Public and private universities in China: what the law and the national list record
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
The national list of higher education institutions marks a privately run school with 民办 in its 备注 (remarks) column. Counting the rows of the list's attachment 1, 840 rows carry that mark. The Private Education Promotion Law says a private school has the same legal standing as a public school (Article 5), and it lets founders choose between a non-profit and a for-profit school (Article 19).
This guide sets out what those texts and the list say, and it names no institution. The English wording is this directory's translation of Chinese texts, and the official Chinese texts prevail. For how this directory organises its pages, see this directory's section page.
What the Private Education Promotion Law says
The provisions below come from the Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China, as carried on the Ministry of Education of the PRC's website. The English is this directory's translation.
- Scope. Article 2 applies the law to social organisations or individuals that run schools and other educational institutions for society with non-state fiscal funds. Where the law makes no provision, the Education Law and other relevant education laws apply.
- Nature of private education. Article 3 says private education is a public-welfare undertaking and part of the socialist education undertaking. It also states the national policy of active encouragement, strong support, correct guidance and management in accordance with law.
- Legal standing. Article 5 says a private school has the same legal standing as a public school, and that the state guarantees its school-running autonomy. Article 28 says teachers and students of a private school have the same legal standing as those of a public school.
- Founders. Article 10 says an organisation that founds a private school must have legal person status. An individual founder must have political rights and full civil capacity. A private school must meet the conditions for a legal person.
- Setting up a school. Article 11 says a new private school must meet local education needs and the conditions set by the Education Law and other laws. Its setting standards are applied by reference to the standards for same-level, same-type public schools.
- Approval. Article 12 says a private school offering diploma education, pre-school education, self-study assistance or other cultural education is examined and approved by the education administrative department at county level or above, within the powers set by the state. A private school offering occupational skills training is examined and approved by the human resources and social security administrative department at county level or above, within the powers set by the state, and copied to the education administrative department at the same level for the record.
- Governance. Article 20 says a private school shall set up a council, board or other decision-making body and a supervision mechanism. Its founders take part in running and managing the school as the school charter provides.
Non-profit and for-profit private schools
Article 19 of the Private Education Promotion Law covers the choice between the two types.
- A founder may choose to set up a non-profit or a for-profit private school. A founder may not set up a for-profit private school that provides compulsory education.
- A founder of a non-profit private school may not take school returns. The school's surplus is used entirely for running the school.
- A founder of a for-profit private school may take school returns. The school's surplus is handled under the Company Law and other laws and administrative regulations.
- After it obtains a school-running permit, a private school completes legal person registration, and the registration authority handles it according to law.
The Higher Education Law
The Higher Education Law of the People's Republic of China was adopted on 29 August 1998 and amended on 27 December 2015 and 29 December 2018. Article 6 says the state formulates higher education development plans and sets up higher education institutions in several forms. It also says the state encourages enterprises and public institutions, social groups, other social organisations and citizens to run higher education institutions under the law, and to take part in and support the reform and development of higher education.
The national list and its remark column
The national list is the Ministry of Education's list as of 17 June 2026. The list's page prints these figures for that date: 3,196 higher education institutions in total, of which 2,952 are regular institutions (including 1,412 undergraduate and 1,540 vocational, 专科, institutions), and 244 are adult institutions. The page says the list does not include higher education institutions in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Attachment 1 to the page is the list of regular higher education institutions, an Excel file. Its columns are 序号 (serial number), 学校名称 (school name), 学校标识码 (school identification code), 主管部门 (competent department), 所在地 (location), 办学层次 (level of education) and 备注 (remarks).
The table below gives the values found in the 备注 column. These counts were made by this directory by counting the rows of attachment 1. They are not figures printed on the page.
| Value in the 备注 column (English reading) | Rows, counted from the list |
|---|---|
| No entry (blank) | 2,096 |
| 民办 (privately run) | 840 |
| 中外合作办学及内地与港澳合作办学 (Sino-foreign cooperative running, and cooperative running with the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao) | 14 |
| 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 (school set up in the Hainan Free Trade Port by an overseas higher education institution, providing science, engineering, agriculture and medicine education) | 2 |
Being on the national list does not show that a school enrols international students. Before relying on any row, confirm it against the current official list.
Naming of for-profit private higher education institutions
Article 10 of the Interim Measures for the Naming of Higher Education Institutions, issued by the General Office of the Ministry of Education as Jiao Fa Ting [2020] No. 6 (教发厅〔2020〕6号) on 20 August 2020, reads in this directory's translation as follows. A for-profit private higher education institution, in addition to following these measures, must state in its name either "limited liability company" (有限责任公司) or "joint-stock limited company" (股份有限公司). When the school is set up, it may apply to the approving authority to use a short name, and the short name may omit the company form and nothing else.
Questions people ask
How does the national list show that a school is privately run?
The 备注 (remarks) column of attachment 1 to the national list, as of 17 June 2026, carries 民办 for the rows of privately run schools. Counting the rows of that attachment, this directory found 840 rows with 民办 in that column. Confirm the rows against the current official list.
Does Chinese law give a private school the same legal standing as a public school?
Article 5 of the Private Education Promotion Law says a private school has the same legal standing as a public school, and that the state guarantees its school-running autonomy. Article 28 of the same law says teachers and students of a private school have the same legal standing as those of a public school.
Can a for-profit private school provide compulsory education?
Article 19 of the Private Education Promotion Law says founders may not set up a for-profit private school that provides compulsory education. The same article lets founders choose between non-profit and for-profit private schools in other cases.
What must a for-profit private university include in its name?
Article 10 of the 2020 naming measures says a for-profit private higher education institution must state "limited liability company" or "joint-stock limited company" in its name. Its short name may omit the company form and nothing else.
Sources
- Private Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Higher Education Law of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- National list of higher education institutions, as of 17 June 2026, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Interim Measures for the Naming of Higher Education Institutions, 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.