# Wu Shulian Chinese university rankings

Wu Shulian is an individual who created and published by himself the rankings for universities in China. Wu Shulian's ranking has caused significant controversy due to his excessive business operations behind the rankings and for-profit indicator system design of the rankings. The publication of the rankings has been criticized by many Chinese media, including Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, and Guangming Daily. The Ministry of Education of China strongly opposed the university rankings as it was based on the payment of "fees."

## Published ranking

The annual ranking has been continuously released since 1996. Top 100 universities out of 2,236 colleges and universities (general/integrated ranking) since 2002 are as below, as well as 1996 ranking.
| University (membership of C9 League/Project 985) | 1996 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Zhejiang University (C9-985) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Peking University (C9-985) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Tsinghua University (C9-985) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University (C9-985) | 21 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Fudan University (C9-985) | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Nanjing University (C9-985) | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Wuhan University (985) | 20 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Sun Yat-sen University (985) | 19 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| University of Science and Technology of China (C9-985) | 10 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 17 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology (985) | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Jilin University (985) | 15 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Xi'an Jiaotong University (C9-985) | 5 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Sichuan University (985) | 27 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (C9-985) | 8 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Nankai University (985) | 25 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Shandong University (985) | 23 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
| Beijing Normal University (985) | 43 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
| Tianjin University (985) | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
| Central South University (985) | 32 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
| Southeast University (985) | 9 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
| Renmin University of China (985) | 44 | 35 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 21 |
| Beihang University (985) | 14 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 27 |
| Xiamen University (985) | 42 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 23 |
| Dalian University of Technology (985) | 11 | 30 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 18 |
| Tongji University (985) | 29 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 25 |
| South China University of Technology (985) | 35 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Chongqing University (985) | 34 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Lanzhou University (985) | 33 | 41 | 42 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University (985) | 12 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| East China Normal University (985) | 39 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 33 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology (985) | 50 | 32 | 36 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| China Agricultural University (985) | 13 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 31 |
| Hunan University (985) | 38 | 45 | 43 | 43 | 40 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Northeastern University (985) | 22 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 34 | 46 | 46 | 46 |
| Zhengzhou University | 51 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 39 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 |
| Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics | 17 | 52 | 47 | 45 | 44 | 39 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 36 |
| East China University of Science and Technology | 31 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| Soochow University | 64 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 42 | 36 | 37 |
| Nanjing Agricultural University | 47 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 45 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 38 |
| Wuhan University of Technology | 63 | 38 | 38 | 42 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 42 | 42 |
| Shanghai University | 49 | 43 | 45 | 52 | 54 | 50 | 43 | 41 | 38 | 38 | 41 |
| University of Science and Technology Beijing | 26 | 40 | 40 | 38 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 50 | 49 | 51 |
| University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (985) | 37 | 56 | 56 | 48 | 49 | 47 | 48 | 43 | 37 | 40 | 39 |
| Southwest University | | 93 | 91 | 79 | 51 | 51 | 46 | 45 | 41 | 43 | 43 |
| Northeast Normal University | 36 | 58 | 60 | 59 | 58 | 54 | 49 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 |
| Xidian University | 46 | 53 | 55 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 45 |
| Northwest A&F University (985) | | 57 | 49 | 54 | 52 | 49 | 53 | 47 | 49 | 48 | 48 |
| Jinan University | 84 | 49 | 51 | 53 | 48 | 44 | 47 | 48 | 54 | 52 | 49 |
| Nanjing University of Science and Technology | 30 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 50 | 48 | 51 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 47 |
| Huazhong Normal University | 52 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 57 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 45 | 58 | 67 |
| Weifang University | | 55 | 52 | 55 | 55 | 53 | 55 | 51 | 51 | 54 | 53 |
| China University of Mining and Technology | 24 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 41 | 41 | 45 | 52 | 53 | 85 | 87 |
| Nanjing Normal University | 70 | 47 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 64 | 51 | 54 |
| Yangzhou University | 74 | 51 | 54 | 57 | 60 | 57 | 57 | 54 | 44 | 41 | 40 |
| Huazhong Agricultural University | 69 | 60 | 58 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 62 | 55 | 61 | 65 | 58 |
| Northwest University | 95 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 47 | 46 | 54 | 56 | 62 | 61 | 63 |
| Ocean University of China (985) | 54 | 64 | 65 | 60 | 59 | 58 | 56 | 57 | 60 | 57 | 56 |
| Hunan Normal University | 62 | 61 | 61 | 66 | 65 | 60 | 61 | 58 | 59 | 62 | 68 |
| Beijing Jiaotong University | 53 | 66 | 67 | 73 | 70 | 62 | 60 | 59 | 52 | 55 | 57 |
| South China Normal University | 61 | 65 | 66 | 62 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 56 | 59 | 62 |
| Beijing University of Chemical Technology | 75 | 86 | 74 | 69 | 66 | 61 | 58 | 61 | 57 | 56 | 55 |
| Shaanxi Normal University | 80 | 84 | 83 | 75 | 71 | 67 | 63 | 62 | 66 | 60 | 60 |
