Hainan University is the largest university in Hainan province with the highest level of education and the strongest capabilities. It was also the first university to introduce graduate education in Hainan province. In 1983, the university was awarded the right to confer masters degrees in agricultural product processing and storage engineering, which was a first in graduate education in Hainan Province. In 1985, the university was authorized to confer masters degrees for crop science and botany in agronomy and science; in 1994, it was authorized to confer doctoral degrees in the second-level discipline of crop genetics and breeding; In 2000, the university was awarded the right to confer doctoral degree in the first-level discipline of crop science; in 2003, it was granted the right to confer doctoral degrees in the second-level discipline of botany; in 2011, it was granted the right to confer doctoral degrees in the first-level disciplines of biology, ecology, law, information and communication engineering; in 2017, 5 first-level disciplines were added to the list of disciplines for which the university is authorized to confer doctoral degrees, namely materials science and engineering, chemical engineering and technology, food science and engineering, cyberspace security, and business administration, as well as 11 first-level disciplines and 4 categories for granting professional master's degree.

Currently there are 2 post-doctoral mobile stations, 10 first-level discipline doctoral programs, 32 first-level discipline master's programs, and 15 professional degree programs, covering 10 major categories i.e. philosophy, economics, law, literature, science, agriculture, engineering, and management, art, and medicine. It is planned that by 2020, 5 to10 new doctoral programs in the first-level doctoral disciplines will be added, and there will be more than 15 doctoral programs in the first-level doctoral disciplines; 7 to 10 new first-level disciplines for master degrees, and there will be around 40 master programs in the first-level master disciplines. An integrated system of more than 15 featured disciplines combining talent training for bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees will be formed.

By 2025, the number of doctoral programs in the first-level disciplines will reach 20 to 25, the number of master programs in the first-level disciplines will reach 42 or more, and the number of professional degree research stations will reach 18 (including professional doctoral research stations), and an integrated system of more than 20 featured disciplines combining talent training for bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees will be formed.

 Hainan University has more than 500 teachers who are qualified for enrollment of doctoral students, and more than 1,000 teachers qualified for enrollment of master students. Among the team of tutors there are a total of nearly 300 high-level talents, including double-employed academicians, winners of award by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, national distinguished professors of the “Thousand Talents Program” of the Central Organization Department, distinguished professors of the “Changjiang Scholars” of the Ministry of Education, and leading talents of the national “10 Thousand Talents Program”, and winners of "100-Person Plan" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, national outstanding professional and technical personnel, nationally outstanding teachers, national model teachers, experts enjoying the governmental subsidy of the State Council, national-level candidates of the “One Hundred, One Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Program”, and candidates for “Supporting New Century Excellent Talents Plan” of the Ministry of Education, "High-level Talents in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Hainan Province", level-one and level-two candidates of "515 Talent Plan" of Hainan province, etc.

 In addition, Hainan University has collaborated with universities such as Tianjin University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, China Agricultural University, China University of Political Science and Law, and University of International Business and Economics, and other well-known domestic research institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, and has closely cooperated with world-class universities such as University of Florida, Arizona State University, as well as large state-owned enterprises such as China National Offshore Oil Corporation, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, China Petrochemical Corporation, Haiken Group, China Hainan Rubber Industry Group Co., Ltd. and other companies, to expand the “double-first-class” elite team through multiple channels such as the “Flexible Introduction Program”, dual tutor system and joint scientific and technological research.

 By March 29, 2019, the total number of graduate students was 7,651 (including 134 international graduate students), among them there were 283 doctoral students, 5,054 full-time master students, 809 part-time master students, and 1371 part-time on-the-job graduate students (who will be conferred only degree certificates); there were 49 international doctoral students and 85 international master students. By 2020, the number of graduate students studying at the university will reach 10,000; among them, around 1,200 are doctoral students and 8,800 are master students. The ratio of professional master degree students to scientific master degree students will be close to 2:1, and the ratio of graduate students to undergraduate students will reach 1:3. By 2025, the number of enrolled graduate students will reach 16,000; among them, around 4,000 are doctoral students and 12,000 are master students. The ratio of professional master degree students to scientific master degree students will reach 2:1, and the ratio of graduate students to undergraduate students will reach 1:2.

 Graduate research and innovation results are coming out one after another in Hainan University. The total number of high-level academic papers published by SCI and SSCI has increased by more than 10% annually. Its contribution to Hainan University's high-level scientific research achievements has reached more than 40%; several hundreds of scientific and technological achievements have won various awards, including first prizes for national invention and scientific and technological progress, and have played an irreplaceable role in intellectual and technological support, in fields like the development of tropical areas and national strategies of the South China Sea, especially in characteristic tropical high-efficiency agriculture, modern service industry, tourism industry, high-tech industry, etc.; breakthroughs are made in fields such as natural rubber, uranium extraction from seawater, securing a unique position for the university in national scientific research. The training of international graduate students also demonstrates the role of Hainan University as an international arena, which has brought far-reaching impact for enhancing Hainan University's influence and right of speech in the ASEAN region and promoting China's Belt and Road Initiative.