The fifth Edition of Chinese Universities and Colleges is intended mainly for foreign readers interested in basic information on contemporary Chinese higher education institutions. It is particularly compiled for those overseas higher education institutions that have international students, scholars and cooperative projects or programs from and with the People's Republic of China, and need to check their previous higher education backgrounds in China. It is also a very useful directory for those foreign individuals who desire to find teaching opportunities, and academic programs for international students in Chinese colleges and universities.

The new edition contains listings of 1,845 regual higher education institutions officially recognized by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. It does not include those adult higher education institutions and military academies. Nor does it include higher education institutions in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. It is based on information provided in questionnaire mailed out and information updated till December 2007.