Asian varsities have long remained global hubs for learners seeking quality education in the continent. These campuses are making an increasingly strong impact on global research, technology, and academic excellence. We look at some of the outstanding universities in Asia.
Reviewed are giant institutions in various countries including China, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
77 Best Universities in Asia ranked
The institutions discussed are those consistently ranking among the best worldwide, therefore, attracting students and faculty from all corners of the globe.
Which is the best university in Asia?
1. Peking University
Peking University is a prestigious higher learning centre in Haidian, Beijing, China.
| Country | China |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Telephone | +861062751234 |
| Website | https://www.pku.edu.cn |
| [email protected] |
It is funded by the Ministry of Education of China with C9 League membership.
2. Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University is a preferred public university in Haidian, Beijing, China.
| Country | China |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Telephone | +861062783100 |
| Website | http://tsinghua.edu.cn/ |
| [email protected] |
The institution is renowned for its fully funded opportunities for international students seeking master’s qualifications.
3. National University of Singapore (NUS)
The National University of Singapore is a merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University.
| Country | Singapore |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Telephone | +6565166666 |
| Website | https://nus.edu.sg |
| [email protected] |
Established in 1980, the campus sits on 370 acres of land.
4. Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
The Nanyang Technological University is a reputable public research university in Singapore.
| Country | Singapore |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Telephone | +65โฏ6790โฏ6000 |
| Website | https://www.ntu.edu.sg |
| [email protected] |
Founded in 1981, it is also the second oldest autonomous university in the country.
5. Fudan University
Fudan University is a national public university in Yangpu, Shanghai, China.
| Country | China |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Telephone | +86216564โฏ0000 |
| Website | https://www.fudan.edu.cn |
| [email protected] |
It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education and is co-funded with the Shanghai Municipal Government.
6. University of Hong Kong (HKU)
The University of Hong Kong is a public research university in Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Telephone | +85239177111 |
| Website | https://www.hku.hk |
| [email protected] |
The institution was founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese by the London Missionary Society and formally established as the University of Hong Kong in 1911.
And now, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong.
7. Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong.
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Telephone | +85239437000 |
| Website | https://www.cuhk.edu.hk |
| [email protected] |
Established in 1963 as a federation of three colleges; Chung Chi College, New Asia College, and United College.
Elsewhere, it is Hong Kong’s second-oldest university, with the first being the University of Hong Kong.
8. City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
The City University of Hong Kong is a public research university in Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Telephone | +85234427654 |
| Website | https://www.cityu.edu.hk |
| [email protected] |
It was founded in 1984 as the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and formally established as the City University of Hong Kong in 1994.
9. Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University is a public research university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| Country | China |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Telephone | +86โฏ571โฏ8795โฏ0000 |
| Website | https://www.zju.edu.cn |
| [email protected] |
The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and Double First-Class Construction
10. University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo is a public research university in Bunkyล, Tokyo, Japan.
| Country | Japan |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Telephone | +81358411212 |
| Website | https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp |
| [email protected] |
Founded in 1877 as the nation’s first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernization era institutions.
Its direct precursors include the Tenmongata, founded in 1684, and the Shลheizaka Institute.
11. Kyoto University
Kyoto University, or KyotoU, is a national research university in Kyoto, Japan.
| Country | Japan |
| Founded | 1897 |
| Telephone | +81โฏ75โฏ753โฏ7531 |
| Website | https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp |
| [email protected] |
Founded in 1897, it is one of the former Imperial Universities and the second oldest university in Japan.
12. Seoul National University
The Seoul National University is a public research university in Seoul, South Korea.
| Country | South Korea |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Telephone | +82โฏ2โฏ880โฏ5114 |
| Website | https://en.snu.ac.kr |
| [email protected] |
It is one of the SKY universities and a part of the Flagship Korean National Universities. The university’s main campus is located in Gwanak.
Its two campuses are located in Daehangno and Pyeongchang.
13. Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST)
KAIST is a national research university located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea.
| Country | South Korea |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Telephone | +82423503615 |
| Website | https://www.kaist.ac.kr |
| [email protected] |
KAIST was established by the Korean government in 1971 as the nation’s first public, research-oriented science and engineering institution.
14. Universiti Malaya (UM)
The Universiti Malaya is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| Country | Malaysia |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Telephone | +60379671234 |
| Website | https://www.um.edu.my |
| [email protected] |
It is the oldest Malaysian institution of higher education, and was the only university in newly independent Malaya.
15. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is one of the Twenty Three IITs created to be Centres of Excellence for training, research and development.
| Country | India |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Telephone | +91112659โฏ7135 |
| Website | https://home.iitd.ac.in |
| [email protected] |
Established in 1961, it was formally inaugurated in August 1961 by the Minister of Scientific Research & Cultural Affairs.
