China's Top 2% Scientists 2020: Career-Long List

China has 5,273 scientists on the 2020 career-long Top 2% list. That places China 7th in the world by number of listed scientists. Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists (258), followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (157).

Single Year

12,955

First year listed

Career Data

5,273

First year listed

World rank by count

First year listed

Institutes

709

First year listed

Scientists in China on the list, by year

Career-long list, change on the previous year

2021+31.7%

2022+10.8%

2023+17.2%

2024+18.6%

2025+15.8%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	12,955		5,273
2021	16,611	+28.2%	6,943	+31.7%
2022	19,310	+16.2%	7,693	+10.8%
2023	23,487	+21.6%	9,013	+17.2%
2024	27,166	+15.7%	10,689	+18.6%
2025	31,697	+16.7%	12,375	+15.8%

Top 10 institutes in China

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2020

Show the list

1Tsinghua University258
2Shanghai Jiao Tong University157
3Chinese Academy of Sciences130
4Peking University121
5Fudan University108
6Zhejiang University96
7Harbin Institute of Technology89
8South China University of Technology80
9Tianjin University75
10Huazhong University of Science and Technology72

All 5,273 scientists

Career-long list2020

The first 100 are free to browse.

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Rank in China	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	113	IA Inoue, Akihisa	Tianjin University	Materials	Rank 1
2	141	RD Rubin, Donald B.	Tsinghua University	Statistics & Probability	Rank 1
3	181	ZJ Zhu, Jian Kang	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 1
4	233	HJ He, Ji Huan	Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology	Mathematical Physics	Rank 1
5	255	RE Rolls, Edmund T.	Fudan University	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 33
6	258	XZ Xu, Zeshui	Sichuan University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 6
7	361	LJ Liu, Jie	Jinan University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 10
8	478	ZD Zhao, Dongyuan	Fudan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 17
9	558	WF Wilczek, Frank	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 7
10	666	Cao, Jinde	Southeast University, Nanjing	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 16
11	684	VP Vanhoutte, Paul M.	The University of Hong Kong, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 10
12	790	SJ Stoddart, J. Fraser	Tianjin University	General Chemistry	Rank 12
13	1,025	SY Shen, Y. Ron	Fudan University	Chemical Physics	Rank 39
14	1,030	SY Shi, Yigong	Western Superconducting Technologies Co., Ltd.	Developmental Biology	Rank 88
15	1,078	ZJ Zhang, J.	Nanjing Tech University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 23
16	1,089	ZZ Zhang, Zhengyou	Microsoft Research	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 25
17	1,113	ZW Zhang, W.	Beijing University of Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 27
18	1,216	YJ Yu, Jiaguo	Wuhan University of Technology	Physical Chemistry	Rank 8
19	1,268	LY Li, Yongfang	Soochow University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 36
20	1,277	NC Nan, Ce Wen	Tsinghua University	Materials	Rank 14
21	1,435	GH Gleiter, Herbert	Nanjing University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 18
22	1,573	YX Yao, Xin	Southern University of Science and Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 34
23	1,610	DH de Heer, Walt A.	Tianjin University	Applied Physics	Rank 54
24	1,698	YY Yamamoto, Yoshinori	Dalian University of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 50
25	1,852	LK Lu, K.	Institute of Metal Research Chinese Academy of Sciences	Materials	Rank 22
26	1,892	ZZ Zhou, Zhi Hua	Nanjing University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 41
27	1,993	WI Wachs, Israel E.	Lehigh University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 11
28	2,130	SX Sunney Xie, X.	Peking University	Chemical Physics	Rank 70
29	2,192	PX Peng, Xiaogang	Zhejiang University	General Chemistry	Rank 33
30	2,194	LC Li, Can	Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Physical Chemistry	Rank 13
31	2,202	ZJ Zhang, Jing	Ocean University of China	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 13
32	2,259	LY Li, Yadong	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 51
33	2,264	ZL Zhang, Leiming	Yantai University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 50
34	2,273	PM Poo, Mu Ming	NSR	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 227
35	2,493	WS Wei, Su Huai	Beijing Computational Science Research Center	Applied Physics	Rank 77
36	2,505	YS Yu, Shu Hong	Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 57
37	2,610	ZY Zheng, Yong Fei	University of Science and Technology of China	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 21
38	2,632	LY Liu, Y.	University of Science and Technology of China	Applied Physics	Rank 79
39	2,635	ZW Zhang, Wei	East China University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 30
40	2,680	SH Shen, Hui Shen	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Materials	Rank 31
41	2,716	SP Sheng, Ping	Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 80
42	2,724	ZR Zare, Richard N.	Fudan University	Chemical Physics	Rank 92
43	2,733	LX Li, Xian Hua	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 23
44	2,906	LW Liu, W.	Tsinghua University	Materials	Rank 35
45	2,934	WX Wang, Xiaodong	Tsinghua University	Developmental Biology	Rank 201
46	2,981	LS Liao, Shi Jun	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Mathematical Physics	Rank 4
47	3,029	CY Cao, Yong	South China University of Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 64
48	3,035	CC Che, Chi Ming	The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation	Organic Chemistry	Rank 87
