Both "985" and "211" are high-level university engineering projects launched by the Ministry of Education of China, whose main purpose is to improve the overall level of China's higher education system. The differences between "985" and "211" are as follows:

1. The meaning of the name is different: "211" is named after the "China Higher Education' 211 Project'" issued by the Ministry of Education in 1995, which is mainly aimed at ordinary colleges and universities in China; "985" was named after the "National Key Construction High-level University Service Capacity Enhancement Project" announced by the State Council in 1998, which was mainly aimed at promoting scientific and technological innovation and educational reform in higher education in China.

2. The construction objectives are different: "211" focuses on improving the comprehensive strength and level of general higher education, aiming at upgrading some universities in China into domestic first-class and internationally renowned universities; The "985" aims to improve the overall strength of universities and the overall level of China's higher education system by taking key disciplines as a breakthrough, and its goal is mainly to rank world-class universities.

3. Different capital investment: "211" invested heavily in the construction, which caused some ordinary colleges and universities to be excluded, while "985" mainly developed some cutting-edge and professional colleges and universities by selecting excellent key points, highlighting key disciplines, with more capital than "211" and focusing on high quality and high efficiency.

4. Different subject coverage: The "211" project covers all types of institutions of higher learning, including universities, colleges, vocational schools, etc., especially for ordinary undergraduate colleges; The "985" project mainly covers key universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua, and its main concern is the comprehensive strength and disciplinary advantages of universities.

5. The discipline construction and specialty setting are different: The main goal of the "211" project is to promote the development of higher education and improve the quality of personnel training, focusing on discipline construction and curriculum setting, hoping to enhance the overall strength and competitiveness of the college by building key disciplines like engineering and science, and covering disciplines such as liberal arts and social sciences; During the construction of the "985" project, the key of discipline construction was mainly emphasized, and the first-class academic and frontier disciplines were supported and cultivated to reach the international first-class level.

6. Teachers' strength and degree of internationalization are different: The "985" project tends to improve the teaching ability and scientific research level of school teachers, help them realize the transformation of achievements, and establish an international teaching and scientific research team. The "211" Project implements a school-running model, management model and knowledge system that is in line with international standards, and emphasizes the cooperation of recruiting and cultivating famous teachers, famous schools, famous artists and foreign experts with international and domestic fame.

China higher education project and plan

1. Double-class plan: In 215, the State Council, China put forward the idea of building world-class universities and first-class disciplines, but unlike 985 and 211, the double-class plan tends to support key disciplines and key colleges rather than the whole higher education system. The goal of the plan is to build a number of first-class universities and internationally influential disciplines with strong comprehensive strength and discipline ability, and it is expected to be completed by the end of 22.

2. Excellence Plan: This plan was first put forward in 26, aiming at cultivating world-class elite talents by vigorously promoting the development of higher education and enhancing China's competitiveness in the world of science, technology and economy. The Excellence program is mainly aimed at high-level universities and 211 and 985 schools, and focuses on supporting the construction of key disciplines, key laboratories and national talent training bases.

3. Baosteel Education Fund Plan: In 1997, Baosteel Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jiaotong University jointly established the Baosteel Education Fund Plan, aiming to inject a strong impetus into the development of China's higher education and the cultivation of ruling elites. This program mainly aims at engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering and other disciplines, and provides funds, materials and equipment for universities in China.