Abstract

Private higher education in China is a significant policy phenomenon in the transition from elite to mass and universal higher education. Since the reform and opening-up period after 1978, the private sector has re-emerged and expanded to mobilize social resources, reduce pressure on public finance, and meet growing demand for higher education. Using official statistics, policy documents, and international studies, this article examines three issues: the development process and governance model; the structure of financing, quality, and social equity; and emerging challenges and policy implications for Vietnam. The findings show that China’s private higher education sector has contributed to widening access to higher education, but it also reveals structural limitations, including heavy tuition dependence, lower student entry scores, difficulties in attracting high-quality faculty, limited social reputation, stratified employment opportunities, and policy uncertainty regarding for- profit and non-profit classification. Demographic decline and increasing competition from the public sector are forcing private institutions to shift from scale expansion to value enhancement. Drawing from the Chinese case, this article proposes implications for Vietnam: stabilizing the legal framework, strengthening quality assurance, protecting students’ rights, diversifying revenue sources, and developing higher education as a regional hub capable of attracting international students.

Keywords: China, education quality, private higher education, public policy, university governance.