# List of universities and colleges in Hunan

As of 2023, Hunan hosts 137 institutions of higher education, ranking fifth together with Sichuan (137) among all Chinese provinces after Jiangsu (168), Henan (168), Guangdong (162), and Shandong (156). Hunan is also the seat of 12 adult higher education institutions. Two major cities in Hunan (Changsha and Xiangtan) were ranked in the top 200 cities in the world by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index in 2024.
There are three national key universities under Project 985 (Hunan University, Central South University and the National University of Defense Technology) in Hunan, the third highest after Beijing and Shanghai. Hunan Normal University in Changsha is the key construction university of the national 211 Project, and Xiangtan University in Xiangtan is a key university jointly built by Hunan Province and the Ministry of Education and a member of national Project 111. These five national key universities are included in the Double First-Class Universities of Hunan Province.
Hunan University and Central South University are the only two Project 985 universities in Changsha, Hunan to appear in the world's top 200 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities and the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking. Hunan Normal University, the National University of Defense and Technology and Changsha University of Science and Technology located in Changsha, were ranked in the world's top 701 of the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, the University of South China in Hengyang, Hunan University of Technology in Zhuzhou and Xiangtan University in Xiangtan were ranked in the top 801-900 globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Hunan University of Science and Technology in Xiangtan and Central South University of Forestry and Technology in Changsha were ranked number 988 and number 1429 respectively in the 2022 Best Global Universities by the U.S. News & World Report Best Global University Ranking. As of 2023, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine in Changsha ranked the best in Central China region and 26th nationwide among Chinese Medical Universities.

## National key public universities
### Changsha City

* Central South University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
* Hunan University (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)
* Hunan Normal University (Project 211, Double First Class University)
* National University of Defense Technology (Project 211, Project 985, Double First Class University)

### Xiangtan City

* Xiangtan University ( Double First Class University)

## Provincial key public universities
### Changsha City

* Central South University of Forestry and Technology
* Changsha University of Science and Technology
* Hunan Agricultural University
* Hunan First Normal University
* Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
* Hunan University of Technology and Commerce

### Hengyang City

* Hengyang Normal University
* University of South China

### Jishou City

* Jishou University

### Loudi City

* Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology

### Shaoyang City

* Shaoyang University

### Xiangtan City

* Hunan Institute of Engineering
* Hunan University of Science and Technology

### Yueyang City

* Hunan Institute of Science and Technology

### Zhuzhou City

* Hunan University of Technology

## General undergraduate universities (public)
### Changsha City

* Changsha Normal University
* Changsha University
* Hunan University of Finance and Economics
* Hunan Police Academy
* Hunan Women's University

### Hengyang City

* Hunan Institute of Technology

### Xiangtan City

* Xiangtan Institute of Technology

### Yongzhou City

* Hunan University of Science and Engineering

## General undergraduate universities (private)

* Changsha Medical University
* Hunan International Economics University
* Hunan Institute of Information Technology
* Hunan Institute of Traffic Engineering
* Hunan Applied Technology University

## Vocational and technical colleges/universities

* Changsha Aeronautical Vocational and Technical College
* Changsha Social Work College
* Hunan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College
* Changde Vocational and Technical College
| Name | Chinese name | Type | Location |
| Xiangtan University | 湘潭大学 | Provincial | Xiangtan |
| Jishou University | 吉首大学 | Provincial | Jishou |
| Hunan University | 湖南大学 | National (Direct) | Changsha |
| Central South University | 中南大学 | National (Direct) | Changsha |
| Hunan University of Science and Technology | 湖南科技大学 | Provincial | Xiangtan |
| Changsha University of Science and Technology | 长沙理工大学 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Agricultural University | 湖南农业大学 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Central South University of Forestry and Technology | 中南林业科技大学 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine | 湖南中医药大学 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Normal University | 湖南师范大学 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Institute of Science and Technology | 湖南理工学院 | Provincial | Yueyang |
| Xiangnan University | 湘南学院 | Provincial | Chenzhou |
| Hengyang Normal University | 衡阳师范学院 | Provincial | Hengyang |
| Shaoyang University | 邵阳学院 | Provincial | Shaoyang |
| Huaihua University | 怀化学院 | Provincial | Huaihua |
| Hunan University of Arts and Science | 湖南文理学院 | Provincial | Changde |
| Hunan University of Science and Engineering | 湖南科技学院 | Provincial | Yongzhou |
| Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology | 湖南人文科技学院 | Provincial | Loudi |
| Hunan University of Commerce | 湖南商学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| University of South China | 南华大学 | Provincial | Hengyang |
| Changsha Medical College | 长沙医学院 | Private | Changsha |
| Changsha University | 长沙学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Institute of Engineering | 湖南工程学院 | Provincial | Xiangtan |
| Hunan City University | 湖南城市学院 | Provincial | Yiyang |
| Hunan Institute of Technology | 湖南工学院 | Provincial | Hengyang |
| Hunan University of Finance and Economics | 湖南财政经济学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Police Academy | 湖南警察学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan University of Technology | 湖南工业大学 | Provincial | Zhuzhou |
| Hunan Women's University | 湖南女子学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan First Normal University | 湖南第一师范学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan University of Medicine | 湖南医药学院 | Provincial | Huaihua |
| Hunan International Economics University | 湖南涉外经济学院 | Private | Changsha |
| Xingxiang College, Xiangtan University | 湘潭大学兴湘学院 | Private | Xiangtan |
| Shuda College, Hunan Normal University | 湖南师范大学树达学院 | Private | Changsha |
| Xiangxin College, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine | 湖南中医药大学湘杏学院 | Private | Changsha |
| Changsha Normal University | 长沙师范学院 | Provincial | Changsha |
| Hunan Applied Technology University | 湖南应用技术学院 | Private | Changde |
| Hunan Institute of Information Technology | 湖南信息学院 | Private | Changsha |
| Hunan Institute of Traffic Engineering | 湖南交通工程学院 | Private | Hengyang |