Adult education refers to a form of education different from ordinary full-time teaching. Adult education is not limited by age and sex. Through this educational process, people who are regarded as adults in society can increase their abilities, enrich their knowledge, improve their technical and professional qualifications, or turn them to a new direction, thus changing their attitudes and behaviors in two aspects: their all-round development and their participation in the balanced and independent development of social economy and culture.

There are four main forms of adult continuing education, namely, adult college entrance examination (full-time, correspondence and evening university), higher education self-study examination (self-study examination), radio and television university (modern distance open education of TV University) and distance education (network education).

These four forms of education have their own characteristics. Except for the adult college entrance examination, the other three don't have to take the national unified entrance examination. There are also great differences in admission, curriculum, graduation years, charging standards, degree awarding, and class methods.

There are three forms of study in school: full-time, part-time (including part-time and night university) and correspondence.

Night university is a term used in the early days of reform and opening up, which mainly refers to attending classes at night or on weekends. It is a form of adult education, which requires taking the adult college entrance examination, and the learning form is amateur.

Adult education includes correspondence, amateur and other different forms of education, and it is necessary to take the adult college entrance examination. After graduation, students will get a diploma issued by the national adult higher education institution, and those who meet the requirements can also get a bachelor's degree issued by the adult higher education institution.