Different locations: National University of Defense Technology generally refers to the National University of Defense Technology of the People's Liberation Army. Located in Changsha City, Hunan Province, it is a comprehensive military university directly under the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Production Party, and has always been a key construction institution of the state and the army. National defense university generally refers to the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army, referred to as National Defense University. Located in Haidian District, Beijing, it is the highest military academy in China directly under the Central Military Commission, with the level of deputy war zone. It is a comprehensive joint command university of the "2 1 10 Project" of the whole army and the key construction institutions of senior post education of the Chinese Army.

The founding time is different: the National Defense University was founded earlier, which originated from the Red Army Training Team founded by Chairman Mao in Jinggangshan in 1927. It has experienced the Red Army University of Chinese Workers and Peasants, the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University during the war years, the advanced military academy and the military and political university after the founding of the People's Republic of China. 1985, the Military Academy, the Political Academy and the Logistics Academy merged to form the National Defense University. The University of National Defense Technology was founded late, and its predecessor was China People's Liberation Army Military Engineering College, which was founded in Harbin. 1953. 1970 the main body of the college moved south to Changsha and was renamed Changsha Institute of Technology. 1978, the school was transformed into National University of Defense Technology. 1999 the state approved the construction of a new national university of defense technology.

Teaching direction is different: the word "technology" is added in the middle of National University of Defense Technology, which shows that National University of Defense Technology is more inclined to the "technology" level in personnel training and teaching direction. National defense university is more comprehensive. According to the school official website, as of September 20 18, the total area of Beijing headquarters and graduate school of National Defense University is 2,482.5 mu. The school has five disciplines: philosophy, law, economics, military science and education. It covers military thought, theory, command, logistics, culture, intelligence, national defense economy, international defense and many other fields.