Research on the group characteristics and channels for selection of party secretaries at private institutions of higher education has important significance in strengthening leadership by party organizations and perfecting internal governance structures at private institutions of higher education. A survey of 293 private institutions of higher education shows that, on the whole, party secretaries tend to be more advanced in age, with a fairly reasonable ratio of men and women, while their academic qualifications need improvement. The career trajectories of party secretaries display diversification, and their power is gradually expanding. The principal channels for selection of party secretaries include appointment by the educational affairs department of the party committee, or election by the school. In the future, a qualifications-based access system should be established for party secretaries at private institutions of higher education, and the selection system for party secretaries should be perfected, with accurate positioning of their roles, and correct handling of relationships with school operators and presidents, allowing secretaries to better exercise their roles as leaders, participants, supervisors and coordinators, so as to usher in safe, stable and standardized school development. [Translated by Carissa Fletcher.]