Modernization Personnel Political Work

Number of Military Academy Applicants and Quality of Student Sources Steadily Rising

军队院校报考人数和生源质量稳步提升

PLA Daily (解放军报) 4 August 2026

Summary

For the 2026 enrollment cycle, approximately 192,000 applicants from all 31 provinces submitted applications to PLA military academies, with 22 academies admitting more than 17,500 cadets whose average scores ranked in the top 6% provincially — up from roughly 135,000 applicants and 16,900 admissions in 2025. The article documents a three-year upward trend in both application volume and score thresholds that the PLA is actively amplifying through policy reform: starting in 2025, the command/non-command enrollment distinction was abolished, undergraduate cadets gained direct pathways to master's programs, and a special operations selection track was added. The framing around 强军梦想 and 阳光招考 points to a dual institutional goal — broadening the talent pipeline into emerging-technology fields while managing public legitimacy concerns about enrollment fairness — but the article does not report retention rates or post-graduation assignment outcomes, leaving the operational impact of these reforms unknown.

Translation

PLA Daily News, reported by correspondent Li Lin: Recently, a piece of news from the Ministry of National Defense drew widespread public attention: in 2026, large numbers of students continued to enthusiastically apply to military academies; approximately 192,000 people from all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) submitted applications; 22 military academies admitted more than 17,500 candidates; the average admission scores ranked within the top 6% of each province; and both application enthusiasm and student-source quality reached historic highs.

Military academies are the cradle for cultivating high-quality, specialized new-type military personnel (新型军事人才), and an important platform for young people to devote themselves to the practice of serving the nation and to pursue their dreams of strengthening the military (强军梦想). Statistical data show that in recent years the enthusiasm for applying to military academies has continued to climb and the quality of student sources has steadily improved. In 2024, 27 military academies admitted more than 17,000 candidates. In 2025, nearly 135,000 candidates from all 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) applied to military academies, of whom 16,900 were admitted; average admission scores exceeded the special-category enrollment control line by 101 points, achieving a leap-forward improvement in student-source quality.

To ensure fair competition and impartial selection for candidates, various systems have been continuously refined. At the end of 2023, the Ministry of Education and relevant departments of the Central Military Commission (CMC) organs jointly issued the "Measures for Military Academies' Enrollment of Regular Senior High School Graduates," improving supervision and management mechanisms and systematically standardizing procedures for enrollment plan adjustments, political review, interviews, physical examinations, file submission, and admission. This year, military academy enrollment has implemented the requirements of "sunshine enrollment (阳光招考)," improved mechanisms for constraining and supervising the exercise of authority, established channels for supervision and reporting of complaints, and conducted oversight of all areas and every stage of enrollment work.

As the structure and layout of our military's branches and arms of service (军兵种) continue to be optimized, the system for cultivating new-type military personnel is also being continuously improved and the layout of academies is being continuously optimized. To attract high-quality student sources, enrollment departments at all levels have continuously broadened channels for publicizing policies. CMC organ enrollment business departments have interpreted enrollment policies through multiple formats, provided consultation services for candidates and parents, and relied on the "Military Academy Enrollment (军校招生)" WeChat public account and the "China Military (中国军号)" app to promptly release enrollment information. PLA Daily launched the special feature "Now Is the Time to Strengthen the Military and Serve the Nation · A Tour of China's Military Academies (强军报国正当时·中国军校巡礼)," presenting in a multidimensional way the distinctive characteristics of each military academy.

