Institutional profiles of People's Republic of China (PRC) colleges and universities, Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences are presented to help answer questions posed by students and faculty considering study, research, or teaching opportunities in the PRC. Of the 701 institutions extant at the start of the 1981-82 school year, detailed information is available on less than 75; no information is available on more than 150. Most of those included in the guide are believed to be four-year, and in a few cases, five-year institutions. Information is provided on the following: names of Chinese institutions in English, Chinese, and other translations; affiliation of the schools; type of institution based on 11 descriptive categories; location; background; departments; research institutes; areas of research; faculty; and enrollment. Background information includes previously used names, the date the institution was established, and when it reopened after being closed during the Cultural Revolution, and when known, the length of first degree programs. Several colleges and universities have affiliated research institutes staffed, in part, by professionals who do not hold faculty positions. The small number of professors and associate professors is, in part, a consequence of the fact that no promotions were made for almost 20 years. At the same time, there are teaching assistants and instructors, many of whom were added to facilities during the Cultural Revolution. It is suggested that schools with fewer than 1,000 students may constitute the majority of all institutions. Institutions are listed by category and alphabetically in the appendices. (SW)