China's Top 2% Scientists 2026: Career-Long List

China has 14,583 scientists on the 2026 career-long Top 2% list, up 17.8% from 12,375 in 2025. That places China 3rd in the world by number of listed scientists. Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists (507), followed by University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (311).

Single Year

37,203

+5,506 (+17.4%) vs 2025

Career Data

14,583

+2,208 (+17.8%) vs 2025

World rank by count

No change vs 2025

Institutes

1,767

+335 (+23.4%) vs 2025

Scientists in China on the list, by year

The career-long count has more than doubled since 2020.

Career-long list, change on the previous year

2021+31.7%

2022+10.8%

2023+17.2%

2024+18.6%

2025+15.8%

2026+17.8%

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%
2026	37,203	+17.4%	14,583	+17.8%

Top 10 institutes in China

By number of listed scientists

Career-long list2026

Show the list

1Tsinghua University507
2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences311
3Shanghai Jiao Tong University303
4Peking University254
5Huazhong University of Science and Technology225
6Fudan University197
7Beihang University191
8Tianjin University182
9Southeast University180
10University of Science and Technology of China172

All 14,583 scientists

Career-long list2026

Showing the 2026 career-long list. Looking for single-year rankings? See the single-year list

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	1	Wang, Zhong Lin	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 1
2	93	ZJ Zhu, Jian Kang	Southern University of Science and Technology	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 1
3	109	LD Lovley, Derek R.	School of Material Science and Engineering, Northeastern University	Microbiology	Rank 1
4	130	XZ Xu, Zeshui	Sichuan University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 7
5	137	HJ He, Ji Huan	Yango University	Energy	Rank 2
6	394	MM Maes, Michael H.J.	University of Electronic Science and Technology of China	Psychiatry	Rank 13
7	447	RS Ramakrishna, Seeram Anantha	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 17
8	473	ZZ Zhou, Zhihua	Nanjing University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 16
9	572	ZD Zhao, Dongyuan	Fudan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 24
10	576	WF Wilczek, Frank A.	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 7
11	603	Cao, Jinde	Southeast University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 22
12	631	WJ Wang, Jianlong	Tsinghua University	Environmental Sciences	Rank 3
13	653	YJ Yu, Jiaguo	China University of Geosciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 26
14	720	NC Nan, Cewen	Tsinghua University	Materials	Rank 10
15	740	SJ Stoddart, James Fraser	Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 17
16	873	LY Li, Yongfang	Soochow University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 32
17	930	GH Gao, Huajian	Tsinghua University	Mechanical Engineering & Transports	Rank 9
18	951	LY Luo, Yadong	Sun Yat-sen Business School	Business & Management	Rank 12
19	986	LN Logothetis, Nikos K.	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 93
20	1,029	ZR Zhang, Rui	The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 6
21	1,097	SY Shi, Yigong	Westlake University	Developmental Biology	Rank 64
22	1,128	SC Shi, Caijun	Hunan University	Building & Construction	Rank 2
23	1,153	LK Lu, Ke	Liaoning Academy of Materials	Materials	Rank 17
24	1,369	LY Liu, Yongjun	Institute of Information Engineering	Immunology	Rank 46
25	1,379	LY Li, Yadong	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 42
26	1,422	LC Li, Can	University of Chinese Academy of Sciences	Physical Chemistry	Rank 8
27	1,497	SY Shen, Yuen Ron	Fudan University	Applied Physics	Rank 56
28	1,533	TB Tang, Ben Zhong	The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 45
29	1,610	ME Ma, Evan E.	School of Materials Science and Engineering	Materials	Rank 25
30	1,704	YS Yu, Shuhong	Southern University of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 53
31	1,718	ZY Zheng, Yong-Fei	University of Science and Technology of China	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 9
32	1,746	SJ Shi, Jianlin Ling	Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 54
33	1,861	HB Hommel, Bernhard	Shandong Normal University	Experimental Psychology	Rank 32
34	1,917	GJ Guerreros, Josep M.	Zhejiang University	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 5
35	1,919	SM Santosh, M. Warrier	China University of Geosciences, Beijing	Geology	Rank 1
36	1,946	LW Lin, Wenbin	Westlake University	General Chemistry	Rank 23
37	2,017	SH Shen, Hui shen	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Mechanical Engineering & Transports	Rank 18
38	2,042	LX Li, Xianhua Huan	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 18
39	2,052	YY Yang, Yang (Michael)	College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 59
40	2,123	WG Wei, Guiwu	Sichuan Normal University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 64
41	2,133	GH Gleiter, Herbert	Liaoning Academy of Materials	Materials	Rank 30
42	2,145	JY Junying Yuan, Junying	Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 84
43	2,205	WS Wei, Suhuai	Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo	Applied Physics	Rank 76
44	2,210	HG Huang, G. B.	Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 66
45	2,225	TS Tong, Shaocheng	Liaoning University of Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 67
46	2,276	SR Sun, Runcang Cang	Dalian Polytechnic University	Polymers	Rank 12
47	2,298	WB Wang, Bin	University of Chinese Academy of Sciences	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences	Rank 22
48	2,576	LY Liu, Yu	Nankai University	Biotechnology	Rank 7
49	2,638	PX Peng, Xiaogang	Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University	General Chemistry	Rank 27
50	2,682	XX Xie, Xiaoliang Sunney	Peking University	Chemical Physics	Rank 73
