Does Tsinghua University put more emphasis on STEM than humanities?

Yes. Tsinghua is much more strongly identified with STEM than with the humanities, both in its reputation and in much of its academic culture. It is especially famous for engineering, computer science, architecture, materials science, and other technical fields, and that STEM strength is a big reason it is considered one of China’s top universities. Historically, Tsinghua developed as an engineering-focused institution, and that legacy still shapes how many people see the school.

That said, humanities students are absolutely taken seriously there. Tsinghua has established schools and departments in areas like history, philosophy, Chinese language and literature, foreign languages, law, public policy, and social sciences, and in recent decades it has invested more in building a broader comprehensive university. So it is not a place where humanities are absent or ignored.

The more accurate way to put it is that humanities exist within a university whose center of gravity is still STEM. On campus, you would likely feel that the institution’s prestige, resources, and public image lean heavily toward science, engineering, and technology. Many of its best-known alumni, research achievements, and national-level partnerships also reinforce that identity.

For a student interested in humanities, that can cut both ways. You may get access to strong interdisciplinary opportunities, especially in areas connected to policy, technology, international affairs, ethics, and China studies. But if you want a university primarily known for a deeply humanities-centered culture, Tsinghua is usually not the first example people think of.

So the short answer is: humanities students are respected there, but Tsinghua is mainly known for STEM, and its overall culture reflects that.