The University of Science and Technology of China is regarded as the "cradle of scientific elites" in China. [Photo/WeChat account: hefeigaoxinfabu]

The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) ranked first among Chinese universities in terms of academics, followed by Peking University and Tsinghua University, according to the latest Nature Index rankings.

Nature Index ranked the top 100 universities and scientific institutes around the world based on data about their high-quality research output collected from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is the top institute on the list.

USTC ranked 4th among global universities on the top 100 list, after Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It was established by CAS in 1958 and is now located in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province. Its mission is "to scale the heights of science".