Zhejiang University suppassed 14-year-champion Tsinghua University to become the top university of China, according to 2011 China University Rankings published by Chinese researcher Wu Shulian and his team China University Assessment.

In this year's list,?Peking University received a 200.34 score, holding onto its second place title while Tsinghua University, once champion for 14 years, fell to third place with 190.25 points.

It?is the first time that Zhejiang University has won first place in overall strength since?the ranking was introduced in 1993. It got 207.91 points this year, with 83.06 points for student cultivation and 124.84 points for research programs.

Zhejiang University's?advance this year is attributed to its improving academic influence. From January 2005 to June 2010, Zhejiang University's academic papers were quoted 79,045 times by other scholars at home and abroad, ranking first place among all Chinese universities.

Also, Zhejiang University's victory marks this year marks?an end to 18-year iron grip on the first place spot either by Tsinghua or Peking University in Wu Shulian's Chinese University Rankings.

This year, the team examines 706 universities in China on a wide array of indicators, including student cultivation and research programs.