Nanjing University. [Photo/CFP]

The 2021 edition of the Best Chinese Subjects ranking was released by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy on Oct 25.

The ranking examines universities in the Chinese mainland that offer master's degrees in 96 national first-level subjects, and lists the universities in the top 50 percent of each subject. A total of 4,992 subjects from 486 universities nationwide were included.

Jiangsu province was rated the second in terms of quantity with a total of 543 subjects.

The province has 31 subjects that were ranked in the top 2 or the top 2 percent, accounting for 13 percent of the total number of the top subjects nationwide, following only Beijing.

Nanjing University topped universities in the province in the numbers of subjects that were ranked in the top 2 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, and 50 percent with seven subjects, 17 subjects, 31 subjects, and 45 subjects respectively.

Nanjing Agricultural University and Jiangnan University each had four subjects rated in the top 2 or top 2 percent. Southeast University, China University of Mining and Technology, Nanjing Forestry University, and China Pharmaceutical University each had two subjects listed in the top 2 or the top 2 percent. Soochow University, Hohai University, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing University of the Arts, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and Nanjing Tech University each had one subject ranked in the top 2 or top 2 percent.