This study aimed to measure the satisfaction of Chinese university teachers with internal governance and explore its influencing factors. Building upon the framework of customer satisfaction models and the specific context of internal governance in Chinese universities, we developed a model for internal governance satisfaction in higher education institutions. Employing a quantitative research design, we devised measurement tools and collected data from China using a stratified random sampling method, with a total of 1,050 university teachers participating in an online self-reported questionnaire survey. The collected data were analyzed using mean comparison, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results indicated that the satisfaction of Chinese university teachers with internal governance was at a moderate level numerically. Among the three sub-dimensions, pluralistic governance is perceived to be better than academic governance, and academic governance is perceived to be better than administrative governance. Furthermore, the study findings revealed that "educational background," "talent qualifications," "overseas study experience," and "welfare benefits" had significant explanatory power for teachers' governance satisfaction. These findings offer new insights and understanding into the satisfaction of Chinese university teachers with internal governance and its influencing factors. They can contribute to the development of new intervention measures in internal governance for Chinese universities aimed at enhancing teacher satisfaction.