Many elite universities have made prominent achievements at their young age.Based on the analysis of QS Top 50 Under 50（discovering the top 50 universities in the world that are under 50 years old），This paper presents the common characteristics of young elite universities including internationalized running mode，establishment of key research areas，world-class scientific research as well as support and abundant funding from governments.However，this paper also points out some factors that will impede the sustainable and stable development of young elite universities such as ignoring teaching cultivation and cultural construction while putting too much attention to scientific research.Therefore，when drawing on the development experience of young elite universities，universities in China's mainland should pay attention to sustainable development to form a unique culture，and young universities should be given more policy and financial support from government.