Contrary to the subject description of a city, Nankai (南开) refers to a family of educational institutions in China. These schools were founded by Yan Xiu (1860–1920) and Zhang Boling (1876–1951). The primary institutions associated with this name are located in Tianjin, including Nankai High School, which was established in 1904, and Nankai University, founded in 1919.
The educational network includes several other affiliated schools such as the Nankai Women's High School (1923), the Tianjin Second Nankai High School, and the Nankai Elementary School. Additional branches of the Nankai system are located in Chongqing and Zigong, including Yanyu High School, Chongqing Nankai Secondary School, and Shuguang Middle School.