Abstract: Exploring the institutional ethics of higher education is aimed at a scientific understanding of the goodness of higher education systems. From the perspective of the past， the present and the future institutional changes， this paper analyzes the multiple dimensions of institutional ethics in Chinas higher education—centralization reflects the administrative ethics of Chinas higher education institutions before the reform and opening up， and attachment to politics expresses the goodness of tools; decentralization embodies the administrative ethics of Chinas higher education institutions after the reform and opening up， and efficiency follows the market ethics; and in the future the freedom of Chinas higher education institutions is the goodness of purpose， democracy reflects the future administrative ethics， and justice highlights the social ethics. By questioning institutional ethics in Chinas higher education， the lost spirit of university might be regained and the effectiveness of higher education systems might be enhanced.

Key words: higher education, institutional ethics, freedom, democracy, justice