Abstract: Big data in the higher education is fragmented, consecutive, multidimensional, and complicated. By using the methods of documentary analysis, both at home and abroad, the present situation of the application of big data in higher education is analysed. It shows that there are many problems in the application of big data in the higher education, such as week data acquisition and data analysis technologies, lack of unified management and institutional mechanisms, and the scarcity of professional talents. Aiming at solving these problems, constructing big data analysis and application mode of the higher education is proposed and suggestions including the constructions of the data culture and data platform, professional personnel training, and policy guidance are presented.