On April 28, 2026, China's Ministry of Education (MOE) officially unveiled the Ordinary Higher Education Institutions Undergraduate Major Catalog for 2026, marking a pivotal update in the nation's higher education landscape. This release introduces 38 entirely new undergraduate majors, available for recruitment in the 2026 Gaokao, or National College Entrance Examination. For the first time, the annual professional adjustment ratio across Chinese universities has exceeded 10%, reflecting a dynamic response to evolving national priorities, technological advancements, and economic demands.
The catalog now encompasses 13 disciplinary categories, 92 professional classes, and a total of 883 majors. This adjustment builds on the substantial reforms during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), where universities added 10,200 new major setup points while revoking or suspending recruitment for 12,200 others. The cumulative adjustment rate has surpassed 30%, optimizing structures to better support high-quality development and strategic initiatives like scientific and technological self-reliance.
Understanding the Scale of Professional Adjustments
The breakthrough in the adjustment ratio signifies a proactive shift. Previously, annual changes hovered below 10%, but this year's figure underscores accelerated optimization. Universities have dynamically reviewed offerings, prioritizing majors that align with 'new quality productive forces'—a key policy focus emphasizing innovation-driven growth. This includes phasing out outdated programs and rapidly introducing those tied to emerging industries.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan, the focus was on supply-side structural reform in higher education. Data shows a net reduction in low-demand majors, with priority lists for 473 majors guiding regional development. Eight provinces and municipalities, including Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, and Chongqing, are piloting 247 clusters of characteristic majors, fostering localized economic strengths.
Launch of the Interdisciplinary Category: A Game-Changer
A standout feature is the inaugural 'Interdisciplinary' (交叉学科) category, addressing the limitations of traditional silos. This new door class includes 15 majors: 11 transferred from existing directories—like Future Robotics and Interdisciplinary Engineering—and 4 brand-new ones: Embodied Intelligence, Brain-Computer Science and Technology, Engineering Internet, and Deep Earth Science and Engineering. These grant primarily engineering bachelor's degrees, promoting fusion across fields like AI, engineering, and medicine.
Embodied Intelligence, for instance, explores AI systems that interact physically with the world, akin to humanoid robots. Brain-Computer Science and Technology interfaces neural signals with machines, with applications in healthcare and prosthetics. Nine universities, including Harbin Institute of Technology and Beihang University, have been fast-tracked to offer Embodied Intelligence, accelerating integration with the real economy. The official MOE notice highlights this as a step toward composite talent cultivation.
New Majors Serving National Strategic Needs
Several additions directly support core strategies. Energy Science and Engineering focuses on sustainable sources like renewables and nuclear fusion, vital for carbon neutrality goals. Deep Earth Science and Engineering delves into resource exploration in extreme depths, aiding mineral security amid global tensions.
These majors equip students with interdisciplinary skills: for Energy Science, coursework spans thermodynamics, materials science, and policy. Graduates could join state-owned enterprises like CNPC or research at Tsinghua University's energy labs, contributing to China's 2060 carbon peak target.
Upgrading Traditional Industries with Specialized Programs
To modernize legacy sectors, majors like Traffic Energy Fusion Engineering and Agricultural Robots are introduced. Traffic Energy Fusion integrates transport with clean energy, covering electric vehicles, hydrogen infrastructure, and smart grids—responding to the boom in new energy vehicles (NEVs), where China leads globally with over 9 million sales in 2025.
Agricultural Robots automates farming via drones, AI harvesters, and precision agriculture, tackling labor shortages in rural areas. Imagine step-by-step: sensor data collection, AI analysis for crop health, robotic intervention. This aligns with rural revitalization, potentially boosting yields by 20-30% per studies from China Agricultural University.
Boosting Emerging and Future Industries
Innovation drives include Biological Manufacturing, which engineers microbes for drugs and materials, and Intelligent Visual-Audio Engineering for AI-driven media. Biological Manufacturing follows processes like gene editing (CRISPR), fermentation, and purification, positioning China in the bioeconomy projected to hit $4 trillion globally by 2030.
Brain-Computer Science exemplifies frontier tech: from signal acquisition via EEG to decoding intentions for paralyzed patients. Universities like Tsinghua are pioneering labs, with real-world cases like Neuralink-inspired trials improving quality of life.
Service Sector Expansion: Digital and Commercial Frontiers
Digital Cultural Tourism blends VR/AR with heritage sites, fostering post-pandemic tourism recovery—China welcomed 1.5 billion domestic trips in 2025. Commercial Artificial Intelligence applies AI to business ops, from predictive analytics to chatbots.
Other notables: Digital Trade and Digital Finance, preparing for e-commerce dominance (Alibaba/Temu scale) and fintech (Ant Group's innovations). These majors emphasize practical training, internships at Tencent or ByteDance.
- Digital Cultural Tourism: Cultural IP + tech for immersive experiences.
- Commercial AI: Machine learning for marketing, supply chains.
- Digital Public Governance: Big data for policy-making.
Approved Universities and Rollout for 2026 Gaokao
While full approvals are ongoing, early announcements show targeted setups. For Embodied Intelligence, elite institutions like HIT, Beihang, and Northwestern Polytechnical University lead. Expect 100+ universities adding these majors, with Gaokao codes assigned soon.
Students should check provincial education sites for updates. The process: universities apply, MOE reviews via committees, catalog integration enables Gaokao listing. This ensures quality, with priority for strategic needs.
For context, People's Daily coverage notes rapid approvals for urgent majors.
Implications for Students and the Gaokao Landscape
2026 Gaokao aspirants gain diverse choices, but competition intensifies for hot new majors. Scores for AI-related fields may rise 20-50 points vs. traditional ones. Career prospects shine: Agricultural Robots grads earn 15-20% premiums in agrotech firms like DJI Agriculture.
Cultural context: In China, major selection shapes life paths, with family input heavy. Advisors recommend aligning interests with employability—new majors boast 95%+ placement rates projected.
Stakeholder Perspectives and Challenges
Educators praise alignment: 'These majors bridge academia-industry gaps,' per a Tsinghua professor. Challenges include faculty shortages—need 10,000+ specialists—and infrastructure for labs like brain-computer interfaces.
Solutions: MOE's fast-track mechanisms, international collaborations (e.g., with Siemens for robotics). Regional balance prevents urban concentration.
Future Outlook: Toward High-Quality Higher Education
This catalog positions China as a higher ed powerhouse, with 50+ million undergrads. Projections: by 2030, 20% majors interdisciplinary. Actionable insights for students: research university strengths (e.g., Zhejiang U for digital tourism), build skills via MOOCs.
For universities, it's a call to innovate curricula. Overall, enhances talent pipeline for 'Made in China 2025' successors.
Photo by Kilian Murphy on Unsplash