Keywords
Development trend
Quality path
China
Submitted : 2026-05-09
Accepted : 2026-05-24
Published : 2026-06-08
Abstract
Based on 2014–2024 data from China’s Ministry of Education National Education Development Statistical Bulletin, this study explores the ten-year development trends and quality improvement paths of China’s higher education. It finds that the gross higher education enrollment rate rose from 37.5% to 60.8% over the decade, achieving a leap from popularization to accessibility, with significant growth in enrollment scale, institutional count, and resource investment. However, scale expansion has triggered quality challenges: fluctuating student-faculty ratios, imbalanced type structure, and lagging per capita resource growth. Enrollment growth has no significant linear correlation with full-time faculty growth, but a highly significant positive correlation with student-faculty ratio growth. The study proposes optimizing quality paths via a scale-quality linkage mechanism, faculty structure optimization, increased resource investment, and improved type structure, to provide empirical support and policy reference for China’s higher education transformation from scale-driven to connotation-based high-quality development.
References
Zhao TT, Li GP, 2025, From Connotation to High-Quality: The Evolution and Transformation of the Development Policies of China’s Higher Education. Journal of Higher Education, 44(5): 8–18.
Zhang LS, Yu MM, 2025, Historical Context and Future Prospects of the Popularization Process of Higher Education. Journal of Higher Education Management 19(4): 11–19.
Yi MC, Bie DR, Chen X, 2026, Towards 2035: The Demands and Pathways for Higher Education Popularization Development in China: Based on the Analysis and Forecast of Demographic Data. Journal of Higher Education Management, 20(1): 14–25.
Trow M, 1999, From Mass Higher Education to Universal Access: The American Advantage. Minerva, 37: 303–328.
Sun K, Zhang JY, 2014, Analysis of Disparity in Annual Expenditure on Higher Education Institutions Per Student—An Empirical Study Based on Cross-Province Panel Data. Modern Education Management, 5: 25–29.
Li LG, 2019, The Construction of a High-Level Talent Training System under the Background of Connotative Development: The Logical Framework and Mechanism. TsingHua Journal of Education, 40(6): 10–19.
Zhang W, 2022, Scale Growth and Structure Optimization of Higher Education Student in the Early Stages of Universal Access Phase. Chinese Higher Education Research, 6: 11–18.
Zhang W, 2021, Evolution from Single Functional University to Modern Research Multiversity: Exploration on the Semantics and Characteristics of Clark Kerr’s “Multiversity.” Chinese Higher Education Research, 5: 29–35.
Marginson S, 2016, The Worldwide Trend to High Participation Higher Education: Dynamics of Social Stratification in Inclusive Systems. Higher Education, 72: 413–434.
Altbach PG, De Wit H, et al, 2019, Global Perspectives on Higher Education Massification: Opportunities and Challenges, Johns Hopkins University Press.
Ma LT, 2024, High Quality Development of Higher Vocational Education: Essential Requirements, System Construction, and Strategic Path. Chinese Higher Education, 23: 8–13.
Yu HY, Wang Z, 2024, Adaptation and Innovation: A Study on the Synergistic Development of Vocational Education and Industry in Japan. Contemporary Economy of Japan, 4: 83–94.
Zhang W, 2025, The Era Significance of High-Quality Development of Vocational Undergraduate Education Practical Difficulties and Path Optimization. Professional Education, 24(27): 28–34.
Moja T, Hayward FM, 2000, Higher Education Policy Development in Contemporary South Africa. Higher Education Policy, 13: 335–359.
Yi JY, Li J, Yi XY, 2025, The 40-Year Journey, Logic, and Outlook of China’s Higher Education Management System Reform. Jiangsu Higher Education, 11: 68–71.
Caniglia G, John B, Bellina L, et al., 2018, The Global Curriculum: A Model for Transnational Collaboration in Higher Education for Sustainable Development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 171(1): 368–376.
Morley L, Alexiadou N, Garaz S, et al., 2018, Internationalisation and Migrant Academics: the Hidden Narratives of Mobility. Higher Education, 76(3): 537–554.
Wang ZJ, Qu J, 2024, A Knowledge Map from the English Research Literature of Comparative Education in the Past Decade: Based on Data from ProQuest Education Database from 2013 to 2023. Journal of Northwest Normal University (Social Sciences), 61(5): 91–101.
Chiv S, Hong K, Meak C, et al., 2025, Enhancing Research on Academic Research Capacity in Cambodian Higher Education Institutions. Discover Education, 4: 283.
Guo Y, Guo SB, Yochim L, et al., 2022, Internationalization of Chinese Higher Education: Is It Westernization? Journal of Studies in International Education, 26(4): 436–453.
Nugraha N, Prasetyo YT, Sugiharti H, et al., 2023, Quality Assurance in Higher Educational Institutions: Empirical Evidence in Indonesia. SAGE Open, October-December: 1–12.
Allam Z, 2020, Demystifying the Aspect of Quality in Higher Education: Insights From Saudi Arabia. SAGE Open, 1: 1–8.
Zou CY, Yang YW, Zhou CJ, et al., 2026, Decision Algorithm of Teaching Quality Evaluation for Higher Education System Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Geometric Yager Heronian Mean Operators. Systems, 14: 20.
Zhang YP, Wang Q, 2025, Higher Education, Digital Economy, and Common Prosperity. ECNU Review of Education, 8(3): 725–741.
Li QF, Qin HM, 2025, The Four Fold Logic of Constructing the Theoretical System of Higher Education Quality Assurance under the Background of Building a Strong Education Country. Journal of Higher Education, 46(3): 20–30.