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Global University Data API for Search and Enrichment

Search structured global university profiles by name, country, region, or city for directories, research, and enrichment workflows.

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Global University Data API for Search and Enrichment

Search structured university profiles with geographic filters, sorting, and pagination. The API is designed for directories, education research, institution enrichment, and other products that need consistent university metadata.

Start here: Try the live demo or view the current API details.

API details

Item Value
API name Global University Data
Category Metadata APIs
Method GET
Endpoint https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/global-university
Content type query parameters
Demo endpoint https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/global-university/demo
Detail page https://gugudata.io/details/global-university
OpenAPI JSON https://gugudata.io/assets/openapi/gugudata.openapi.3.1.json

When to use this API

  • Search global university metadata for education products.
  • Build university discovery and comparison tools.
  • Normalize institution data in research workflows.

Request parameters

This endpoint accepts parameters through the query string. Keep appkey out of client-side public code and send it only from trusted server-side environments.

Parameter Type Required Default Description
appkey string Yes YOUR_APPKEY Application key supplied in the query string.
name string No - Case-insensitive university name search, up to 100 characters.
country string No - Country filter, up to 100 characters.
region string No - Macro-region filter such as North America, up to 100 characters.
city string No - City filter, up to 100 characters.
sort string No rank|asc Sort expression in field|direction format, for example rank|asc.
pageIndex integer No 1 One-based page index for pagination.
pageSize integer No 10 Records per page. Zero uses 10; values above 20 are capped at 20.

Example request

curl -G "https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/global-university" \
  --data-urlencode "appkey=YOUR_APPKEY" \
  --data-urlencode "name=Harvard" \
  --data-urlencode "country=United States" \
  --data-urlencode "region=North America" \
  --data-urlencode "city=Cambridge" \
  --data-urlencode "sort=rank|asc" \
  --data-urlencode "pageIndex=1" \
  --data-urlencode "pageSize=10"

Response fields

The response body contains the fields below for successful JSON responses. For binary endpoints, the success response is returned as binary content and JSON is used for error responses.

Field Type Required Description
dataStatus object Yes Response metadata returned by the API response.
dataStatus.requestParameter string Yes Normalized request parameters echoed by the service. Sensitive credentials are omitted when available.
dataStatus.statusCode integer Yes Application-level status code returned by the API response.
dataStatus.status string Yes Application-level status enum returned by the API response.
dataStatus.statusDescription string Yes Application-level status message returned by the API response.
dataStatus.responseDateTime string Yes Response timestamp returned by the API response.
dataStatus.dataTotalCount integer Yes Total number of records that match the request.
data array<object> Yes University records in the requested page.
data[].rank integer | null Yes Ranking position when available.
data[].website string | null Yes University website.
data[].universityName string | null Yes English display name.
data[].universityChineseName string | null Yes Chinese display name when available.
data[].logo string | null Yes Hosted logo URL when available.
data[].region, country, city string | null Yes Published location fields.
data[].internationalStudents integer | null Yes Published international-student figure when available.
data[].subjectCount integer | null Yes Number of linked subject entries when available.
data[].programmeCount integer | null Yes Number of linked programme records.
data[].programmeDataAvailable boolean | null Yes Whether programme data is available.
data[].programmes array<object> | null Yes Linked programme ID, name and study level records.
data[].schoolUUID string | null Yes Stable public university identifier.
data[].institutionType string | null Yes Institution type when available.

Response example

This example illustrates the response shape. Dataset values can change between releases.

{
  "dataStatus": {
    "statusCode": 200,
    "statusDescription": "successfully",
    "responseDateTime": "2026-04-10T00:00:00Z",
    "dataTotalCount": 1,
    "status": "SUCCESS",
    "requestParameter": "name=Harvard&country=United States&region=North America&city=Cambridge&sort=rank|asc&pageIndex=1&pageSize=10"
  },
  "data": [{
    "rank": 4,
    "website": "https://www.harvard.edu/",
    "universityName": "Harvard University",
    "universityChineseName": "哈佛大学",
    "logo": "https://api.gugudata.io/v1/metadata/global-university-logo/example.png",
    "region": "North America",
    "country": "United States",
    "city": "Cambridge",
    "internationalStudents": null,
    "subjectCount": 0,
    "programmeCount": 0,
    "programmeDataAvailable": false,
    "programmes": [],
    "schoolUUID": "public-university-id",
    "institutionType": null
  }]
}

HTTP status codes

Use the HTTP status code for transport-level handling. If the response body contains dataStatus.statusCode, treat it as an application-level status field in the JSON payload.

HTTP status Meaning Recommended handling
200 Request processed successfully. Parse the documented response body for the endpoint result.
400 Invalid request parameters or request format. Check required fields, data types, and request body format.
401 Missing or unknown application key. Send a valid appkey with the request.
403 The application key is recognized but access is not allowed. Check subscription, trial state, and endpoint access.
429 Request rate or trial usage limit exceeded. Reduce concurrency or retry after the limit window resets.
500 Internal service error. Retry later or contact support if the error persists.
503 Upstream service unavailable. Retry later when the dependency is available again.

Implementation notes

  • Validate required parameters before sending the request so 400 responses are easier to diagnose.
  • Keep server-side retries conservative for 429, 500, and 503 responses.
  • Cache stable metadata responses when your use case allows it, especially for lookup and directory endpoints.
  • Log the HTTP status code and dataStatus.statusDescription together for easier debugging.
  • Use the demo endpoint for a quick connectivity check, then switch to the authenticated endpoint for production data.

FAQ

Where is the official API detail page?

The official detail page is https://gugudata.io/details/global-university. It is the best place to review the latest public endpoint information before publishing or integrating.

Should I handle dataStatus.statusCode as the HTTP status code?

No. Use the HTTP status code for request-level behavior such as authentication, permission, rate limiting, and server errors. Use dataStatus.statusCode only as the response body status field when it is present.

Can I use the demo endpoint in production?

No. The demo endpoint is for quick testing and examples. Use the authenticated endpoint with your appkey for production workflows.

For more developer APIs, visit GuGuData.