Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai, China · founded 1896 · 43,000 students · public research university

Known for: A prestigious university with a historic focus on engineering and transportation, now a leading institution in mechanical engineering, business, and computer science, and a key player in Shanghai's global city development.

Rankings

QS World: #45
Times Higher Education: #43
ARWU Shanghai: #59

Top programmes

Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Business and Management
Computer Science
Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
Materials Science

Notable alumni

Jiang Zemin — Former President of China
Qian Xuesen — Father of Chinese rocketry and aerospace engineering
Wang An — Computer pioneer and founder of Wang Laboratories
Lu Guanqiu — Industrialist and founder of Wanxiang Group
Zhang Zhongmou — Semiconductor industry leader

Traditions

SJTU International Cultural Festival
Engineering Innovation Competitions
Annual alumni homecoming events

If Shanghai Jiao Tong University were…

As a food: Xiaolongbao from Din Tai Fung — Precision-engineered, internationally recognized, born in Shanghai, and requiring intense technical skill to execute properly. Looks delicate but built on rigorous fundamentals—just like SJTU's engineering programs that
As an athlete: Yao Ming — Shanghai-born, globally competitive, bridged Chinese and international spheres at the highest level. SJTU does the same: rooted in Chinese academic tradition but playing on the world stage, producing talent that competes
As a person alive today: Jensen Huang (NVIDIA CEO) — Engineering-focused, built an empire on technical excellence and global ambition, represents the kind of pre-professional trajectory SJTU students chase. The university mints engineers who want to dominate industries, no
As a historical figure: Qian Xuesen (father of Chinese rocketry) — SJTU alumnus who studied at MIT, returned to build China's space program, embodying the school's ethos of technical mastery in service of national ambition. SJTU has always been about engineering the future, not debating
As a movie or TV show: The Social Network — Brilliant, competitive strivers coding and building in a pressure-cooker environment where success is measured in outcomes, not process. SJTU students live in that same relentless meritocracy where your GitHub matters mo
As a US president: Herbert Hoover — Stanford-trained engineer who believed in technocratic solutions and efficiency above all else. SJTU shares that engineer's worldview: problems have solutions, excellence is measurable, and sentiment is secondary to resu
As a city: Shenzhen — Hyper-competitive, future-obsessed, built on engineering and manufacturing excellence, where everyone's grinding toward the next breakthrough. SJTU students are Shanghai's answer to Shenzhen's hustle: same ambition, slig
As an element: Silicon — The backbone of semiconductors and modern technology, neither flashy nor romantic but absolutely essential to everything that matters in the 21st century. SJTU is China's silicon: the foundational engineering talent that
As a car: Porsche Taycan Turbo S — Elite C9 League engineering powerhouse in China's financial capital, minting tech leaders and international strivers with German-style rigor. Electric performance sedan from Stuttgart—global ambition, cutting-edge engine

Campus life

Campus life is highly cosmopolitan and competitive, reflecting Shanghai's international character. Students are deeply engaged in academic research, professional networking, and a wide array of cultural and technological events.