Higher education consultancy ShanghaiRanking released the 2025 Best Chinese Vocational Colleges Ranking on Thursday in a significant expansion since the first edition was released in 2023.

For the first time, the list includes undergraduate-level vocational and technical universities, which sets apart from existing higher vocational colleges. ShanghaiRanking evaluated more than 1,300 vocational institutions across China.

Undergraduate-level vocational and technical universities are further divided into two subrankings for public and private institutions. Shenzhen Polytechnic University claimed top position on the overall list, while the Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology led the private institution subranking.

Among higher vocational colleges, the subranking for comprehensive colleges was led by the Tianjin Vocational Institute, and Guangzhou City Construction College ranked first in the subranking for private institutes.

The category is additionally complemented by subrankings for colleges specializing in seven disciplines: science and engineering, agriculture and forestry, finance and economics, medicine and pharmacy, political science and law, sports, arts and culture.

Beijing placed 12 institutions on this year's ranking, including two undergraduate-level institutions and 10 higher vocational colleges.

In the undergraduate-level ranking, the Beijing Polytechnic University took sixth place, and the China Civil Affairs University ranked 34th. In the higher vocational college ranking, four Beijing institutions were listed in the top 100.

Several Beijing institutions achieved high rankings in their respective specializations. The Beijing College of Finance and Commerce ranked third in the finance and economics subranking. Similarly, the Beijing College of Politics and Law secured third position in the political science and law category.

The Best Chinese Vocational Colleges Ranking was first released in 2023. It makes use of up-to-date, objective data to evaluate educational performance, and provides a reference for students, parents, administrators, and researchers interested in the vocational education landscape.

Its evaluation system adopts a comprehensive framework comprising six core modules, which assess each school's level of moral cultivation, institutional positioning, faculty quality, educational resources, student development, and social services.