Private higher education plays an indispensable role in the overall pattern of national higher education. Generally speaking, the rapid development of China’s economy and society, the development level of higher education itself, the influence of population structure on higher education and the gradual standardization of private education at the policy level have provided a broad stage for private universities. At present, many private universities are already at the intersection of the start-up and flourishing stages of their lifecycle. It is an important task for private universities to give full play to the advantages of their flexible school system, optimize human capital and strengthen the construction of campus culture. In running private universities, there are widespread problems such as extensive development model and lack of strategic vision. Therefore, we should push ahead with a new path of “conventional operation + strategic operation,” refine the core values of those century-old prestigious schools, and unswervingly adhere to the established strategic goals, so as to provide institutional guarantee for the schools to achieve high-quality leapfrog development.