| Nanchang University | 97 | 71 | 73 | 88 | 68 | 66 | 65 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 61 |
| Shanxi University | | 80 | 72 | 64 | 64 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 69 | 68 | 70 |
| Hohai University | 85 | 81 | 70 | 71 | 69 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 67 | 66 | 64 |
| Beijing University of Technology | 81 | 59 | 64 | 68 | 74 | 74 | 67 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 65 |
| South China Agricultural University | 83 | 70 | 75 | 65 | 62 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 82 | 79 | 77 |
| Jiangnan University | | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 94 | 85 | 73 | 68 | 58 | 53 | 52 |
| Donghua University | | 75 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 82 | 75 | 69 | 55 | 50 | 50 |
| Nanjing University of Technology | | 72 | 63 | 67 | 75 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 77 | 80 | 78 |
| Fuzhou University | | 69 | 77 | 83 | 79 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 83 | 77 | 74 |
| China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) | | 42 | 37 | 41 | 34 | 65 | 69 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 73 |
| Yanshan University | | 91 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 75 |
| Henan University | 59 | 97 | 101+ | 93 | 87 | 83 | 77 | 74 | 71 | 67 | 66 |
| Zhejiang University of Technology | | 100 | 92 | 91 | 91 | 88 | 80 | 75 | 74 | 70 | 71 |
| Harbin Engineering University | 90 | 96 | 89 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 75 | 69 |
| Hebei University | | 82 | 81 | 86 | 81 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 80 | 78 | 80 |
| Jiangsu University | | 73 | 71 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 75 | 74 | 72 |
| Shandong Agricultural University | 23 | 87 | 80 | 76 | 76 | 73 | 81 | 79 | 93 | 101+ | 101+ |
| Hefei University of Technology | 68 | 79 | 85 | 87 | 86 | 87 | 78 | 80 | 68 | 71 | 76 |
| Xiangtan University | 98 | 89 | 93 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 85 | 81 | 78 | 83 | 82 |
| Capital University of Medical Sciences | | 63 | 59 | 61 | 63 | 68 | 82 | 82 | 70 | 69 | 59 |
| China University of Petroleum (Qingdao, Shandong Province) | 48 | 39 | 41 | 40 | 37 | 37 | 41 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 89 |
| Yunnan University | | 67 | 69 | 72 | 72 | 78 | 83 | 84 | 79 | 76 | 79 |
| Zhongnan University of Economics and Law | | 74 | 62 | 74 | 80 | 76 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 90 | 88 |
| China Medical University | | 62 | 68 | 63 | 67 | 71 | 87 | 86 | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ |
| Southern Medical University | | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 80 | 88 | 87 | 98 | 101+ | 101+ |
| China University of Geosciences (Beijing) | | 42 | 37 | 41 | 34 | 91 | 89 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 93 |
| North China Electric Power University | | 101+ | 95 | 101+ | 100 | 94 | 92 | 89 | 76 | 81 | 84 |
| Shanghai University of Finance and Economics | | 85 | 76 | 85 | 84 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 83 |
| Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications | 89 | 94 | 100 | 92 | 85 | 86 | 84 | 91 | 87 | 87 | 81 |
| China Pharmaceutical University | | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 96 | 101+ | 97 | 92 | 90 | 94 | 85 |
| Shandong Normal University | 65 | 99 | 97 | 94 | 97 | 95 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 101+ | 101+ |
| Heilongjiang University | | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 96 | 94 | 94 | 92 | 91 |
| Capital Normal University | | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 95 | 92 | 93 | 95 |
| Shanghai Normal University | | 98 | 96 | 97 | 101+ | 101+ | 98 | 96 | 95 | 95 | 96 |
| Anhui University | | 95 | 98 | 98 | 101+ | 101+ | 99 | 97 | 101+ | 101+ | 100 |
| Fujian Normal University | 77 | 92 | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ | 100 | 98 | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ |
| Taiyuan University of Technology | 79 | 88 | 84 | 80 | 89 | 99 | 101+ | 99 | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ |
| Kunming University of Science and Technology | | 83 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 93 | 93 | 100 | 101+ | 101+ | 101+ |
Notes:
* The rank once tried category ranking in 1998. To list top 5, comprehensive universities ranking: 1. Nanjing University, 2. Peking University, 3. Fudan University, 4. Shandong University, 5. Jilin University, and technological universities ranking: 1. Tsinghua University, 2. Zhejiang University, 3. Southeast University, 4. Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 5. Xi'an Jiaotong University. However, many schools developed to be comprehensive universities soon later, including through mergers.
* Since about the year 2000 there were peaks of mergers of universities for several years, and one of the reasons for them is to become comprehensive universities.
* China University of Petroleum has two branches: One in Beijing and the other one in Qingdao, Shandong Province. The Qingdao branch is ranked among Top 100 (no. 83).
* China University of Geosciences also has two branches: One in Beijing and the other one in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Both branches are ranked among Top 100 (Wuhan no. 72 and Beijing no. 88).

## Controversies

In 2009, the leader of this university ranking program, Mr. Wu Shulian, was reported to have been involved in a fee-for-ranking scandal, involving universities being able to pay money to the ranking program in order to boost their rankings. Consequently, the creditability of his ranking came under criticism. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China strongly opposes all university rankings, especially those based on payment of “fees”, a ministry spokeswoman Xu Mei said.
A study by an anonymous group from the Chinese University of Science and Technology showed that California Institute of Technology would fail to rank on the Chinese university rankings if calculated by Wu Shulian's ranking standard, which was considered ridiculous due to that university's international reputation as a leading research institution. This widespread controversy has greatly affected the credit of this ranking program and has frequently been reported on by the media. Wu Shuliang officially responded with paper in Higher Education Development and Evaluation addressing several mistakes made by the study, including failure to correctly use the ranking method, failure to show the calculation process, meaning that the calculations cannot be repeated, inappropriately publishing classified data from the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, inappropriate use of unavailable/non-equivalent indices/scores for California Institute of Technology constituting 78.79% of total indices/scores. Wu Shuliang's paper shows California Institute of Technology clearly ranks much higher than any of Chinese Universities using his published method with proper treatment.