39 acres and include a library holding 1.66 million volumes and over 2,600 periodicals. Around 21,500 students are enrolled, including undergraduates, postgraduates, doctoral candidates, associate degree learners, international students, and those in continuing education. Teaching staff guide learning grounded in the university’s founding principle of linking ethical development, professional competence, and national service.

The Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) began as the National College of Music in 1940 and later merged with other Chinese music education institutions. It trains high-level musical specialists and is the only fine-arts university in China listed in the "211 Project". Departments and colleges include Musicology, Composition, Conducting, Piano, Voice and Opera, Orchestral Instruments, Traditional Chinese Musical Instruments, Music Education, Orchestra Academy, Science and Technology (Electro-Acoustic Music Center, Institute of Music Therapy, Violin Making Center, Voice Research Center), Musicology Institute, Music Education College for Distance Learning, Continuing Education College, and attached primary and middle school. Teaching staff: 389, including 52 PhD supervisors, 207 master's supervisors, 119 professors, and 223 associate professors. CCOM was among the first institutions able to confer doctoral degrees in China and, in 2001, had the first post-doctoral station among Academies of Fine Arts, approved by the Academic Degrees Committee, Human Resources Department of the State Council, and Ministry of Education. The Musicology Institute (set up 2003) is described as the only Ministry of Education key Institute of Humanities and Social Science among Academies of Fine Arts. Orchestra Academy was established in 2005, described as the first of its kind in Asia for training orchestra players.

Founded in 1949 in central Beijing, Central University of Finance and Economics began as the Central Institute of Taxation and evolved through several institutional phases before adopting its current name in 1996. It operates under the Ministry of Education and focuses primarily on economics, management, law, arts, sciences, and engineering. The university maintains its main campus in downtown Beijing while developing a new campus in Shahe, Changping District, covering 80.4 hectares upon completion. With over seven decades of teaching and research experience, CUFE has grown into a national hub for education and scholarship in financial and economic disciplines. It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across its constituent schools and institutes. Student enrolment numbers reflect its status as a medium-sized university with concentrated academic strengths. Its academic culture emphasises faculty quality and scholarly rigour across disciplines.

Founded in 1953 and based in Beijing, China University of Petroleum (Beijing) is a national key university under the Ministry of Education. It operates across 16 colleges and delivers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes in energy-related disciplines, with growing emphasis on sustainable energy, deep-water technology, environmental engineering and energy policy. The university hosts two national key laboratories and over twenty ministerial research institutes, supported by a teaching staff of 1,369, including professors and associate professors. Its student body includes more than 14,000 degree candidates from across China and 832 international students representing 52 countries. CUPB maintains long-standing academic and research ties with major global energy enterprises. It offers 27 bachelor’s, 99 master’s and 48 doctoral programmes.

Founded in 1952, the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) is a Beijing-based institution with two campuses: Xueyuan Lu in Haidian District and Fuxue Lu in Changping District. It evolved from the merger of law, political science, and sociology departments formerly housed at Peking University, Yenching University, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Tsinghua University. CUPL offers undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes across law, political science, philosophy, economics, management, history, and education. The university comprises 19 schools and departments, alongside 10 university-level research institutes. With around 15,000 full-time students—including over 800 international students—and more than 800 academic staff, CUPL maintains a focused presence in legal and social sciences education. Its post-doctoral research centre supports advanced scholarly work in these fields.