THE’s Asia-Pacific University Ranking 2017 analysed universities across 38 nations in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. The overall ranking features just over 200 universities from 13 different nations.
The ranking uses the same performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings 2016-17, however the weightings were adjusted to reflect the younger profile of some of the universities in the region. The full methodology can be found here.
Japan is the most-represented nation with 69 universities featured. China is in second place with 52 universities. Other countries with a strong presence in the ranking are Australia (35 universities), Taiwan (26), South Korea (25) and Thailand (nine).
Universities from China and Singapore dominate the top five places. The only university outside Asia to appear in the top five is the University of Melbourne in third place. The other four universities are the National University of Singapore (in first place), Peking University (second place), Tsinghua University (fourth place) and Nanyang Technological University (fifth place).
Top five universities in Asia-Pacific region
Scroll down for the full list of top universities in the region
1. National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is a highly international university with more than half the student body made up of international students. It has overseas colleges in many different locations including Israel, Germany, the US and Sweden. It has also formed collaborations with leading US institutions Duke University and Yale University.
The university has 17 schools across three campuses in Singapore and regularly ranks highly in both the Asia University Rankings and the THE World University Rankings.
The university started as a medical school in 1905 and has since developed to be one of Asia’s flagship universities. It was established as the National University of Singapore after the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University in 1980.
2. Peking University
The university was founded in 1898 and was the first national university in Chinese modern history. The teaching language for undergraduates is English, while graduate-level programmes are taught in either English or Chinese. It is the leading liberal arts university in China and also has a large mathematics and science faculty. The university consists of 31 colleges and 14 departments.
It has the largest university library in China containing more than 4 million volumes, including more than 1 million thread-bound Chinese books.
Many of the buildings on campus retain their original Chinese-style design and structure including traditional houses, gardens and pagodas, as well as many notable historic buildings and structures.
3. University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research institution and Australia’s second-oldest university. Four Australian prime ministers have graduated from the institution and nine Nobel laureates have been associated with it.
The undergraduate curriculum is unusual for Australia since it offers nine generalised three-year degrees instead of more specialised undergraduate courses. This style of teaching has been labelled the “Melbourne Model”. The university also offers postgraduate courses.
Melbourne is one of the leading research universities in Australia and some of the research developed there has been adapted throughout the world. In the 1970s, research at the institution led to the first successful cochlear implant. Since 1984, more than 220,000 people worldwide have received a cochlear implant.
4. Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University is one of the most selective institutions in the world and a comprehensive research university. Its 20 schools and 54 departments cover subjects in art, economics, education, engineering, history, management, medicine, law, literature, philosophy and the sciences.
Tsinghua has more than 110 student associations and groups covering five areas: science and technology, physical training, humanities, arts and public welfare.
Tsinghua campus is in northwest Beijing, in the Haidian district, which was traditionally reserved specifically for universities and other academic institutes.
5. Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is a relatively young research-intensive institution and is considered Singapore’s main science and technology university. It was formally established in 1991 through the merger of Nanyang Technological Institute and the National Institute of Education.
The university has three campuses: Yunnan Garden, NTU @one-north, and Novena. Yunnan Garden is the biggest in Singapore and has been voted one of the top 15 most beautiful campuses in the world. Yunnan is also an eco-friendly campus and the university has pledged to become the greenest campus in the world by 2022.
Best universities in the Asia-Pacific region
| Asia-Pacific rank 2017 | THE World University rank 2016-17 | University | Country/region |
| 1 | 24 | National University of Singapore | Singapore |
| 2 | 29 | Peking University | China |
| 3 | =33 | University of Melbourne | Australia |
| 4 | 35 | Tsinghua University | China |
| 5 | 54 | Nanyang Technological University | Singapore |
| 6 | =43 | University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| 7 | 49 | Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong |
| 8 | 47 | Australian National University | Australia |
| 9 | 39 | University of Tokyo | Japan |
| 10 | =60 | University of Queensland | Australia |
| 11 | =60 | University of Sydney | Australia |
| 12 | 74 | Monash University | Australia |
| 13 | =89 | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | South Korea |
| 14 | =72 | Seoul National University | South Korea |
| 15 | =104 | Pohang University of Science and Technology | South Korea |
| 16 | =78 | University of New South Wales | Australia |
| 17 | 76 | Chinese University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| 18 | 119 | City University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong |
| 19 | 125 | University of Western Australia | Australia |
| 20 | 142 | University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 21 | =137 | Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) | South Korea |
| 22 | =91 | Kyoto University | Japan |
| 23 | =153 | University of Science and Technology of China | China |
| 24 | =165 | University of Auckland | New Zealand |
| 25 | 155 | Fudan University | China |
| 26 | 201—250 | University of Technology Sydney | Australia |
| 27 | =192 | Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Hong Kong |
| 28 | 201—250 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | China |
| 29 | 201—250 | Zhejiang University | China |
| 30 | 201—250 | Korea University | South Korea |
| 31 | 201—250 | University of Otago | New Zealand |
| 32 | 201—250 | Queensland University of Technology | Australia |
| 33 | =195 | National Taiwan University | Taiwan |
| 34 | 201—250 | Nanjing University | China |
| 35 | 201—250 | University of Newcastle | Australia |
| 36 | 251—300 | University of South Australia | Australia |
| 37 | 201—250 | Tohoku University | Japan |
