There are many higher education institutions in China. By September 2021, there were 3,012 colleges and universities, with over 40 million students enrolled in mainland China. More than 40 million Chinese students graduated from university from 2016 to 2020. Corresponding with the merging of many public universities, has been the rapid expansion of the private sector in mainland China since 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. The 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. As of 2024, China had the world's highest number of top universities. In 2017, China had the highest number of scientific publications. As of 2024, China had the largest number of universities (396) including in the 2024–2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities. More than 2,500 universities in China are included in the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. Regardless of a variety of rankings about universities in China, the Ministry of Education of China does not advocate or recognize any rankings conducted.

List by regions

Municipalities

• Beijing • Chongqing • Shanghai • Tianjin

Provinces

• Anhui • Fujian • Gansu • Guangdong • Guizhou • Hainan • Hebei • Heilongjiang • Henan • Hubei • Hunan • Jiangsu • Jiangxi • Jilin • Liaoning • Qinghai • Shaanxi • Shandong • Shanxi • Sichuan • Yunnan • Zhejiang

Autonomous regions

• Guangxi • Inner Mongolia • Ningxia • Tibet • Xinjiang

Outside Mainland

• Hong Kong • Macau