51	2,738	SG Song, Guangling	Southern University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 33
52	2,836	JY Jin, Yaochu	Westlake University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 82
53	2,842	ZJ Zhang, Jiujun	Fuzhou University	Energy	Rank 38
54	2,908	CT Cui, Tiejun Cui	Southeast University	Networking & Telecommunications	Rank 20
55	2,912	DC Dong, Chen	Tsinghua University	Immunology	Rank 100
56	2,914	FB Fu, Bojie	Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences	Ecology	Rank 62
57	2,920	WW Wang, Weihua Hong	Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Applied Physics	Rank 88
58	2,970	CY Cao, Yihai	Wenzhou Medical University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 120
59	2,998	SP Sansonetti, Philippe Joseph	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Microbiology	Rank 59
60	3,030	YH Yu, Hanqing	Chinese Academy of Sciences	Environmental Sciences	Rank 17
61	3,074	CJ Chan, John Kwok Cheung	Queen Elizabeth Hospital Hong Kong	Pathology	Rank 10
62	3,125	WT Webster, Thomas Jay	Hebei University of Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 74
63	3,131	WY Wang, Youfa	Xi'an Jiaotong University	Nutrition & Dietetics	Rank 22
64	3,153	PM Poo, Muming	Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 273
65	3,175	LY Liu, Yansui	Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences	Geography	Rank 8
66	3,247	CM Chen, Mingwei	Southern University of Science and Technology	Materials	Rank 40
67	3,268	LS Liao, Shijun Ijun	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 25
68	3,313	CY Cao, Yong	South China Agricultural University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 76
69	3,315	CR Cai, Ronggen Geng	Ningbo University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 42
70	3,340	CH Cheng, Huiming	Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 77
71	3,347	ZY Zhu, Yongguan	Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences	Environmental Sciences	Rank 19
72	3,378	WE Weinan, E. W.	Peking University	Applied Mathematics	Rank 13
73	3,463	ZQ Zhang, Qiang	Tsinghua University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 80
74	3,464	CC Chen, C. L.philip	South China University of Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 97
75	3,468	MC Mackay, Charles R.	Qilu University of Technology	Immunology	Rank 128
76	3,479	AZ An, Zhisheng	Institute of Earth Environment	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 30
77	3,507	TD Tocher, Douglas R.	Shantou University	Fisheries	Rank 2
78	3,566	BC Bachert, Claus	The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University	Allergy	Rank 14
79	3,666	LT Lu, Tian	Beijing Kein Research Center for Natural Sciences	Chemical Physics	Rank 101
80	3,749	CX Cao, Xue Tao	Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College	Immunology	Rank 136
81	3,751	TM Tonetti, Maurizio S.	Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine	Dentistry	Rank 8
82	3,754	MS Ma, Shengming	Fudan University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 93
83	3,771	SS Sun, Shaocong	Capital Medical University	Immunology	Rank 138
84	3,813	DX Duan, Xiangfeng	Hunan University	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 84
85	3,816	AM Anpo, Masakazu	Fuzhou University	Chemical Physics	Rank 105
86	3,821	YA Yao, Andrew Chi Chih	Tsinghua University	Computation Theory & Mathematics	Rank 6
87	3,884	BP Brookes, Philip Charles	Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province Agricultural Resources and Environment	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 11
88	3,886	JX JI, Xiangdong	Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 50
89	3,922	LP Liu, Peide	Shandong University of Finance and Economics	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 104
90	3,968	LH Li, H.	Institute of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 89
91	4,002	SD Shen, Dinggang	Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd.	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 108
92	4,092	LX Li, Xuelong	China Telecom Corporation Limited	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 111
93	4,139	LS Li, Stan Ziqing	Westlake University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 113
94	4,169	ZS Zhou, Shufeng	Huaqiao University	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 28
95	4,343	DF Ding, F.	Jiangnan University	Industrial Engineering & Automation	Rank 29
96	4,364	TH Tian, He	East China University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 111
97	4,406	AB Ainsworth, Barbara E.	Shanghai University of Sport	Public Health	Rank 33
98	4,419	XQ Xu, Qiang	Southern University of Science and Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 112
99	4,518	HL Han, L. H.	Tsinghua University	Civil Engineering	Rank 6
100	4,553	HY Huang, Yunhui	Huazhong University of Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 95
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Countries with a similar count

Career-long list2026

United States90,922 scientists

United Kingdom21,350 scientists

Germany12,809 scientists

Canada10,063 scientists

Japan9,097 scientists

Australia8,551 scientists

Explore other countries

Career-long list2026

South Korea2,889 scientists

Taiwan2,025 scientists

Hong Kong1,619 scientists

Macau135 scientists

India3,898 scientists

Israel2,293 scientists

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from China are in the 2026 Stanford Top 2% list?

37,203 scientists affiliated with China are on the 2026 single-year list, and 14,583 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2026 career-long list, Tsinghua University has the most listed scientists from China, with 507. It is followed by University of Chinese Academy of Sciences with 311.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in China changed since 2020?

On the career-long list, China went from 5,273 scientists in 2020 to 14,583 in 2026, a change of +176.6%.

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.