Unfulfilled Promise of Educational Meritocracy? Academic Ability and China's Urban-Rural Gap in Access to Higher Education

Angran Li · 2019 · Chinese Sociological Review

Summary. China's rapid higher education expansion has not eliminated urban-rural enrollment gaps despite meritocratic ideals. Academic ability affects college access differently for urban and rural students. Rural adolescents with high academic ability gain stronger advantages in academic college enrollment, while low-achieving rural students see minimal benefit. The largest disparities occur in vocational college access for low-achieving students, revealing that structural and policy barriers—not merit alone—drive persistent rural disadvantage in higher education.

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@article{li-2019-unfulfilled-promise-educational-meritocracy-academic,
  title   = {Unfulfilled Promise of Educational Meritocracy? Academic Ability and China's Urban-Rural Gap in Access to Higher Education},
  author  = {Angran Li},
  journal = {Chinese Sociological Review},
  year    = {2019},
  doi     = {10.1080/21620555.2019.1579052},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1080/21620555.2019.1579052}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Unfulfilled Promise of Educational Meritocracy? Academic Ability and China's Urban-Rural Gap in Access to Higher Education
AU  - Angran Li
JO  - Chinese Sociological Review
PY  - 2019
DO  - 10.1080/21620555.2019.1579052
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1080/21620555.2019.1579052
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1080/21620555.2019.1579052

Countries

China

Regions

Asia

Categories

education, rural-data-and-definitions

Added

2026-04-28