Modernization Personnel Political Work

Ministry of National Defense: In 2026, Military Academies Plan to Enroll Approximately 17,500 Ordinary Senior High School Graduates Army-Wide

国防部：2026年全军院校计划招收约1.75万名普通高中毕业生

PLA Daily (解放军报) 9 June 2026

Summary

At a June 9 press briefing, MND spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang announced that 22 PLA military academies plan to enroll approximately 17,500 senior high school graduates in 2026, with three structural changes: a new integrated commissioned-officer cultivation pathway, two new majors at NUDT specifically to grow the political officer corps, and a '5+3' undergraduate-to-master's track at the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical universities. The explicit framing of enrollment around 'deepening political rectification and consolidation' documents continued institutional pressure to rebuild the officer pipeline on ideologically vetted terms following the Rocket Force purge — the NUDT political officer track in particular extends the pattern of sourcing ideological cadres from within the technical university system rather than relying on existing political academies. The 5+3 medical track is a structural reform worth tracking as a baseline for how the PLA is professionalizing its medical support force ahead of potential large-scale contingency demands.

Translation

On the afternoon of June 9, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang released information on recent military-related matters.

Reporter: The 2026 national college entrance examination is currently underway. Please introduce the plan for military academies to enroll ordinary senior high school graduates.

Zhang Xiaogang: In 2026, 22 academies across the entire military plan to enroll approximately 17,500 ordinary senior high school graduates. The military academy enrollment work fully implements the requirements of deepening political rectification and consolidation (深化政治整训), precisely aligns with the personnel needs of units for combat, construction, readiness, and governance (战建备治), and scientifically formulates enrollment plans in accordance with the new planning for military academy education and training tasks. There are three main characteristics:

First, deployment of an integrated cultivation pathway for growing commissioned officers (生长军官贯通培养): during the undergraduate education phase, students will build a solid foundation in scientific culture, military-political quality, and professional fundamentals, with emphasis on cultivating command literacy (指挥素养), consolidating long-term development potential, and laying a solid foundation for pre-assignment training in units.

Second, strengthening targeted cultivation of political officers: relying on the National University of Defense Technology, two majors—Marxist Theory and Ideological-Political Education—will be opened to enroll young students, so as to consolidate and strengthen our military's political officer corps from the source.

Third, carrying out integrated "5+3" cultivation in clinical medicine: beginning this year, at the Army, Navy, and Air Force's three military medical universities, an integrated cultivation system will be established linking five years of undergraduate medical education with three years of master's professional degree graduate education and standardized residency training, in order to cultivate and forge a high-quality, specialized medical support and healthcare force (卫勤医疗队伍).

In addition, relying on the distinctive and advantageous disciplines of the academies, talent cultivation in emerging technology fields will continue.

Youth tempers the sword; building a strong military, I am part of it (青春砺剑，强军有我). We look forward to more aspiring young people applying to military academies, singing the song of youth in the vibrant military camp, and injecting inexhaustible momentum into accelerating the building of a world-class military. Candidates and parents are asked to follow the official enrollment announcements of military academies for further information, and to remain vigilant against online enrollment fraud and false information.

Original Chinese

6月9日下午，国防部新闻发言人张晓刚大校就近期涉军问题发布消息。记者：2026年全国高考正在进行中，请介绍有关军队院校招收普通高中毕业生计划情况。张晓刚：2026年，全军22所院校计划招收约1.75万名普通高中毕业生。军队院校招生工作全面落实深化政治整训要求，精准对接部队战建备治人才需求，依据新的军队院校教育培训任务规划，科学制定招生计划，主要有3个特点：一是部署生长军官贯通培养，本科教育阶段打牢学员科学文化、军政素质和专业基础，注重指挥素养培育，夯实长远发展潜力，为部队岗前培训奠定扎实基础。二是加强政治军官针对性培养，依托国防科技大学开设马克思主义理论、思想政治教育2个专业招收青年学生，从源头上巩固建强我军政治军官队伍。三是开展临床医学“5+3”一体化培养，从今年起在陆军、海军、空军3所军医大学，建立5年医学本科教育与3年硕士专业学位研究生教育、住院医师规范化培训相衔接的一体化培养体系，培育锻造高素质专业化的卫勤医疗队伍。另外，依托院校特色优势学科，继续开展新兴技术领域人才培养。青春砺剑，强军有我。我们期待更多有志青年报考军校，在火热军营唱响青春之歌，为加快建成世界一流军队注入不竭动力。后续请考生和家长关注军队院校官方招生公告，也请警惕网络招生诈骗和虚假信息。