If you search for “top public hospitals in China,” you will quickly find the Fudan hospital rankings. They are one of the country’s best-known peer-review references for major public hospitals and clinical specialties. They are useful for building a credible shortlist—but they are not a booking recommendation, and they should not replace matching your diagnosis to the right department.
For foreign patients, three terms often get mixed together. “Top public hospitals in China” is the plain-English search term. Tier 3 Grade A (三甲) is China’s formal hospital classification for a large tertiary hospital. The Fudan rankings are a separate peer-reputation reference for leading public hospitals and specialties. They answer different questions: classification signals institutional level; Fudan signals reputation; neither confirms the right department or a workable patient route. Read what Tier 3 Grade A means before using this ranking as a shortlist.
This guide explains the edition released in Shanghai on November 16, 2024. Although many search results call it the “2024 Fudan ranking,” it covered the 2023 annual rankings.
Editorial update — July 13, 2026: We checked the official ranking platform and major Chinese search results for a newer, complete release. The official platform’s published-year selector still ends at 2023; a URL labelled “2024 annual” returns no ranking rows. We therefore use the 2023 annual edition as the last fully verifiable complete ranking in this guide. We do not treat unsourced reposts, predicted lists, or pages that only carry a 2024 label as a confirmed Fudan release.
What the Fudan rankings measure
The rankings are a public-interest project run by the Hospital Management Institute of Fudan University. For this release, 5,909 experts were invited to take part and 3,840 valid responses were received. The final results combine peer-assessed specialty reputation with research input and output.
The 2023 annual release had two practical parts:
- China Hospital Comprehensive Ranking: 100 hospitals nationwide.
- China Hospital Specialty Reputation Ranking: leading hospitals across 45 specialties.
For the 2023 annual comprehensive list, Fudan changed the presentation. Instead of publishing a precise #1–#100 order, it placed 100 hospitals into five bands of 20: A++++, A+++, A++, A+, and A. A++++ is the highest band, and hospitals within the same band are not ranked against one another.
That distinction matters. It is inaccurate to call one A++++ hospital “number one in China” based on this edition. The list identifies a top group; it does not establish a 1-to-20 order inside that group.
The highest comprehensive group: A++++
The following 20 public hospitals were placed in the highest A++++ band in the 2023 annual China Hospital Comprehensive Ranking, released in November 2024:
| City | Hospital |
|---|---|
| Beijing | Chinese PLA General Hospital |
| Beijing | Peking Union Medical College Hospital |
| Beijing | Peking University First Hospital |
| Beijing | Peking University Third Hospital |
| Shenyang | The First Hospital of China Medical University |
| Shanghai | Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine |
| Shanghai | Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine |
| Shanghai | Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University |
| Shanghai | Huashan Hospital, Fudan University |
| Hangzhou | The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine |
| Hangzhou | The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine |
| Zhengzhou | The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University |
| Wuhan | Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology |
| Wuhan | Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology |
| Changsha | The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University |
| Changsha | Xiangya Hospital, Central South University |
| Guangzhou | The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University |
| Guangzhou | Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University |
| Chengdu | West China Hospital, Sichuan University |
| Xi’an | Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University |
This is a broad hospital-level signal. It is most helpful when a patient needs a large, multidisciplinary public center for a difficult diagnosis, major surgery, complex inpatient care, or a case that may require several specialties.
Specialty reputation: choose the department before the brand
The specialty list is often more useful than the comprehensive list. Medical care happens in a department and with a clinical team—not in a hospital name by itself.
Below are selected first-place specialty signals from the same 2023 annual Fudan Specialty Reputation Ranking. They are examples for orientation, not a complete substitute for reviewing the full 45-specialty list.
| Care need | Leading specialty center named in the ranking |
|---|---|
| Rheumatology, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, neurology, emergency medicine | Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing |
| Infectious diseases and dermatology | Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai |
| ENT | Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai |
| Respiratory medicine | The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou |
| Orthopedics | Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing |
| Psychiatry | Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing |
| Dentistry | Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing |
| Anesthesiology and rehabilitation medicine | West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu |
| Urology | Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing |
| Endocrinology | Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai |
| Nephrology | Peking University First Hospital, Beijing |
| Digestive diseases | Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai |
| Pediatrics | Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai |
| Pediatric surgery | Beijing Children’s Hospital, Beijing |
| Cardiovascular medicine and cardiac surgery | Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing |
| Thoracic surgery and oncology | Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing |
| Hematology | Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing |
| Ophthalmology | Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou |
| Plastic surgery | Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai |
| Reproductive medicine | Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing |
Several entries are specialist hospitals rather than the highest-band general hospitals. That is exactly why a specialty-first search is safer: a patient looking for eye care, hematology, cancer treatment, mental health, dentistry, or pediatric surgery may need a focused referral center rather than the most famous all-purpose hospital.
How foreign patients should use this list
Use the rankings in three stages.
- Create a short list. Start with the relevant specialty, then identify two or three credible hospitals in cities you can realistically visit.
- Check the patient route. Confirm the correct subspecialty, appointment channel, record-review process, language support, payment method, and expected follow-up before travel.
- Match the hospital to the task. A major referral center may be ideal for complex surgery or a difficult second opinion. A more accessible hospital may be better for a first consultation, imaging review, or a diagnostic-first trip.
For serious or time-sensitive conditions, do not wait for a ranking to decide when to seek care. Use the list as one credibility signal alongside direct confirmation from the hospital and advice from your treating clinician.
What the ranking cannot tell you
The Fudan ranking does not confirm that a particular doctor is available, that an international patient can obtain a timely appointment, that a hospital accepts a specific insurer, or that the usual local outpatient route will work for your trip. It also does not predict outcomes for an individual case.
For foreign patients, practical fit can be as important as reputation: can your records be reviewed, can the right department see you during your travel window, and can you obtain usable reports and a follow-up plan afterward? Those are the questions that turn a respected hospital into a workable care plan.
Read these next
Continue with , , and . When you are ready to browse the published data, open the .
Sources
- — official platform, methodology overview, and published annual results.
- — release date, the five-band format, the A++++ hospitals, and specialty leaders.
- — the authorized full specialty-ranking publication covering 45 specialties.
- — 5,909 invited experts and 3,840 valid responses.