The 20 Best Universities in China, Hong Kong and Macao to Study Law in 2026

Peking University leads the ranking compiled by Impact Lawyers, followed by the University of Hong Kong and Tsinghua University.

How the ranking was compiled

Peking University tops the first edition of the Impact Lawyers ranking of the best universities in China, Hong Kong and Macao to study Law. The University of Hong Kong and Tsinghua University occupy second and third place, respectively, while the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Renmin University of China and Fudan University complete the top six.

The ranking jointly analyses institutions in mainland China and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao. This scope provides a more comprehensive overview of the Chinese higher education landscape, but it also requires recognition that the selected universities do not operate within a single legal system.

Mainland China has a legal system predominantly influenced by the civil-law and socialist legal traditions, while Hong Kong retains a system based on the common law. Macao, for its part, maintains a civil-law system strongly influenced by Portuguese law. Studying Law in these three jurisdictions can therefore lead to substantially different forms of legal education and professional careers.

In preparing the ranking, Impact Lawyers combined the results and data available in the most recent editions of three international academic references: QS World University Rankings by Subject in Law and Legal Studies, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject in Law and ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

The 2026 QS ranking for Law and Legal Studies assesses more than 400 universities and places particular emphasis on academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations and scholarly impact.

The 2026 Times Higher Education ranking for Law analyses 425 institutions and evaluates teaching, the research environment, research quality, institutional and industry connections and international outlook.

ShanghaiRanking provides a third perspective that is particularly focused on research, using indicators related to publications, scientific impact, international collaboration and presence in significant academic journals.

This quantitative comparison was supplemented by a qualitative review of the public information provided by the universities themselves. The analysis covered undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, curricula, teaching methodologies, legal clinics, internationalisation, research centres, exchange opportunities and each institution’s relationship with courts, leading law firms, companies and public authorities.

A methodology adapted to three different jurisdictions

The three international rankings do not publish individual positions for every university considered. Some institutions appear within ranking bands, while others—particularly Chinese universities specialising in Law—may have less international visibility than their actual importance within the national legal system would suggest.

To make the results comparable, Impact Lawyers converted the international positions into relative rankings among universities in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. When a ranking publishes a band rather than an exact position, the midpoint of that interval is used for comparison purposes.

In principle, each of the three rankings represents one-third of the quantitative assessment. However, when a university does not appear in one of the tables, its performance in the other rankings, its legal specialisation and the available academic information are considered. A penalty for missing data is applied instead of automatically equating the absence of a ranking position with an absence of quality.

This adjustment is particularly important for institutions such as China University of Political Science and Law, East China University of Political Science and Law and Southwest University of Political Science and Law. Their specialisation, professional influence and connections with Chinese legal institutions are highly significant, even though their status as specialist universities can place them at a disadvantage in rankings primarily designed to assess large multidisciplinary institutions.

The editorial review was not used to alter the resulting order arbitrarily. Its purpose was to confirm that the institutions included offer substantial legal education, interpret the differences between the three systems and prevent the general reputation of a university from replacing a specific assessment of its law school.

Peking University, the most balanced institution

1. Peking University

Peking University occupies first place because of its exceptional combination of academic prestige, research strength, internationalisation and influence over the Chinese legal system.

Times Higher Education ranks it 12th in the world for Law in 2026, ahead of the other universities from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao included in this classification. Its high position reflects the strength of its teaching, research environment and scholarly output.

Peking University Law School has played an important historical role in the development of Chinese legal theory, constitutional law, administrative law, economic law and international legal education.

Its academic approach combines an in-depth understanding of the Chinese legal system with comparative analysis and an international perspective. The university attracts outstanding students and academics and maintains significant connections with public institutions, major companies, law firms and international research centres.

Its position at the top is not based exclusively on a single score, but on its consistency across the different dimensions considered. Few institutions in the region combine national prestige, international recognition, research capacity and access to senior professional positions so effectively.

The University of Hong Kong, the leading common-law institution

2. University of Hong Kong (HKU)

The University of Hong Kong occupies second place and ranks as Hong Kong’s leading university for studying Law.

Its Faculty of Law offers an international education closely connected to the common law, the Hong Kong legal system, Chinese law and cross-border transactions. Its location in one of Asia’s principal financial and commercial centres provides an especially favourable environment for corporate, financial, arbitration and cross-border law.