| =38 | 251—300 | Charles Darwin University | Australia |
| =38 | 251—300 | Macquarie University | Australia |
| 40 | 251—300 | University of Wollongong | Australia |
| 41 | 251—300 | Yonsei University | South Korea |
| 42 | 251—300 | Tokyo Institute of Technology | Japan |
| =43 | 251—300 | Griffith University | Australia |
| =43 | 251—300 | James Cook University | Australia |
| 45 | 301—350 | Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology | South Korea |
| 46 | 251—300 | Osaka University | Japan |
| 47 | 251—300 | National Tsing Hua University | Taiwan |
| 48 | 301—350 | University of Tasmania | Australia |
| 49 | 251—300 | Deakin University | Australia |
| 50 | 301—350 | Nagoya University | Japan |
| 51 | 351—400 | Kyung Hee University | South Korea |
| 52 | 351—400 | Hanyang University | South Korea |
| 53 | 401—500 | National Chiao Tung University | Taiwan |
| 54 | 351—400 | University of Canterbury | New Zealand |
| 55 | 351—400 | Victoria University | Australia |
| 56 | 351—400 | Toyota Technological Institute | Japan |
| 57 | 401—500 | National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech) | Taiwan |
| =58 | 351—400 | La Trobe University | Australia |
| =58 | 351—400 | Victoria University of Wellington | New Zealand |
| 60 | 351—400 | Swinburne University of Technology | Australia |
| 61 | 351—400 | University of Macau | Macao |
| =62 | 351—400 | Kyushu University | Japan |
| =62 | 401—500 | Murdoch University | Australia |
| 64 | 351—400 | Flinders University | Australia |
| =65 | 401—500 | National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) | Taiwan |
| =65 | 401—500 | Sun Yat-sen University | China |
| =67 | 351—400 | Hong Kong Baptist University | Hong Kong |
| =67 | 401—500 | Wuhan University | China |
| =69 | 401—500 | Curtin University | Australia |
| =69 | 401—500 | Western Sydney University | Australia |
| 71 | 401—500 | Lincoln University | New Zealand |
| 72 | 401—500 | Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) | Japan |
| =73 | 401—500 | Ewha Womans University | South Korea |
| =73 | 401—500 | RMIT University | Australia |
| 75 | 401—500 | University of Tsukuba | Japan |
| 76 | 401—500 | Hokkaido University | Japan |
| 77 | 401—500 | Central Queensland University | Australia |
| 78 | 401—500 | University of Waikato | New Zealand |
| 79 | 401—500 | Chung-Ang University | South Korea |
| 80 | 501—600 | Tongji University | China |
| =81 | 401—500 | University of Canberra | Australia |
| =81 | 401—500 | Huazhong University of Science and Technology | China |
| 83 | 501—600 | University of Ulsan | South Korea |
| 84 | 501—600 | China Medical University, Taiwan | Taiwan |
| 85 | 401—500 | Massey University | New Zealand |
| 86 | 401—500 | Tokyo Metropolitan University | Japan |
| =87 | 501—600 | Soochow University | China |
| =87 | 501—600 | Southeast University | China |
| 89 | 401—500 | Renmin University of China | China |
| 90 | 501—600 | Harbin Institute of Technology | China |
| 91 | 501—600 | East China Normal University | China |
| =92 | 501—600 | Southern Cross University | Australia |
| =92 | 501—600 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | China |
| 94 | 501—600 | Tianjin University | China |
| 95 | 501—600 | East China University of Science and Technology | China |
| 96 | 501—600 | Edith Cowan University | Australia |
| =97 | 501—600 | Bond University | Australia |
| =97 | 401—500 | Xiamen University | China |
| 99 | 501—600 | National Taiwan Normal University | Taiwan |
| 100 | 501—600 | Pusan National University | South Korea |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | Auckland University of Technology | New Zealand |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | China Agricultural University | China |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | Hiroshima University | Japan |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | Mahidol University | Thailand |
| 101–110 | 601—800 | National Sun Yat-Sen University | Taiwan |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | Sejong University | South Korea |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | Sogang University | South Korea |
| 101–110 | 601—800 | South China University of Technology | China |
| 101–110 | 501—600 | University of the Sunshine Coast | Australia |
| 101–110 | 601—800 | Taipei Medical University | Taiwan |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Australian Catholic University | Australia |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Chiba University | Japan |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Dalian University of Technology | China |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Kanazawa University | Japan |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Keio University | Japan |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi | Thailand |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Nanjing Medical University | China |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | National Central University | Taiwan |
| 111–120 | 501—600 | National Yang-Ming University | Taiwan |
| 111–120 | 601—800 | Yeungnam University | South Korea |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Beijing Institute of Technology | China |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Chang Gung University | Taiwan |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) | China |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | China University of Petroleum (Beijing) | China |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Ehime University | Japan |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Nanjing Agricultural University | China |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Osaka City University | Japan |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Universiti Putra Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Sichuan University | China |
| 121–130 | 601—800 | Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Inha University | South Korea |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Kobe University | Japan |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Kochi University | Japan |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Konkuk University | South Korea |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Kumamoto University | Japan |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Northeast Normal University | China |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | China |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Universiti Teknologi Petronas | Malaysia |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology | Japan |
| 131–140 | 601—800 | Waseda University | Japan |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Chulalongkorn University | Thailand |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Feng Chia University | Taiwan |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Hunan University | China |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Jilin University | China |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Juntendo University | Japan |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Nagoya City University | Japan |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Northeastern University | China |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Okayama University | Japan |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Universiti Sains Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | University of Science and Technology Beijing | China |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | University of Southern Queensland | Australia |