49	3,182	LK Liew, K. M.	City University of Hong Kong	Applied Mathematics	Rank 10
50	3,189	LJ Li, Jing	Xidian University	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 50
51	3,257	DC Dong, Chen	Tsinghua University	Immunology	Rank 127
52	3,358	GJ Gao, Jiali	Peking University	Chemical Physics	Rank 106
53	3,480	SD Sun, Da Wen	South China University of Technology	Food Science	Rank 8
54	3,499	SJ Shi, Jianlin	Shanghai Institute of Ceramics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Materials	Rank 40
55	3,505	MS Ma, Shengming	Fudan University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 99
56	3,512	WJ Wang, J.	Liaoning University	Materials	Rank 41
57	3,528	HJ Hoffmann, Jules A.	Guangzhou Medical University	Immunology	Rank 137
58	3,598	LW Lu, Wei	Tongji University	Applied Physics	Rank 95
59	3,663	HL Ho, L. C.	Peking University	Astronomy & Astrophysics	Rank 17
60	3,708	CR Cai, Rong Gen	University of Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 48
61	3,744	SR Siegler, Robert	Beijing Normal University	Developmental & Child Psychology	Rank 32
62	3,757	WG Wei, Guiwu	Sichuan Normal University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 79
63	3,795	MW Ma, Wen Xiu	Zhejiang Normal University	Mathematical Physics	Rank 5
64	3,844	WL Wang, Li	East China Jiaotong University	Materials	Rank 43
65	3,943	SR Schmidt, Richard R.	Jiangxi Normal University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 105
66	4,044	WW Wang, Wei Hua	Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 106
67	4,045	LH Löe, Harald	Prince Philip Dental Hospital	Dentistry	Rank 8
68	4,173	YC Yang, Chen Ning	Tsinghua University	General Physics	Rank 38
69	4,237	SM Santosh, M.	China University of Geosciences, Beijing	Geology	Rank 2
70	4,251	ZH Zhang, Hui	Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China	Materials	Rank 47
71	4,351	JX Ji, Xiang Dong	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 64
72	4,461	SG Song, Guang Ling	Xiamen University	Materials	Rank 50
73	4,538	YA Yao, Andrew Chi Chih	Tsinghua University	Computation Theory & Mathematics	Rank 6
74	4,659	MH Mao, Ho Kwang	Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research	Applied Physics	Rank 120
75	4,664	MB Meunier, Bernard	Guangdong University of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 116
76	4,685	WY Wang, Y.	School of Basic Medical Sciences	Nutrition & Dietetics	Rank 44
77	4,766	LJ Li, Jun	Northwest University	Materials	Rank 57
78	5,002	TS Tong, Shaocheng	Liaoning University of Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 93
79	5,003	WJ Wang, Jing	Beihang University	Applied Physics	Rank 128
80	5,021	LP Liu, P. P.	University of Science and Technology Beijing	Materials	Rank 60
81	5,027	AZ An, Zhisheng	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 51
82	5,061	XH Xu, Hong Kun	Hangzhou Dianzi University	General Mathematics	Rank 9
83	5,132	WJ Wang, Jianlong	Tsinghua University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 23
84	5,145	LJ Liu, Jun	Hunan Agricultural University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 81
85	5,173	ZY Zhao, Yan	The Fourth Military Medical University	Chemical Physics	Rank 141
86	5,207	WH Wang, Hong	Hohai University	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 24
87	5,261	BP Brookes, Philip C.	College of Environmental and Resource Sciences	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 11
88	5,286	ZS Zhou, Shu Feng	Huaqiao University	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 41
89	5,303	TH Tian, He	East China University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 129
90	5,315	WP Wang, Peng	Renmin University of China	Optoelectronics & Photonics	Rank 7
91	5,521	DS Dong, Shaojun	Changchun Institute Of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 28
92	5,605	SM Schachner, Melitta	Shantou University Medical College	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 533
93	5,613	LY Liu, Youhua	Southern Medical University	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 51
94	5,951	LY Li, Y.	Hebei University of Technology	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 47
95	5,953	XL Xiao, Lihua	South China Agricultural University	Mycology & Parasitology	Rank 6
96	6,006	WX Wang, Xiaogang	Chinese University of Hong Kong	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 110
97	6,133	AB Anderson, Brian D.O.	Hangzhou Dianzi University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 36
98	6,412	CH Cheng, Hui Ming	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 93
99	6,425	YJ Yao, Jianping	University of Electronic Science and Technology of China	Optoelectronics & Photonics	Rank 10
100	6,458	CC Chapman, Colin A.	Northwest University	Ecology	Rank 104
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2020

Canada7,225 scientistsin 2020

Japan6,316 scientistsin 2020

Australia5,441 scientistsin 2020

France5,048 scientistsin 2020

Italy4,008 scientistsin 2020

Netherlands3,350 scientistsin 2020

Explore other countries

Career-long list2020

South Korea1,350 scientistsin 2020

Taiwan1,151 scientistsin 2020

Hong Kong878 scientistsin 2020

Macau22 scientistsin 2020

Israel1,630 scientistsin 2020

India1,491 scientistsin 2020

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from China are in the 2020 Stanford Top 2% list?

12,955 scientists affiliated with China are on the 2020 single-year list, and 5,273 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in China has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2020 career-long list, Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists from China, with 258. It is followed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University with 157.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.