Students majoring in optoelectronic manufacturing and application technology get practical training in CNC machine tool installation, commissioning and technical upgrading under the guidance of an instructor at the Zhejiang Industry and Trade Vocational College in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on June 12. LIU JILI/FOR CHINA DAILY

High-scoring students with results above the undergraduate admission threshold are increasingly choosing vocational colleges over traditional four-year university courses, a trend that signals a shift in how Chinese families evaluate education.

In Hunan province, 165 vocational college majors recorded admission cutoff scores that met or exceeded the undergraduate control line, according to data released by the provincial education examination authority on Aug 6.

In Guangdong province, 19 vocational institutions recorded minimum admission scores reaching the 440-point history undergraduate cutoff line.

In Jiangsu province, where the physics undergraduate cutoff was 456 points, a medical program at Jiangsu Health Vocational College posted a minimum admission score of 547 points — 91 points above the undergraduate line.

Shandong province saw 2,403 vocational programs with admission scores above the undergraduate cutoff, while 61 undergraduate programs fell below it.

Under China's admission system, undergraduate batches are processed ahead of vocational batches, and undergraduate cutoff scores have historically been significantly higher.

Previously, vocational education was widely regarded as a last resort — a choice for students with lower scores who failed to secure university places.

"The answer for more students choosing vocational colleges is becoming increasingly clear — it's future job certainty," said Tang Daisheng, a professor at the School of Economics and Management at Beijing Jiaotong University.

For many years, the value of undergraduate degrees has been diluted by the expansion of university enrollment. Many graduates from ordinary undergraduate programs face employment difficulties upon graduation, he said.

"High-quality vocational colleges, especially those with targeted training programs, offer students the guarantee of employment upon graduation — a certainty that is invaluable for ordinary families.

"The talent gap for skilled workers is real," Tang added. In fields like advanced manufacturing, new energy and smart manufacturing, the supply-demand ratio for senior technicians has long exceeded 1:3, he said. "Vocational graduates are not settling for second best — they are choosing a more practical path."

Xia Xinsheng, deputy director of the admissions and employment office at Beijing Polytechnic University, said the school's recent enrollment data reflects growing student interest in vocational education.

The university, which upgraded to a vocational undergraduate institution in 2025, expanded its Beijing admissions from 490 students across five majors in 2025 to 1,590 students across 13 majors in 2026 — a 225 percent increase.

Despite this significant expansion, all majors recorded minimum admission scores above Beijing's undergraduate cutoff of 429 points — ranging from 443 to 452 points, he said.

The school also saw its top score rise to 554 points, up from 549 the previous year, indicating that high-scoring students are increasingly drawn to vocational undergraduate programs.

In the eight other provinces the university has enrolled students from, all enrollment scores had increased.

The university has established deep partnerships with more than 300 industry-leading companies, operating over 20 "order classes" with employers including Air China's Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corporation, or Ameco, and JD Group. Nearly 50 percent of students are enrolled in those training programs that guarantee employment, he said.

"For example, our JD robot maintenance order class selects about 40 students from freshmen each year," Xia said. "Students have dual identities — both as enrolled students and as prospective employees. It's a model of 'enrollment equals employment'."

Li Ziyu, an 18-year-old from Beijing who scored 554 points on the national college entrance exam — well above the undergraduate cutoff — chose to enroll in Beijing Polytechnic University's mechanical and electronic engineering program.

Li said he prefers a learning style that combines theory with handson practice, and the university has very rich practical courses that fit his needs perfectly.

Wang Huizhuo, a student from Hebei province who scored 571 points — about 70 to 80 points above the undergraduate cutoff — chose the university's new energy vehicle engineering program.

"I felt that vocational universities place more emphasis on practical ability," he said. "I can learn solid, real skills there."

When asked whether he felt he was "wasting" his high score, Wang replied: "As long as it's something I like, it's not a waste. If I used my score to go to a school I didn't like, even with a high score, I'd be miserable later."

Hu Yihang, another incoming freshman from Beijing who scored above 450 points, chose the same program. She said the program combines theoretical teaching with practical training. The industry really needs engineering talent that understands both theory and can execute on the ground, she added.

Professor Tang said the shift represents a fundamental change in how families approach education decisions.

Over the past 20 years, the logic behind Chinese families' school choices followed an implicit rule — reach as high as possible, he said.

"If your score qualified for a top university, you would not settle for a less-known one; if you qualified for undergraduate, you wouldn't touch vocational. The school's reputation came first," Tang said.

"Today, that rule is breaking. Parents no longer want to pay a premium for the prestige of a university. They are voting for the certainty of employment and the return of skills-based value."