| 141–150 | 601—800 | Yokohama City University | Japan |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Ajou University | South Korea |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Capital Medical University | China |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Kaohsiung Medical University | Taiwan |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | National Taiwan Ocean University | Taiwan |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Shantou University | China |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Tokushima University | Japan |
| 151–160 | 601—800 | Tokyo University of Science | Japan |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Chiang Mai University | Thailand |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Chonbuk National University | South Korea |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Chonnam National University | South Korea |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Chung Yuan Christian University | Taiwan |
| 161–170 | > 800 | King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang | Thailand |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Kyungpook National University | South Korea |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Nanjing Normal University | China |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | National Chung Cheng University | Taiwan |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | National Chung Hsing University | Taiwan |
| 161–170 | 601—800 | Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) | Japan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Asia University, Taiwan | Taiwan |
| 171–180 | > 800 | Chongqing University | China |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Jikei University School of Medicine | Japan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Kindai University | Japan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Nagoya Institute of Technology | Japan |
| 171–180 | > 800 | National Taipei University of Technology | Taiwan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Shinshu University | Japan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Suranaree University of Technology | Thailand |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Yamagata University | Japan |
| 171–180 | 601—800 | Yuan Ze University | Taiwan |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Central South University | China |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Nagaoka University of Technology | Japan |
| 181–190 | 601—800 | Nagasaki University | Japan |
| 181–190 | 601—800 | Niigata University | Japan |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Ocean University of China | China |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Shanghai University | China |
| 181–190 | > 800 | University of Toyama | Japan |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Xidian University | China |
| 181–190 | 601—800 | University of Yamanashi | Japan |
| 181–190 | > 800 | Yokohama National University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | China University of Mining and Technology | China |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Chuo University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Gifu University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Jinan University | China |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Khon Kaen University | Thailand |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Nanjing Tech University | China |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Osaka Prefecture University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Prince of Songkla University | Thailand |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Saitama University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Saitama Medical University | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology | Japan |
| 191–200 | > 800 | Xiangtan University | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) | Indonesia |
| 200+ | > 800 | Chiba Institute of Technology | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Chungnam National University | South Korea |
| 200+ | > 800 | Doshisha University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Fu Jen Catholic University | Taiwan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Gunma University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Hallym University | South Korea |
| 200+ | > 800 | Hosei University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | I-Shou University | Taiwan |
| 200+ | > 800 | University of Indonesia | Indonesia |
| 200+ | > 800 | Iwate University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Jiangsu University | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Kansai University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Kasetsart University | Thailand |
| 200+ | > 800 | Kwansei Gakuin University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech) | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Meiji University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Ming Chuan University | Taiwan |
| 200+ | > 800 | National Chengchi University | Taiwan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Oita University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | University of the Philippines | Philippines |
| 200+ | > 800 | Ritsumeikan University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | University of Seoul | South Korea |
| 200+ | > 800 | Shaanxi Normal University | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Shibaura Institute of Technology Tokyo | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Shimane University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Shizuoka University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Showa University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Sophia University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Southwest Jiaotong University | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Tamkang University | Taiwan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Universiti Teknologi MARA | Malaysia |
| 200+ | > 800 | Tokai University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Tokyo City University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Tokyo Denki University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Tottori University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Universiti Utara Malaysia | Malaysia |
| 200+ | > 800 | Utsunomiya University | Japan |
| 200+ | > 800 | Wuhan University of Technology | China |
| 200+ | > 800 | Yamaguchi University | Japan |
[“source-timeshighereducation”]
