Top 5 Universities in Asia for International Students

The 2019 Asia University Rankings help us see the 350+ best colleges and universities in Asia, collated from 27 countries of the world.

Japan tops the chat with 100+ universities included in the ranking, while China sits second with 72 ranked universities and India the third most represented country with 49 institutions, up from 42 last year.

Hong Kong is equally in the mix, with three universities included.

1. Tsinghua University, China

Tsinghua University has been running a multidisciplinary system for well over 30 years, after undergoing tons of changes since it was founded in 1911.

It is regarded as one of the most outstanding universities in China and admits only exceptional students who achieve extremely high grades in the national exams.

The university runs over 51 different undergraduate courses and more than 200 postgraduate degrees.

Tsinghua also features in the top 30 in the overall THE World University Rankings. It also achieved a top 30 position for engineering and technology, life sciences, physical sciences, computer science and business courses.

The campus is located in northwest Beijing in a beautiful district specified as a university hub. These buildings have on display both traditional Chinese architecture and Western styles. Interestingly,one of the campuses have been named one of the most beautiful in the world.

This institution has produced many graduates who’ve gone on to become extremely influential at home and abroad, most importantly in Chinese politics. Did you know that Particle physicist Chen-Ning Yang is one of two Nobel prizewinners who graduated from the university?

2. National University of Singapore, Singapore

By far the oldest institution in Singapore and the largest in terms of student numbers, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is known for mixing research excellence and innovation.

It sits in the top 30 globally, and achieved high scores for research and international outlook, and an amazing performance in engineering and technology.

The institution prioritizes entrepreneurship and it dates back to 30 years ago with the formation of a dedicated space for innovation and technopreneurship.

NUS employs British-style lecture method by virtue of small group tutorials and US-style program credits to design the degree requirements. Understandably,degree courses are more flexible than in the UK; as in US universities, students are able to transfer between programs early in the degree track, do modules across a range of faculties and are able to access a good number of disciplinary courses

Thousands of students live on campus in one of the 6,000 residential places across a number of halls, thanks to an internal shuttle bus which takes students around campus.

Popular graduates include four Singaporean prime ministers and presidents, former Malaysian prime ministers, and tons of politicians, business people and local innovators.

3. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was founded sometime in 1991. The university places focus on science, technology, engineering, management and business studies but equally offers courses in the social sciences and the humanities.

The university is a campus institution based out of the northern part of Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the beautiful Sai Kung District. The university campus sits on a slope and amazing buildings and facilities are carved out on terraces. You’ll find the academic facilities erected on the upper terraces and undergraduate halls of residence and sporting facilities close to the seafront.

The Lee Shau Kee library can be found sitting centrally on campus and has well over 720,000 print and electronic volumes and 47,000 periodicals for your use. The library equally has a good collection of ancient maps of China and other countries in Asia that were designed by Chinese and Western cartographers who spent years in the region.

4. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

If you did not know, English is the primary language of instruction at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), found in Pokfulam.

It was founded by the British governor in 1911 but started to integrate Chinese culture and education into its programs from the early 1900’s, when the first degree in Chinese was awarded.

The structures on the primary campus in the Mid-Levels neighbourhood of Hong Kong Island are the only remaining examples of British colonial relics. The primary Building, was built and completed in 1912, and remains the oldest building. In addition, it was declared a national monument.

As you would expect, admissions are super competitive. To provide context, there are about 12 applications for every admission spot for an international undergraduate. For applicants from mainland China, one student is offered a place for every 31 applications received.

Undergraduate programs typically take four years to complete, with an additional year or two for medical courses. Note that all local students are expected to take English and Chinese language courses.

HKU alumni have always been fundamentally involved in building the fabrics of modern China’s political, economic and cultural landscape. The rest occupy senior positions in the commercial sector.

5. Peking University, China

Peking University was China’s first ever modern national university in China, founded towards the end of the 19th century.

At the moment, it is known as a centre for progressive thought and research excellence. It even boasts of 216 research centres, two of which are national engineering institutions.

Although the institution teaches and researches across science, social sciences and humanities, it is still a great choice for physical sciences and engineering.

On top of that, the university library is the largest of its kind across Asia, housing 11 million books and other key resources.

After its relocation 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 to the campus have murals on the ceiling with amazing attractions.

The campus has dormitories with space for more than 2,000 international students.

Several popular innovators in China are alumni of Peking University. Three Nobel prizewinners graduated from the institution.