Reform of enrollment and training models has continued to deepen. Beginning in 2025, military academy enrollment plans no longer distinguish between "command (指挥)" and "non-command (非指挥)" categories; enrollment directions have been abolished and training objectives clarified; undergraduate-graduate officer cadets (本科毕业生长军官学员) all have the opportunity to directly apply for master's degree programs in relevant disciplines and specialties, further broadening pathways for growth and development; a selection mechanism for special operations specialties has been established, allowing cadets to participate in special operations personnel selection while enrolled. In 2026, integrated through-training of officer cadets (生长军官贯通培养) is being advanced: the undergraduate phase consolidates cadets' scientific and cultural foundations, military-political literacy, and professional fundamentals, while strengthening the cultivation of command capabilities; targeted cultivation of political officers is being strengthened to consolidate and build the political officer corps from the source; and, building on the distinctive and advantageous disciplines of military academies, the supply of personnel in emerging technology fields is being continuously strengthened.

Over the years, academies have adhered to cultivating virtue and nurturing talent (立德树人) and educating for war (为战育人), improved the "three-all education (三全育人)" work framework, and integrated ideological and political education throughout the entire process of personnel cultivation. They have firmly established the combat effectiveness standard (战斗力标准), strengthened combat-realistic teaching (实战化教学), increased the intensity of joint education and joint training (联教联训), organized cadets to participate in troop exercises and live-force live-fire training, and tempered command skills and forged martial courage and boldness (血性胆气) in near-combat environments. This has produced a large number of high-quality, specialized new-type military personnel, injecting continuous vitality into the high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization.

Original Chinese

解放军报讯记者李琳报道：日前，来自国防部的一条消息引发社会广泛关注：2026年广大学子持续踊跃报考军校，全国31个省（自治区、直辖市）约19.2万人报名，22所军队院校录取考生1.75万余名，录取考生成绩排名平均位各省前6%，报考热度与生源质量均创历史新高。军队院校是培育高素质专业化新型军事人才的摇篮，也是广大青年投身报国实践、追逐强军梦想的重要平台。从统计数据看，近年来军校报考热度持续攀升，生源质量稳步提升。2024年，27所军队院校录取考生1.7万余名；2025年，全国31个省（自治区、直辖市）近13.5万名考生报考军校，其中有1.69万名考生被录取，录取成绩平均高出特殊类型招生控制线101分，生源质量实现跨越式提升。为确保考生公平竞争、公正选拔，各类制度不断完善。2023年底，教育部和军委机关有关部门联合颁发《军队院校招收普通高中毕业生工作办法》，健全监督管理机制，对招生计划调整、政治考核、面试、体格检查、投档录取等环节作出系统规范。今年，军队院校招生贯彻落实“阳光招考”要求，完善权力运行制约和监督机制，设立监督举报渠道，对招生工作全领域各环节进行监督。随着我军军兵种结构布局持续优化，新型军事人才培养体系也在不断健全，院校布局持续优化。为延揽优质生源，各级招生部门不断拓宽政策宣介渠道。军委机关招生业务部门通过多种形式解读招生政策，做好考生和家长咨询服务，依托“军校招生”微信公众号、“中国军号”客户端及时发布招考资讯；解放军报推出“强军报国正当时·中国军校巡礼”专题，立体展现各军队院校办学特色。招生培养模式改革持续深化。自2025年起，军队院校招生计划不再区分“指挥”“非指挥”类别，取消招考方向，明确培养目标；本科毕业生长军官学员均有机会直接报考相关学科专业硕士研究生，成长发展路径进一步拓宽；建立特战专业选拔机制，学员在校期间可参加特战人才遴选。2026年，推进生长军官贯通培养，本科阶段打牢学员科学文化、军政素养和专业基础，强化指挥能力培育；加强政治军官针对性培养，从源头上巩固建强政治军官队伍；立足军队院校特色优势学科，持续加强新兴技术领域人才供给。多年来，各院校坚持立德树人、为战育人，完善“三全育人”工作格局，将思想政治教育贯穿人才培养全过程；牢固树立战斗力标准，强化实战化教学，加大联教联训力度，组织学员参与部队演训、实兵实弹训练，在近似实战环境中锤炼指挥本领、砥砺血性胆气，培养了一大批高素质专业化新型军事人才，为高质量推进国防和军队现代化注入源源不断的生机活力。