Privately run universities and colleges in China by province
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
The national list of higher education institutions, as of 17 June 2026, marks privately run schools with 民办 (privately run) in its remark column. Counting the rows of attachment 1, 840 rows carry that remark, and the table below gives the count under each province header. To browse institutions by province, see this directory's section page.
What the list is and what it covers
The Ministry of Education of the PRC publishes the national list of higher education institutions (全国高等学校名单). Its page gives the position as of 17 June 2026: 3,196 higher education institutions in total, of which 2,952 are regular institutions, including 1,412 undergraduate-level and 1,540 junior-college-level (高职（专科）) institutions. The page lists 244 adult institutions in a separate attachment, titled 全国成人高等学校名单. The page states that institutions in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are not included.
Attachment 1, the list of regular higher education institutions (全国普通高等学校名单), has seven columns: serial number (序号), school name (学校名称), school identification code (学校标识码), competent department (主管部门), location (所在地), level of education (办学层次) and remark (备注). The seven columns do not include a ranking column, a column for 985, 211 or Double First-Class status, or a teaching-language column. Being on the list does not show that a school enrols international students.
Counting the rows of attachment 1, the remark column holds the following values:
- blank: 2,096 rows
- 民办 (privately run): 840 rows
- 中外合作办学及内地与港澳合作办学 (Sino-foreign cooperative education, and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong or Macao): 14 rows
- 境外高等教育机构在海南自由贸易港设立的实施理工农医类学科专业教育的学校 (schools set up in the Hainan Free Trade Port by overseas higher education institutions to provide education in science, engineering, agriculture and medicine disciplines): 2 rows
These are counts made by this site from the rows of the list. They are not figures printed by the Ministry of Education.
The list is printed in Chinese. The English wording on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text. Confirm any name or detail against the current official list, which prevails if the two differ.
Privately run schools by province
The table gives each province header as printed on attachment 1, with the number printed in that header. The third column is a count made from the rows of attachment 1: it counts the rows under each header whose remark column contains 民办. The list is dated 17 June 2026.
| Province header (as printed) | Number printed in the header | Rows with 民办 in the remark column (counted from the rows) |
|---|---|---|
| 北京市 (Beijing) | 92 | 15 |
| 天津市 (Tianjin) | 56 | 12 |
| 河北省 (Hebei) | 133 | 42 |
| 山西省 (Shanxi) | 84 | 12 |
| 内蒙古自治区 (Inner Mongolia) | 54 | 10 |
| 辽宁省 (Liaoning) | 115 | 31 |
| 吉林省 (Jilin) | 68 | 21 |
| 黑龙江省 (Heilongjiang) | 81 | 21 |
| 上海市 (Shanghai) | 69 | 19 |
| 江苏省 (Jiangsu) | 175 | 46 |
| 浙江省 (Zhejiang) | 111 | 32 |
| 安徽省 (Anhui) | 126 | 34 |
| 福建省 (Fujian) | 90 | 37 |
| 江西省 (Jiangxi) | 120 | 36 |
| 山东省 (Shandong) | 171 | 51 |
| 河南省 (Henan) | 182 | 60 |
| 湖北省 (Hubei) | 134 | 45 |
| 湖南省 (Hunan) | 148 | 43 |
| 广东省 (Guangdong) | 167 | 52 |
| 广西壮族自治区 (Guangxi) | 93 | 29 |
| 海南省 (Hainan) | 29 | 12 |
| 重庆市 (Chongqing) | 77 | 33 |
| 四川省 (Sichuan) | 146 | 55 |
| 贵州省 (Guizhou) | 80 | 16 |
| 云南省 (Yunnan) | 91 | 22 |
| 西藏自治区 (Tibet) | 8 | 0 |
| 陕西省 (Shaanxi) | 98 | 33 |
| 甘肃省 (Gansu) | 49 | 6 |
| 青海省 (Qinghai) | 13 | 1 |
| 宁夏回族自治区 (Ningxia) | 24 | 5 |
| 新疆维吾尔自治区 (Xinjiang) | 68 | 9 |
The counts in the third column are made by this site from the rows under each header. Each row is counted once under the header it is printed under. The table makes no share or percentage calculation.
Articles 2, 3 and 28 of the Private Education Promotion Law
The Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China is carried on the Ministry of Education's site. The Chinese text is set out below in English. The English is this site's translation of the Chinese text.
Article 2 says that activities by social organizations or individuals other than state organs, using non-state fiscal funds to run schools and other educational institutions for society, are subject to this Law. Matters this Law does not provide for shall be carried out in accordance with the Education Law and other relevant education laws.
Article 3 has three paragraphs. Paragraph 1 says that private education is a public-welfare undertaking and forms part of the socialist education undertaking. Paragraph 2 says that the State applies the policy of active encouragement, strong support, correct guidance and management in accordance with law to private education. Paragraph 3 says that people's governments at all levels shall include private education in national economic and social development plans.
Article 28 says that teachers and students of private schools have the same legal status as teachers and students of public schools.
For the Chinese text of each article, see the Sources section below.
Questions people ask
Which list shows which schools are privately run?
The national list of higher education institutions, Ministry of Education, as of 17 June 2026, uses the remark column (备注) of attachment 1 for this. Counting the rows, 840 rows carry 民办 (privately run) in that column. The province counts in the table above are counts made from the rows under each header.
What does Article 3 of the Private Education Promotion Law say about private education?
Article 3, paragraph 1, says private education is a public-welfare undertaking and part of the socialist education undertaking. Paragraph 2 sets the State's policy of active encouragement, strong support, correct guidance and management in accordance with law. Paragraph 3 says that people's governments at all levels shall include private education in national economic and social development plans.
What does Article 28 say about teachers and students of private schools?
Article 28 says that teachers and students of private schools have the same legal status as teachers and students of public schools.
To check how a name appears on the Ministry's lists, see how to check a Chinese university against the Ministry of Education list.
Sources
- National list of higher education institutions (全国高等学校名单), Ministry of Education of the PRC, as of 17 June 2026
- 全国普通高等学校名单, attachment 1 (Excel), Ministry of Education of the PRC, as of 17 June 2026
- Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国民办教育促进法), Ministry of Education of the PRC
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not published by the Ministry of Education or any university, and promises no admission outcome; the official Chinese text and the current official list prevail if they differ.