Boasting high reputation in quality education, Xiangtan University (XTU) has gradually formed a development pattern centering on undergraduates education, keeping steady growth of postgraduates education, and rapidly developing foreign students education. It was rated as "excellent" in undergraduate education evaluation granted by the Ministry of Education in 2002 and 2008. There are 36,803 full-time students in XTU,including 6,383 PhD and postgraduate students, and 376 foreign students. 7,092 are studying at the affiliated college, Xingxiang College.

XTU has been included in the Undergraduate Innovative Pilot Program initiated by the Ministry of Education. In recent five years, XTU students won over 1,000 national awards in such contests as "CCTV Cup" China Undergraduate English Public Speaking Contest, China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling, and the "Challenge Cup" National Undergraduate Extracurricular Scientific Work Competition. XTU rank the top among colleges and universities of Hunan in terms of awards.

It is the only national comprehensive reform demonstration unit conducting postgraduate education of professional degree in Hunan. In which, reforms of professional degree education, mechanism of postgraduate fostering, and public class teaching at postgraduate level are vigorously pushing forward.

XTU also enjoys high employment rate, whose graduates are highly praised by the employers for their solid knowledge, sound quality, superior competence, hardworking spirit, and strong determination.

XTU is the only local university in the first batch of national universities that has set up reserve officer selecting and training base. It is the reserve officer selecting and training base for Chinese PLA Guangzhou Military Region, and postgraduate selecting and training base for No. 61046 Troop under PLA Headquarters of the General Staff. Training both military and common talents is a characteristic of XTU.