By She Yu, & Ge Yanfeng, Research Department of Social Development, DRC; Que Mingkun, College of Education at Zhejiang University; Duan Shufen, Business School of Yunnan Normal University

Research Report, No.144, 2021 (Total 6209) 2021-6-2

Abstract: Currently, private colleges in China are facing a compulsory question for answer, i.e. whether to choose a for-profit operation mode or a non-for-profit operation mode. China’s private higher education has entered a new phase of classified management and standard schooling. However, the implementation of classified registration and management systems of private colleges is slow in various localities. Most operators have not made clear options between for-profit or non-for-profit management as expected. As a result, the management license for running private colleges have expired in some places, but cannot be renewed on time. During the implementation of classified management, domestic private colleges mainly face difficulties caused by the large number of stakeholders, insufficient supporting policies for classified management, large adjustment room for choosing non-for-profit management, and different understandings of classified management by school operators. To accelerate the classified registration and management of private colleges, related departments need to improve promotion and guidance of relevant policies, enhance supporting policies, properly handle issues relating to making compensations in classified management and step up the establishment of independent colleges attached to relevant universities.

Keywords: private colleges, classified management, difficulties, change of approaches