Universities and colleges across China enrolled more than 2.5 million freshmen this year, surpassing 60 percent of the total number of candidates for the first time in the country this year.

The ratio of enrollment in Beijing and Shanghai cities, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces exceeded 75 percent, the "Beijing Morning Post" reported Monday.

The enrollment ratio in some western provinces such as Qinghai, Gansu and Guizhou provinces and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has risen from the previous 30 percent to 50 percent.

The prestigious Beijing and Qinghua universities have raised the benchmark for qualification by 120 marks this year as the number of high-scoring applicants has increased by a big margin and many of them have cast their eyes on the two universities.

Nevertheless, a great number of non-state universities and high- ranking professional schools have found it hard to recruit an adequate number of freshmen this year.

(People's Daily 09/10/2001)