China (Mainland)
Introduction
The University of Manchester is one of the United Kingdom’s largest universities with students from more than 160 different countries. We continue to be one of the most popular a destination for students from China due our strong rankings and welcoming community.
The University also works closely with our student societies, including the Chinese Student and Scholars Association (CSSA).
Located in the city of Manchester, our campus is short journey from the UK’s largest Chinatown, as well as many international restaurants and supermarkets. Our city is also home to one of the largest shopping malls in the UK, the third largest stadium in the UK, and the largest arena in the UK.
On these pages you will find useful information for students from Mainland China who are thinking about studying at our university.
World-leading research
We are recognised as a global powerhouse of research, with 93% of the University’s research activity assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Confucius Institute
The University of Manchester is the proud home of the second Confucius Institute in the UK, a partnership between The University of Manchester, the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and Beijing Normal University. The Institute received its approval from Hanban in July 2005 and was formally launched in October 2006.
In addition to providing Mandarin language teaching and teacher training, the Confucius Institute also delivers a rich programme of events to promote the understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China.
World rankings
Using different methodologies, international rankings typically compare universities from across the globe for their research performance and academic reputation.
| League table | World | Europe | UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Ranking (2026) | 35 | 11 | 7 |
| QS World University Rankings: Europe (2025) | 7 | ||
| Academic Ranking of World Universities (2025) | 46 | 13 | 6 |
| Times Higher Education (2026) | 56 | 8 | |
| Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings (2025) | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| QS World University Sustainability Rankings | 9 | 6 | 4 |