China’s higher education system – 70 years of evolution
China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (also called New China) on 1 October 2019. Despite twists and turns, China has established one of the largest higher education systems in the world. For example, Chinese universities and colleges have accommodated the largest numbers of undergraduate students worldwide, with more than 30 million students on campuses.
China’s gross enrolment ratio for higher education reached 48% of the 18-year-old population in 2018. This indicates that its higher education system will soon offer near-universal access to higher education according to United States sociologist Martin Trow’s definition.
