Shenzhen is making efforts to establish a modern educational system, which has high levels in impartiality, modernization and globalization and the ability for sustainable development. The city is also increasing its strength in educational science research.

Basic Education

In 2008, Shenzhen had 865 preschool educational organizations. It had 342 primary schools with 585,900 pupils. All the city's school-age children went to school, and all primary school graduates furthered their studies in middle schools. Shenzhen had 220 junior high schools with 214,200 students and 57 senior high schools with 85,000 students. More than 90 percent of senior high graduates were enrolled by institutes of higher learning, a percentage as high as in developed countries.

Higher Education

Shenzhen has nine full-time institutes of higher learning and one part-time. One hundred and nine institutes of higher learning have set up branches in Shenzhen. Fifty-two institutes from home and abroad have conducted training and research in the Shenzhen Virtual University Park. In 2008, Shenzhen's full-time institutes of higher learning had 64,000 students. About 60,000 students sought part-time higher education, and 550,000 students registered for self-study exams.

Shenzhen University

Shenzhen University is a full-time comprehensive university. It was established and began to enroll students in 1983. In 2005 it was authorized to confer doctoral degrees. It has 66 master's degree programs and three doctoral degree programs. The university has 23 colleges with 56 majors in seven categories including science, engineering, arts, law, management, education and economics.

Shenzhen University City

It was jointly established by the Shenzhen Municipal Government and some famed domestic universities as a teaching and research base to cultivate full-time postgraduates. Famous domestic universities like Qinghua University, Beijing University, Renmin University of China and Harbin Institute of Technology have already set up bases here. In 2008, Shenzhen University City had 5,547 full-time students and 1,382 graduates.

South China University of Science & Technology (under construction)

It is designed to be a high-level research-oriented university. Construction began on March 28, 2008. In accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education on the establishment of a new university, the university is now busy with building a faculty and campus infrastructure.

Vocational Education

Apart from attaching importance to cultivating high-level technological talents, Shenzhen is providing skills training to migrant workers. A modern vocational education system has been formed, which tightly combines the market demands with labor employment and has a strong regional characteristic. The city now has 20 secondary vocational schools (including seven technical schools) with 37,000 students and more than 3,000 faculty members.

Higher vocational institutes include Shenzhen Polytechnic and Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology.

Internationalized Education

International Schools and Others

Shenzhen has five international schools: Shekou International School (SIS), QSI International School of Shekou (QSI), KIS International (KIS), Shenzhen American International School and the Japanese School of Shenzhen.

There is one jointly funded Sino-foreign school: International School of Sino-Canada.

The city also has three schools for Hong Kong and Taiwan children: Shenzhen Oriental School for Hong Kong Children (originally Guangdong School for Hong Kong Children), Luohu School for Hong Kong Children and Shenzhen Oriental School for Taiwan Children (originally Guangdong School for Taiwan Children).

Expatriate Teachers and Students

Shenzhen has more than 600 expatriate teachers and more than 3,500 expatriate students, including over 2,700 students seeking basic education and more than 800 studying in institutes of higher learning.