The university offers a four-year LLB designed to respond to the changing demands placed on law graduates and benchmarked against programmes provided by leading international law schools, according to the official programme information.

HKU also has centres dedicated to Chinese law, public and comparative law, international financial law, technology, medical ethics and interdisciplinary legal studies. This structure enables students to combine a general legal education with specialisations of increasing professional importance.

Those wishing to practise as solicitors or barristers in Hong Kong must complete the corresponding professional stage after undertaking recognised legal studies. The Postgraduate Certificate in Laws, or PCLL, constitutes the main academic gateway to professional practice. The university describes its PCLL as a programme designed to prepare future solicitors and barristers in Hong Kong.

Tsinghua and its connection to innovation

3. Tsinghua University

Tsinghua University occupies third place. Times Higher Education ranks it 16th worldwide for Law in 2026, demonstrating the growing strength of its research and academic environment.

Its School of Law benefits from the broader prestige of a university with particular strengths in engineering, technology, economics and public policy. This encourages an interdisciplinary approach to fields such as artificial intelligence, intellectual property, digital regulation, international trade and corporate governance.

Tsinghua offers an especially attractive education for students interested in the relationship between law, innovation, business and technological transformation. Its location in Beijing also provides proximity to central government institutions, courts, regulators, major companies and professional organisations.

Although Peking University has a longer legal tradition, Tsinghua has built one of Asia’s most competitive law schools and possesses considerable potential for further international growth.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Renmin complete the leading group

4. Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

The Chinese University of Hong Kong occupies fourth place. Its Faculty of Law combines English-language teaching, international research and a close connection with Hong Kong’s legal market.

CUHK is particularly strong in commercial law, arbitration, dispute resolution, Chinese law, human rights and international legal studies. Its global orientation and proximity to mainland China place it in a privileged position for analysing transactions and disputes involving multiple jurisdictions.

5. Renmin University of China

Renmin University of China ranks fifth. Within mainland China, it is one of the most influential institutions in the study of Law, social sciences and public policy.

Its law school has played a prominent role in the development of Chinese legal scholarship and in educating academics, judges, prosecutors, public officials and lawyers. It is particularly recognised in civil, constitutional, criminal, procedural and economic law.

Renmin’s position illustrates one of the ranking’s distinctive considerations: a university may possess extraordinary domestic legal influence without achieving precisely the same visibility in international rankings, which place considerable weight on English-language publications and internationalisation.

Fudan and City University of Hong Kong

6. Fudan University

Fudan University occupies sixth place. Its location in Shanghai facilitates close connections with mainland China’s leading financial and business centre.

Its legal education is particularly relevant in commercial, financial, international, economic and regulatory law. The opportunity to connect Law with disciplines such as economics, public administration and international relations strengthens its educational offering.

7. City University of Hong Kong

City University of Hong Kong ranks seventh. Its School of Law has a distinctly professional and international orientation and offers education related to the common law, Chinese law, arbitration and international dispute resolution.

The university benefits from its proximity to global law firms, courts, arbitration institutions and multinational companies. Its applied approach makes it an especially attractive option for students interested in professional practice and cross-border transactions.

Together with HKU and CUHK, City University forms the principal group of institutions offering an academic route in Hong Kong towards the PCLL and, subsequently, the professions of solicitor or barrister.

Wuhan, Shanghai Jiao Tong and Zhejiang

8. Wuhan University

Wuhan University occupies eighth place and maintains one of the most recognised legal traditions in mainland China. Its law school is particularly prominent in international law, environmental law and the study of cross-border legal relations.

9. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks ninth. Times Higher Education places it 27th worldwide for Law in 2026, with particularly strong results for its research environment, institutional connections and international outlook.

Its KoGuan Law School benefits from the university’s scientific and technological capacity and its location in Shanghai. This combination supports the study of business law, intellectual property, economic regulation and innovation.

10. Zhejiang University

Zhejiang University completes the top ten. Its Guanghua Law School has an interdisciplinary orientation and is located in one of China’s most dynamic regions for technology, e-commerce and entrepreneurship.

Its proximity to major digital companies and its position within a leading comprehensive university provide significant opportunities to study technology regulation, data protection, intellectual property and emerging forms of commercial activity.

