{{Short description|none}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}} {{For|universities and colleges in Republic of China (Taiwan)|List of universities in Taiwan}} {{See also|Types of universities and colleges in China}}
[[File:Double first class universities.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Map showing locations of major universities in mainland China]] {{As of|2025|06}}, there were 3,167 colleges and universities, with over 40 million students enrolled in [[mainland China]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 June 2025 |title=全国高等学校名单 |trans-title=List of national colleges and universities |url=http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xxgk/s5743/s5744/202506/t20250627_1195683.html |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=27 June 2025 |website=Ministry of Education}}</ref><ref>Jian, H., & Mols, F. (2019). Modernizing China's Tertiary Education Sector: Enhanced Autonomy or Governance in the Shadow of Hierarchy? The China Quarterly, 239: 702-727. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305741019000079 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809014737/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/china-quarterly/article/abs/modernizing-chinas-tertiary-education-sector-enhanced-autonomy-or-governance-in-the-shadow-of-hierarchy/FCF888CAFE46D24E8025B396FBB78047 |date=9 August 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=关晓萌|title=China's higher education system is world's largest, officials say|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/03/WS5fc86ab2a31024ad0ba9999e.html|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.chinadaily.com.cn|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103034750/https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202012/03/WS5fc86ab2a31024ad0ba9999e.html|url-status=live}}</ref> More than 40 million Chinese students graduated from university from 2016 to 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MOE press conference to highlight educational milestones achieved during the 13th Five-Year Plan period - Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China|url=https://en.moe.gov.cn/news/press_releases/202012/t20201222_506983.html|access-date=2021-11-03|website=en.moe.gov.cn|archive-date=19 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319071924/http://en.moe.gov.cn/news/press_releases/202012/t20201222_506983.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Corresponding with the merging of many [[public university|public universities]] has been the rapid expansion of the [[Private university|private sector]] in mainland China since the 1990s. Although private university enrollments are not clear, one report listed that in 2006 private universities accounted for approximately 6%, or about 1.3 million, of the 20 million students enrolled in formal higher education in China.<ref>[https://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20080501160239834 CHINA: Private universities enrol millions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192733/http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20080501160239834 |date=3 March 2016 }} Date: 4 May 2008</ref> The [[Rankings of universities in China|quality of universities]] and [[higher education in China]] is internationally recognized, as China has established educational cooperation and exchanges with 188 countries and regions and 46 major international organizations, and signed agreements with 54 countries, such as the United States, British, Australia and Germany on mutual recognition of higher education qualifications and academic degrees.<ref>{{Cite web|title=China forges agreements with 54 countries on mutual recognition of higher education degrees - Xinhua {{!}} English.news.cn|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/05/c_139345560.htm|access-date=2020-09-15|website=www.xinhuanet.com|archive-date=23 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023165605/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/05/c_139345560.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
As of 2025, China had the world's highest number of top universities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2025-08-15 |title=ShanghaiRanking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities 2025 Press Release |url=https://www.shanghairanking.com/news/arwu/2025 |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=www.shanghairanking.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. News Releases 2025-2026 Best Global Universities Rankings {{!}} Clarivate |url=https://clarivate.com/news/u-s-news-releases-2025-2026-best-global-universities-rankings/ |access-date=2025-08-15 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Studies (CWTS) |first=Centre for Science and Technology |title=CWTS Leiden Ranking Traditional Edition |url=https://traditional.leidenranking.com/ |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=CWTS Leiden Ranking Traditional Edition |language=en}}</ref> In 2017, China had the highest number of scientific publications.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tollefson|first=Jeff|title=China Declared World's Largest Producer of Scientific Articles|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-declared-world-rsquo-s-largest-producer-of-scientific-articles/|access-date=9 May 2020|website=Scientific American|language=en|archive-date=22 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022141639/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/china-declared-world-rsquo-s-largest-producer-of-scientific-articles/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tollefson|first=Jeff|date=18 January 2018|title=China declared world's largest producer of scientific articles|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=553|issue=7689|pages=390|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-00927-4|bibcode=2018Natur.553..390T |doi-access=free}}</ref> As of 2025, China had the largest number of universities (396) included in the 2024–2025 [[U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Ranking|U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=June 25, 2024 |title=U.S. News Unveils 2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2024-06-25/u-s-news-best-global-universities |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=11 September 2024 |work=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> China also topped the list with 244 out of 1,000 universities in the 2025 [[Academic Ranking of World Universities|Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)]].