South China Agricultural University
South China Agricultural University logo

South China Agricultural University

(SCAU)

🇨🇳 China / Guangdong / Guangzhou
Public 双一流 Est. 1909

About

One of the national key universities, South China Agricultural University is a “211 Project” university sponsored by both Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Agriculture during the ninth and tenth “Five-year Plan”. The university is also ranked to be “excellent” by the Inspection for Undergraduate Education organized by the Ministry of Education. Situated at Guangzhou, the “city of flowers”, th...

One of the national key universities, South China Agricultural University is a “211 Project” university sponsored by both Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Agriculture during the ninth and tenth “Five-year Plan”. The university is also ranked to be “excellent” by the Inspection for Undergraduate Education organized by the Ministry of Education. Situated at Guangzhou, the “city of flowers”, the university enjoys beautiful scenery and pleasant environment. The campus covers an area of over 8250 mu (550 hectares), and the total gross floor area is over 1.37 million square meters. The history of SCAU can be traced back to 1909 when Guangdong Agricultural Experimental Station affiliated with an Agricultural School was founded. After years of development and efforts, when the nationwide readjustments of university and college resources took place in 1952, the Station was already called the Agricultural College and became part of the National Sun Yat-Sen University. The college merged with the Agricultural College of Lingnan University and part of the Department of Veterinary Medicine as well as the Department of Pest Pathology of Guangxi University, and formed South China Agricultural College under the administration of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). Chairman Mao Zedong autographed the college name.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 301 worldwide across 2 major ranking systems

ARWU #301-400 (2025)
US News #540 (2026)

Ranked in 33 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
Not Ranked
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Not Ranked
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 301-400
100
2025
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =540
29
51.1
2026

Key Facts

Students
60,588

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 101 201 301 401 501 601 701 801 900 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
8
Veterinary Science
Top 10
9
Agricultural Sciences
Top 10
19
Food Science & Technology
Top 50
21
Agricultural Sciences
Top 50
28
Agriculture & Forestry
Top 50
=29
Food Science and Technology
Top 50
39
Plant and Animal Science
Top 50
74
Environmental Engineering
Top 100
76
Marine and Freshwater Biology
Top 100
79
Polymer Science
Top 100
80
Microbiology
Top 100
=99
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
Top 100
101
Chemical Engineering
Top 200
101-150
Environmental Sciences
Top 200
151-200
Biotechnology
Top 200

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

ARWU

15 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Veterinary Science 8 203.9 2025
Agricultural Sciences 9 192.9 2025
Food Science & Technology 19 149.9 2025
Environmental Sciences 101-150 - 2025
Chemical Engineering 151-200 - 2025
Biotechnology 151-200 - 2025
Biological Sciences 151-200 - 2025
Instruments Science & Technology 301-400 - 2025
Computer Science 301-400 - 2025
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 301-400 - 2025
Energy Science & Engineering 301-400 - 2022
Chemistry 401-500 - 2025
Materials Science 401-500 - 2025
Public Health 401-500 - 2022
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 401-500 - 2025

QS

6 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Agriculture & Forestry 28 72.9 2026
Veterinary Science 51-100 - 2026
Materials Science 401-550 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 501-550 - 2025
Biological Sciences 551-600 - 2026
Economics & Econometrics 551-700 - 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of South China Agricultural University?

South China Agricultural University's performance in the latest university rankings: ARWU Rank 301-400, US News Rank =540.

When was South China Agricultural University founded?

South China Agricultural University was founded in 1909.

What are the top subjects at South China Agricultural University?

Top subjects at South China Agricultural University include: Veterinary Science, Agricultural Sciences, Food Science & Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Agriculture & Forestry.

Where is South China Agricultural University located?

South China Agricultural University is located in Guangzhou, China.