Admission Scores Climb, School Scale Expands
Why Are Vocational Undergraduate Programs Becoming More Attractive?
This summer, the “sudden rise” of vocational undergraduate education has become a hot topic in the field of education.
College admission results have recently been released, with vocational undergraduate cutoff scores continuing to rise. For example, Shenzhen Vocational and Technical University’s highest physics-track admission score in Guangdong reached 617 points, exceeding the undergraduate control line by 181 points and the special control line by 83 points, even surpassing some “Double First-Class” universities. Jinhua Vocational and Technical University saw its highest admission score hit 621 points, setting a historical record for similar institutions in Zhejiang Province. The number of candidates scoring above 600 increased by 17% compared to last year, with 445 admitted students scoring above 550.
At the same time, vocational undergraduate institutions are intensively “expanding,” with their scale continuing to grow. So far, China has 87 vocational undergraduate colleges and universities. This year, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of 36 vocational undergraduate schools, accounting for over 40% of the current total.
“Vocational undergraduate education is increasingly recognized by society! However, as a new endeavor just starting out, vocational undergraduate programs must pay attention to many issues during their development, such as the ‘uneven popularity’ in admissions. Expansion and high scores are not the ultimate goals; the quality of talent cultivation is the lifeline.”
Why is the appeal of vocational undergraduate education growing? How can the quality of talent cultivation be safeguarded in the future?
Harder Degrees, More Valuable Skills
Vocational undergraduate development in China is progressing encouragingly, now covering 28 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, initially forming an “east-west linkage, regional synergy” development pattern. “Scale expansion inevitably leads to a sharp increase in enrollment. Since the pilot program began in 2020, enrollment has continued to climb. In 2024, nearly 110,000 students were enrolled, an increase of about 21.9% compared to 2023, and 8.5 times the number at the start of the pilot in 2020. The current student population exceeds 400,000.”
Vocational undergraduate program settings in China are characterized by “industry demand-driven, technical skill-oriented, and deep integration of industry and education,” forming a three-dimensional development pattern guided by national strategy, featuring distinct regional characteristics and flexible dynamic adjustments. Currently, there are 298 vocational undergraduate majors, covering 19 major categories. “As of March 2025, the five major categories—Electronics and Information, Equipment Manufacturing, Finance and Commerce, Culture and Arts, and Civil Engineering and Architecture—account for the majority (67.6%) of vocational undergraduate program placements. The principle of setting disciplines and majors in vocational undergraduate education is ‘what the industry needs, what the major offers,’ closely focusing on advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, new energy, and other industrial frontiers, with dynamic adjustments to highly align with the modern industrial system.”
The root of the increasing appeal lies in “harder degrees.” “The new ‘Vocational Education Law’ explicitly defines vocational education as an educational type equally important as general higher education. After being ‘on equal footing,’ vocational undergraduate education enjoys the same status as general undergraduate education. This not only promotes equal recognition of related degrees and equal opportunities for postgraduate entrance exams and civil service exams but also lays the foundation for societal recognition.”
“The ‘ceiling’ has been broken. The development path of ‘secondary vocational education—higher vocational college—vocational undergraduate—professional master’s—doctorate’ is basically open. The proportion of vocational undergraduate students pursuing master’s degrees and applying for doctorates is rising year by year. At the same time, civil service exams and state-owned enterprise recruitment are gradually eliminating the ‘general undergraduate’ restriction. The warming of vocational undergraduate education is an inevitable trend.”
“Another key factor is that skills have become more valuable.” With industrial upgrading, companies no longer need ordinary technicians but compound engineers who can solve complex problems. “Vocational undergraduate education precisely cultivates such key talent, becoming the ‘key talent pool’ supporting ‘Smart Manufacturing in China,’ naturally gaining increasing importance!”
“Vocational undergraduate: vocation first, undergraduate second. Students can develop strong vocational skills while also earning an undergraduate degree. Why not? The dual advantages of ‘degree endorsement + skill premium’ are increasingly prominent.” However, it has also been noted that some private vocational undergraduate institutions have failed to complete enrollment tasks even after multiple rounds of志愿征集 (volunteer collection), “indicating uneven popularity in vocational undergraduate admissions.” Analysis of 2024 ordinary college entrance exam physics-track enrollment data from 51 vocational
