Beijing's Higher Education Landscape Evolves with 144 New Undergraduate Majors for 2026

Beijing's universities are gearing up for a transformative academic year in 2026, with the approval of 144 new undergraduate majors. This strategic expansion, announced by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission in late April 2026, reflects China's broader push to align higher education with national priorities in science, technology, and emerging industries. The move comes alongside the national Ministry of Education's update to the undergraduate majors catalog, which introduces 38 new programs across the country, signaling a nationwide commitment to fostering talent in cutting-edge fields.

These additions emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, blending traditional disciplines with artificial intelligence, quantum computing, sustainable energy, and brain sciences. For students preparing for the 2026 gaokao, this opens doors to programs directly tied to high-demand sectors like low-altitude economy, digital finance, and embodied intelligence. Beijing's institutions, including elite players like Tsinghua University, are leading the charge, positioning the capital as a hub for innovation-driven education.

National Catalog Update Sets the Stage

The foundation for Beijing's expansions lies in the Ministry of Education's 2026 Undergraduate Majors Catalog, released on April 28, 2026. This catalog adds 38 new majors recruitable via the gaokao, focusing on strategic national needs. Key introductions include brain-machine science and technology, future robotics, embodied intelligence, energy science and engineering, and deep underground science and engineering. Nine universities nationwide, several in Beijing, received approval for embodied intelligence programs, highlighting AI's integration with physical systems.

Other notables encompass agricultural robotics, biomanufacturing, digital culture and tourism, and digital trade. These reflect China's 14th Five-Year Plan emphasis on self-reliant innovation, high-quality development, and industries like new energy vehicles, biomedicine, and low-altitude flight technologies. The catalog also supports revocations of over 1,200 majors since 2021 deemed misaligned with modern demands, optimizing resource allocation for future-oriented education.

Beijing's Bold Leap: 144 Majors Targeting Frontier Fields

Beijing universities dominate local approvals, with 144 new majors approved to commence in 2026. This batch deployment prioritizes 'new domains and new quality productive forces,' including quantum information science, carbon neutrality engineering, low-altitude technology, and intelligent manufacturing. Municipal institutions like Beijing University of Technology and Capital Normal University contribute significantly, forming clusters in digital economy, AI education, and emergency management.

The approvals underscore a differentiated strategy: central universities like Tsinghua and Peking align with national sci-tech goals, while city-affiliated schools support Beijing's 'four centers' (political, cultural, international exchange, sci-tech innovation) and high-precision industries such as integrated circuits and green development. This ensures a talent pipeline for Beijing's role as China's innovation vanguard.

Tsinghua University Pioneers China's First Psychology, Brain, and Cognitive Science Major

Tsinghua University, China's premier institution, leads with the nation's inaugural Psychology, Brain, and Cognitive Science (心理、脑与认知科学) undergraduate major. Launching in 2026 under the Department of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Xinya College, this理学 (science) degree fuses psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and AI. It targets brain-computer interfaces, brain-like intelligence, cognitive disorder interventions, and foundational research gaps.

Program director Liu Jia explains that psychology provides historical depth, brain science the material basis, and cognitive science bridges to AI, preparing students for universal AI and brain health challenges. The curriculum features project-based learning with end-to-end skills in neural mechanisms and intelligent systems. Tsinghua's move fills a critical talent void, bolstering China's global leadership in brain science amid initiatives like the Brain Science Plan.

Photo by Igor Sporynin on Unsplash

Elite Beijing Institutions Roll Out High-Impact Programs

Beyond Tsinghua, Beijing's top universities are diversifying offerings:

• Renmin University of China: International Organization and Global Governance; Quantum Information Science – for diplomacy and quantum tech.
• Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology: Embodied Intelligence – AI-physical world fusion, approved nationally for nine schools.
• North China Electric Power University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture: Carbon Neutrality Science and Engineering – dual carbon goals support.
• Beijing Jiaotong University, North China University of Technology: Low-Altitude Technology and Engineering – urban air mobility boom.

These programs exemplify Beijing's precision in matching education to industries like aviation, energy transition, and quantum computing.

Municipal Universities Drive Practical, Industry-Aligned Innovation

Beijing's city universities anchor the expansion with applied majors:

• Beijing University of Technology: Quantum Information Science, Data Computing and Applications, Additive Manufacturing Engineering, Cyberspace Security.
• Capital Normal University: Inclusive Education, AI Education, Infant and Toddler Development and Health Management, Bioinformatics, Cultural Relics Protection and Restoration – blending edtech with social services.
• Beijing International Studies University: Digital Economy, Swahili Language, Digital Cultural Tourism – Belt and Road and digital silk road ties.
• Capital University of Economics and Business: Networks and New Media, Auditing.

Clusters emerge in intelligent tech (e.g., Beijing Technology and Business University), integrated circuits, emergency management, and digital media art, supporting smart cities and high-precision manufacturing.

Alignment with China's Emerging Industries and Strategic Goals

The new majors directly serve Beijing's '2+4+N' high-precision industries: information technology, advanced manufacturing; biomedicine, modern services; plus next-gen IT, new materials, and green tech. Nationally, they echo the 14th Five-Year Plan's focus on sci-tech self-reliance, with AI, quantum, and low-altitude economy as pillars. A Beijing Education Commission official noted three traits: frontier batching (embodied AI, quantum), digital pervasiveness (fintech, big data), and demand precision (national for centrals, local for municipals).

This positions Beijing as talent supplier for international sci-tech center ambitions, addressing gaps in brain science, carbon tech, and digital trade amid global competition.Ministry of Education announcement

Revocations Pave Way for Optimization and Quality

To enable this growth, Beijing revoked majors with poor fit, like outdated liberal arts or redundant engineering at institutions such as Beijing Jiaotong University and Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Nationally, over 1,220 majors adjusted since 2021 prioritize employability and innovation. This dynamic catalog – updated yearly – ensures higher education evolves with societal needs, boosting graduate outcomes in strategic sectors.

Photo by Igor Sporynin on Unsplash

Opportunities and Challenges for Gaokao Aspirants

For 2026 gaokao takers, these majors offer exciting paths but demand interdisciplinary aptitude. Tsinghua's brain-cognitive program suits those blending humanities and tech; low-altitude engineering appeals to aviation enthusiasts. Challenges include intense competition at top schools and evolving prerequisites like AI basics. Students should target aligned high school courses in physics, biology, and computing. Career prospects shine in R&D, startups, and state-backed industries, with projected demand surges.Global Times on new majors

Global Implications and Beijing's Innovation Hub Role

Beijing's expansions reinforce China's higher ed as global powerhouse, with Tsinghua's major advancing brain-AI frontiers amid U.S.-China rivalry. International students gain access to English-taught variants, fostering Belt and Road talent exchange. Beijing now boasts comprehensive coverage from quantum to cultural tourism, supplying human capital for 'new quality productive forces.' Future plans include more approvals, ensuring sustained alignment with 15th Five-Year Plan goals by 2030.

For aspiring academics and professionals, explore opportunities via China university jobs or higher ed careers.