Mottos are the core of university culture. The statistics and analysis of the grouping and word frequency of Jiangsu university mottos show that the life cycle of university culture is divided into four periods: birth, growth, maturity and decline. The inheritance and innovation of the mottos are driven by mechanisms of mottos, systems, and individuals. To keep the indispensable cultural animation, the university mottos, while inheriting the excellent traditions of universities, are expected to innovate with the pace of the times. Consequently, the mottos can bind people together and promote the development of the universities.