dexinwin BEIJING, Sept. 23, 2026— China now has 270 million people with a higher education background, Vice Minister of Education Wang Guangyan said at a press conference on Wednesday, highlighting the continued expansion of the country’s education system.
Wang made the remarks at a State Council Information Office press conference on the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan and efforts to accelerate the development of China into a leading country in education.
According to figures released at the briefing, China’s gross enrollment rate for higher education reached61.3 percent in 2025, while the total number of students enrolled in various forms of higher education stood at approximately48.73 million.
The latest figure of 270 million people with higher education experience reflects the substantial expansion of educational opportunities in China over recent decades. In 2022, the Ministry of Education reported that the number had reached 240 million.
China has also continued to improve education participation across different stages. The gross enrollment rate for preschool education reached 92.9 percent, while the retention rate for compulsory education stood at 96.1 percent. The gross enrollment rate for senior secondary education reached 92 percent, according to the Ministry of Education.
Higher Education Enters a New Stage
China’s higher education system has expanded significantly in both scale and structure.
The country had 3,167 higher education institutions in 2025, including regular undergraduate universities, vocational undergraduate institutions and higher vocational colleges. The number of students enrolled in regular and vocational undergraduate and junior college programs reached nearly 39.54 million. More than 11 million students graduated from these programs during the year.
The expansion has also been accompanied by a growing emphasis on the relationship between education, technological innovation and industrial development.
At the press conference, Wang said universities played an increasingly important role in supporting technological innovation and cultivating talent. In 2025, universities led three-quarters of the general projects that received China's three major national science and technology awards, according to figures presented at the briefing.
Vocational education is also becoming an important source of skilled workers. Wang said vocational education provides more than 70 percent of newly added highly skilled talent for modern industries.
From Expanding Access to Improving Quality
The rise in the number of people with higher education reflects a broader transformation in China’s education system. As access to universities becomes more widespread, higher education is increasingly connected with employment, technological innovation and industrial upgrading.
At the same time, the expansion of higher education brings new challenges, including improving the quality of talent development, adjusting academic programs to meet changing economic needs and strengthening students’ practical and professional skills.
For China, the figure of 270 million is therefore more than a measure of the size of the educated population. It also reflects a long-term shift in the country’s human capital and the increasing role of education in economic and technological development.
As China begins implementing its 15th Five-Year Plan, further efforts are expected to focus not only on expanding educational opportunities, but also on improving the quality, structure and contribution of higher education to national development.
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