China University of Political Science and Law, a specialist institution

11. China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL)

China University of Political Science and Law occupies 11th place. Its position would probably be higher in a ranking based exclusively on professional influence within mainland China.

Unlike major multidisciplinary universities, CUPL specialises in Law, political science and related disciplines. This concentration enables it to provide one of the country’s most extensive structures for legal education and research.

The university maintains particularly close connections with courts, prosecutors’ offices, government bodies and the legal professions. It also plays a significant role in legislative development, doctrinal research and the education of public-sector legal professionals.

Its comparatively lower position in some international rankings can partly be explained by methodologies that favour universities with broader and more diversified scientific production. For a student primarily interested in the legal system of mainland China, CUPL may be comparable to institutions placed above it in the overall classification.

Nanjing and East China University of Political Science and Law

12. Nanjing University

Nanjing University occupies 12th place. Its law school benefits from the prestige of one of China’s most important research universities and offers a strong combination of legal theory, economic law, international law and interdisciplinary studies.

13. East China University of Political Science and Law

East China University of Political Science and Law ranks 13th. Based in Shanghai, it is one of China’s best-known specialist legal institutions.

Its location allows it to maintain especially close connections with the city’s legal, financial and corporate markets. It is particularly strong in commercial, economic, international, criminal and intellectual property law.

Like CUPL, its professional importance within China is greater than its position in certain international rankings of general universities might suggest.

University of Macau, a bridge between legal traditions

14. University of Macau

The University of Macau occupies 14th place and is the highest-ranked institution from Macao.

Its Faculty of Law has a distinctive identity. Macao’s legal system belongs to the civil-law tradition and retains a strong Portuguese influence, while increasingly interacting with mainland Chinese law and international legal exchanges.

The faculty offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and postgraduate certificate programmes in Chinese, Portuguese and English. Its academic fields include Macao law, comparative law, European law, international law and international business law, according to the official information published by the Faculty of Law.

Its qualifications include undergraduate degrees taught in Chinese, Portuguese or bilingually, as well as a Bachelor of Law in Chinese Law and Global Legal Studies. This linguistic and legal diversity has no direct equivalent among the other universities in the ranking.

The University of Macau is therefore an especially interesting option for students who wish to work in legal contexts connecting China, Portuguese-speaking countries and international transactions.

Sun Yat-sen, Xiamen and Jilin

15. Sun Yat-sen University

Sun Yat-sen University occupies 15th place. Its location in Guangzhou and proximity to Hong Kong and Macao strengthen its importance within the Greater Bay Area.

This geographical position is particularly relevant for business law, international trade, investment and the growing legal and economic coordination among the cities of southern China.

16. Xiamen University

Xiamen University ranks 16th. Its law school has a distinguished tradition in international law, maritime law, economic law and legal relations with Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

17. Jilin University

Jilin University occupies 17th place. It has one of north-eastern China’s most established law schools and retains considerable influence in jurisprudence, criminal law and academic legal education.

All three institutions provide strong legal programmes, although their international visibility and access to the largest professional markets are somewhat more limited than those of universities based in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Beijing Normal, UIBE and Southwest University of Political Science and Law

18. Beijing Normal University

Beijing Normal University occupies 18th place. Its reputation in the humanities and social sciences encourages an interdisciplinary approach to Law, with particular attention to jurisprudence, public law, criminal law and human rights.

19. University of International Business and Economics (UIBE)

The University of International Business and Economics ranks 19th. Its principal strength is the connection between Law, trade, economics and international relations.

UIBE may be especially attractive to students interested in international trade law, foreign investment, economic regulation, arbitration and cross-border business transactions.

20. Southwest University of Political Science and Law

Southwest University of Political Science and Law completes the ranking in 20th place. Based in Chongqing, it is one of China’s major specialist legal universities and has an extensive alumni network across the judiciary, prosecution services, legal practice and public administration.

Its inclusion reflects the intention to ensure that the ranking is not limited to the universities with the greatest international visibility or to the principal centres of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Three territories, three models of legal education

The principal distinguishing feature of this ranking is the coexistence of three different legal and educational traditions.

In mainland China, the undergraduate Law degree normally lasts approximately four years. Completing the degree, however, is not sufficient in itself to enter certain legal professions.

