Shanghai University of Finance and Economics

Shanghai University of Finance and Economics originated in the business division established by Nanjing Higher Normal School in 1917, headed by the prominent social activist and patriotic democrat Yang Xingfo. In 1921, as the plan to establish National Southeast University on the basis of Nanjing Higher Normal School was implemented, the business division expanded, reorganized and moved to Shanghai to become the Shanghai University of Commerce, a branch of National Southeast University. It was the earliest university of commerce in Chinese educational history. The renowned educator Guo Bingwen served as president and the noted economist Ma Yinchu as dean of academic affairs.

It became an independent institution in 1932 as the National Shanghai College of Commerce, then the only national undergraduate institution specializing in commerce in China. In 1950, it was renamed Shanghai Institute of Finance and Economics. The prominent economists Sun Yefang and Yao Nai served successively as presidents. In 1985, it was renamed Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. In 2000, administration transferred from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education. In 2012, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and Shanghai Municipal Government signed an agreement to jointly support the university. In 2017, it entered the national Double First-Class initiative, opening a new chapter in its pursuit of world-class status with Chinese characteristics.

Through generations of hard work, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has become a multidisciplinary key university specializing in economics and management, with coordinated development in economics, management, law, literature and science. It covers 812.9 mu across three campuses, with the main campus at 777 Guoding Road. It has 18299 students of all types, including 8071 undergraduates, 7151 master’s students, 1401 doctoral students, 355 international students, 1290 adult education students and 31 preparatory students.

The university performs strongly across several authoritative global evaluation systems: it ranks 1st nationally in ShanghaiRanking’s 2026 ranking of Chinese finance and economics universities; 2nd in Asia and 15th worldwide in the Financial Times 2025 global MBA ranking; 9th in China and 33rd worldwide in economics and business in the U.S. News 2026-2027 Best Global Universities subject rankings; 6th in China and 37th worldwide in finance in ShanghaiRanking’s 2025 global subject rankings; 6th in China and 64th worldwide in economics and econometrics in the QS 2026 subject rankings; and 17th in Asia in the QS 2025 global EMBA ranking. In CS Rankings for 2022-2026, it ranks 1st in Asia and 1st worldwide in economics and computation. In addition, ESI data for July 2026 place 4 fields–economics and business, social sciences, engineering, and environment/ecology–in the global top 1%.