Equity and access to higher education in China: Lessons from Hunan province for university admissions policy

Using survey data from 1028 high school seniors and interview data from 54 participants, this study investigates the status quo regarding equity and access to higher education in China. Findings indicate that students from higher socioeconomic family backgrounds, better high schools, and more urban homes are more likely to be admitted into prestigious colleges. We conclude that the surface fairness of the Gaokao system that allocates students to different college prestige strata masks an underlying design of deep social inequity. We finally recommend strategies to reform the admissions process in order to achieve greater fairness in university access in China.