Science and Engineering Become the Most Sought-After College Majors in China
JAKARTA - Prospective students in China are now hunting for majors that are close to the future industry, from electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, to information technology. The choice is also influenced by job opportunities and the direction of the country's industrial policy.
Yicai Global, quoted Thursday, July 2, reported that science and engineering majors dominated the choice of Chinese prospective students this year. The data comes from Baidu's Gaokao Big Data platform, which monitors the popularity of university and major searches in real time.
Gaokao is the national college entrance examination in China. The competition is very tight. Of the 10 majors most sought after this year's gaokao, seven are in science and engineering.
The ten most sought-after majors are electrical and automation engineering, artificial intelligence or AI, electronic information engineering, computer science and technology, communication engineering, law, economics, psychology, biopharmaceuticals, and digital media technology.
Electrical and automation engineering are still the mainstays. This major has been at the top of the list of students' choices for several years. According to the 2026 China Undergraduate Employment Report released by My China Occupational Skills, the major has been in the "green major" category for four consecutive years.
Green majors mean fields related to jobs with salaries and employment absorption rates that tend to increase over time. Electrical and automation engineering recorded a work satisfaction rate of 87 percent. This figure places it in third place nationally among undergraduate programs.
The demand for electrical engineering personnel is also driven by Chinese investment in new electrical systems, renewable energy, and the digitization of the electricity grid.
AI is the hottest new major. Data from the Chinese Ministry of Education shows that from 2020 to 2024, there were four undergraduate majors with more than 200 new specializations across the country. The four are AI, digital economy, intelligent manufacturing engineering, and big data management and applications.
AI is in the top position with an additional 406 new specializations. This shows that Chinese universities are moving quickly to meet the needs of the artificial intelligence industry.
Ding Changfa, professor of economics at Xiamen University, told Yicai Global that AI is increasingly entering various disciplines. He estimates that the number of "AI+" hybrid degree programs will continue to increase at Chinese universities in the coming years.
The "AI+" program refers to the combination of AI with other fields, such as economics, management, manufacturing, or other sectors that require cross-disciplinary capabilities.
The department of electronic information engineering also rose because it is connected to high-paying technical jobs. MyCOS said fields such as integrated circuit engineering, semiconductor processing, and automotive electronics engineering are closely related to this major.
The competitiveness of the major is also supported by the development of the chip industry, electronic manufacturing, and automotive electronics. This makes electronic information engineering one of the paths considered strong in the job market.
However, the popularity of majors does not always guarantee strong work results. MyCOS reminds, some fields such as AI and digital media technology show the work results of graduates that are increasingly divided.
Graduates with strong technical skills and relevant practical experience have a better chance in the job market. On the other hand, those with weak credentials have to face tougher competition.