Imperial academy and imperial academy have always been regarded as ancient universities in China. As for imperial academy, Ci Hai said that "his name began in the Western Zhou Dynasty". Dai Zhuan: "When the emperor entered imperial academy, the teacher asked." In the fifth year of the Yuan and Shuo Dynasties (BC 124), there was a doctor of the Five Classics and 50 disciples, which was the beginning of the establishment of Imperial College in the Western Han Dynasty. Imperial academy developed greatly in the Eastern Han Dynasty. When it became emperor, there were 30,000 Imperial College students. From Wei and Jin Dynasties to Ming and Qing Dynasties, either imperial academy or Guo Zi School (imperial academy) was established, or both were the highest institutions for imparting Confucian classics. In other words, imperial academy and imperial academy are just "equivalent" to ancient universities. In fact, imperial academy is not only the "Royal Academy" in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, but also the highest educational administrative institution in China. Imperial College is an ancient central official school. Although there is only a little difference between Imperial College and university, there is still a big difference in terms of school purpose, teaching content and student academic system.

The ancient universities in China gradually developed from imperial academy to imperial academy. The establishment of Imperial College in Han Dynasty marked the establishment of the feudal official school system in China. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu put forward the suggestion that "I hope your majesty will build imperial academy and set up a master to cultivate talents in the world". Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established Imperial College in Chang 'an, the capital, which is also the first national highest institution in history. When Yang Di was emperor, imperial academy was changed to imperial academy, but there was also imperial academy in imperial academy. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, imperial academy and Guo Zi School coexisted and formed a relatively complete academic system. From the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, there was no imperial academy, only Guo Zi School or imperial academy. Imperial academy is not only the highest academic institution in China, but also the highest educational administrative institution in China.

Nowadays, the concept of university refers to schools that implement higher education, higher education institutions that provide teaching and research conditions and authorize the awarding of degrees, including colleges, colleges and comprehensive universities. Its purpose is to cultivate scholars with independent thinking ability. Imperial academy and imperial academy were masters of Confucian classics trained by the ancient feudal regime, and students could enter the official career after graduation. Therefore, there was an ancient saying that "learning well is the best way to become an official". In addition, the courses are very different. At the beginning of imperial academy, there was a doctor of the Five Classics who specialized in teaching Confucian classics such as poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, the Book of Changes, the Spring and Autumn Period. Imperial College only pays attention to part of the content in the humanities field, and other natural sciences, medicine and other majors are not involved. Students in imperial academy are called "doctoral students" or "imperial academy students". In the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were "Zhu Sheng" and "You Shi", and in the Western Jin Dynasty, there were such names as "Lisheng", "Parasitic" and "Disciple". Students in imperial academy are called "Guo Jianzi". The invigilators in Ming dynasty were divided into four categories, called four supervisors; The Qing dynasty was divided into ten categories, called six gong and four prisons. According to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, only Gong Sheng or Yin Sheng was qualified to study in prison. The so-called Yin Sheng is the children of officials who rely on their parents' official positions to go to prison. This kind of yin sound is also called Yin Jian.