The founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in July 1921 not only initiated a new journey for the Chinese revolution but also opened a new chapter in the history of Chinese higher education. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, grounded in the need for cadre education, the CPC proactively established revolutionary Marxist universities, thereby laying the political foundation for the Party’s involvement in higher education. In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, building upon the study of Soviet models, the CPC undertook a comprehensive restructuring of universities. This led to the formation of a specialized higher education system and represented an initial attempt to independently explore a socialist university framework. The era of Reform and Opening-Up witnessed significant breakthroughs in institutional mechanisms and enhancements in educational quality under the guiding principles of the “Two Centers” and the “Three Orientations,” which accelerated the modernization of universities. Since the advent of the new era, anchoring its mission in national rejuvenation and upholding the “Four Confidences,” the CPC has developed universities that possess distinct Chinese characteristics and achieve world-class standards. This century-long pursuit by the CPC in establishing and developing universities has moved through distinct phases, prioritizing respectively revolution, specialization, modernization, and the cultivation of unique characteristics. This progression fully demonstrates the Party’s self-awareness, autonomy, self-reliance, and confidence in shaping higher education.