(Yicai) Sept. 19 -- Sixty-one percent of Chinese middle school graduates advanced to academic high schools last year, almost double the number who chose the university track over vocational training at the start of this century thanks to more such schools and places.

The country had 15,800 academic high schools in 2024, which took nearly 10.4 million new students, according to the latest Education Statistical Bulletin. As nearly 17 million children graduated from middle school, enrollment in academic high schools stood at 61 percent.

In 2001, there were about 14,910 academic high schools with 5.6 million new enrollees, while 17.3 million graduated from middle school, giving an admissions rate of just over 32 percent.

China has three types of high school: academic, secondary vocational, and adult. Academic high schools prepare students for the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, focusing on cultural knowledge and academic abilities. Secondary vocational schools focus on practical skills and internships, preparing individuals for work in industry, while adult high schools serve those who did not complete formal education earlier.

The increase in admissions to academic high schools has been fueled by expanded infrastructure, with new schools and additional seats boosting access across many regions. In some cities, entry has already topped 70 percent. In the southern tech hub of Shenzhen, for instance, academic high school enrollment climbed past 73 percent this year.

Local governments have taken measures to boost investment and expand academic high school capacity, while many secondary vocational schools have begun offering comprehensive high school programs, providing more flexible paths for students, according to Ding Changfa, associate professor of economics at Xiamen University.

This shift has helped ease parental anxiety and narrowed the gap between academic and technical education, Ding added.

Editor: Emmi Laine