Its goal was to train Communist Party officials in basic financial and accounting management skills.

The following year the provincial government announced a plan to transform YIFT into a full-fledged institution of higher education, extending its offerings to four-year bachelor's degrees.

[2] It is a comprehensive university with programmes in economics, management, law, philosophy, liberal arts, natural science and engineering education.

[3] YUFE's main campus in Kunming covers 1021 mu (68 hectares) with about 634,000 square meters of floor space.

In 2019 the university founded a branch campus of 1257 mu (84 hectares) in the nearby city of Anning.