The National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination is the principal professional accreditation for lawyers, judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals. China’s Ministry of Justice administers the examination, which includes objective and subjective stages. More than 960,000 candidates registered for its initial stage in 2024, demonstrating its enormous competitive scale, according to figures published by the Ministry of Justice.

Hong Kong retains its own structure based on the common law. The usual pathway begins with an LLB or equivalent legal qualification, continues with the PCLL and concludes with the applicable period of professional training for practice as a solicitor or barrister.

Macao also has its own system of professional admission and an educational model adapted to its legal order. Knowledge of Chinese and Portuguese may be especially important, as both languages retain legal and institutional significance.

Consequently, an excellent university for studying mainland Chinese law will not necessarily be the best option for qualifying in Hong Kong or Macao. Students should first identify the legal system in which they wish to be educated and then compare the institutions offering the most appropriate professional pathway.

The importance of language

The language of instruction is a decisive consideration.

In mainland China, most undergraduate Law degrees intended for domestic students are taught primarily in Mandarin. Although international programmes and English-language courses are available, proficiency in Chinese is essential for studying national legislation, judicial materials and legal practice in depth.

In Hong Kong, English plays a central role in university education and in a substantial part of legal practice. Chinese—particularly Cantonese, and increasingly Mandarin—may be equally important when dealing with clients, institutions and transactions connected to mainland China.

In Macao, Chinese and Portuguese coexist as official languages, while English has a growing presence in international programmes and the business sector.

Language should not be regarded merely as an academic requirement. It determines which legislation students can examine directly, the courts and markets in which graduates may be able to work and the types of clients they will be equipped to advise.

Why a purely automatic average is insufficient

A completely automatic arithmetic average would create several distortions.

International rankings give considerable weight to research published in English, scientific citations and international reputation. These elements are relevant, but they do not fully reflect a university’s influence within the courts, public authorities and legal professions of mainland China.

Furthermore, some highly specialised institutions do not have medical, engineering or natural sciences faculties capable of improving their overall institutional position. Comparing them exclusively with multidisciplinary universities could penalise the very characteristic that constitutes their principal strength: the concentration of resources in Law and political science.

There are also substantial differences between Hong Kong’s common-law system, mainland China’s legal system and Macao’s legal tradition. A purely numerical classification cannot determine by itself which education is most useful for practising in each jurisdiction.

The Impact Lawyers methodology therefore combines quantitative information with a review of the actual content of the programmes and their connection with the professional market.

There is no perfect university for every student

The ranking provides a general assessment of academic and professional excellence, but it does not mean that a higher-ranked institution will necessarily be the best choice for every student.

Someone intending to practise in Hong Kong may find that HKU, CUHK or City University offers a more direct professional pathway than a mainland Chinese institution, even if the latter ranks higher under certain research indicators.

Students interested in public administration, the judiciary or legal practice in mainland China may place particular value on Peking, Renmin, CUPL, Wuhan or one of the specialist universities of political science and law.

Those seeking to work in Shanghai and specialise in business law may consider Fudan, Shanghai Jiao Tong or East China University of Political Science and Law. Within the Greater Bay Area, the University of Hong Kong, CUHK, City University, Sun Yat-sen and the University of Macau offer particular geographical and professional advantages.

The decision should take into account the jurisdiction in which the student intends to practise, the language of instruction, the desired specialisation, admission requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, alumni networks and the realistic possibility of obtaining the relevant professional qualification.

One of the world’s most complex legal regions

The principal conclusion of the study is that China, Hong Kong and Macao together form one of the world’s most complex legal and university environments.

Peking University leads because of its balance of reputation, research, teaching and institutional influence. The University of Hong Kong represents the strongest and most international offering within the common-law system, while Tsinghua stands out for its connections with technology, innovation and public policy.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Renmin and Fudan complete a leading group composed of markedly different educational models. Specialist universities such as CUPL, East China University of Political Science and Law and Southwest University of Political Science and Law contribute a level of professional influence that international rankings do not always reflect fully.

The inclusion of the University of Macau also recognises the distinctive character of a jurisdiction in which Chinese law, Portuguese legal traditions and multilingual legal education converge.

Combining three academic rankings with an analysis of the programmes published by the universities themselves provides a broader and more useful overview than reproducing a single league table in isolation. It does not eliminate the differences among the three systems, but it helps readers understand them and places each university within the legal environment in which it actually operates.