The gross university entrance rate of China has reached 19 percent in 2004. This indicates that China's scale of higher education has surpassed that of the US and become world No.1, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Education of China.

Gross university entrance rate is the proportion of gross number of students in university to the population in corresponding age period-from 18 to 22. The rate shows a country's comprehensive level in providing opportunity for higher education. The rate in China has been increasing by two percents every year since 2000 and it reached 17 percent in 2003.

Statistics show the universities of regular higher education in China recruit 4.2 million students in 2004, an increase of 400, 000 as against 2003. Up to now, there are more than 20 million students studying in schools of higher education. The scale has surpassed the US to become world NO. 1.