<ref name=":1" /> More than 2,500 universities in China are included in the [[Webometrics Ranking of World Universities]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Aguillo |first=Isidro F. |title=Ranking Web of Universities (webometrics.info). July 2025 edition |date=2025-08-11 |url=https://figshare.com/articles/preprint/Ranking_Web_of_Universities_webometrics_info_July_2025_edition/29588921/3 |access-date=2025-08-15 |publisher=figshare |language=en |doi=10.6084/m9.figshare.29588921.v3}}</ref> Regardless of a variety of rankings about universities in China, the [[Ministry of Education (China)|Ministry of Education of China]] does not advocate or recognize any rankings conducted.<ref>{{Cite web|title=【两会聚焦】教育部：从未对大学进行综合排名|url=https://jsj.hue.edu.cn/4a/88/c1505a19080/page.htm|access-date=2022-01-12|website=jsj.hue.edu.cn|archive-date=9 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809014813/https://jsj.hue.edu.cn/4a/88/c1505a19080/page.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=国家教育部:反对各种机构对大学进行综合性排名_新闻中心_新浪网|url=https://news.sina.com.cn/c/edu/2006-06-27/15539310917s.shtml|access-date=2022-01-12|website=news.sina.com.cn}}</ref>
== List by regions ==
=== Municipalities === {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| *[[List of universities and colleges in Beijing|Beijing]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Chongqing|Chongqing]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Shanghai|Shanghai]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Tianjin|Tianjin]] }}
=== Provinces === {{Columns-list| *[[List of universities and colleges in Anhui|Anhui]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Fujian|Fujian]]<!--Fujian in the ROC only has Kinmen and Matsu while the PRC has the rest.--> *[[List of universities and colleges in Gansu|Gansu]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Guangdong|Guangdong]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Guizhou|Guizhou]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Hainan|Hainan]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Hebei|Hebei]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Heilongjiang|Heilongjiang]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Henan|Henan]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Hubei|Hubei]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Hunan|Hunan]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Jiangsu|Jiangsu]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Jiangxi|Jiangxi]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Jilin|Jilin]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Liaoning|Liaoning]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Qinghai|Qinghai]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Shaanxi|Shaanxi]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Shandong|Shandong]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Shanxi|Shanxi]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Sichuan|Sichuan]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Yunnan|Yunnan]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Zhejiang|Zhejiang]] }}
=== Autonomous regions === {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| *[[List of universities and colleges in Guangxi|Guangxi]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Inner Mongolia|Inner Mongolia]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Ningxia|Ningxia]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Tibet|Tibet]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Xinjiang|Xinjiang]] }}
=== Outside mainland China === {{Columns-list|colwidth=30em| *[[List of universities and colleges in Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] *[[List of universities and colleges in Macau|Macau]] }}
==See also== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} *[[Types of universities and colleges in China]] *[[Higher education in China]] *[[National Key Universities]] (China) *[[State Key Laboratories]] *[[Project 211]] *[[Project 985]] *[[Plan 111]] *[[C9 League]] *[[Excellence League]] *[[Double First-Class Construction]] {{div col end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== Further reading == * {{in lang|zh}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20071024171948/https://www.moe.gov.cn/edoas/website18/level3.jsp?tablename=322&infoid=28364 National Colleges and Universities List] (1909 institutions in total as of 18-May-2007, Location, authority and level are also given) * {{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20100928001512/https://www.moe.edu.cn/english/list.htm List of Chinese Higher Education Institutions] — [[Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Education]]
{{-}} {{Universities of China}} {{Asia in topic|List of universities in}} {{Education of the People's Republic of China}} {{Portal bar|China|Taiwan}}
[[Category:Lists of universities and colleges in China| ]] [[Category:Universities and colleges in China|*]] [[Category:China education-related lists|Universities]] [[Category:Lists of universities and colleges by country|China]] [[Category:Lists of universities and colleges in Asia|China]] [[Category:Educational organizations based in China]]