There are more than 2000 universities in China, involving 20 million students. Despite the fact that many of them are state-run universities, the number of private universities has been expanding since 1999. Based on the principle of “One Country, Two Systems”, Hong Kong and Macau universities are operated in different systems in terms of recruitment, student enrolment and academic freedom.

List of Leading Chinese Universities:

• Tsinghua University
• Peking University
• Beijing University of Chemical Technology
• Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
• Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• North Jiao Tong University
• Beijing Medical University
• Beijing Polytechnical University
• Beijing Normal University
• Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology
• YanChing Graduate Institute
• China Academy of Forestry Sciences
• Tianjin University
• Nankai University
• Hebei University
• Hebei University of Technology
• Northeast university
• Liaoning University
• Dalian University of Technology
• Shenyang Electric Power Institute
• Jilin University
• Northeast Normal University
• Shanghai Jiaotong University
• Fudan University
• Tongji University
• East China University of Technology
• East China Normal University
• Shanghai Medical University
• Shanghai University
• Shanghai Second Medical University
• China Textile University
• Southeast University
• Nanjing University
• Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Nanjing Normal University
• Nanjing Medical University
• Nanjing Agriculture University
• Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Nanjing University of Chemical Technology
• Nanjing University of Science and Technology
• Hehai University
• Nanjing Institute of Meteorology
• Suzhou University
• Wuxi University of Light Industry
• China University of Mining Technology
• Huadong Petroleum University
• Zhejiang University
• Hangzhou University
• Zhejiang Agriculture University
• University of Science and Technology in China
• Anhui University
• Xiamen University
• Fuzhou University
• Fujian Teachers University
• Nanchang University
• Ocean University of Qingdao
• Shandong University (Overseas)
• Harbin Institute of Technology
• Northeast Agricultural University
• Harbin Engineering University
• Harbin University of Science and Technology
• Northeast Forestry University
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology
• Central China Normal University
• Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering
• Hubei University
• Wuhan Automobile Polytechnical University
• Central South University of Technology
• Changsha Railway University
• National University of Defense Technology
• Hunan University
• South China University of Technology
• Zhongshan University
• Jinan University
• South China Normal University
• GuangDong University of Technology
• Shenzhen University
• Shantou University
• Guangzhou University
• Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences
• Guangdong University of Law & Business
• Guangzhou Normal University
• Foshan University
• Guangdong University of Foreign Study
• South China Agriculture
• Wuyi University
• Guangxi University
• Guangxi Normal University
• GuiLin Institute of Electronic Technology
• Hainan Normal University
• ChongQing University
• Chongqing University of Post and Telecommunication
• ChongQing Jianzhu University
• Chengdu Institute of Technology
• Southwest University of Political Science and Law
• Southwest Institute of Technology
• Southwest University of Finance and Economics
• Guizhou University
• Yunnan Polytechnic University
• Yunnan University
• Xi'an Electronic Science and Technology University
• Lanzhou University
• Jiaotong University
• Taiwan Academy of Science
• Chinese University of Hong Kong
• City University of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• University of Hong Kong
• Baptist University of Hong University of Macau
• Anhui Optical Precision Instrument Institute of CAS
• Solid Physics Institute of CAS
• Hefei Computing Station of CAS
• CAS Physics Institute
• CAS Hefei Intelligence Mechanics Institute
• No. 16 Institute of Ministry of Electronics
• Anhui Agriculture Academy of Science