Full list of universities in Asia
- Airlangga University
- Amirkabir University of Technology
- Ateneo de Manila University
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
- Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)
- Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
- Beijing Normal University
- Boฤaziรงi University
- Chiang Mai University
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
- Chulalongkorn University
- City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
- De La Salle University
- Diponegoro University
- Gadjah Mada University (UGM)
- Hanyang University
- Harbin Institute of Technology
- Hokkaido University
- Hong Kong Baptist University
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
- Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IITKGP)
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
- Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)
- Istanbul Technical University
- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
- Kasetsart University
- Keio University
- Khalifa University
- King Abdulaziz University
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
- King Mongkutโs University of Technology Thonburi
- King Saud University
- Koรง University
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Korea University
- Kyoto University
- Kyushu University
- Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
- Mahidol University
- Middle East Technical University
- Nagoya University
- Nanjing University
- Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
- National Central University
- National Cheng Kung University
- National Chiao Tung University
- National Taiwan University (NTU)
- National Tsing Hua University
- National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
- National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Nazarbayev University
- Osaka University
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
- Quaid-i-Azam University
- Renmin University of China
- Sabancฤฑ University
- Seoul National University (SNU)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- Sharif University of Technology
- Singapore Management University (SMU)
- Sun Yat-sen University
- Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)
- Taylorโs University
- Technion โ Israel Institute of Technology
- Tianjin University
- Tohoku University
- Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Tongji University
- UCSI University
- Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
- United Arab Emirates University
- Universitas Indonesia
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
- Universiti Malaya (UM)
- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
- University of Colombo
- University of Delhi
- University of Dhaka
- University of Hong Kong (HKU)
- University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
- University of Tehran
- University of the Philippines (UP)
- University of Tokyo
- Vietnam National University, Hanoi
- Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City
- Waseda University
- Wuhan University
- Xiamen University
- Yonsei University
- Zhejiang University
There are even more campuses in Australia, Africa, Europe, South America, and North America.
The number of higher learning institutions continues to rise with greater demand for scientific breakthroughs.
Top universities across countries in Asia
| No | Country | Population |
| 1 | Afghanistan | 43.8 million |
| 2 | Armenia | 3 million |
| 3 | Azerbaijan | 10.4 million |
| 4 | Bahrain | 1.6 million |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 175.6 million |
| 6 | Bhutan | 797k |
| 7 | Brunei | 466k |
| 8 | Cambodia | 17.8 million |
| 9 | China | 1.4 billion |
| 10 | Cyprus | 1.37 million |
| 11 | Georgia | 3.8 million |
| 12 | Hong Kong | 7.4 million |
| 13 | India | 1.46 billion |
| 14 | Indonesia | 285.7 million |
| 15 | Iran | 92.4 million |
| 16 | Iraq | 47 million |
| 17 | Israel | 9.5 million |
| 18 | Japan | 123 million |
| 19 | Jordan | 11.5 million |
| 20 | Kazakhstan | 20.8 million |
| 21 | Kuwait | 5 million |
| 22 | Kyrgyzstan | 7 million |
| 23 | Laos | 7.9 million |
| 24 | Lebanon | 5.85 million |
| 25 | Macao | 722k |
| 26 | Malaysia | 36 million |
| 27 | Maldives | 530k |
| 28 | Mongolia | 3.5 million |
| 29 | Myanmar | 54.85 million |
| 30 | Nepal | 29.6 million |
| 31 | North Korea | 26.5 million |
| 32 | Oman | 5.5 million |
| 33 | Pakistan | 255 million |
| 34 | Philippines | 117 million |
| 35 | Qatar | 3 million |
| 36 | Saudi Arabia | 34.5 million |
| 37 | Singapore | 5.8 million |
| 38 | South Korea | 51.7 million |
| 39 | Sri Lanka | 23 million |
| 40 | State of Palestine | 6.5 million |
| 41 | Syria | 25.6 million |
| 42 | Taiwan | 23 million |
| 43 | Tajikistan | 10.7 million |
| 44 | Thailand | 71.6 million |
| 45 | Timor-Leste | 1.4 million |
| 46 | Turkey | 87.7 million |
| 47 | Turkmenistan | 7.6 million |
| 48 | United Arab Emirates | 11 million |
| 49 | Uzbekistan | 37 million |
| 50 | Vietnam | 101.6 million |
| 51 | Yemen | 41.7 million |
The leading universities in Asia serve millions of students from across the world with progressive and futuristic skills.
I am a digital creative cum graduate Mechatronics Engineer from Dedan Kimathi University; with over a decade of experience in computer applications, networking, website design, graphic design, blogging, CAD, and robotics. Besides, I coach on-demand digital skills at Rejnac Masterclass. Reach out via the Contact Form.
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