The success of YZU is based on the high standard of its faculty. Around 2,000 faculty members work on campus, including around 1000 professors and associate professors. 97 faculty members are entitled to State Fund for Specialists, 29 are entitled as Outstanding Contribution-making Young Experts by the government.

Through its 24 schools (School of Chinese Language and Literature, Social Development, Law, Educational Science and Technology (The Teachers' College), Foreign Languages, Mathematical Science, Physical Science and Technology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Physical Education, Mechanical Engineering, Information Engineering, Architectural Science and Engineering, Water Conservancy and Hydraulic Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Agriculture, Animal Science and Technology, Veterinary Science, Bio-science and Bio-technology, Economics, Management, Medicine, Arts, Tourism and Cuisine (Food Science), and Guangling College (university investment), YZU offers its 31,000 undergraduates 92 undergraduate programs covering 11 disciplines. At undergraduate level, the university now has over 16,000 adult students in its continued education programs. Undergraduate programs are also available for students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

With their solid academic ground and keen sense to practice, 79% of the graduates of YZU can find jobs immediately upon their graduation.

At the graduate level, around 3800 graduate students are studying in 21 doctoral and 122 master's programs, in which around 748 faculties are involved as doctoral and master's program supervisors.

YZU holds that international exchange and cooperation and the interaction of different cultures will promote the university's development and elevate its academic level. YZU has established ties with institutions of higher education in over 10 countries. More than 100 foreign language teachers and experts and over 2500 foreign scholars have taught, delivered lectures or participated in academic exchange programs over the past few years. Meanwhile, over 700 faculty members were sent abroad for academic visits, advanced studies, research cooperation or attendance at international academic conferences. Besides the exchanges at the faculty and researchers level, exchanges at the student level are also steadily developing. The number of international students in Yangzhou University is on the rise.