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 500 cities in the world by scientific research output, as tracked by the Nature Index in 2017. 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.

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)

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

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