With the student-centered conception, SHNU lays great emphasis on teaching quality and reforms in teaching. The university has arranged a series of interdisciplinary courses to cultivate talents who are well-versed in specific area and with many other skills.

Up to September, 2010, SHNU has an enrollment of 23,733 full-time undergraduates, 4,625 graduates, 14,391 night-school students, and 2,100 international students. There are 82 undergraduate programs related to 10 categories of academic subjects, covering Philosophy, Economics, Law, Education, Literature, History, Science, Engineering, Management, and Agriculture.