High Tuition Fees in Private Higher Education Institutions in China: A Two-Dimensional Study from the Perspective of Educational Equity

Chuanbao Peng; Chunxiao Wang

doi:10.54254/2753-7048/2025.NS29427

Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public MediaOpen access

High Tuition Fees in Private Higher Education Institutions in China: A Two-Dimensional Study from the Perspective of Educational Equity

Research Article

Open Access

High Tuition Fees in Private Higher Education Institutions in China: A Two-Dimensional Study from the Perspective of Educational Equity

Chuanbao Peng ^1* Chunxiao Wang ²

¹ Kede College of Capital Normal University

² Kede College of Capital Normal University

^*Corresponding author: 369822984@qq.com

Published on 11 November 2025

LNEP Vol.114

ISSN (Print): 2753-7056

ISSN (Online): 2753-7048

ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-511-0

ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-512-7

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Abstract

Against the backdrop of China’s “Dual Circulation” development strategy and the ongoing marketization of higher education, high tuition fees in private colleges present a symbiotic paradox for educational equity, as they risk exacerbating social stratification while simultaneously expanding the ways in which equity can be realized. This study employs literature review and comparative case analysis to examine the formation mechanisms of high tuition fees from the perspectives of institutional supply and demand stratification, and their dual impact on equity. Building on this analysis, the study proposes an efficiency-compatible equity framework that reconciles equity with institutional and market efficiency. It further recommends establishing a dynamic, data-driven financial aid system leveraging artificial intelligence to better identify and support economically disadvantaged students, creating a regional “APEC Credit Bank” to connect private college courses, faculty, and the international education market, and reforming the education supply structure according to industry demand to foster disciplines in strategic emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, and renewable energy. This research provides a Chinese-informed theoretical and practical model for the coordinated governance of educational equity and market mechanisms on a global scale.

Keywords:

Efficiency-compatible equity, Education capacity supply, APEC Credit Bank, Dynamic Compensation mechanism

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References

[1]. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2024). Statistical bulletin on national education development in 2023 [R]. Beijing: Ministry of Education.

[2]. Acemoglu, D., & Autor, D. (2011). Skills, tasks, and technologies: Implications for employment and earnings. In O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (Eds.), Handbook of labor economics (Vol. 4, pp. 1043–1171). Elsevier.

[3]. Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press.

[4]. Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. (1990). Reproduction in education, society and culture (Vol. 4). Sage.

[5]. Liu, B. (2021). Class differences and educational equity in the context of China’s higher education entering the popularization stage. Journal of Beijing University of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), 21(03), 116–126.

[6]. Zhou, C. (2007). A comparison of government funding policies for the development of private higher education: A case study of the United States, Japan, and China. Journal of Zhejiang Shuren University (Humanities and Social Sciences Edition), (01), 10–15.

References

[1]. Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2024). Statistical bulletin on national education development in 2023 [R]. Beijing: Ministry of Education.

[3]. Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice. Harvard University Press.

[4]. Bourdieu, P., & Passeron, J. C. (1990). Reproduction in education, society and culture (Vol. 4). Sage.

Cite this article

Peng,C.;Wang,C. (2025). High Tuition Fees in Private Higher Education Institutions in China: A Two-Dimensional Study from the Perspective of Educational Equity. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,114,35-39.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on International Law and Legal Policy

ISBN: 978-1-80590-511-0(Print) / 978-1-80590-512-7(Online)

Editor: Renuka Thakore, Abdullah Laghari

Conference website: https://2025.icillp.org/Nawabshah.html

Conference date: 17 October 2025

Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media

Volume number: Vol.114

ISSN: 2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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