China in world’s ‘best’ universities
China outnumbers the US for the first time in this ranking of the world’s ‘best’ universities
Market Watch by Zoe Han ~ October 25, 2022
Artificial intelligence is among the few fields that both the US and China regard as a strategic national priority
China has surpassed the US on a major ranking of the world’s best universities.
Among the 2,000 schools from more than 90 countries ranked by US News & World Report, 338 Chinese universities made the list, compared to 280 American universities. It’s the first time China outnumbered the US.
Results were reported in the media outlet’s “Best Global Universities Rankings” released Tuesday. The US and China were followed by Japan (105 universities), the United Kingdom (92), and India (81).
The media outlet began its ranking in 2014 as more universities began competing for students, as well as faculty and research investments. The rankings are based on a range of parameters, including research reputation, publications, conferences and citations. Student outcomes and individual programs are not included.
Although China surpassed the US by 58 spots, the majority of US universities appear in the top half of the rankings, including 8 of the top 10, the report noted.
Fewer Chinese students have attended college in the US since the coronavirus pandemic. From January to September 2022, 52,034 Chinese nationals received F-1 visas, down from 95,518 for the same period in 2019, according to the US State Department data. The F-1 visa is used by international students to gain a degree or an academic certificate in the US.
While public-health concerns and travel restrictions related to the pandemic partly led to the dramatic fall in numbers over the past two years, increasing tensions between the two countries have also pushed Chinese students to gradually look for alternatives, both in China and non-US options.
International student enrollment at US colleges and universities peaked in the 2015-2016 academic year and has been falling since then, the Institute of International Education said, citing visa concerns, competition from other countries with better access to work visas, and stronger social and political ties between China and other nations.
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