Under the direct leadership of Ministry of Education of China (MOE), CUFE is one of the national "211" key universities (one of the 100 universities to which the Chinese government has attached top priority for the 21st Century). CUFE is among the pilot universities building the national innovation platform for preponderant disciplines.

In 1949, shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, CUFE, the first university of finance and economics in the Republic, was created by the China's central government. The former name of CUFE was Central School of Taxation. Later, it went through several stages of development, from Central Institute of Finance, Central Institute of Finance and Economics, to Central Institute of Finance and Banking. In 1996, the Institute was officially renamed as Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) under the direct leadership of the MOE. CUFE upholds "loyalty, unity, truth and innovation" as its motto, adhering to the philosophy of "pursuing truth and excellence". With over ninety-thousand graduates, CUFE is known as "the Cradle of Giants in the Field of Finance and Management ".

Driven by our internationalization strategy, CUFE has established relationships with more than 120 international organizations. Since 2006, we have offered professional training services to more than 300 government officials from 77 developing nations. CUFE is also one of the first universities chosen to award government-sponsored scholarships for Chinese students wishing to study abroad. In 2005, CUFE was accredited by the MOE to confer international scholarships to assist and encourage foreign students in China. Our goal is to achieve responsible, managed growth through continuous service improvement, thereby developing a unique, multi-disciplinary research institution of international standing.