An Analysis of Independent College Students’ Characteristics in China

—Comparison with the Parent University—

Abstract

The independent college is a new type of higher education institution established by public universities through the use of private funds in China. Due to these institutions’ high tuition fees and low admission standards, their students are generally considered to be very well-off, with low academic achievement. However, over the past ten years, many policies have been changed, and some new trends have emerged in independent colleges. Can we still say that the students at these institutions come from wealthy families and have low academic achievement? What is the difference between the new incoming students at independent colleges and those at their parent universities? This paper examines these questions by comparing students from both types of institutions.