College generally refers to junior college, and junior college refers to higher vocational and higher education. It is an integral part of higher education and one of the academic levels. In China, specialized education is undertaken by higher vocational colleges, and some undergraduate colleges also offer specialized courses. What is issued is a college diploma, not a degree certificate.

There are two main forms of junior college education: junior college and higher vocational and technical college. The two only focus on differences, and there is no essential difference. The former focuses on ability (such as normal college), while the latter focuses on technology (such as water conservancy vocational and technical college). Higher vocational education and higher vocational education are both specialized subjects.