China's population with higher education reaches
270 million, not
152 million as above post reported. While the
270 million individuals with higher education backgrounds include retirees and current university students who are not yet working, mapping the portion of degree holders strictly within the active working age group results in a post-secondary attainment rate of
approximately 30% to 35% for the modern workforce.
China's population with higher education reaches 270 million
Updated: September 23, 2026 12:58 Xinhua
BEIJING, Sept. 23 -- China now has 270 million people with a higher education background, Vice Minister of Education Wang Guangyan said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Wang also cited figures from earlier stages of the education system: the gross enrollment rate for preschool education reached 92.9 percent, and the retention rate for compulsory education stood at 96.1 percent.
The gross enrollment rate for senior secondary education, he added, reached 92 percent.
Universities under China's "Double First-Class Initiative" will expand undergraduate enrollment by 76,000 places between 2027 and 2030, said Guo Peng, head of the ministry's development planning department, at the press conference.
The initiative supports a select group of universities and academic disciplines with the goal of achieving world-class status.
Guo said the expansion would involve more than simply increasing enrollment, with efforts also made to improve the structure and quality of higher education.
Universities will adjust academic programs to better match national priorities, with greater support for emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, integrated circuits, biomedicine and new energy, he said.
China will also tap central government funding and ultra-long special treasury bonds to help "Double First-Class" universities build new campuses and upgrade basic facilities, such as dormitories, cafeterias, sports venues and laboratories, Guo said.
China's gross enrollment rate in higher education reached 61.3 percent in 2025, with total enrollment standing at 48.73 million, according to Guo.
China now has 270 million people with a higher education background, Vice Minister of Education Wang Guangyan said at a press conference on Wednesday.
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