First, the scale of imperial examinations in the Northern Song Dynasty was expanding day by day, while the official schools in the early Song Dynasty were in a state of long-term depression. Scholars have a great demand for learning, but they have no place to live. Under such circumstances, the academy came into being, which played a role in filling the gap in official learning and provided a place for scholars to study.

Second, the court advocated Confucianism and encouraged private learning. In the early Song Dynasty, the government advocated civil administration, but the state could not establish a large number of official schools for a while, so the court commended and sponsored academies in various ways. For example, the famous Bailudong Academy, Yuelu Academy, Yingtianfu Academy, Songyang Academy, etc., all received different forms of support from the court, such as books, plaques, fields, school operators, etc., which was undoubtedly one of the direct reasons for the prosperity of academies in the early Song Dynasty.

Third, the influence of Buddhist meditation system. Buddhism chose to build temples in the quiet and beautiful Shan Ye for the purpose of seclusion and seclusion. Most of the academies in the Five Dynasties and the early Song Dynasty were built in mountain scenic spots. The Buddhist meditation system, which integrates Tibetan scriptures, lectures and research, has also had a great influence on the teaching of the academy. For example, the lecture system of the academy is based on the teaching methods and popular lectures of Buddhist monks, as well as the teaching notes and quotations of the academy.

Fourthly, the application of printing makes the production of books more convenient than calligraphy, which is an important foundation for the prosperity and development of academies in Song Dynasty. Books are no longer treasures, but can be owned by the public, so that the academy has a rich collection of books and truly becomes a teaching and research place facing the society.